First Impression – Osomatsu-San
What’s black and white and red all over? Osomatsu-san, thanks to all those pesky “copyright laws”
I’m gonna be honest for a second here. This show was totally off my radar at the start of the season. It was so far off that I didn’t even bother including it in the preview guide! BIG MISTAKE. Put simply, this show is the funniest new show of the season so far, and I would say it is the funniest show airing but Gintama is still coming out. Speaking of Gintama…
How to make a hit show: without referencing Shirobako
How come I never see the Love Live girls do anything useful like blowing up meteors?
Short sell: if you like Gintama you will love Osomatsu-san. Both of these shows are directed by Yoichi Fujita, and their comedic styles are very similar. Osomatsu-san is part of that craze sweeping the nation of turning cartoons from the 1960s into the next big thing. The original show Osomatsu-kun stars a group of 6 identical twins who all have names ending in -Matsu, a bunch of wacky side characters, and some very dated gags. Osomatsu-san is a show that stars a group of 6 identical twins who all have names ending in -Matsu, a bunch of wacky side characters, and a powerful comedic voice that I absolutely adore. Osomatsu-san’s characters are aware of the fact that they are making an anime, so they are determined to make the best damn anime they possibly can. That involves turning into a bishonen idol group and going to the “School Filled with Bewilderingly Good Looking People.” Or you could just call it BL Academy.
Osomatsu-san is a pure comedy show, and I say it nails the comedy parts. The first half proves just how silly the male idol group show can be in a very thorough spoof of the genre, complete with a visually impressive concert scene to start off the show. Even though this will probably be the only time that joke ever comes up, Osomatsu-san goes all out when its making a joke. I did watch the first episode of High School Star Musical after Osomatsu-san, and sometimes its hard to tell what truly is parody. Until the traditional heroine character dies from the attention that all of the Matsus give her (I bet the chick from Diabolik Lovers wishes she could get out of the game that painlessly). And then the Titan shows up.
Hey big guy, what do you have against walls?
What follows is a montage ripping off everything that has been popular in anime for the past 20 years in under a minute, reverence to a long dead creator, and some very impressive cosplay. After all, the only true way to make a hit show is to rip-off everything that has ever been popular since your show stopped airing! Since Osomatsu-san is a pure comedy show, the only real criteria for it is: did I laugh while watching this show? The answer is a resounding yes. One character bravely rescues a poor puppy from being run over… inside of the BL school. When the boys unite their idol powers, they destroy meteors. Characters start dressing like Yowapeda or Kuroko characters just because. I had a great time watching the lunacy on the screen, it is filled with so many visual gags that you have to pause this show to take it all in. If you blink you’ll miss a large man dressed like Sailor Mercury or someone going Super Sayan!
At least she gets to die satisfied. She had her own harem for like a minute!
Recommending a comedy show is a bit different because everyone’s approach to comedy is totally different. Just because I may worship the ground Mel Brooks walks on or dream of the day that Danger 5 gets a movie doesn’t mean I recommend everyone go watch those kinds of works. If you like rapid paced jokes, references to anything and everything, and LOTS of Tsukkomi style comedy where a character on screen points out exactly what is wrong with whats happening then you will love Osomatsu-san (That Kamiya guy who voices Araragi among countless other characters takes the Tsukkomi role here, I think he does a great job with his slightly annoying voice). If that type of humor isn’t going to work for you, then frankly Osomatsu-san has nothing to offer. I hope that if this show was off your radar you give it a look, maybe this show will have you gasping for air like it did for me.
About Samsura
As someone of questionable tastes and even more questionable ethics; if we laugh at the same things you are one of two things: A person of discerning taste or a weirdo. Guess where I fall.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Wow. I’m going to step on some toes. I won’t apologize, cause that would just end up as a non-apology apology, and I hate those things.
But, this was the Dementor of Comedy. It sucked funny out of me. In fact the only way to recover is to go back and watch those old Mel Brooks films; who is a master of timing. This show didn’t do that. It chocked on it’s own cheeky references.
But I understand it’s mission statement, or at least I think I do. It’s trying to show clear lines between what is “topical” humor of both the 60s and the present day and what is timeless humor that lasts the ages. It just does it an inexpert way.
Man, now I need to go back and watch some of the old Carol Burnett show on YouTube…
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 105 comments
You get your stinking Harry Potter references away from me!
Comedy is more subjective than anything. If you don’t like it, nothing I write will ever convince you otherwise. I think seeing a Titan about to eat someone then toss them into a hotpot is a good gag. Not everyone does.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I don’t think there is anything you can write to convince me to like this episode. Comedy style is subjective. Context and Timing aren’t. This episode had none of that. But, it could be a one time thing. I hope that instead of dragging the 60s era characters to present time, they end up doing the opposite. I hope they drag our current comedy styles into the past and demand that they sing for their supper. That would be interesting.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
When was the last time i see those guys…Hmmm, about 20 to 30 years ago perhaps, Oh Yeah, I Actually Watch those shows Back then and yes, i was kinda intriguing about it
Now I wonder, what will those guys are going to show something today, cuz this is a new generation now and it feels like it not going to be the same today, but who knows!
AND…I’am Looking after you…Iyami!