Sakamoto desu ga? – 02

First it was delayed by an earthquake and then my review was delayed by a visit from Bernie Sanders—but don’t get the wrong idea! Sakomoto desu ga?’s first episode was so brilliantly terrible that episode two was at the absolute top of my list.

And episode two does not disappoint! From Sakomoto talking to an empty birdhouse, to solving a bullying problem by getting himself and the bullied boy a job at “WcDonalds”, to the bullies from the first episode embarrassingly asking Sakomoto for a “smile to go” at the cash register, the first 5 minutes are packed with nonsensical nonsense. (and I’m loving it!)

The second act is dedicated to Kuronuma Aina, who foreshadowed her intent to trap Sakomoto in a love trap last week. As you can guess, this doesn’t go well.

Step 1. Get into his personal space…fails because Sakomoto writes with both hands at the same time, which makes a barrier she can not break.

Step 2. Call him by his given name…fails because his given name is never visible and other girls claw at chalk boards to drown out his answer when Aina asked.

Step 3. Intimate his actions…fails because Sakomoto makes a complicated pencil shaving holder out of cut paper so accurate no human could hope to copy.

Then Aina turns to an Ouija board-like Kokkuri-san game and fails immediately because Sakomoto is possessed by a fox spirit. Possessed, he demands a 6-foot arch be made, which Aina and the other girls do, and all becomes well again. All of the girls are friends and Sakomoto’s bizarre experiment is over.

Roll Credits!

As with last week, I don’t know if Sakomoto is terrible, brilliant, or average. It’s dumb humor, produced so over the top I cannot help but chuckle. More importantly, the show is smart enough to keep building out from what it did last week and, even if it is still the same joke (Sakomoto is perfect) it’s so different and strange each time as to be new and refreshing.

Ultimately, It absolutely must be watched. if for no other reason than I need help processing how good or terrible it is.

Sakamoto desu ga? – 01 (First Impressions)

The gist: Sakamoto-kun is the perfect man and everyone in school loves him… eventually. He wears glasses, is great at school, and no matter what his enemies try to do, he can not be affected by tricks, traps or bullying.

This week 3 thugs try to drop chalk erasers on his head, pour water over his bathroom stall, throw his deck out the window and even try to tie him up and take creepy photos. Then a typhoon tries to blow him away. Then the class’ male model tries to pull his chair out from under him, trick him into using a broken drinking fountain, and eventually hit him with a hornet.

Each of these attacks end in failure and makes Sakamoto-kun looking even cooler to his class. He usually flips-off the viewer as he fixes his glasses in the process.

The thugs come to admire him, the male model becomes a standup comic and asks for Sakamoto’s help, and even the typhoon just gives up and gives way to clear sky… and gets Sakamoto into the newspaper for saving a wounded bird in the process.

Not even nature can defeat him!

Why you should watch it: Theoretically, there is a point where a show is so bad that it becomes good again. I’ve never experienced this in Anime until tonight.

Sakamoto Desu Ga? is appallingly dull, blandly styled and .badly animated. It is a comedy where the biggest joke is the lameness of the jokes and the same basic joke is told each and every time.

I was laughing all the way through.

Why? Take the above shot of the 3 thugs as an example: I kid you not the first 90 seconds of the episode is this same static shot of them tossing a volley ball back and forth grumbling about Sakamoto, then mid anime the same shot for 90 seconds grudgingly admiring him, then at the end of the show in the dark with the thugs wondering how long they have to stay there playing volley ball.

While the same thug drops the ball each time, there’s nearly no action. The gestures are small and repeated. The dialog is not punchy or meaningful but it’s so brazenly ridiculous. It’s KNOWING humor.

The verdict: To be clear Sakamoto Desu Ga? is absolutely terrible. I absolutely officially rate it a 5 for being ugly and using one joke repeated over and over again (Sakamoto can not be defeated) and that joke is so simple and persistent that, like Sakamoto’s own enemies, I can’t help but find him charming at the end.

This is Spring 2016’s first must watch!