Review of WataMote: No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!

Mental illness isn't cute. I don't tell everybody who asks that this is one of my favorite anime, but without a doubt it's up there. It is so not for everybody. There are moments in this anime that made me cringe out of my skin, and it's sometimes straight up uncomfortable to watch. But so much of the time in anime, obvious mental illness in a character is played up to be trope-ish or cute, and therefore, isn't seen as a real barrier the way it actually would be in real life. (See: dandere) Komi Can't Communicate is very cute, but nobody would realistically react theway the characters in that show do to someone who is too flustered to ever speak to anyone around them. Kuroki is real, and when you spend so much time completely isolated from people because of anxiety to that degree, you're GOING to be weird and say awkward things. You're GOING to be jealous and spiteful of people who seem like they have it better than you without trying when it feels like you're fighting for your life just to exist around other people. (especially so with the added immaturity of being a kid her age)

I love this show because I used to be her. I used to act exactly the same way when I was her age, and I found myself facing the same types of consequences that she does when I messed up. It reminds me how much I've grown and continue to grow every day. Watching her struggle and mess up and weird out the people around her is realistic to someone who can't present as neurotypical, and it makes me want her to do better. I totally understand how someone who couldn't relate wouldn't like it, or can't even finish it, but I do, and I would be her friend.

10/10 I hope she gets therapy.