What do you think?
Rate this book
No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! #1
No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 1
Tomoko Kuroki naturally assumed she'd be popular when she got to high school...but then cold, hard reality swooped in for the attack! Turns out all the popularity points she's racked up in her video game dating sims are worth squat in real life, and Tomoko's far from prepared to navigate high school! How can she possibly hope to impress her classmates when she can't even talk to them?! A new high-school heroine is born (maybe?)!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2012
59 people are currently reading
1538 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
April 30, 2013
Kuroki Tomoko is super popular high school girl who has had 50 years of dating experience and 100 boys....in the Otome game world. In the real world she is a 15 year old shut in who has the qualities of a "mojo" (喪女, a gloomy or unpopular girl). When her school life isn't going like she expected and she isn't as popular as she expected, she takes a look good at herself and she realizes she isn't popular at all.
I really recommend reading this story because it is funny and I mean really funny. Just watching her trying to fit in you just can't help rooting for her. The most hilarious misunderstanding that are seen in this story. Then the meetings she has with her middle school friend who has transformed since entering high school into a outgoing high school girl. Another reason I like this story is because it lets you see the life of the outcast trying to fit in so hard while everyone else makes it seem so easy it makes it easier to understand people in real life who struggle to socialize in a very funny way.
In conclusion it's not my fault I'm not popular is a great read. Another if the reasons I like it is because the author based the character on herself since she had a very difficult school life so this makes you feel like Tomoko is not just another imaginary character but the very escence of the author herself. I know we can all relate to this story since there has been a point in our lives at which we have struggled to fit in and socialize some of us more than we'd like to admit. So read Its Not My Fault I'm Not Popular if you want some good laughs.＼(^o^)
I really recommend reading this story because it is funny and I mean really funny. Just watching her trying to fit in you just can't help rooting for her. The most hilarious misunderstanding that are seen in this story. Then the meetings she has with her middle school friend who has transformed since entering high school into a outgoing high school girl. Another reason I like this story is because it lets you see the life of the outcast trying to fit in so hard while everyone else makes it seem so easy it makes it easier to understand people in real life who struggle to socialize in a very funny way.
In conclusion it's not my fault I'm not popular is a great read. Another if the reasons I like it is because the author based the character on herself since she had a very difficult school life so this makes you feel like Tomoko is not just another imaginary character but the very escence of the author herself. I know we can all relate to this story since there has been a point in our lives at which we have struggled to fit in and socialize some of us more than we'd like to admit. So read Its Not My Fault I'm Not Popular if you want some good laughs.＼(^o^)
May 9, 2020
Imagine a Shoujo with a female lead who is painfully shy and awkward. You would naturally expect that she would have a tragic (or utter nonsensical) back story that made her that way. There would be the hottest guy in school who is most likely also an arrogant jerk. If he is a brat, there would be a backstory that tries to convince us that he may look cold, but he is actually a nice guy. He would be Mr.Popular and all the girls would have a crush on him, but he would obviously fall head over heels in love with our female lead. They would start dating and then his friends become her friends too. Slowly, she would learn to trust people. Some obstacles to their relationship may be present, which they would overcome and be together happily ever after. This is not that manga!
Here, the female lead is extremely shy, painfully awkward and perverted, but there are none of the above cliches. Our heroine, Tomoko, is the classroom outcast because of her personality. Even when people try to talk to her, she finds it hard to reply. This manga is all about her misadventures on trying to fit in, hoping to find love and becoming popular.
This manga was hilarious. I wonder how the author managed to make me laugh, feel sorry for Tomoko and root for her, all at the same time.
Here, the female lead is extremely shy, painfully awkward and perverted, but there are none of the above cliches. Our heroine, Tomoko, is the classroom outcast because of her personality. Even when people try to talk to her, she finds it hard to reply. This manga is all about her misadventures on trying to fit in, hoping to find love and becoming popular.
This manga was hilarious. I wonder how the author managed to make me laugh, feel sorry for Tomoko and root for her, all at the same time.
