It’s funny, but I seem to feel more warmly towards Osomatsu-san now than I did when it was arguably better, and inarguably more popular.  Maybe it’s because true comedies are so rare in my anime world these days, but I think it’s also that the series and protagonists have shown their vulnerable side more and more as the seasons have progressed.  It doesn’t make me laugh as often as it used to, but I think I have more affection for it now.

This was as close to a “normal” Osomatsu-san episode as we’ve seen this season.  That is, one that strikes the series’ historically typical balance between comedy and feels.  Even so, there was a distinct element of the pathos that’s become a staple of the show in both major chapters this week.  The first – and our first extended Iyami-centric story of the season – illustrates that in most good gag comedies, even (maybe especially) the most outrageous gags spring from an element of truth.

The funny thing here is that what Iyami told the riceballs was pretty much true.  Well – I don’t know about the Pierrot going bankrupt thing, but the rest of it.  It was “Sheeh!” that put Osomatsu-kun (produced by Pierrot Zero way back in the 60’s) on the map.  The promotional campaign for this season even made a gag out of it, but Iyami was the headline attraction for Osomatsu-kun in those days, and “Sheeh!” became so famous that John Lennon even did it on the Beatles’ Japanese tour.  I’ve always felt Iyami was the series’ strongest character, because he can be hilarious (as can Dayon and Dekapan, et al) while at the same time cutting rather a tragic figure (as they really can’t).

It was indeed rather sad to see the A.I. cut Iyami to the quick, in a manner that almost seemed intentional (I believe doubt is intentionally being sown about them in this respect).  The second main chapter was a similar blend of comedy and seriousness, as the boys (led by Osomatsu-san, natch) insult their mother quite rudely after she’s just served them a huge meal.  Her response is to go on strike, leaving the sextuplets in an obvious quandary.  It’s Totty who comes up with the answer – do all the chores for the day.  He’s the crafty one to be sure, and he doesn’t hide his ulterior motives, but Totty does refer to this penance as a deserved punishment.

This is really the elephant in the room with Osomatsu-san.  On some level the NEET lifestyle is quite defensible, especially in a country where so many effectively work themselves to death because it’s what’s expected of them.  But the imposition these lads place on their parents – especially Matsuyo – is a lot harder to defend.  At the very least they could do what they did here, make themselves useful around the house.  And of course all Matsunos are not created equal.  As you’d expect Osomatsu is lazy and useless, and Totty uses the internet to look for shortcuts rather than actually work.  Karamtsu and Ichimatsu are quite diligent in their fashion, while Jyuushi does his hapless best and Choromatsu worries too much.

I’m not going to get sucked in again, not after Osomatsu-san has bait-and-switched with two season finale arcs in a row, but it really does feel as if all this is building up to something.  There was an Osomatsu-kun Grows Up one-shot manga in 1993 that showed the sextuplets in their working lives, but I don’t think we should consider it canon at this point.  If indeed this franchise does come to an end (as it surely must sooner or later, or at least go another generational hiatus), it’s going to be very interesting to see where these creators decide to leave their characters.