Early in the series, the world of Watamote outside of Tomoko felt so vast and distant. But as more and more characters were introduced and their relationships were established, it turns out that world is a lot smaller than we had thought. Like in actual high schools, every kid knows a kid who knows a kid who knows the first kid, and somewhere along that line, Tomoko’s reputation as the class oddball escalates.

Chapter 156: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Have Rumors About Me



Only Rena could make double-grasping the hand straps look badass.

Nico Tanigawa are really patting themselves on the back with all this continuity. Not that I’m complaining.

Does this weakness make Rena kind of moe, or is it just me?

It was a good idea to have that question already answered in the last chapter. That anticipation can instead be focused on Fuuka and whatever hell she will inevitably get herself into.

Even in a relatively more “open” culture where I’m from, talking about cunnilingus and suggested bestiality still isn’t in the realm of small talk. Granted, that would be a taboo topic anywhere, but I guess Tomoko (and Rena) are lewd and crude no matter where you’re from.

Famous last words.

I feel like if it were about anyone else, Tomoko wouldn’t be nearly as considerate. If there’s one thing about Tomoko and her relationships, it’s that she’s biased as all hell.

I love it when manga characters have angry marks while smiling. It just screams internal rage even when they have to look like they’re not. Tomoko’s hypocrisy will do that to you.

Sweet perspective shot. Once again, it really emphasizes how all the characters have their own story outside of their relationship with Tomoko. We got Fuuka still fuming about her locomotive encounter, Minami prancing around, Kiyota and Wada being bros, Akari silently admiring Tomoki from afar…

…and what’s this? That one friend of Tomoki’s putting the moves on Sayaka? The surprises just never end with this series,

After having to draw Tomoko’s shaggy mane for so long, I think the artist was dying to draw some really luscious hair for once.

All of womankind would beg to differ.

We all knew Katou has some…skewed sensibilities when comes to the sexual stuff, but I think we’ve finally found the boundary that even she would be uncomfortable with. It’s a refreshing expression coming from Katou, but even if we know her limits now, it raises even more troublesome questions due to, well…

…this.

Call me naïve, but most “innocent” folks wouldn’t automatically think pubes if someone were to bring up their hair. It leads me to believe that this isn’t the first time Katou has been faced with this idea, and again, it’s kind of disturbing.

Tomoko, you seriously need to find a better outlet for your stress that doesn’t involve things that start with “s-” and end with “-ex”.

Mike and her boyfriend are going to be the go-to couple (not that they’re a lot of options) for emphasizing just how lonely the other characters are.

That’s the spirit, Yuri! I can just feel the optimism exuding off your face. Almost makes me forget how that’s a blatant flag.

Given what we know about Yuri, there’s only one person who could make this punchline work.

Sometimes, the universe just throws you the middle finger.

I enjoy when the manga is willing to take the subtle route with its jokes. A lot of series would’ve taken the overt approach and make a big deal by having Minami take a whole panel. Personally, the lack of information adds an extra layer of humor and really shows Nico Tanigawa’s trust in its audience.

Poor Tomoko didn’t expect to get more people involved in her little idea than she could comfortably keep at a distance. And if the setup is correct, the one tipping it over will be…

Insert balls joke here.

Ah, Wada. Your role may be small, but as one of the few recurring dudes in this series, you make quite the impact.

Alright, alright. A little risque, but nothing uncommon for teenagers to have on hand.

Please disregard my previous statement. Also, for goodness’s sake, that lady looks like Yuu.

The three reactions are totally priceless. Nemo has that look of being unsettled but also of begrudging acceptance. Okada is shellshocked, as per tradition. Then there’s Wada, whose face suggests enjoyment, but since he always looks like that, it’s hard to tell. Maybe he’s a stereotypical guy who thinks it’s hot seeing a girl fawn over another girl.

Speaking of which, if this doesn’t start any rumors about Tomoko’s sexuality, I don’t know what will.

“Don’t judge them too hard!” I told myself. “We don’t know enough about Minami’s friends yet.” I also told myself. “Maybe they and Minami are actually really close!” I told myself again and again.



The more we see them, the less I tell myself that.

It’s neat that we don’t have a whole separate chapter dedicated to the aftermath of the TomoUcchi fiasco. Little tidbits of development here and there remind us that this will always be a slice-of-life first, and potential romance second. And I’m sure we’ll get a whole chapter eventually dedicated to the climax of Ucchi’s redemption.