January 13, 2018
Not really my cup of tea, really struggled to finish it.
March 8, 2012
I've been a fan of Niko Tanigawa since reading Choku, her manga about a hapless high school student and the sociopathic stalker who believes herself to be his girlfriend. Tanigawa's new series, "It's Not My Fault I'm Not Popular," isn't quite as good -- but then, it's hard to top something like this:
-- but for whatever reason it's become extremely popular on 4chan, where users have been translating each chapter as it appears in Japan. The popularity on 4chan is so great, in fact, that the publisher actually gave them a shout-out on the cover of the first bound volume -- where an ordinary book might proclaim, "Bestselling author," this one mentions how popular the story is with American pirates. Which, perversely, has caused many 4channers to import copies from Japan. The book has been the #1 bestseller on CDJapan, a webstore that specializes in imported Japnese merchandise -- for a couple months now, except for a brief period when it was out of stock.
So what's driving interest? Well, it's a story 4channers can relate to. The main character, Tomoko Kuroki, is a total loser -- apart from one friend, she only spoke to another person six times in middle school. Now she's starting high school and she's been separated from her lone friend. So she decides to change herself and become super popular. Unfortunately she has no clue how to do this and her severe social anxiety often manifests in bizarre behavior. So it's the story of a loser being a loser -- and being a loser, and being a loser. There's really no let up. Tomoko doesn't progress at all in the first volume. She doesn't improve herself. She doesn't make friends. Apart from her brother, she hardly ever talks to other characters, and when she does she ends up embarrassing herself. This is a comedy, but it's a damn depressing one. Yet you can't help but keep reading in the hope that things will lighten up -- like Charlie Brown believing Lucy won't jerk the football away before he can kick it.
-- but for whatever reason it's become extremely popular on 4chan, where users have been translating each chapter as it appears in Japan. The popularity on 4chan is so great, in fact, that the publisher actually gave them a shout-out on the cover of the first bound volume -- where an ordinary book might proclaim, "Bestselling author," this one mentions how popular the story is with American pirates. Which, perversely, has caused many 4channers to import copies from Japan. The book has been the #1 bestseller on CDJapan, a webstore that specializes in imported Japnese merchandise -- for a couple months now, except for a brief period when it was out of stock.
So what's driving interest? Well, it's a story 4channers can relate to. The main character, Tomoko Kuroki, is a total loser -- apart from one friend, she only spoke to another person six times in middle school. Now she's starting high school and she's been separated from her lone friend. So she decides to change herself and become super popular. Unfortunately she has no clue how to do this and her severe social anxiety often manifests in bizarre behavior. So it's the story of a loser being a loser -- and being a loser, and being a loser. There's really no let up. Tomoko doesn't progress at all in the first volume. She doesn't improve herself. She doesn't make friends. Apart from her brother, she hardly ever talks to other characters, and when she does she ends up embarrassing herself. This is a comedy, but it's a damn depressing one. Yet you can't help but keep reading in the hope that things will lighten up -- like Charlie Brown believing Lucy won't jerk the football away before he can kick it.
October 10, 2013
This is my life how i felt as a teen
January 5, 2020
Picked this up after seeing the cover and reading the blurb. It fell very flat for me due to the illustrations and not connecting to the characters. Some of the speech also was awkward to read!
January 3, 2023
femcel fuccgirl failboss ✨
An unholy merger of American Psycho , Taxi Driver , and Notes from Underground . A coomer-brained Moko navigates her life through eroge tropes, reading all social interactions as flags towards fucking or failing to fuck, resulting in a paranoid obsession with superficial signifiers of beauty akin to the phrenological discourses of inceldom. Beneath the cringe-comedy is a seething ocean of shame and resentment. Moko's hyperconsumptive practices (of otome, manga, and anime) alienate her from actual, living relations, leaving her disoriented and disappointed. As with incels, Moko blames those she views as successful subjects, rather than the system that enculturates a particular idea of success. Her resentment comes from buying into the ideology of gender, rather than opting out of it. She hates both pretty kids (for succeeding where she does not) and ugly kids (for reminding her of her own failures). She belongs nowhere because success is unreachable and failure is unbearable.
