Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou - 10

Humor is a funny thing. No pun intended.

Pretty much status quo for me with Danshi Koukousei this week – hit and miss. What I find most interesting is that the overall appeal of the series seems basically unchanged – I don’t see any significant drop in support for it across forums or among other bloggers and such. And yet where I absolutely loved the show for a while, not I just sort of like it. I can’t think of another show that’s had quite that arc with me, especially one where I seem to be so much the odd man out. I don’t think it’s coincidental – I can point to some very specific stylistic changes that have taken place, such as the transition to mostly shorter skits, and I also feel like the humor has definitely gotten more esoteric, with much less use of satire. But maybe that’s just me – it doesn’t seem to be bothering anyone else. Humor is a funny thing.

Looking back at the skits this week, it’s not surprising that the Literary Girl piece was my favorite. I guess I should call her “Yassan” now, and her scene was a riot. It was nice to see L.G. taken out of her normal context – reading at the park and frightening Hidenori enough that he’d sooner crap his pants than walk by her to use the toilet. Interacting with a school friend. Chasing Hidenori through the city until the both of them were so exhausted that he was puking off the bridge, all to clear up a misunderstanding that didn’t exist. I can’t recall another character quite like her, with her memorable reactions to everything (including the callback to the skit a couple of eps ago) and her dizzying array of facial expressions. I think she’s the sort of girl character who could only show up in a series about boys.

Alas, the Yassan bits were really the only times I laughed during the episode, beyond a chuckle anyway. The growing emphasis on Mitsuo and how clueless he is isn’t really doing it for me, as much as I love Okamoto Nobuhiko. Mitsuo not checking for TP in the bathroom. Mitsuo diving into the river to rescue a stuffed animal. Mitsuo slipping on banana peels. It’s kind of repetitive and not really all that funny the first time, and for that matter there was an awful lot of slipping this week. Banana peels (really?), ice… I know misfortune is the source of all comedy, but this is really caveman stuff here. Motoharu not knowing how to ride a bike was good for a giggle or two, though the scene where he shames his sister with his cooking was better.

And lastly, what of Danshi Koukousei’s very own Misaki Mei, Tadakuni, and the Funky Girls? Well, Tadakuni is still being ignored but they’re talking about it in the eyecatches at least – and he did show up getting punched by his sister to dislodge the mochi stuck in his throat (mochi soup? Eww.) How much does Miyu Irino get paid for “Ugh!”? And the F.G. team was back with their theme music this week, the focus this time being Karusawa. We know Habara caused his scar (and still tortures herself over it) but Yanagin is apologizing to him for some unexplained reason, and agrees to allow him to do a “Kinni*u Buster” on her, which gives us a rare glimpse of him in full baka mode as he’s usually the most sensible guy in the cast. I feel as if there was something to that scene that I was missing – a culture reference, a kanji pun, something – but it didn’t really click for me, beyond curiosity over what Yanagin has to apologize for…

15 comments

Anonymous

March 13, 2012 at 10:39 pm

You know Enzo … I have had a similar experience as you did with this series. For me it began to be somehow "recycled" around ep 7. It just is not somehow as funny as it was when it began….

I have even thought that it may be partly b/c of the 8 preview eps that were released before the series aired might have "blunted" the type of humor offered a little too early somehow. I am still not sure though.

Whatever the reason I am the same as you … it is similar material, but I am not finding it anywhere near as funny anymore. Go figure.

– Flower

admin

March 14, 2012 at 1:13 am

I wondered about that too, actually – not so much blunted (though that could be) but maybe they simply used up too many of the A-list chapters to hook viewers with the previews.

Anonymous

March 14, 2012 at 12:45 am

Hit and miss once again….but the literary girl segment was great. I think the funky high school girls need their own series at some point.

Athos

March 14, 2012 at 1:45 am

I thought the banana peel incident wasn't so much about them being careless, but more about everyone being so noble that they'd purposely slip and fall to cover for each other's embarrassment. Same for the bathroom skit– Hidenori would rather walk away in defeat so as to protect Yassan's maiden image of him.

I also believe there hasn't been as many laughs, but I think the appeal of having impossibly considerate characters is still in full swing.

Ishruns

March 14, 2012 at 2:53 am

Hit and miss is a common thing in comedy as, GE said, comedy is a funny thing and that it varies so much. However I think that around half way through the series the comedy went from gags to punches and laugh. Physical violence can become boring very quickly unless there's enough gimmicks in it, so the series has taken a turn for the worse.

That's probably why the parts with L.G are so funny because they don't involve any violence. I thought she confessed to him pretty much this episode.

The Mitsuo parts were pretty boring too, because this kind of misfortune comedy has been played out so many times before. The only time Mitsuo was funny was in his initial arcs with Hidenori and then with Yoshitake and Motoharu.

The student council wasn't in session today either, sigh.
I honestly think that Sunrise have't yet figured out what kind of comedy this is yet and considering its lenght never will. At least it was damn funny. Sometimes.

Kayjay

March 14, 2012 at 4:06 am

GE about the "Kinni*u Buster" bit, it's a call out to the wreslting anime Ultimate Muscle and also to Gintama.

The Kinniku-Buster was the signature move of Kid Muscle the main character, but it was also used as a joke in Gintama. A character accidently performs the Kinniku-Buster on an innocent passerby, and is put on trial with Gintoki acting as his (very bad) defense lawyer.

daniel_w

March 14, 2012 at 4:11 am

Why didn't you blog Papa no Iu Koto anymore?
I wonder if today's episode would feature another school girl prostitution, lol. I am working and can't find out until later tonight.

admin

March 14, 2012 at 5:03 am

I lost interest in PapaKiki, I'm afraid. The writing didn't do much for me.

deafvader

March 14, 2012 at 7:44 am

The only soupy thing with Mochi for me is Zenzai.
Missing Ringo

Kinny Riddle

March 14, 2012 at 2:02 pm

Literature Girl, for you to go so far just to clear up a misunderstanding, you might as well just confess that you love Hidenori already. She's just too cute in that scene.

dv

March 14, 2012 at 2:07 pm

Are you sure it is love?
Maybe she is just afraid that he would start ignoring her and her "fun to play with, crazy literature wanna-be" person would be gone. They don't even know each other names! Well, she knows he is Hidenori. But that is not even the Kanji.

Kinny Riddle

March 14, 2012 at 3:24 pm

Oh come on, I can always fantasize. Why so eager to go around sinking ships? 🙂

belatkuro

March 14, 2012 at 2:09 pm

Yeah it was a hit and miss but I'm still chuckling at some parts.
Yassan parts were hilarious though. Was that the first time she spoke words?
The thing you should wonder is that how much Hikasa Yoko is getting paid for her segments as Literature Girl. Coz I think she was just doing gasps and squeals before. At least Irino Miyu has some dialogues earlier this episode as well as before.

Any idea who the seiyuu is for that guy with LG(Yassan)? He's also the same guy in the bike scene right?

admin

March 14, 2012 at 4:26 pm

That's Morikubo Showtaro. I always think of him as Goro from "Major" but he's been around forever in many high-profile roles. Yes, that was him in the bike scene.

Beckett

March 15, 2012 at 5:29 am

I don't care if they made her name Namey McHasAName, to me, she will always be Literary Girl.

Literary Girl 4 LYFE!

Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou – 10

Guardian Enzo

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