Newly released on 10/29, the English localization of the popular Japanese manga No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! has taken the top spot in the Manga Comics & Graphic Novels section, beating out the social phenomenon that is Attack on Titan.
For the uninitiated, here’s the awesome plot:
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?)!
The first volume has two glowing, five-star reviews so far, noting that it’s a coming-of-age story that many of us can relate to, taken to a whole new level of awkwardness. If you’ve had enough of the male protagonist harem plots with attractive girls in every panel, this is the manga vacation you’ve been looking for.
Here are some of the highlights from the reviews:
There were more than a few times when I thought to myself “do I dare look at the next page, or even the next panel?” for fear that I would cringe to the point of collapsing in on myself. While that doesn’t make the material sound like much fun to read, it’s actually quite entertaining if you look back and think about the lame things you did as a teenager.
Most of the story deals with her setting up situations which we understand in hindsight as traps for herself and failing to reach her goal of popularity and happiness in the most absurdly amusing amazing and epic ways. Some of the facial expressions the manga artist has created are absolutely astounding. Give it a try especially if you are a closet otaku, you won’t regret it. A very heartwarming and hilarious story.
Gotta go read it now!!
