When it comes to comedy, Japan knows its stuff. The past decade has brought us many great anime series that have made people laugh their asses off, and choosing a top ten is a no mere task. Nevertheless, I have listed ten anime comedies that have definitely earned a place in our funny bones.
10. Love Hina
This was the show that got me hooked into anime comedies. The story of Keitaro's quest to get into Tokyo University while searching for the girl he made a love promise to many a year ago was something almost any struggling high schooler/community college student could relate to. Add on the fact that Keitaro had to take care of his grandmother's apartment complex -- which contains nothing but girls -- and you get what could've been another harem comedy. Surprisingly the series always managed to make me laugh. Perhaps it was the anime chemistry between Keitaro and Naru (who may or may not be the girl he made the promise to); or perhaps it was the strange and wacky Kaolla Su, the exchange student who was like Cowboy Bebop's Ed on crack. Granted the show did lose its luster with both the Spring Special and Love Hina Again, but the first 24 episodes (and the Christmas Special) were filled with heavy laughs and lots of heart.
9. Kamen No Maid Guy
I always use this show as a sort of gateway anime for my buddies, and for good reason: It's maniacally funny! When Naeka is the lone heir to her grandfather's fortunes, she is put in danger of those who want it. So the grandfather hires Kogarashi: The Maid Guy. A transvestite superhero? Well, yes, but think of what it'd look like to see Jason Statham in a dress. It's hilarious, but you know he'll kick your ass if you snicker. Some may complain about the massive fan-service in the show (and there is a lot), but almost all of it is tied to another big laugh that's just around the corner. For example: when Saki sets up cameras in Naeka's bathroom to spy on her, Maid Guy casts one of his frozen powers on her and fixes the camera feed on the old fish salesman flossing his ass with his towel. You'll cringe with Saki, but at the same time it'll make you roll around the floor laughing your head off. Also when the female maid Fubki comes in to put Maid Guy in his place you can always bet that the end result will be hilarious.
8. Detroit Metal City
Released to coincide with the movie of the same name, Detroit Metal City followed Negishi, a pop singer who is forced to front a death metal band (under the alias of Krauser II). This follows with crazy antics involving an impromptu street performance that ends with Negishi accidentally smashing his guitar in the face of one police officer, Krauser's first movie role, the love of his life reviewing a DMC show (which ends with Krauser flipping her skirt up and calling her a "pig slut" to loud applause) and other things that can't really be named here. (Wait till you see what happens to Negishi's apartment.) The whole parody of metal bands has been done in both This is Spinal Tap and Metalocalypse, but the concept of taking a Mushroomhead-like band and putting a pop-loving vocalist in the forefront of it is a great example of ironic comedy. And with only each episode lasting about 12 minutes there was no room for Detroit Metal City to lose its blood-curdling steam.
7. Azumanga Daioh!
This comedy surrounding a group of stereotypical students didn't have a whole lot of story to it. In fact you can almost compare its plotline to that of Seinfeld: a show about high school students doing nothing. However what we got out of it was pure comedic dialogue. From Tomo's reasons for being an energetic slacker to spacey Osaka's day-dreaming escapades involving Chiyo-chan's hair, the mindset of these seemingly normal (but not really) high school students was not just funny but also imaginative. Not to mention it showed these students growing up in a world too small for them. What also made the show great were the teachers. The bantering between Yukari and Minamo always led itself down the path of drunken silliness, and the creepy teacher Kimura was more hilarious than what is legally allowed. It even succeeds in the fact that, while a Japanese high school comedy, it also has many things that regular high school students can relate to, from the struggles of getting back into school mode after vacation to the stress of preparing for college. And it's all done with a hearty laugh and a wink.
6. Nodame Cantabile
This classical music-based comedy followed the silly antics of Nodame the talented pianist and Chiaki the wannabe conductor. Like The Odd Couple, Chiaki's clean lifestyle was always fucked when Nodame's pigsty of a personality was in the same room as him. Nodame had a lot of heart to overcome her silliness, but at the same time that heart was almost instantly smothered by Chiaki's common sense. And there was that "Gyabo!" that Nodame would shout when things don't go as planned, which always brought a smile to my face. It also made it funny when they would use the works of classical performers to emphasize the comedic elements in the show (though not as criminally insane as when Ren & Stimpy did it). On top of that Nodame Cantabile had a great set of supporting characters, including the perverted conductor Stresemann and the openly-gay Masumi, who once dressed in a ballroom gown for one of the Rising Star Orchestra performances. Plus you would learn about classical music when watching, making it something of an educational aspect for the show. But what made it great was the comedic chemistry between Chiaki and Nodame. They were too different for one another, but you knew they would wind up together somehow. Seeing it happen is both sweet and comic gold. (I also recommend the live-action version, which is at times superior to the anime.)