If Welcome to the NHK swerved between self-hatred and cuckdom, a dialectic that portrayed the possibility of a perverse joy in failed masculinity, Watamote depicts the bottomless spiral of shame. Moko is painfully naive. On top of this, Moko is insecure. She's constantly projecting her inadequacies onto the people around her. She's incapable of reflection, and thus change. She's an abject figure, rather than a perverse one. She wants to be more than she is, but her only means of exceeding herself are through lies, delusions, and denials. It's an excess built on fantasies and simulations, rather than somatic or affective experiences. It's the violent denial of one's lifeworld for an ascetic retreat.
Moko is the piteous sad/mean/chan girl any of us internet d/weebs could have become. Lost in self-absorbed fragility, in lieu of interpersonal vulnerability—on the precipice of reactionary self-destruction.
An unholy merger of American Psycho , Taxi Driver , and Notes from Underground . A coomer-brained Moko navigates her life through eroge tropes, reading all social interactions as flags towards fucking or failing to fuck, resulting in a paranoid obsession with superficial signifiers of beauty akin to the phrenological discourses of inceldom. Beneath the cringe-comedy is a seething ocean of shame and resentment. Moko's hyperconsumptive practices (of otome, manga, and anime) alienate her from actual, living relations, leaving her disoriented and disappointed. As with incels, Moko blames those she views as successful subjects, rather than the system that enculturates a particular idea of success. Her resentment comes from buying into the ideology of gender, rather than opting out of it. She hates both pretty kids (for succeeding where she does not) and ugly kids (for reminding her of her own failures). She belongs nowhere because success is unreachable and failure is unbearable.
If Welcome to the NHK swerved between self-hatred and cuckdom, a dialectic that portrayed the possibility of a perverse joy in failed masculinity, Watamote depicts the bottomless spiral of shame. Moko is painfully naive. On top of this, Moko is insecure. She's constantly projecting her inadequacies onto the people around her. She's incapable of reflection, and thus change. She's an abject figure, rather than a perverse one. She wants to be more than she is, but her only means of exceeding herself are through lies, delusions, and denials. It's an excess built on fantasies and simulations, rather than somatic or affective experiences. It's the violent denial of one's lifeworld for an ascetic retreat.
Moko is the piteous sad/mean/chan girl any of us internet d/weebs could have become. Lost in self-absorbed fragility, in lieu of interpersonal vulnerability—on the precipice of reactionary self-destruction.
March 28, 2014
Totally don't understand why this is popular. The story is a one-trick plot: Awkwardly pervy otaku girl misunderstands the world around her. Painfully awkward situation ensues. Rinse. Repeat. No thanks.
April 29, 2024
No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! changed my life.
I am not kidding; I am being 100% genuine. My life would not be the same if it weren't for this manga, and these two panels. But let's talk about the manga first.
No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! follows the daily life of Tomoko Kuroki, a gloomy, socially awkward girl who has just started highschool. Realising her loner status, she begins to take small steps to achieve the popularity she bitterly believes she deserves...!
...but as this is a long-running comedy manga (that as of this review is still being published after over a decade), these efforts are almost always in total vain, and cringe comedy ensues.
But it's also more than that. On the surface Tomoko Kuroki might feel like a one-note joke, but Tomoko is a deeply flawed, at times even scummy heroine, and that's why she's fantastic. People have recognised themselves in Tomoko. She is such a complete departure from the standard heroine that she has become iconic over the last decade.
How enjoyable you find this book will depend on a few factors. If you cannot find enjoyment in watching Tomoko vehemently deny her failings and deluding herself into believing she is succeeding, you probably won't enjoy it. However, if you completely despise Tomoko as a character, you won't be able to enjoy the small victories/kindness she achieves.
If you relate with her too much, or not relate with her at all, you may also struggle in enjoying the antics.
