One of the nuttiest things about this series is that you never really know when a story stops and when it ends. Watamote is the kind of bastard that can have a one-shot chapter spark an entire arc. In the case of this Sports Tournament, the last chapter’s punchline could have been the end of it, but instead we get a continuation that furthers expands this intricate relationship map. Neatly tied-up endings are not this series’ forte, and that ingenious decision is what keeps the readers on their toes.

Chapter 150: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Bequeath a Wreath (does the Japanese title have this sort of rhyme, ‘cause that’d be pretty cool if it did)



At this point, It’d be pretty absurd of me to highlight every tiny instance of Mako and Yoshida’s interactions as evidence for unfounded shipping.

I’m still doing it.

All those fancomics of Hirasawa getting massacred by the harem are thankfully denied.

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Huh? Oh, sorry. I saw Yoshida’s ponytail and…yeah.

Anyway, I can already imagine the conversations that transpired between Okada and Yoshida. They both got that “straightforward, take-no-shit, but also pure as hell” aura to them, which is a recipe for frequent oneupmanship undercut by begrudging mutual understanding over shared innocence.

And talking about Tomoko behind her back.

My thought process at this panel was, “Oh. OH…OHHHHHH.”

A single opaque glasses lens is the epitome of coolness.

But seriously, Komiyama going all nuclear on a softball match makes too much sense. For all her very disturbing qualities, she’s incredibly passionate, and would undoubtedly put 110% into something most people would slack on. It’s one of her few truly admirable qualities, and I for one applaud this rare display of her badassery.

The best (or worse) part about competing against casuals is that they don’t bother to counter your one strategy.

So even someone as sports-blind as me knows what a squeeze play is, but I must curse the mangaka for forcing me look up what “cut stances” are.

…It was actually kind of interesting.

I just realized that Itou is Nico Tanigawa’s real self-insert.

You know, Itou tends to use a lot of interesting rhetoric in her inner monologues. I guess it matches with her whole chuuni-normie mindset.

I must say, though, that I’m glad we finally got some concrete reasoning for why Itou is friends with Komiyama. While she doesn’t openly accept Komi’s pervertedness, she does actually see the girl’s lack of shame (or high self-assuredness) as something to be admired. Itou herself has designated herself to a background role, but she naturally gravitates toward someone with the kind of nerve she could likely never muster.

I think it’s painfully obvious that Yuri’s loss was mostly the result of a lack of effort as opposed to a lack of ability. She does have the arm strength of Hercules, after all.

Putting aside Yuri’s mild dissatisfaction, I do find it odd that Mako didn’t join Yuri’s side. Why, the only possible reason I can think of is that Mako must have been persuaded by someone el–

Of course.

Minami Mouse.

While I don’t expect Minami to be a living encyclopedia, you’d think she’d at least know something as basic as an “inning”.

Then again, I’m not exactly in any position to judge one’s knowledge on sports…

Relying on Minami to do something supportive? That’s adorable.

Of all the people to put Minami in her place, I wasn’t expecting it to be Komiyama. But it actually makes sense when you think about. The other characters are too tactful to openly shut her down, but Komi has no such reservations. Sure, someone bold like Yoshida or Okada could have done so (and the latter has), but since Komiyama is the only one to actually care in this setting, that righteous role falls upon her.

Can we get a Komiyama VS Futaki softball match now?

Pfft, they probably wouldn’t have wanted to be cheered by you anyway.

It happens once every thousand years, but Tomoko can occasionally respect Komiyama’s existence.

The fact that Okada can call the guys in her class “wimps” without sounding the least bit mean exemplifies the difference in “good teasing” and “bad teasing” between her and Minami.

Is “fufufu” just the classy woman’s laugh in manga? I prefer it over the ojou-sama style, “ohohoho”.

I need more Tomoko-and-Yuri-sitting-together-in-silence cuteness in my life.

There’s comically sad, and then there’s sad-sad. I guess objectively she sees herself as “not-ugly” but still rates herself as “ugly” on the Scale of Appeal.

Can someone hug her, please?

I thoroughly enjoy Nemo’s sincerity here. Whenever she takes a teasing jab at Tomoko’s self-consciousness, it’s always when the latter is being self-deprecating. But in this instance, Tomoko is just being honest, and teasing would only push her down rather than bring her up.

If only Ucchi was there at Tomoko’s response. That would’ve been golden.

First off, Yuri’s eyes are extra pretty here.

Secondly, apathy should not be this endearing.

Sliding in there like an Ucchi.

This is exactly how I imagine Tomoko’s first-year sports tournament went, so there isn’t really much to note. Though bringing back her interest in bugs is a welcome call-back.

Well to be fair, Tomoko, the weirdest things are the most attention-grabbing.

Never in a million years would I ever think I’d see a much of people crowding around Tomoko with great interest like this. Being the center of attention was her fantasy back in her first year, but this may be the closest we’ve ever seen to that being a reality. Thankfully, it stays grounded by having Tomoko showing off something she’s actually experienced in.



Wow, Nemo got so startled, she jumped out of the panel.

You know what else is wrinkly, round, and squishy?

Prunes!

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What?

Just look at Tomoko’s barely concealed shit-eating grin. The lil’ nasty.

She’s really putting in the tsukommi work here.

I would say that Katou is mostly doing the second. In the back of her mind, she knows that her words sound dirty out of context, but like the accepting mom she is, she simply has no self-preservation on such matters.

And who says (formerly) black comedy manga can’t be educational?

