Line #20 ShoutOut/NoMatterHowILookAtItItsYouGuysFaultImNotPopular


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/watamoteanother.png]]
2
3	'''No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!'''
4
5	[[AC:The manga]]
6
7	* Tomoko has a ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' poster in her room.
8	* In Chapter 1 she plays ''Duel Love'' on the DS.
9	* In chapter 2 Tomoko name-drops ''Manga/{{Gantz}}''. Later in that chapter she is wearing a t-shirt that appears to feature Socially Awkward Penguin.
10	* In chapter 2, when the inside of Tomoki's room is shown, a Wayne Rooney jersey can be seen hanging on the wall. On multiple occasions in later chapters, there is also a poster of Andres Iniesta.
11	* In the chapter where she first hangs out with Yuu, Tomoko decides to play ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'' and ''VideoGame/QuizMagicAcademy''.
12	* The anime she [[SelfInsertFic inserts herself into]] in her fantasies in chapter 9 seems to be ''Literature/FateZero'', since she imagines herself as [[SailorEarth an eighth Master]] with [[UsefulNotes/TheShinsengumi Souji Okita]] as her Assassin-class Servant.
13	* Later on in Chapter 9, she imagines the fat kid and herself as Seiji and Shizuku from ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart''.
14	* Chapter 10 has an [[ShowWithinAShow anime]] that looks a lot like ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya''.
15	** Also she's holding Pocky between her fingers in a ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'' fashion.
16	* In Chapter 13 she is briefly seen playing ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'' and fighting one of the bosses.
17	* In chapter 15 what appears to be a ''Anime/Persona4TheAnimation'' poster can be seen in her room.
18	* Chapter 19, she name-drops ''Literature/BattleRoyale''. She even references the weapon for one of the major characters (a sickle).
19	* In Chapter 20 she thinks about [[Manga/KOn joining the Light Music Club even though she can't play any instrument]]. While considering it, she imagines herself on stage in a bunny suit like Haruhi Suzumiya. But even she realizes how stupid the idea is.
20	* In Chapter 23, she attempts to go [[Manga/{{Saki}} Stealth Moko]], complete with shadowy aura. It doesn't work.
21	* Chapter 25 contains a ''Manga/KurokosBasketball'' reference while Tomoko is playing gym.
22	* In Chapter 26, the VideoGame/AoOni can be seen on Tomoko's computer.
23	* In Chapter 27, she name drops [[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya the S.O.S. Brigade]] and [[Literature/{{Haganai}} the Neighbors Club]] while thinking about starting a club.
24	* In Chapter 28 Tomoko imagines herself becoming "that white kid" from ''Manga/{{Akira}}''.
25	* In Chapter 31, Tomoko's goal in life is based upon ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}''. The chapter also shouts out to ''Literature/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions''.
26	* Chapter 32: "[[Manga/KOn Untan! Untan!]]"
27	* Chapter 32.5: Tomoko can be seen playing ''VideoGame/Persona3'' and trying to mimic Mitsuru's hairstyle.
28	* Chapter 34: Tomoko imagines herself as [[Literature/{{Another}} Misaki Mei]].
29	* In chapter 36 Tomoko reads ''Literature/NorwegianWood'' and claims that her switching from reading manga to this is a sign of her maturity. She doesn't understand much of it though.
30	* In chapter 39 Tomoko manages to guess Nemoto's surname because she remembered that "it was [[Franchise/{{Gundam}} Nemo]]-something".
31	* In chapter 43, after deciding to look up dick pics on her phone, Tomoko claims that seeing a real penis so suddenly feels like something out of a [[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7381686.Yusuke_Yamadaht Yusuke]] [[https://eigapedia.com/person/yusuke-yamada-1981 Yamada]] novel.
32	* In chapter 48 the books recommended by Tomoko's and Kotomi's school library are ''Literature/DanganronpaZero'', volume 7.5 of ''Literature/MyYouthRomanticComedyIsWrongAsIExpected'' and ''Literature/{{Bakemonogatari}}''. Also, Tomoko and Kotomi mention ([[{{Expy}} expies]] of) Creator/HarukiMurakami and Ango Sakaguchi, as well as stand-ins for Murakami's ''Norwegian Wood'', ''Literature/KafkaOnTheShore'', ''Literature/OneQEightyFour'' and ''Literature/TheWindUpBirdChronicle''.
33	* In chapter 50 Kotomi is shown reading the 17th volume of ''Literature/KinosJourney''.
34	* In chapter 56 Tomoko watches ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. This is also a [[ActorAllusion shout-out]] to Kitta Izumi who played Tomoko in the anime and also dubs the voice of Rainbow Dash in Japan. Later in that chapter, while playing basketball during her P.E. class Tomoko tries (and fails) to pull off [[Manga/KurokosBasketball Ignite Pass Kai]].
35	* In chapter 57, Kotomi considers cosplaying as Shimakaze from ''VideoGame/KanColle''.
36	* In chapter 72 Tomoko, realizing that she'll have to interact with Yoshida, Yuri and Ucchi on the first night of the school trip, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/watamote/comments/45w36a/wmz/ quotes]] [[Manga/DragonBall Vegeta]].
37	** Tomoko's ImagineSpot later in that chapter, where she imagines herself brain-fried from interacting with the three girls, staring at a flickering star and wondering whether it's a comet, is a reference to ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'', [[spoiler:specifically to the fate of Kamille Bidan in the last episode of that series.]]
38	* In chapter 89 the books picked by Kotomi for the recommended section of the school library are again stand-ins [[https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%8D%83%E8%91%89%E3%83%AD%E3%83%83%E3%83%86%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BA%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B2-%E9%88%B4%E6%9C%A8%E9%95%B7%E6%9C%88/dp/4864724059 for]] [[https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E9%9D%9E%E5%B8%B8%E8%AD%98%E3%81%AE%E3%81%99%E3%81%99%E3%82%81-%E9%87%8C%E5%B4%8E-%E6%99%BA%E4%B9%9F/dp/4041027454 actual]] [[https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%8E%9F%E4%B8%8A%E4%BB%8A%E6%97%A5%E5%AD%90%E3%81%AE%E9%81%BA%E8%A8%80%E6%9B%B8-%E8%A5%BF%E5%B0%BE-%E7%B6%AD%E6%96%B0/dp/4062197847 books]]. Later in that chapter Kotomi blissing out while lying in Tomoki's bed looks a lot like Baki Hanma triggering endorphins in ''Manga/BakiTheGrappler''.
39	* In chapter 97 Tomoko mentions that she watches "''[[Manga/AttackOnTitan Attack on]] [[Anime/KabaneriOfTheIronFortress Kabaneri]]''".
40	* In one WhatIf omake Tomoko is shown reading ''Manga/MyLittleMonster''. She then breaks the fourth wall to comment that her life would be much more fun if the author of that manga were also the author of her story.
41	* Tomoko imitates the sword techniques from ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' and ''Manga/{{Shigurui}}'' and sends her umbrella flying into a river.
42	* In chapter 107 Tomoko mentions that she watches ''Literature/MagicalGirlRaisingProject''.
43	* In an omake set immediately after chapter 107 Tomoko asks Hina Nemoto what her favourite anime is ([[{{Jerkass}} to mock her taste in the anime]]). Hina starts giving an honest answer (she doesn't finish the sentence, but it seems to be ''Literature/GirlishNumber''), but flip-flops when Okada walks up to them and claims to like ''Anime/YourName''.
44	* In chapter 109 Tomoko recommends a book from the ''Literature/KinosJourney'' series to Yuri and mentions the movie ''Film/MyTomorrowYourYesterday''. Also, when Yoshida asks her to pick a book for her, Tomoko looks for works of Creator/AiYazawa.
45	* In Chapter 119, Nemoto has a phone modeled after the titular characters in ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''.
