There's a brand of comedy in anime that I particularly like. The one that doesn't always make sense, or necessarily have to. The one that you don't, or shouldn't, take seriously in order to gain enjoyment in your viewing. The one that has little to no overarching story throughout the season, but somehow remains cohesive. Just like the comedy featured in Daily Lives of High School Boys or Acchi Kocchi.
Just like the comedy of Sakamoto, desu ga? or Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto.
In Class 1-2, there's a high school boy who is markedly different than all his peers. Sakamoto is well-known throughout the school because he does everything well. Even the most menial of jobs is done in a cool manner, making him the object of affection of every girl and the envy or anger of some guys. He has weirdly effective secret skills, which he uses to help out his classmates and even those who consider him a rival.
There really aren't any more details that I can add to the summary, because that's pretty much it. It's just about a cool dude (and according to the opening theme... cool. cooler. coolest). I have to admit, though, that in the first couple of episodes, I was wondering what in the world I was watching. I couldn't quite dismiss it, though, so I kept watching. Midway through, I found myself enjoying it far more than I thought I would.
Initially, you're left wondering what's special about Sakamoto. Given that he looks like a normal Japanese high school boy, albeit obviously a handsome one compared to his classmates, but the way he is drawn isn't anything distinctive. Then, there're his "secret skills", which appear laughable because they're just so silly. In the first episode, his secret skill is moving rapidly in front of a fire, making bullies think that he's trying to create a breeze to put out the fire. They emulate his movements because they don't want Sakamoto to upstage them. As it turns out, Sakamoto was just rapidly stomping on the floor to catch the attention of the faculty members in the office below so they can be rescued from the locked room. All the other secret skills are equally dubious, yet somehow effective.
Sakamoto is solitary by nature, although when he is so inclined to spend time with others, he tends to favor the company of Kubota Yoshinobu, who he helps out with homework, dealing with bullies or growing out his hair. And neither is he the type to turn down requests for help, though he will always avoid receiving it from others. And while Sakamoto seems like he exists in his own world, he has keen observation skills and is actually very much capable of empathy, which both help in finding the right solutions to all of the challenges his classmates, or even he himself, may encounter.
Sakamoto desu ga? is a comedy series, but it's punctuated with some pretty sweet moments. I was surprised by how emotional some of the episodes got, and not all of them rooted in comedy. There was also a serious story in the series relating to an upperclassmen who refuses to graduate and prefers to wreak havoc that made me realize I was far more invested in Sakamoto's adventures than I expected. The ending to that particular hurdle... well, it was handled by enacting a plan that only Sakamoto and his weird way of resolving things can accomplish.
If that doesn't make sense, go and watch the series yourself. Maybe you'll have a better chance explaining why Sakamoto desu ga? was such a fun series to watch. Sakamoto is, after all, far too cool to be easily explained.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Adaptation, Anime, Comedy, Must-Watch, Sakamoto desu ga, Slice of Life, TV