There are many references to otaku culture: thankfully the Yen Press edition has translators notes in the back to explain a lot of them, so even if you aren't an expert on Japanese otaku culture you should still be able to understand and enjoy it.
How did this manga change my life?
In the third chapter, Tomoko is shown listening to a "Yandere Boys Verbal Abuse CD." This was adapted into the anime, and I stumbled across a screenshot on Tumblr. I was instantly confused and fascinated: a CD of an anime guy being verbally abusive? I Googled it immediately. Who would enjoy that?
The answer is me. I would enjoy that. I enjoyed it so much in fact, that I listened to as many as I could find, and then went on to write my own roleplay audios, and then got into making ASMR, and from there VTubing, and streaming.
All from those two panels in chapter 3. My entire life changed course, forever. And I couldn't be happier.
★★★★★ 5/5. Ironically Iconic, and dear to my heart. Thanks for my life, Tanigawa-sensei.
Thank you ModestNarcissus for gifting this manga via my Throne wishlist!
I am not kidding; I am being 100% genuine. My life would not be the same if it weren't for this manga, and these two panels. But let's talk about the manga first.
No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! follows the daily life of Tomoko Kuroki, a gloomy, socially awkward girl who has just started highschool. Realising her loner status, she begins to take small steps to achieve the popularity she bitterly believes she deserves...!
...but as this is a long-running comedy manga (that as of this review is still being published after over a decade), these efforts are almost always in total vain, and cringe comedy ensues.
But it's also more than that. On the surface Tomoko Kuroki might feel like a one-note joke, but Tomoko is a deeply flawed, at times even scummy heroine, and that's why she's fantastic. People have recognised themselves in Tomoko. She is such a complete departure from the standard heroine that she has become iconic over the last decade.
How enjoyable you find this book will depend on a few factors. If you cannot find enjoyment in watching Tomoko vehemently deny her failings and deluding herself into believing she is succeeding, you probably won't enjoy it. However, if you completely despise Tomoko as a character, you won't be able to enjoy the small victories/kindness she achieves.
If you relate with her too much, or not relate with her at all, you may also struggle in enjoying the antics.
There are many references to otaku culture: thankfully the Yen Press edition has translators notes in the back to explain a lot of them, so even if you aren't an expert on Japanese otaku culture you should still be able to understand and enjoy it.
How did this manga change my life?
In the third chapter, Tomoko is shown listening to a "Yandere Boys Verbal Abuse CD." This was adapted into the anime, and I stumbled across a screenshot on Tumblr. I was instantly confused and fascinated: a CD of an anime guy being verbally abusive? I Googled it immediately. Who would enjoy that?
The answer is me. I would enjoy that. I enjoyed it so much in fact, that I listened to as many as I could find, and then went on to write my own roleplay audios, and then got into making ASMR, and from there VTubing, and streaming.
All from those two panels in chapter 3. My entire life changed course, forever. And I couldn't be happier.
★★★★★ 5/5. Ironically Iconic, and dear to my heart. Thanks for my life, Tanigawa-sensei.
Thank you ModestNarcissus for gifting this manga via my Throne wishlist!
February 21, 2024
moge wyjść z gimnazjum ale gimnazjum nigdy ze mnie nie wyjdzie
June 26, 2025
second hand embarrassment…. free me second hand embarrassment……
this manga is a lil bit of a guilty pleasure of mine !
this manga is a lil bit of a guilty pleasure of mine !
March 11, 2015
FREAKING LOVE THIS SERIES. This book is basically a biography of my high school life...and college...and beyond. I think the anime packs a better punch, and is easily the best thing I have watched/read in years. 10/10 would recommend if you ever grew up awkward and a social outcast.
August 21, 2020
It's more than just the comedy the anime (Watamote) makes it out to be. Definitely worth a look.
June 6, 2018
Meh. Funny. But weird.
February 17, 2017
This was okay, but occasionally hits a little too close to home to be a truly enjoyable read. Tomoko's high school experience feels so similar to my own-- I was a closeted queer teen with very few friends, was extremely self-conscious, had bad social anxiety, and had no level of self-awareness. I didn't discover otoge until college, but I did read a library's worth of smutty fanfic. So many of the more cringeworthy scenes in this manga seemed to be ripped straight from my high school life and it really made it an embarrassing and difficult read.
