I am Toma and as you can see I'm a tomato.
Natomatos is a one-shot Fantastic Comedy shōnen manga created by Haseba Ryou and published in 2017.
Toma is a person who really likes tomatoes. Much so that one day he eats a cursed tomato, resulting in him becoming very tomato-like! And so Toma ventures out into a forest, hoping to find a magical apple that will supposedly lift the curse. Along the way, Toma meets an eggplant-like person named Nasuta. Nasuta also wishes to lift his own curse. But can Nasuta be trusted to cooperate with Toma?
This manga was the winner of the 111th Jump Treasure Award.
Natomatos provides examples of:
- Autocannibalism: Toma is completely fine with drinking "self made tomato juice". Implied to be his own blood due to his tomato-like physiology.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: A giant worm happens to be resting in the tree where the magical apple is found. Toma and Nasuta's brawl awakens it. Cue the two being chased by the wormy behemoth!
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Initially coming off as friendly, Nasuta reveals that he has zero intention to share the magical apple with Toma. Nasuta stabs Toma and leaves him for dead, setting off to find the apple on his own.
- Cursed Item: Various cursed vegetables seem to grow in this world. How or why some vegetables are cursed is not explained. Eating cursed vegetables results in one acquiring the physical properties of said vegetables. Primarily one's head transforming into the vegetable they consumed.
- Devious Daggers: Nasuta carries around a dagger, which he repeatedly uses to try and attack Toma.
- Disability Immunity: Due to becoming tomato-like, Toma is able to resist most puncture wounds. This is due to his jelly-like body fluids preventing blood loss. Carnivorous creatures (such as giant worms) are also unable to digest him. Likely due to his vegetable properties.
- Feathered Fiend: Since becoming vegetable-like, Toma laments that he's become prey to herbivorous birds.
- Heel–Face Turn: After spending most of the story antagonizing Toma, Nasuma attempts to rescue him from being eaten by a giant worm. Later, Nasuma decides to share the curse-lifting magical apple with Toma. They both depart on friendlier terms.
- Here We Go Again!: After having his curse removed, Toma begins to make his way home. Only to find yet another cursed tomato.
- Mutagenic Food: If someone eats a cursed vegetable, their head will transform into that vegetable. They will also acquire the vegetable's physical properties.
- Nightmare Face: There is a grotesque close-up shot of the giant worm, upon encountering Toma and Nasuma.
- Non-Human Head: In the world of Natomatos, anyone who eats a cursed vegetable will have their head transform into the vegetable they ate.
- Swallowed Whole: Happens to Toma briefly when he is swallowed by the giant worm. It eventually spits him out.
- Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth: Despite being a gargantuan monster, the giant worm absolutely cannot digest plant-based matter. This works in Toma's favour after the giant worm tries to eat him.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Toma really loves tomatoes. To the point where he struggles to resist eating tomatoes he knows are cursed!
