'Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki' Is a Top-tier High School Anime

Powered by the hype of its manga fanbase, Horimiya turned out being the most prominent high school rom-com of Winter 2021.  However, while everyone was raving about it from the get go, I found myself gravitating toward Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki instead.  And though I ended up watching and liking Horimiya, too, I still believe Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki is the superior high school rom-com anime of Winter 2021.

The eponymous character, Fumiya Tomozaki, is an awkward, friendless social outcast in his high school.  He’s a loser in life, but in video games, he excels.   He’s especially outstanding in Attack Families, an online fighting game, in which he become the number one in Japan under the code name “nanashi.”  He considers Attack Families a “godly” game, because of being perfectly balanced, meaning everyone has an equal chance of success with any chosen character as long as he’s willing to put in the work.  On the other hand, he thinks real life is a trash game, since people aren’t made equal, and only those who already have predetermined advantages can thrive in it.

One day, he agrees to have a face-to-face meeting with NO NAME, his rival and runner-up in Attack Families.  To his surprise, he learns that NO NAME is his popular classmate Aoi Hinami, who is equally surprised in knowing nanashi’s true identity.

The polar opposite of Tomozaki, Hinami excels in every aspect of her life – socially, academically, and in sports (behind the scenes, she’s actually planning and working obsessively hard in order to attain and maintain her successes).  After learning of what Tomozaki thinks of life, she decides to challenge his worldview.  She insists that, like Attack Families, life is also a “godly” game.  To convince him, she decides to serve as his walkthrough for the game of life.

Thus, Tomozaki proceed to tackle life in the same way he would tackle a video game.  Meanwhile, Hinami – employing video game jargon and setting the objectives or challenges that must be accomplished for each “level” – closely coaches him every step of the way.  Albeit awkwardness can’t be helped with the process, Tomozaki does start gaining progress over time.  Eventually, he develops enough self-esteem and social skills to make friends, and even entertain romance.

The intriguing premise of gamifying high school life is certainly a strength, but it only can get a show so far.  Fortunately, Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki has the substance to be more than its novel premise.

Tomozaki’s character arc of self-improvement is consistently interesting, and along the way, life lessons are raised, which can inspire a viewer to strive for his own self-growth.  By the end of the season, Tomozaki’s arc arrives at a satisfying place (mild SPOILER) wherein he’s now able to reconcile the tension between utilizing a pre-planned persona in order to obtain desired results in life and having meaningful experiences that’s actually consistent with his genuine self – which flips now the table of his dynamic with the calculating Hinami, who is now the one that needs to be convinced of it.

Meanwhile, garnishing the crux of this anime (i.e. Tomozaki’s arc) are charming personalities (Minami and Fūka, especially), investing subplots, and amusing interactions provided by its endearing cast of supporting characters.  Memorable humor, stimulating storytelling highs, and gorgeous visuals further enhance the experience.

Furthermore, as mentioned, romance is present here, although not yet in full swing by the end of the season.  And it’s not even between the two leads yet, but between Tomozaki and his timid, bookworm classmate Fūka Kikuchi.  Tomozaki and Hinami are probably the endgame.  But a part of me wish it doesn’t go there, since what’s going on between Tomozaki and Fūka is really sweet and engaging.

All things considered, Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki is “godly” high school anime.