No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!

A 4-panel spin-off manga was serialized in Gangan Joker between January 2013 and July 2015. An anime television adaptation by Silver Link aired in Japan between July and September 2013.

Fifteen-year-old otaku Tomoko Kuroki believed that she would become popular when entering high school due to her experience with otome games and dating simulators. In reality, she finds that she has become an unsociable loner, though she still forces herself to try out what she has learned about achieving popularity. As she progresses through high school, Tomoko attempts to improve her social status among her peers.

Tomoko Kuroki (黒木 智子, Kuroki Tomoko) Voiced by: Izumi Kitta (Japanese); Monica Rial (English) Tomoko is depicted as a desperate, obsessive, depressed, and lonely girl who is characterized by her social anxiety, vivid facial expressions, and bags under her eyes. She has a grim and cynical outlook on life, as most of her thoughts involve insulting others or herself. She spends most of her days playing otome games and browsing the web, initially with very few personal connections. During her third year of high school, she decides to pursue a career as a novelist and applies to the Literature Department of Aoyama Gakuin University (青山学園大学, Aoyama Gakuen Daigaku), encouraging her new friends to do the same. Tomoki Kuroki (黒木 智貴, Kuroki Tomoki) Voiced by: Yuichi Nakamura, Akiko Seri (young) (Japanese); David Matranga (English) Tomoki is Tomoko's gloomy brother, who is a year younger than she is. He is often annoyed by her odd behavior and often gets into arguments or fights with her. Because he has friends and is a talented soccer player, Tomoko occasionally intrudes upon his room for advice on making friends or improving herself, much to his annoyance. Yuu Naruse (成瀬 優, Naruse Yū) Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese); Emily Neves (English) Yū is Tomoko's best friend since their second year of junior high school. Initially a dorky-looking girl with glasses, she enters Makuharihongo High School (幕張本郷高等学校, Makuharihongō Kōtōgakkō) with newfound blonde hair and a lively attitude, much to Tomoko's surprise. Even after her radical makeover and relationship with a boyfriend (with whom she later breaks up), she continues to regard Tomoko as her best friend when they reunite, referring to her by the nickname "Mokocchi". She is the star of the 4-panel spin-off manga. She later befriends Tomoko's classmates and schoolmates during a summer study camp in their third year. She is aiming to enter the same school as Tomoko, Aoyama Gakuin University. Yuri Tamura (田村 ゆり, Tamura Yuri) Tomoko's second- and third-year classmate and friend who is often seen with Yoshida and Mako. Often silent and gloomy, she gets upset whenever Tomoko gets along with other people. Tomoko believes that she is a covert pervert based on her interest in reading an ecchi manga on a platform introduced to her by Tomoko. She is also shown to be very strong. Hina Nemoto (根元 陽菜, Nemoto Hina) Voiced by: Yuuko Kurose (Japanese) Tomoko's first- to third-year classmate and friend who secretly wants to become a voice actress. Initially considered part of the popular crowd, she opens up about her true otaku nature after Tomoko learns of her dream. Tomoko discovers that she is actually innocent with regards to sexuality despite teasing Akane about it. Hina and Yuri have a friendly rivalry, with each competing to outdo the other in getting closer to Tomoko. She aspires to enroll at Morinaga University (森永大学, Morinaga Daigaku). Asuka Katou (加藤 明日香, Katō Asuka) Tomoko's classmate from second year to third year and friend. She is a stylish gyaru who is kind towards Tomoko, who in turn admires her as a motherly figure. Like Tomoko, she aspires to enroll in Aoyama Gakuin University.

Tomoko's mother (智子の母親, Tomoko no Hahaoya) Voiced by: Risa Hayamizu (Japanese); Shelley Calene-Black (English) Tomoko and Tomoki's mother, who is often concerned about her daughter's well-being. Kiko Satozaki (里崎 希心, Satozaki Kiko) / Kii (きーちゃん, Kī-chan) Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese); Juliet Simmons (English) Tomoko's little cousin who is three years younger than she is. Initially looking up to Tomoko as a big sister, she later begins to pity her after she realizes she lies to impress her. She is described by Tomoko as a "psychopath", as while she was emotional as a young child, she later becomes deadpan and overtly emotional around Tomoko, and emotionless around most other people. Tomoko's father (智子の父親, Tomoko no Chichioya) Voiced by: Ryō Iwasaki (Japanese) Tomoko and Tomoki's salaryman father.

Written by two people under the pseudonym Nico Tanigawa, WataMote began serialization on Square Enix's Gangan Online service on August 4, 2011. The first tankōbon volume was released on January 21, 2012, with 28 volumes and an official fan book released as of March 12, 2026. An anthology was released on June 22, 2013. The second volume, released on May 22, 2012, ranked No. 10 in the Oricon charts in its opening week. As of July 2013, the series has printed over 1.5 million copies. The manga gained popularity overseas after fan translations of the series were posted on the English-speaking imageboard 4chan, the Western equivalent of Japan's Futaba Channel. Yen Press has licensed the manga in North America and the UK, and began releasing the series from October 29, 2013. A spin-off 4-panel manga series, Watashi no Tomodachi ga Motenai no wa Dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui. (私の友達がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い。; lit. No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault My Friend's Not Popular.), known as TomoMote (トモモテ) for short, ran in Square Enix's Gangan Joker magazine between January 22, 2013, and July 22, 2015, and was collected into one volume released on August 22, 2015. A novel anthology written by Nico Tanigawa, Masaki Tsuji, Yugo Aosaki, Sako Aizawa and Van Madoy was released on November 15, 2019. In the Yen Press English version, individual chapters are called "Fails" and are preceded with "I'm Not Popular, So".

An anime television adaptation of the manga was announced to have been greenlit in an advertising for the third manga volume on December 20, 2012. The television series was produced by Silver Link and aired between July 8 and September 23, 2013. The series is directed by Shin Oonuma and written by Takao Yoshioka, with character design by Hideki Furukawa. An original video animation episode was released with the seventh manga volume on October 22, 2014. The opening theme is "Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!" (私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!; "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!") by Konomi Suzuki and Kiba of Akiba, which reached No. 43 on the Japan Hot 100. The main ending theme, featured in all but four episodes, is "Dō Kangaetemo Watashi wa Warukunai" (どう考えても私は悪くない; "No Matter How I Look At It, It's Not My Fault") by Izumi Kitta. It charted at No. 79 in Japan. The ending themes for episodes two and five are "Musō Renka" (夢想恋歌; Dream Love Song) and "Yoru no Tobari yo Sayōnara" (夜のとばりよ さようなら; Farewell, Veil of Darkness) respectively, both performed by Velvet.Kodhy. The ending theme for episode six is "Natsu Matsuri" (夏祭り; Summer Festival) by Utsu-P & Toka Minatsuki, featuring vocals by Hatsune Miku (a cover of the original 1990 hit song by Jitterin' Jinn). The ending theme for episode eleven is "Sokora no Chaku-Gurumi no Fūsen to Watashi" (そこらの着ぐるみの風船と私; Me and the Balloon I Got from the Costumed Person) by Velvet.Kodhy and μ. The series was simulcast by Crunchyroll. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America and released it on Blu-ray and DVD on August 26, 2014. After the acquisition of Crunchyroll by Sony Pictures Television, the series, among several other Sentai Filmworks titles, was dropped from the Crunchyroll streaming service on March 31, 2022.