To think that Tomoko’s little entomology lesson would be so engaging that the others would forget the whole reason they came here, and ultimately lose track of time. I’d say Tomoko has a knack for teaching, but her PTOD (Post Traumatic Ogino Disorder) would kick in.

I don’t know what Okada was talking about. Just because the team has average-build Kiyota, chubby artist Hatsushiba, the also chubby otaku guy, and feminine-looking Wada doesn’t mean their class is full of wi–

Nevermind.

If what Okada said is true, then those “best” athletics aren’t actually that impressive.

I feel that this is going to foreshadow a development in the future. Granted, there aren’t any prominent male first-year characters yet, so we’ll just have to see.

This is the panel that all the “ashamed” masochists flock to.

It’s more than likely that Kiyota included all of them just for the sake of including them, like the decent guy he is, but I can already see a lot of (enraged) shippers using this as evidence that he’s interested in Tomoko or Yuri, not that I would blame him. I didn’t include Katou, because any living being would find her attractive.

Okada, sweetheart…your asymmetry is slaying me.

But seriously, I enjoy it when the characters wear their clothes in stupid ways. You know, like real teenagers.

Okada having a “one-of-the-dudebros” manner of speaking is too fitting.

The Garden of Eden is real.

I can’t express enough how important it is that despite feeling down that Mako chose softball with Minami, Yuri cares enough to let her go if so desired. She’s probably had to do this a lot (like at D*sneyland), but it stills counts for something.

First there were the Heathers, then there were the Mean Girls, and now there’s the Minamis.

If we’re being honest, Nemo probably wouldn’t have even cared that much if she did see Tomoko then. But as they say, the past is the past, and the best you can do now is look on ahead.

A part of me wants Nemo to keep this new twin-tails style. It’s only slightly less anime-ish than the previous one.

I’m assuming that making flower rings and crowns is your standard pastime for kids in Japan. it might seem condescending that Nemo would bring this up now, but I see it more as Nemo wanting to reconcile the time she could have had with Tomoko years ago.

In other news, Trump is a terrible president.

Ah, the Law of Equivalent Exchange. After Tomoko showed how to dig up doodlebugs, Nemo now has the desire to teach Tomoko something in return. Not that it’s some kind of unfeeling transaction, as I’m sure this is just Nemo’s usually hidden goodwill at work.

I think it can be surmised that with the way Yuri just ripped out a handful of soil-dripping dandelions(?), she’s never made flower rings/crowns either. Still, given that Yuri is more receptive to quiet activities than loud ones, it’s great to see her join in on the fun unprompted.

As the mangaka chooses to focus on Yuri and the flower-crafting action during this line, I think it’s a fair prediction that they’ll find a way to have some fun even if they do lose.

I think this is becoming a trend: Tomoko does something that has her think about how much she’s improved compared to previous years, without outwardly thinking about why that is. I bet that’ll be an insight in the making.

When I imagine Ikko (and Niko) making flower crowns to have a reference for drawing them this detailed, it warms my heart.

It’s actually not so surprising when you realize that Tomoko is pretty dexterous.

It’s weird that Yuri soft smiles are worth mentioning considering how prevalent they were before, but to smile alongside Nemo and Tomoko (probably smiling) is all kinds of wholesome.

I’ve seen 4chan (yes, I know) describe Yuri and Nemo as the “Cuck Sisters” due to how they often stare at Tomoko whenever she spoils/flirts with Katou. As distasteful as that title is, I think it actually fits with the tone of this manga, especially since we already have the “Pervert Sisters” to break the ice.

At this point, I can’t tell if these beauty shots of Katou are filtered through Tomoko’s eyes, or if she’s actually just that perfect.

Perhaps I’m not attuned to these sorts of things, but I don’t really see the correlation between flowers/bugs and the one’s goddess-ness. Maybe it because flowers and bugs are on opposite sides of the spectrum and Katou manages to hit both sides.

For all their supposed rivalry, Nemo and Yuri can at least bond over how much they get snubbed by Tomoko.

I really don’t think Yuri would be the type to just blow the match out of a lack of interest. I’m sure she put in a respectable amount of effort for decency’s sake. While she could be clumsy, that isn’t necessarily a result of her attitude.

Nico Tanigawa are the kind of douchebag mangakas who refuse to give detailed illustrations of a popular character looking cute.

Based on context, Nemo probably propped the crown over Yuri’s head before she refused. It’s a little step towards what looks to be a budding friendship, but even if they do eventually become friends, I don’t really think Nemo will ever reach the level Tomoko has. Part of why Yuri got so close to Tomoko is because the latter’s weird behavior invites Yuri to act. Tomoko pulls and Yuri pushes. But Nemo is a pusher who tries too hard to goad Yuri, leading Yuri to pull away. When Nemo serious about being buddies with Yuri, she may have to have to adapt her approach.

Instant regression.

Don’t think I missed Tomoko getting the cold shoulder from her haremettes. I don’t think they were deliberately brushing her off, only that they started conversing to ignore Tomoko’s flirting and got so deep in the discussion that they didn’t hear her calling out to them.

With all her development, you forget that Tomoko is a low-effort girl to her very core, and will instantly shrink away if she can’t seamlessly insert herself in a conversation. As I said in previous reviews, a recurring theme of this series is how much can Tomoko change while staying true to who she is. Having her fall back into her first-year comfort zone is a great way to gauge that, and based on what we just saw, forcing herself into a chat is the lowest layer for which no amount of character development can pierce.