Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki

This year’s winter season of anime has been a fulfilling and surprising one. There has been an incredibly decent selection of shows so far throughout 2021 (let's hope that the spring continues the trend). With all of the heavy-hitting shows this winter, it only makes sense that Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki has been glossed over. Upon first glance, it seems like an average romcom/sol—which...it basically is. First impressions are sometimes accurate. I’d argue that there’s nothing wrong with a mid slice of life, but I’m aware that not everyone feels that way.

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is not a bad show, but it isn’t great either. The anime does not possess an it factor. There isn’t much substance to draw in an audience. A show like this one often needs something unique about it for it to be convincing enough for people to watch it for an entire season. Though I haven’t really seen anyone criticize the anime outright, I have noticed quite a few people dropping the show. I attribute this to the boring atmosphere that the show tends to create; this is most palpable throughout the first few episodes. Although there is little to distinguish this anime from an average slice of life & rom-com, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki’s premise helps separate it from the pack.

Story

Fumiya Tomozaki is an “unpopular” high school student. Being one of the quiet kids that tend to keep to themself, Tomozaki doesn’t have many friends--if any at all. His life as a high school student isn’t the most enjoyable experience in the world. Due to these circumstances, he finds fulfillment and purpose in the exploration of his hobbies: video games, video games, and video games. Tomozaki is a gamer.

Not only is Tomozaki a gamer, but he is the number one ranked ~~Fortnite~~ Tackfam player in the world. Tackfam--a game resembling Super Smash Bros--is where the protagonist takes refuge. Unable to fit in, he gives up on what he calls “the game of life.” There’s no instruction manual for life after all, so why even play? Having reached the point of giving up hope on the real world, there seems to be no hope for him playing the game of life. His pessimistic attitude begins to wither and evolve into something different though after a fateful encounter with a fellow “gamer." This gamer, who knows their way around both Tackfam and the game of life, offers to take Tomozaki under their wing while helping him make progress in the real world.

Characters

Fumiya Tomozaki is the typical “loner” MC, just one of numerous protagonists of his kind. Even though Tomozaki is a distinct individual, the sol genre is plagued with similar characters. He is one of those guys that has zero confidence in himself. With his self-esteem being nonexistent, it causes him to view the world around him improperly. In essence, he’s a socially awkward teen with no life experience. I'm sure that he is a character that many can relate to in more ways than one. In Tomozaki's own words, he is “a noob...a player on level one in the game of life.”

The other characters that appear in the show are interesting enough, but they are capable of being boiled down to fit some overused tropes. The supporting cast of characters can be reduced to 4 [5] girls and 3 boys. The girls all vary on the dere spectrum. There's some tsunderes, a dandere, and a likely deredere. There's also a rivalry between a couple of the girls that goes back to their time in middle school. The competitive nature of this relationship is a key factor for some of the later plot points. I have zero issues with the female characters in the anime, as they are one of the main reasons that some of my boredom was able to subside while I watched the show.

The male side characters weren't enjoyable to see on screen, apart from maybe one. The guy that didn't peeve me to see on screen was the jokester/class clown type guy. Whenever he appears, he's always the source of comic relief. Though he doesn't show up much, he makes for some funny scenes. On the other hand, the remaining two characters are some of the main source of obstacles that Tomozaki has to face up against. The second character is a semi-bully that tends to lash out on Tomozaki, at times--particularly during the first half of the season. The last guy of is a pretty boy with a talent and knack for anything and everything. He's a fuccboi that everything comes easy for. Although he doesn't seem directly harm the MC, he says a lot of suspicious stuff in a tone that exudes arrogance. The creators made it easy for him to be disliked. Overall, the male characters are rather predictable, and they don't enrichen the story in the same way that the female supports do.

It's not my intention to roast the characters of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki. I just wanted to paint a portrait of what they look like on the surface. These characters aren't all that fleshed out, but that's perfectly acceptable. I didn't begin watching the anime under the impression that the characters would be super well-written. Though I wasn't exactly fond of some of the characters, they are definitely suitable for an anime like this. It would be a lot worse if there was no development for the characters. As the show progresses, both the side characters and protagonist get some development. With the past experiences of the side characters being hinted and revealed, it provides context for their otherwise unappealing traits. In addition, with almost each and every episode, Tomozaki accomplishes things that he never dreamed would be possible before he met the other "gamer." He makes genuine progress in his life, as he increases his social skills and becomes a more confident person.

Stop With the Metaphors, We Get It

If you dare to watch this show, be prepared for absolute "reddit moments." The use of the terms "gamer" and "normie" are thrown around in this anime more than every other show that I've ever watched combined. I realize that this a story about a gamer. It's obvious that the title itself sheds light on what is to be found in the dialogue of each episode. I expected the MC to apply his video game tactics to the real world, and I think it's cool how he's able to do conduct his thoughts in that metaphorical way. There comes a time though when enough is enough. I understood the concept midway through the first episode. I don't need to hear you use video game terminology to explain how it applies to "irl" every five seconds. This gamerspeak is cringe; it would be irresponsible of me not to mention this. If this is something that you can't handle, consider yourself warned.

Quality

There was nothing spectacular about the soundtrack for the anime. The OP really didn't suit my taste, and I found myself skipping it basically every week that I tuned in. It did feel pretty typical for the show. I liked the ED a little bit better; I listened to it all the way through a few times. The theme was a bit whack because it didn't seem to fit the mood/tone for certain dramatic scenes. I wouldn't be surprised if it got distracting for some people.

The animation for the show was decent. I had no strong feelings on either end of the spectrum. It seemed pretty fitting for a show of this caliber. It was the kind of generic animation that you'd find in an average sol show, but perhaps just a tad bit better than usual. It was solid enough, I'd say. The production team did a good job with it.

Conclusion

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is kind of a dark horse for me. There were some things that I didn't like about the show. At times, it honestly felt like a chore to watch. The characters could honestly make-or-break the show for the audience. Some moments in the anime just seemed bland, while other scenes my eyes were glued to the screen and nothing could keep me from seeing what happened next. Despite its negatives, I kept returning to this show each and every week to see what would unfold in the life of Fumiya Tomozaki. For what it is, this anime executes its objective well. It's an average sol that subverts the “gamer” perspective, which helps the story stick out from the usual flavor of the genre.

Is this anime good?

Is this anime bad?

Is this anime cringe?

Is this anime worth watching?