Tomiki

Tomiki is known for his tanned skin and lively, bold presence.

He typically carries a book written by Douglas Hamada with him, making him easy to recognize among the regulars at Snack Basue.

In group illustrations, he is the dark-skinned man in the center holding a book.

Tomiki is very energetic and always eager for attention.

He often uses strange or funny advice from a self-help book to try to impress Akemi.

Even though his methods are weird, when he isn’t talking about his book, he can act pretty normal and sensible.

He wants to be popular and is not afraid to try odd or silly things if it means getting noticed.

Tomiki was popular as a handsome boy in middle school, but this led to him being targeted by girls in a very negative way.

Because of that rough experience, he now wants to be seen as a "strong man" and tries hard to be liked by women.

His unusual ways of trying to become popular are a direct result of this past.

He is very creative in coming up with new ways to try to get Akemi’s attention.

Tomiki can quickly quote strange advice from his self-help book and put it into action.

He is always prepared, with his book ready for any situation.

Akemi

Tomiki has a strong crush on Akemi and tries all sorts of strange tricks from his book to win her over.

Often, Akemi responds with her own sharp and funny remarks, turning the situation back on Tomiki.

Morita

Tomiki’s methods for becoming popular are similar to Morita’s, but each has their own unique style.

Tomiki's Debut

Tomiki first appears in episode 7 of the manga.

Right away, he stands out by always carrying around Douglas Hamada’s "how-to" book.

He follows the book’s advice closely, hoping it will help him succeed in wooing Akemi.

His Odd Tactics

Tomiki often uses weird or unnatural lines and tricks from his book to try to charm Akemi.

But Akemi quickly picks up on these and usually outsmarts him with an even wittier reply.

This leads to Tomiki ending up in the role of the straight-man in their funny exchanges.

When he doesn't use his book, Tomiki behaves much more reasonably.

The Reason Behind His Actions

Tomiki’s odd ideas for getting popular come from his painful middle school experience.

Back then, even though he was good-looking, it led to negative attention, and now he desperately wants to be strong and attractive in a different way.

This is why he sometimes comes up with such wild plans to be liked.

• Tomiki always brings Douglas Hamada’s self-help book wherever he goes.
• His most memorable trait is trying to use advice from the book in real life, even if it always backfires.
• The books he reads are quite mysterious, and the author Douglas Hamada is an odd, unknown figure.
• While his actions are over the top, Tomiki is actually fairly normal when not thinking about impressing others.