Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki

This month, I want to talk about two anime I finally got to watching recently that upon watching the first episode, I noticed a lot of the same bones to the concept, but as I watched through, realized that the difference in genre lead to them going in opposite directions of the same root ideas. They're both interesting in their own way, but it entirely depends on what you're looking for in a series.

I only found this first series, because of a video I saw talking about the anime season that started early this year. Talking about a socially inept gamer, trying to learn to make friends and interact with others. Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki seemed like something I could find humor in due to it's similarities in others that I'd met through hobbies, so it was worth trying from the novelty of it.

And as it starts, that's exactly what it is. A gamer who has no idea how to hold a conversation, find friendship, or form bonds. Someone who he plays a game against asks to meet up, and offers to teach him how to play the game of life, relating it to an rpg. And so we have our concept.

It reminded me a lot in the first few episodes of a nurturing power exchange BDSM dynamic. The girl is giving him tasks to complete, and skills to learn, which in return we see the growth of our inept gamer, as he turns into a more complex and capable person. A consistent theme however, is the drive to become the best in all things, and finding the one right away to win at whatever you do.

That's where this series really shines. By the end of the first season, we see our protagonist learning that people find a greater appreciation in him when he isn't following the exact steps laid out for him, conversation topics, or styles of dress that are handed to him by his mentor. He begins to learn to make the decisions for himself determined by what he wants and feels is best for himself, than moving blindly in the words of our more dominant character. He grasps the idea of having a sense of self, and how people will find worth in that, rather than performing more people pleasing "attractive" behaviors.

In many ways, it looked like how many submissive people wind up in a toxic first power exchange relationship. The "one true way" concept that most people who have been in the kink scene try to push away as much as possible. In this series, it took the form of the type of gamer that has to find the optimal way to do everything. Min-maxing in order to have the strongest result, regardless of any personal concepts of what one might want to do to make them happier with the path or end result. And the refusal of anything different, because it might be even the slightest bit inferior in their minds.

It ignores people being their own selves, and that's what so many people wind up with scars from, and need to learn for years after. It's the supporting cast though, all with very different personalities and struggles, that all learn from each other that make this anime so worth watching. It's very affirming for the importance of forming healthy, deep relationships, both platonic and romantic, and the benefits it can have on our lives.

As someone who doesn't normally enjoy slice of life style anime, this one is complex enough, and moves with a solid pace that makes it worth the ride.