5. Gintama
Just over 200 episodes have been made since Gintama first premiered in 2006, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Unlike some shows that refuse to die (I'm looking at you, Naruto!) this weekly program continues to bring viewers in thanks in part to its down-to-earth characters, clever plot lines, hilarious parodies and quotable one-liners. Set in a futuristic Edo Period (where samurai warriors watch TV and eat fast food) the series follows three numbskulls who must do various jobs in order to pay their rent; whether it may be saving the universe or walking an old lady down the street. Gintoki always manages to keep the spotlight to himself, even when his costars Shinpachi and Kagura try to steal it. Gintama is the type of anime comedy where watching one episode at a time just doesn't cut it. Watch five in a row, and see how many pounds you lose just from laughing.
4. Ouran High School Host Club
There are not a lot of romantic comedies out there that play out to both genders, and still manage to entertain them equally. Ouran High School Host Club is one such romantic comedy. A reverse harem if there ever was one, Ouran focuses on a host club in a rich high school, where new student Haruhi accidentally breaks the club's prized vase. In order to pay them back, Haruhi must work for the Host Club and bring forth a thousand customers. When the rest of the club members find out that Haruhi's a girl, that's when the strong romantic comedy element appears. Tamaki may be the king of the club, but it's the jesters Hikaru & Kaoru Hitachiin that bring some of the biggest comedic moments to the show. From their school pranks to the classic fight in Episode Five these two manage to create huge laughs that anyone will love. And of course there is Honey-sempai, the small twelfth-grader whose cute shell hides a master of martial arts. Ouran High School Host Club has enough lovey-dovey stuff for the girls, and a ton of comedy to keep the guys entertained without having to look at their watch.
3. My Bride Is a Mermaid
Known in Japan as Seto no Hanayome this anime about a junior high school student who must marry the daughter of a mermaid yakuza leader knew how to bring the funny. From Sun's crazy father and Masa-san to Lunar's Terminator-based dad and the jealous students that always beat the shit out of Nagasumi whenever another girl appears to be swooned by him, My Bride is a Mermaid was one series that got funnier as it progressed (rather than lose its steam halfway through). I especially love the side character Saru, who comes in either to be perverted or to give a hilariously epic speech when times are rough for Nagasumi. What makes this anime great is its timing. The jokes and visual gags flow perfectly, and when they inter-loop one another they mend together in slick harmony. You'll laugh until you cry, and then yearn for more series like this. Yes, it does steal some of its laws of the mermaids from the Ron Howard film Splash. Who cares? In my opinion this is the type of mermaid comedy Mr. Howard would've loved to have made rather than that film.
2. School Rumble
Give props to a comedy series that not only manages to be funny throughout the first season, and then find a way to be even funnier in the second. The twisted love triangle of Tenma, Harima and Karasuma never fails to entertain. From in-class tests to trips to the woods, there was no scenario that couldn't be done in a hilarious fashion. Even the disturbingly violent third episode of Season Two had a great punchline in the end that made all the violence laughable. Plus it managed to do someone many anime series couldn't do: be better than their original manga source. Now that takes a lot of great writing talent to pull off! Props also must be given to FUNimation, who not only licensed both seasons but also made an English dub that was funnier than the Japanese one. School Rumble had it all: great characters, a perfectly-match cast, huge laughs and plenty of plot to keep viewers watching.
1. Hayate the Combat Butler
No other series made me crave more like it than Hayate the Combat Butler. The story of the debt-ridden butler who must serve Lady Nagi was practically BBC-worthy. Viewers couldn't go more than twenty seconds without struggling to keep their head on while laughing. Not only did Hayate and Nagi bring the laughs, but so did every other character (even Random Man #27 Who Stands In Corner). Out of every character, though, it was the Narrator that brought the most personality; and even though you couldn't see him, you could read his facial expressions through his sarcastic wit and fourth-wall smashing commentary. Hayate and the others even get into huge fights with The Man In The Sky (no relation to the one mentioned in The Invention of Lying), leading towards the anime's biggest and most clever laughs. I was sad to see the show end last year, and hope that they renew it for a third season. It had something for everyone, otaku or not, and not a single episode of Hayate the Combat Butler failed to bring the funny. The funniest anime of that decade, and one of the best-written cartoon comedies of any time.
Labels: Anime, Anime Calamity, Azumanga, comedy, Detroit Metal City, Gintama, Hayate no Gotoku, Hayate the Combat Butler, Hina, Kamen no Maid Guy, King Baby Duck, mermaid, Nodame, Ouran, School Rumble
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