*****I was editing this when Lina posted that she will be taking a blogging break, of course! I’m still going to post it because I had fun writing it. Maybe if Lina comes back – she’ll be happy to have comedies waiting for her*******
As I’m writing this (in June) work has been really crazy and I haven’t had much time to prepare posts, so when I saw the opportunity to put together a quick and easy list I jumped on it…even though this is essentially a public DM.
See a while ago my lovely friend Lina (I’m hoping Lina will be too nice to say anything and we can now be friends by default) left a comment in a review I did for the Disastrous Life of Saiki K. mentioning that she had always assumed she disliked comedies but that may have been a mistaken impression. In fact, her comment was:
“It’s interesting. I wonder if I might be someone who just have decided that I don’t like comedy. I love Nozaki-kun and Ore Monogatari. My humor is somewhat dark when it comes to real people comedy and I am rather cynical when it comes to life so I mostly get annoyed by the high school cute girls comedy. So I haven’t really actively searched for the genre since I “know” I won’t like it. You should write a post about comedy anime for people like me who thinks they don’t like comedy but really do like it. I am open for suggestions as long as it isn’t something like Comic Girls.”
Lina asks, and I obey. So here are 5 comedy suggestions for people exactly like Lina. Hopefully one of these will fit the bill. (Nozaki is pretty high on my list as well but since Lina’s already seen it, let’s skip it).
The Daily Lives of High School Boys
Will Lina Like It: Probably
This is a school set comedy with a lot of the tropes of the genre, but it does focus much more on actual humor rather than “cuteness”. You really wouldn’t call this anything close to Moe. A lot of the jokes satirize anime tropes or go for raunchy, lo brow humor but delivered with such joyful zeal and prefect timing that I couldn’t help but laugh every time.
There’s something akin to British sitcom humor in the beats and delivery. You clearly know when you’re supposed to laugh but you couldn’t neatly fit a laugh track over it. With only 12 episodes this is a reasonable investment that’s worth a try when you feel like some light humor.
Ouran Highschool Host Club
Will Lina Like It: I think so
To be honest, I think Lina has probably seen it, seeing how popular this show is. However, I couldn’t resist for the parallels it has with Nozaki-kun. I personally Nozaki but I did enjoy Ouran a lot especially in earlier episodes and would happily watch another season should it become available.
This one can get a little cutesy but it has a lot of heart as it lovingly teases shoujo tropes. It’s also a series that gets mentioned all the time so you might as well watch it to know what all the hoopla is about”
Will Lina Like It: I’m not sure
Humanity has declined is an anime I love and very much an acquired taste. The humor here is very deadpan and also quite surreal. You have to be willing to go with the flow to truly enjoy it and I have found that a lot of people I’ve recommend this to, did not…
This said, if you have the proper mindset and don’t mind a lot of weirdness and some occasional pretense, there are some hilarious moments to be had. Humanity has declined isn’t a traditional joke filled comedy though, the humor comes from the absurdity of the situations.
Will Lina Like It: I’m gonna say yes
Obviously, I have a love for absurdist humor and this one falls into that category also but it’s much more quick fire and doesn’t take itself as seriously as Humanity… Gugure mixes tons of punchlines with supremely eccentric characters and completely outlandish situations. It’s pretty much non-stop jokes. Some land better than others but you’re bound to giggle at least once.
It’s also full of bishies… scrumptiously drawn ones. You know if that’s your thing….
So come for the eye candy, stay for the laughs. I’m surprised by how regularly I think back on this series.
Honorable mentions:
For quick bite sized smiles this is a great little comedy to relax at the end of the day. It had me smiling nonstop. It’s a little odd and there’s definitely some mild BL insinuations, hmmm I started wording that sentence as if there would be a “but”. There isn’t, those are selling points.
It’s about a college boy with a merman living in his bathtub, I think I’ve said all that needed to be said here.
Yuru Yuri
Ok, so this is very much a “high school cute girls comedy”. There’s no other way to describe it at all so maybe Lina will not like it. I’m adding it here because I did. A lot in fact. Of all the straight up Cute Girl shows I’ve seen, it’s the one that most consistently made me laugh.
Once again, the focus is much more on comedy than on cuteness so if ever you want to try out another cute girl show that seems to be aimed at actual comedy fans, this could be a good pick.
Sayonara Zebulon Sensei
Once again, an acquired taste and the humor here can get pretty dark. I talked about it a bit in my parody post. I’m not sure how easy the series is to find, which is what is keeping it at honorable mention.
GinTama
If I don’t say it, I have a feeling it will get suggested over and over again in the comments. You all know what GinTama is right? The main hesitation I have in suggesting the series is the huge episode count. Not that you HAVE to watch it all but if you’re like me…you HAVE to watch it all…
Will Lina Like It: Yup!
A cynical, often black comedy that’s more or less the antithesis of the cute girl comedies. Ok so it’s a cute boy show but they are most definitely not doing cute things. Black Butler is one of those sarcastic and slightly sneering types of comedies that gets away with being occasionally mean in its parodies because of how disarmingly fabulous it is.
Not to mention that it’s an extremely well-made show, boasting an impressive budget and remarkable production values. I know there are some out there who hate this series but I’m willing to bet Lina is not among them.
OK guys, do you have anything else to suggest for Lina? Let’s get her to laugh!
And Lina – I’m sorry I did not thoroughly review your blog before making this list (I’m pretty sure you’ve seen a few of these) but tell me how I did. Am I way off the mark? Should I have added more idol shows? Uta no Prince Sama is a treasure as we all know…