Osomatsu-san closes out 2017 with an episode that in many ways reminded me more of its first season than any in the second.  I thought for a while we were looking at an entire ep of shorts, which would be the first time this cour if I’m not mistaken, but all through these mini-sketches something was nagging at me and eventually I figured out what it was.  This was all to be explained in the final sketch, however – the one that elevated this episode to one of the best of the season.

• There was a New Years theme to some of these, starting with the first one – which saw Osomatsu and Choromatsu decide the best way to finally make an impact was to “rid the world of one more shitty person”.  This started out as Iyami, but ended up being themselves, too.
• It only seemed a matter of time before we’d get Dekapan-Dayon mochi pounding – the natural rhythm of their “conversations” is perfectly suited for it.  But I don’t think there was ever any question about how this was going to end up.
• The two “Playing in the Snow” bits were odd, in that they didn’t really seem to have a punchline.
• The best of the short vignettes was the “Jizou” number.  This was a very funny take on the old Japanese folk tale – how classically Osomatsu-san to take something heartwarming and inspiring and turn it into cheap horror.  This was also the part where I finally realized what had been bugging me…
• Then another odd one, with no real payoff – the Choromatsu New Year’s Card bit.

Finally, we got the payoff.  When I noticed that Todomatsu had been absent I wondered, just for a moment, of Osomatsu-san was going to do some kind of uber-meta gag based on a Miyu Inino character’s disappearance (as in Danchi Koukousei no Nichijou).  But this was more of an internal, self-parody number – and very much on-point.  Todomatsu has been “fired” from the sextuplets (he’s now living under a bridge eating frogs) and replaced by an American “helper” named “Mighty Michaelmatsu“.

Why would Totty be fired?  Obviously, because he’s too socially dextrous and normal – this is the ultimate sin in Osomatsu-world.  As Todomatsu himself says (as he’s trying to claw his way back into the family for some reason), he’s probably the brothers’ best chance to graduate from being virgins, but they’re too blinded by jealousy (though he hasn’t gotten past holding hands, apparently) to see that.  Eventually this segues into a takeoff on pro baseball, Todomatsu gets picked up by a minor-league “anime team” in America, and Michael goes back to Florida because he can’t get used to Japanese food.  When Todomatsu gets recalled to the family, he does exactly what he probably should, under the circumstances.  It’d odd and rather dark, but it works pretty well as a think piece…