I did really like the scene where I think it really illustrated how a lot of her anxiety was in her head, and she couldn't see that the people around her either meant well or really didn't notice/put too much thought into how awkward she was. No one was particularly mean to her or bullying her.
I will definitely continue to watch the show because I think it's a better experience (I've only seen the episodes that coincided with this volume) but I don't know that I'll pick up the rest of this manga anytime in the near future. There's something very heartfelt and touching about the anime (especially in how the social anxiety is represented there) that fell short for me in the manga form.
I did really like the scene where I think it really illustrated how a lot of her anxiety was in her head, and she couldn't see that the people around her either meant well or really didn't notice/put too much thought into how awkward she was. No one was particularly mean to her or bullying her.
I will definitely continue to watch the show because I think it's a better experience (I've only seen the episodes that coincided with this volume) but I don't know that I'll pick up the rest of this manga anytime in the near future. There's something very heartfelt and touching about the anime (especially in how the social anxiety is represented there) that fell short for me in the manga form.
April 25, 2014
even though this seems like night to lucky star's chibi-styled day I'd imagine this would be the little sister version of welcome to the nhk, where in that focuses on a borderline psychotic college drop out, this follows a girl in highschool, with no friends, social anxiety and abit out of touch with where shes going. Slice of life anime is nothing new, and granted there are good titles.
But since there is an entire site dedicated to these types of people (tumblr) to read this, is the manga equivalent of a mind reading scene from Silence of the lambs
This mainly realize on details and odd thoughts, one with to much time on their hands might have
and to end on such a depressingly uplifting note, would make anyone cry, like watching your daughter think shes moving forward, when really shes fooling herself.
But since there is an entire site dedicated to these types of people (tumblr) to read this, is the manga equivalent of a mind reading scene from Silence of the lambs
This mainly realize on details and odd thoughts, one with to much time on their hands might have
and to end on such a depressingly uplifting note, would make anyone cry, like watching your daughter think shes moving forward, when really shes fooling herself.
August 27, 2021
Really, really, really didn't enjoy this. It's functionally a single joke told over and over: awkward otaku is totally out of touch with reality. I'm not a big fan of single joke books to begin with, especially not when I don't find the basic gag that funny on its own. All that aside, I kind of hated the main character. I feel like I'm probably not supposed to be rooting against her at ever turn, but I am.
May 7, 2014
Maybe it is just because I am not a teenager any more, or maybe I just don't have the right sense of humor. I couldn't get into this manga because I couldn't relate to the main character or the situations at all.
March 15, 2015
Manga with a pretty funny title about a girl who is obviously not popular, and who comically (and a little sadly, relatably?) tries everything she can imagine to right the situation, each chapter depicting a failed attempt. I think a lot of teens would like this. Light, pretty funny, I thought.
June 14, 2013
4.5 Stars!
How can a manga be so hilarious and depressing at the same time?
How can a manga be so hilarious and depressing at the same time?
April 17, 2014
I like how Tomoko is way more of a loser than I could ever hope to be.
November 15, 2017
This is not at all what I expected for this manga. I expected this to be cute and funny but it wasn't. It was weird and perverted and just not good.
March 5, 2018
3.25/5 stars
After recently watching the anime, I decided to check out the manga. The manga very closely follows the anime, and because of that, I found both somewhat enjoyable but also quite ridiculous. The main character is too cringey for my taste, but I suppose it's somewhat entertaining.
After recently watching the anime, I decided to check out the manga. The manga very closely follows the anime, and because of that, I found both somewhat enjoyable but also quite ridiculous. The main character is too cringey for my taste, but I suppose it's somewhat entertaining.
Read
October 5, 2018Worst. Book. Ever.