46	* When Tomoko stumbles upon a porn DVD about a high school older sister in black tights, she immediately gives a pair to Tomoki as his Christmas gift. This is a reference to a Tomoki/Tomoko ''[=WataMote=]'' H doujin made around that time, which heavily made use of Tomoko in pantyhose.
47	* In chapter 135 Tomoko is shown watching ''Anime/Persona5TheAnimation'' and playing ''VideoGame/Persona4''. She also mentions that she watches ''Manga/MagicalGirlSite''.
48	* The manga which Tomoko recommends to Yuri at the end of chapter 136 seems to be ''{{Manga/Goth}}''.
49	* In chapter 142 Tomoko compares Kotomi (unfavourably, of course) to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiki:_Shōsetsuka_ni_Naru_Hōhō Hibiki Akui]].
50	** The same chapter has Tomoko and Kii watch ''Anime/KemonoFriends'' together.
51	** Tomoko also brings up VideoGame/{{Aikatsu}} when explaining to Kii why she stopped playing card games with kids.
52	* In chapter 149 Tomoko wants to help Shizuku prepare for a table tennis match by giving her ''Manga/PingPong'' to read. As she can't find it anywhere, she end up bringing ''Manga/ThePingPongClub'' instead.
53	* One chapter has Tomoko listen to ''Music/HypnosisMic'' while studying in the library.
54	* In chapter 164 Tomoko mentions reading ''Manga/{{Akagi}}'' [[IKnowMortalKombat in an attempt to improve her Mahjong skills]].
55	* Chapter 169 has Tomoko ask if one of the girls in an anime she's watching has smelly armpits. The girl in question is fair haired and ButNotTooForeign; Hina replies that all of those traits (armpits included) are [[Manga/AsobiAsobase more akin to a gag series]] than a slice of life.
56	* In Chapter 196, Yuri's suggestion for their class's film project is supposed to be a riff on ''Film/DancerInTheDark''; Tomoko's character would slowly try making a band, get into debt, and in the final scene she hangs herself in front of a live audience while the credits roll.
57	* Chapter 198 has Yuu's school festival do parodies of programs ''Series/KodokuNoGurume'' and ''Wednesday's Downtown''. The obscene eyeless face Tomoko makes when she buries her face in Yuu's breasts is a riff on the [[LoliconAndShotacon shotacon]] artist Motsuaki's pieces, in which overeager and very horny little boys are often depicted with similar faces when they are having sex with/humping their adult partner. Tomoko also explicitly references Onee/Shota erotic works during this.
58	* In Chapter 201, Tomoko (through Yuri) asks Hina to start studying for her school festival role by playing through the ''Taimanin'' eroge series.
59	* When production is just about to wrap up on the school festival short film, Tomoko cracks that the lewd scene she made Hina do would get a "standing masturbation" from all the guys in the audience, calling it a "Bokki the Rock" (Erection the Rock). It's a title parody of ''Manga/BocchiTheRock'', whose anime adaptation was airing around the time of that chapter.
60	* In Chapter 212, ''Film/Buffalo66'' is discussed.
61	* When ''Film/SexAndTheCity'' is brought up, Tomoko inwardly remarks that it's a movie that the types of girls who hate or fall asleep during ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' really enjoy.
62	[[AC: The Anime]]
63
64	* Tomoko has a pillow frequently shown throughout the series that has [[Manga/HaruhiChan Churuya-san]]'s "Nyoro~n :3" face on it. The same pillow also appears in Akari's room in ''Manga/YuruYuri''.
65	* In the first episode of the anime, when Tomoko enters her brother's room, he's reading a volume of ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}''. Ironically, it is volume 8 instead of volume 7 which featured Geji, an {{expy}} of Tomoko.
66	** Also instead of UsefulNotes/WiiU, her brother has a [=PS3=] and ''Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven''. Episode 5 reveals that [[BlandNameProduct it's renamed "Winners Eleven"]].
67	** One T-shirt of hers has "Spark" written in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' font.
68	** The scene where Tomoko searches the Internet for the information on how to make herself prettier parodies Light Yagami's killing spree from the first episode of the ''Manga/DeathNote'' anime (and she begins her search at [[BlandNameProduct Gaagle]]).
69	** When Tomoko goes to Book On ([[BlandNameProduct a parody of Book Off]]), the manga she picks out is ''Manga/KitakubuKatsudouKiroku'', which also happens to be published in ''[[=GanGan=]] Online'' and got an anime adaptation in the same season as ''Anime/WataMote''.
70	* Tomoko visits [[BlandNameProduct WcDonalds and SterTully Coffee]] during the series.
71	** [=WcDonalds=] may qualify as a twofer, as ''Manga/LuckyStar'' used a similar BlandNameProduct
72	** Among the terrible fates Tomoko wishes on her classmates are being attacked by the midget aliens from ''{{Manga/Gantz}}'' and Shimada from ''Manga/{{Parasyte}}''.
73	* One of the games Tomoko plays at the beginning of the episode appears to be ''Kiniro No Corda'', looking at that Yunoki CG.
74	* The start of episode 2 has Tomoko listening to a parody of ''AudioPlay/YandereHeaven'' called ''Yandere Boys' Verbal Abuse''. The cover of the CD also imitates the cover of the first volume.
75	* In episode 3, many of Tomoko's fantasies take place in the world of ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''.
76	* When delving into one of her erotic fantasies in episode two, Tomoko finds herself curled and severely wounded inside a crater much like [[spoiler:Yamcha's death]] in one of the early episodes of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. The pose is back for episode 5.
77	* Tomoko has volumes of ''Manga/AkameGaKill'' and ''Manga/{{Barakamon}}'' in her room during episode 2. Later on a copy of ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'' pops up.[[note]]Incidentally, these three series were adopted exactly one year later, with the latter two both published in ''[[=GanGan=]] Online'' as well.[[/note]]
78	** She also has a ''VisualNovel/DiabolikLovers'' poster in her room.
79	* The cover for Tomoko's Yandere Boys CD looks an awful lot like the cover for the first ''Yandere Heaven'' CD.
80	* Tomoko and Yuu are playing a light gun game reminiscent of ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' at the arcade. The answer to the question posed to the other arcade game Tomoko is playing is most likely "[[http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9481 Seicross]]".
81	* During gym class, Tomoko imagines herself as a Motoko Kusanagi Expy, a la ''Manga/GhostInTheShell''.
82	* In one of her signature bad moods, Tomoko thinks to herself that she'll [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing play a game on her 3DS and chop down other peoples' peach trees.]]
83	* The BL game Tomoko buys in episode 5 is based upon ''Hadaka Shitsuji'', a visual novel in which the "true" endings are achieved through being absolutely cruel to your butlers -- often by raping them.
84	** Tomoko is reading ''Manga/ServantXService'' -- which just happens to be another Creator/SquareEnix manga that got an anime adaptation the same season as ''Anime/WataMote''.
85	** The closing credits for that episode parody the long-running children's series ''Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi''.
86	** Also, before the opening credits of this episode, Tomoko is watching ''[[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]''. Apparently the EmotionlessGirl just revealed to [[DeadpanSnarker one character]] that [[spoiler:she is an alien.]]
87	** The way Tomoko keeps 3 Pocky between her fingers is reminiscent of ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s claws.
88	** In one ImagineSpot she sees herself as one of the ESPer children from ''Manga/{{Akira}}''.
89	* In episode 6, the cover of the game she's playing at the beginning (''Planetary Prince Gachi Love 8108%'') resembles ''Anime/UtaNoPrinceSama'' (whose first season anime adaptation is called ''Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000%'').
90	** She's later seen reading a book called ''[[Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath The Oranges Of Wrath]]''.
91	** Tomoko follows the motions for Misato's {{Beergasm}} from [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]] when she happily downs a can of soda.
92	* In episode 7, Tomoko visits [[Website/NicoNicoDouga Hera Hera Douga]], [[Website/YouTube MyTube]], and Yahuq!, and buys a webcam off Konozama.
93	** Among the anime she watches are ''Anime/KikisDeliveryService'', ''Manga/CaseClosed'', and ''Manga/KiteretsuDaihyakka''.
94	** She's also seen playing ''VideoGame/DevilSummoner''.
95	* Episode 8's card game is ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Tomoko's first draw is a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=389474 Crypt Ghast]]; her finisher [[spoiler:, which she produces from her sleeve,]] is [[BlandNameProduct "Sudden"]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=234436 Vengeance]].
96	* In Episode 9, when Yuu-chan calls her, the logo on Tomoko's phone is eerily similar to [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion SEELE]]'s logo...
97	** There's even a big "SOUND ONLY" on the screen.
98	** [[Manga/KOn "Un-tan! Un-tan!"]]
99	* Episode 10: Tomoko mentions how before joining school she dreamt of meeting [[Manga/KimiNiTodoke Kazehaya-kun]]. In [[spoiler:her delusion about the Everyday Club,]] the girl looks like a [[Literature/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions brown-haired Rikka]], and the club distribution looks very similar to the one of the SOS Brigade.
100	* [[SchoolFestival Episode 11]]: Tomoko imagines what it would be like if she joined the light music club. In the first ImagineSpot, she's a PlayboyBunny [[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya Haruhi]] accompanied by what [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong sounds like]] "God Knows" (the song Haruhi performs for the school festival in the anime adaptation) and in the second a mixture of [[Manga/KOn Azusa's appearance and Yui's musical ability (or lack thereof)]]. In addition, the anime that Yuu and Tomoko are discussing is most likely ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''.
101	* In episode 12, after Tomoko secretly records her classmates, she finds out they're not talking about her at all. She then wonders if her classmates deliberately ignore her, and imagines herself as Mei Misaki from ''Literature/{{Another}}''. Coincidentally, it doubles as an ActorAllusion in the dub.
102	** Three of her female classmates in PE are doing the [[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya "Hare Hare Yukai" dance.]]
103	** The cockroach sequence references ''Manga/TerraforMARS'', in which humans battle mutated roaches.
104	*** Meanwhile, the [[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya "God Knows"]] sound-alike from episode 11 is playing.
105	** During Tomoko's ImagineSpot where she pictures herself visiting a Purikura with two friends, the three of them perform the military salute from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan.''
106	** Immediately after, the scene wherein Tomoko's high school life [[note]]indeed the events of the previous 11 episodes[[/note]] [[MyLifeFlashedBeforeMyEyes flashes before her eyes]] accompanied by a distorted overlay and disconcerting train sounds is an homage to a similar scene from ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion The End of Evangelion]]''.
107	* The OVA episode begins with a parody of the SEELE logo from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. It then inverts GainaxEnding by having an ''Evangelion''-esque BreakingTheFourthWall MindScrew as the ColdOpen.
108
109	'''No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys' Fault That My Friend's Not Popular!'''
110	* Chapter 1: Tomoko tries to convince Yuu that her nickname is [[Literature/{{Oreimo}} Kuroneko]].
111	* In chapter 14 Kotomi is shown reading ''[[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6149338-zoo ZOO]]'', Yuu reads ''[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wakatta-san-no-purin-Teruo-Teramura/dp/4251037561 Wakatta-san no purin]]'' and Tomoko reads ''Manga/BarefootGen'' while waiting out the rain in the library.
112	* The 2020 Christmas special has Tomoko and friends happen upon the wildly popular ''[[Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba Kitsume no Onago]]'', but Tomoko admits she doesn't keep up with it anymore now that it's so big. The title itself is a reference to a very famous [[ParallelPornTitle porn parody]] of ''Demon Slayer'', ''Kitsume no Omeko''.

Context ShoutOut / NoMatterHowILookAtItItsYouGuysFaultImNotPopular