Uh, Ucchi? You’re logic as always been kind of hazy, that doesn’t make a lick of sense, even for you.

Aw, Minami, Sachi, and Nori are a trio of adorable, precious, two-faced jerkwads.

Putting aside the fact that what Ucchi’s saying is technically true, that almost sounds like wish(fetish) fulfillment right there. Like she wouldn’t be attracted to Kuroki if she wasn’t. Not that it justifies what Ucchi did, of course.

I swear, Minami has a sixth sense for casual bitching within a 30-foot radius.

It’s actually kind of sad that Minami’s modus operandi for making friends is so dependant on being a bitch. What makes it even more pitiable is that Minami hasn’t given any indication that she’s ever tried to just be nice. Being rude is all she knows and has, and I could just about see her as a victim of her own doing.

Tomoko’s been called a lot of things, but I don’t think anyone’s ever called her ‘high and mighty’ before. Is it just because she has friends now? If that’s what she thinks, I can almost understand why Minami was so worried about losing her friends in another class.

Ironically, Tomoko is more well-adjusted than Minami is.

I’m not sure if Minami was this politically incorrect in the original text, but given her personality, I actually think translating it this way is very fitting for her character.

I was only half-joking when I said Tomoko’s grossness was Ucchi’s fetish.

Joke’s on me now.

Ucchi being a B-rank in terms of traditional popularity is actually in line with what I saw her as, much as I’d hate to admit it. I think, deep down, people do subconsciously rank their peers, if nothing else than to assess their own likability. And that’s precisely why I can’t blame Minami too much for it.

As for laughing at another girl’s efforts to look more appealing? Yeah, GTFO of here with that.

Ucchi’s always walked this fine line between Pretty Decent and Pretty Bitchy, and when the latter is played for laughs, it’s always to say the brutal things others can’t really admit.

So yeah. High-five, Emoji Girl!

You know, I wonder if Tomoki is aware of just how much of a chick magnet he is?

It’s funny, but the “rumors” in this chapter’s title was heavily suggesting that it was all about Tomoko. But protagonist privilege doesn’t exist here, and it looks like Akari is one of the other girls that “rumors” are referring to, even more so.

It’s nice to see the ensemble cast has grown far enough to actually be worthy of the “Because I’m Not Popular…” title.

So Tomoko may be an idiot, Yoshida may be naïve, and Ucchi may be thick-headed.

But Sayaka may be the real dumbass of this series.

Having a best friend who puts you through a lot of shit is the most conflicting feeling ever. At some point, the love and hate you have for them become one and the same. Hang in there, Akari.

Nakamura Who? If the splash page is any hint…

Yup, it’s that dude. Another male character with a name? Goodness me, this is turning into a sausage fest!

Of all the characters that could have legitimate, heterosexual flirting between them, I never would have expected it to be Sayaka and Literally-Named-Five-Seconds-Ago.

Normally, this kind of shipping dynamic isn’t my taste, where the compatibility takes a backseat to the friction. But then again, secondary couples don’t typically need all the drama in the narrative, which the main couple normally monopolizes. It’s the kind of tsundere-laden relationship that makes the “arguing” feel more affectionate than toxic. And with Sayaka’s upfront attitude mixed with this guy’s teasing nature, it actually kind of works.

Sometimes, a little Shoujo cliché is the icing on the cake.

In a sudden twist of fate, Akari may just have to play wingwoman to her wingwoman.

Perhaps several years of manga and anime consumption have lowered my standards a bit, but screw it,

Sayaka is cute.

I love, love, LOVE Akari’s facial expression right here,

There are so many conflicting emotions in those furrowed eyebrows and half-smile. If I had to go full-nerd and put it into percentages, I’d say it would be 40% amusement, 20% resentment, 15% envy, and 5% proud. Seeing your best friend have more progress in their romantic affairs than you when they’re not even really trying but still deserve to be happy can be a real emotional rollercoaster.

Hang in there, Akari.

Nah, I seriously doubt Sayaka has the nerve (or the forethought) to pull something underhanded like that.

The thing about dumb characters in denial? It’s hard to tell if they’re being tsundere, or if they’re really just that clueless. Sayaka could be both.

Add a heaping lack of self-awareness to that pot.