November 17, 2018
This is a surprisingly good manga about high school life, being anti-social, loneliness, self-doubt, denial, unproductively wasting time on youthful degeneracies and worrying about nonsense... It's not something I would usually enjoy, but the way Tomoko keeps fooling herself in order to boost her confidence only to become even more anti-social and lonely as a result is just incredibly sad and something that simply resonates with me. I was a bit sceptical coming in because I presumed that because I'm not a high schooler I would just find all of the main character's problems stupid, except it's actually the opposite, I appreciate it now, but if I had read this at high school I would probably have only seen the vast differences between Tomoko and me, ironically making me feel better about myself in the same way Tomoko does. The reason to recommend this manga is that it offers a cathartic experience as one empathizes with the main character looking at her through the lens of one's own experiences. The reason to not recommend this manga is that we all have better things to do than caring about a 2D high school student.
March 14, 2024
Charlie Brown for Japan's girls.
November 7, 2016
This book is one of those works that targets a really specific demographic, but boy oh boy does it hit them hard. It's become popular in a lot of communities online mainly due to the main character's personality: she's antisocial, has (basically) no friends, stays in her room all day, has no job, isn't very close to her family, and relies heavily on video games, comics, and the internet to get her through the day. To put it bluntly, she's kind of a loser, and almost everyone who's a fan of this book can relate to that. She doesn't display the faux awkwardness of more popular fictional outcasts, such as Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. It's hard to relate to him because he drives people away with his intellect, constantly references comics and video games, and is not really self-aware. It's more embarrassing to watch than endearing or funny. No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!'s Tomoko Kuroki is the real deal, a true loner and an actual misfit. You cringe because of how relatable Tomoko can be, not because of how strangely robotic and fake she seems. She's aware of her flaws, she just doesn't have the confidence or motivation to fix them. It's a refreshing break from the typical "lonely nerd" character in a lot of fiction, who, despite allegedly being a social leper, has a whole gang of friends and a pretty good social life. Tomoko feels like an actual black sheep and not some perfect flawed hero whipped up by executives to appeal to angsty teens. My only real problem with this book is that if you can't relate to her at all, Tomoko may come off as annoying or a bit of a distant jerk. However, in that case I'd argue it's not a flaw in the book, it just doesn't appeal to you. There probably are problems with the book but I'm too dumb and lazy to notice them. Overall, Tomoko is the absolute best girl in all of both fiction and non-fiction and please do not vote for Donald Trump tomorrow if you care for the well-being and future of our country and its inhabitants.
June 30, 2016
Manga about a female otaku(?) who struggles with being an absolute loner in high school. By absolute, I mean absolute: no one talks to her save occasionally her home room teacher, and she is unable to break through her barrier to attempt to form relationships with people.
As an occasionally sex-obsessed pubescent teenager, she obsesses about her looks, and her popularity, while mentally lashing out at the 'others' for her inadequacies. It was very reminiscent of trains of thought I've had at points in my life. She's not stylish, nor pretty, nor a great conversationalist, which leads to some cringe-worthy awkward moments. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
If you're popular, or generally alright with the world, this book may not be for you. If you're awkward and enjoy comedy like Napoleon Dynamite, you'll probably enjoy this book.
This really reminded me of someone from high school.
As an occasionally sex-obsessed pubescent teenager, she obsesses about her looks, and her popularity, while mentally lashing out at the 'others' for her inadequacies. It was very reminiscent of trains of thought I've had at points in my life. She's not stylish, nor pretty, nor a great conversationalist, which leads to some cringe-worthy awkward moments. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
If you're popular, or generally alright with the world, this book may not be for you. If you're awkward and enjoy comedy like Napoleon Dynamite, you'll probably enjoy this book.
This really reminded me of someone from high school.
July 19, 2014
Excellent drawing, nice gags, and good pacing. I especially like Tomoko, a female gamer, loner, anime/manga lover, and pervert. It's refreshing to see a girl loser for a change in these high school dramas. Although I won't be reading anymore of this sereis (the plot doesn't speak to me at the moment), I can think of a dozen people at my library who would LOVE this book. This series is good to know about.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews