Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki: AniTAY First Impressions
I’ll get this out of the way up front: Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is my favourite currently publishing light novel series. The way each volume builds upon the last by developing its characters and consistently changing the status quo cements it as an instant classic alongside similarly themed works like My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU! and ReLIFE. By revolving around the intricacies of high school social dynamics, these works examine how those social dynamics reflect our own developments as people and communities at large.
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki frames this development around the Venn diagram of video games and navigating adolescent relationships. Fumiya Tomozaki is the world’s best “Attack Family” (read: Super Smash Brothers) player and views life itself as a garbage-tier game with broken rules, unfair balancing, and a far-too-steep difficulty curve. Under the improvisational tutelage of Aoi Hinami, the most popular girl at his high school, however, Tomozaki resolves to change his outlook and see life as the god-tier game everyone touts it as.
A premise like this, full of “gamer speak” and woe-is-me worldviews, raises red flags, and understandably so. Where Tomozaki excels, however, is in how it takes that premise and runs with it not by rewarding Tomozaki for his pessimism but transforming it into optimism through a sense of genuineness, empathy, and earned growth that runs through every interaction.
The anime’s first two episodes work primarily to establish its premise and a general flow for the series; namely, Aoi gives Tomozaki sets of tasks designed to practice and further his social skills, and he attempts them with varying degrees of success. The series excels in how it cogently comments on the intricacies of high school social relations, particularly with the popular crowds with which Tomozaki slowly affiliates himself. As the end of the second episode shows, as much as being popular requires the right look, it also involves genuine hard work. Aoi’s flashcards with conversational topics demonstrate that even she isn’t “naturally” popular; she worked to get there.
Much like My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU!, Tomozaki takes a decidedly exaggerated perspective on high school. Where the former uses heightened emotions and low-stakes situations made dire to comment on the nature of friendship, the latter’s over-explanations of how adolescent relationships function works to, ironically, reveal the subtleties in our own bonds. The series smartly uses recognizable moments, like Tomozaki flubbing a conversational handoff and Aoi stepping in to prevent awkwardness, to elicit empathy for Tomozaki’s efforts while further establishing Aoi as the social queen. It’s that idea of hard work begetting results that sets Tomozaki apart from someone like Hachiman from SNAFU. Tomozaki is much more proactive than Hachiman, actively working towards bettering himself. Hachiman is effectively dragged kicking and screaming (initially) into the catalyst for his growth, while Tomozaki actively seeks his own success, Aoi his guide. Their relationship evolves as he does, and the resulting shifts in the series direction are both exciting and surprising. Let’s hope the anime gets that far.
Though the anime has only just started introducing the rest of the cast, including the ever-cheerful Minami Nanami, hot-headed Hanabi Natsubayashi, caring and beautiful Yuzu Izumi, reserved bookworm Fuka Kikuchi, and mysteriously charming Takahiro Mizusawa (best boy!), it’s already showing how these characters are as instrumental to Tomozaki’s development as Aoi. Without delving into spoilers too much, Tomozaki shines in how it rewards its title character not by having these supporting characters throw themselves at his feet as some sort of wish-fulfillment narrative, but by naturally befriending Tomozaki as he improves. He endears himself to them through honest effort. His forced attempts at the hands of Aoi to act like a “normie” blossom into genuine change — it’s transformation through authenticity.
Speaking of transformation, one area where the anime is sadly inferior to the light novel is its visuals. Tomozaki’s light novel is illustrated by the Japanese artist Fly (my personal favourite!), whose work you might recognize from the gorgeous Iroduku: The World In Colors. Fly’s work is detailed, evocative, and wholly singular, and their work on the Tomozaki light novel is part of why I love it so much. Given the studio and nature of the medium, a one-to-one recreation of Fly’s style would not be feasible, and to its credit, the style chosen for the anime works well enough. The main cast, especially the central girls, are portrayed well and their personalities shine through the evocative and elegant simplicity of their designs. Aoi is beautiful and powerful, Mimimi is bubbly and lively, and Izumi is subtle and gorgeous. Tomozaki, meanwhile, looks truly pathetic, which should make his future transformation all the more impactful. Anime-only fans should be satisfied with how Tomozaki looks, but I implore all of you to check out Fly’s artwork for the series — you won’t be disappointed.
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki has yet to reveal its ultimate direction and won’t for a while, but these first two episodes have me, as a huge fan of the light novels, both satisfied and excited for what’s to come. Tomozaki’s arc is just beginning, and we’re about to see Mimimi, Fuka, and Mizusawa enter the fold in a big way. Tomozaki excels at establishing its characters and tropes and then interrogating who and what those characters and tropes mean. By focusing on how we stay true to ourselves while working to grow, the series explores the intricacies of adolescent life as reflective of the social dynamics that define us. It isn’t always an easy watch, and it might not always land, but neither do our daily lives. It’s okay to stumble and fall — pick yourself up, dust yourself off, crack a joke, and put on a smile; life’s not that bad, after all.
Title: Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
Based on: Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki light novel series by Yūki Yaku, illustrated by Fly
Produced by: Project №9 (Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, And you thought there is never a girl online?)
Streaming on: Funimation
Episodes Watched: 1 & 2
This article is a part of a series where my fellow AniTAY authors and I offer our initial thoughts on the shows that caught our eye from the 2021 season. Check out our previous entries below, and stay tuned for more!
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