You see, anybody who knows the context of this exchange, no less your best friend, would be able to tell that Akari’s just joking. With just the very basic level of understanding, you’d be able to tell that your bestie is just giving you a little push and nothing else.

That ain’t Sayaka.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen a female character in a manga actually bring up the idea that women care tremendously about the size of a guy’s penis, and with such vigor too. I’ve always been under the assumption that it was men who were unnaturally concerned about that sort of thing, while women generally don’t care much at all. Sayaka, however, seems to actually agree upon the supposed correlation between a man’s attractiveness and their phallus length.

What did we ever do to deserve this series?

Okay, I’ve finally stopped laughing over the increasing absurdity via Sayaka.

Now, now. I don’t think Akari’s rumored(?) obsession with big dicks isn’t that much of a dealbreaker…probably. And even if it is, I wouldn’t worry too much about crossing the line by punching her. After all, Yuri’s made an entire brand over punching her closest friends.

Hang in there, Akari.

Further proof that Miyazaki and the rest of the Ucchi gang are sisterhood goals.

Yeah, nothing new at this point. Still warms my heart every time, though.

Hmm, so Tomoko never mentioned the falling out that transpired, huh? I suppose that’s to be expected. Tomoko was never one to vent about her problems or even trash-talk to her friends. So while it shows just how little Ucchi’s words affected her in the long-term, it also shows Tomoko’s penchant for internalizing her negativity.

Nice to see that others (sort of) outside of the loop like Mako can see Tomoko’s growing relationships with specific girls like Yuri and Nemo. I predict that Tomoko and Yuri especially are going to be the “Those Two Girls” trope by the end of the year.

I think this pretty much confirms just how the rest of the class viewed Tomoko in her first two years. It’s not that they never noticed her, or were purposely ostracizing her, really. They knew that Tomoko was/is a loner, but out of common courtesy, just never made a huge deal out of it.

Huh? She saw them? If Ucchi’s the active stalker, then Miyazaki’s the inadvertent, just-happened-to-be-there stalker.

Could this be the start where it’s not just the girls who’re being conscientious of Tomoko, but the guys as well? It may be stereotypical to assume this, but they might find Tomoko’s appreciation of the female body to be an attractive thing about her, if only platonically.

Careful now, Miyazaki. That’s exactly the kind of thinking that Okada had, we all know how that turned out.

There’s been no shortage of amazing faces from Emoji Girl these past couple years, but this might be the first one that’s genuinely kind of terrifying. Maybe it’s the result of Ucchi’s piercing gaze radiating bloodlust offset by a graceful wind that normally gives off a feeling of wisdom.

In any case, I ain’t sleeping tonight.

No matter how many friends Tomoko gets, these four will always be my BROTP.

I’ve noticed a lot of people confused as to why riding a motor scooter to school would warrant a suspension. I won’t pretend like I’m an expert on Japanese school policy, but if I had to guess, it might be a reputation thing. Japanese uniforms are a symbol of the school’s public image, so having a student acting like a delinquent would reflect poorly on the institution.

That’s tempting fate if I ever did see one.

Yoshida can’t get away with nothin’!

Judging by Yoshida’s relatively tame reaction, this is probably not the first time she’s been punished, or at least been sent to the office. Cute points aside, she is a tried and true delinquent girl, after all. I’m sure this is nothing she can’t handle.

Tomoko, you of all people by now should know about jinxing it…

What’d I tell ya?

Delinquent Girl, thy name is Tomoko.

I certainly wasn’t expecting that. I don’t know if Tomoko’s suspension will have any negative repercussions as far as her choice of college is concerned, but in terms of positive consequences, she and Yoshida may find a way to bond even more through this ordeal.

And so, the rumors circulate. But these rumors may not be kind that the readers were expecting. On Tomoko’s side, it’s easy to see that those rumors as surrounding her increasing gayness with other girls, but the end of this chapter suggests that the rumors may extend into thinking Tomoko’s a little punk who hangs out with other punks, rebelling through unauthorized scootering or bringing sexy materials to school. And on the other side, the rest of the characters are also subject to some rumors, for better or worse (mostly the latter).

And that’s just how rumors work. One rumor branches out into several rumors, leading to a change in the first rumor. It’s a clever element to tie in all the vignettes this chapter had, and it just about gives characterization to not just the individual students, but the school as well. In the end, Makuhari Shuuei High School is home to a lot of weirdness, and that’s precisely why it may be looked back fondly as Tomoko’s golden years.