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Do Comedy Anime Need A Good Plot?
By WakeUpSnooze โ€ข 4 years ago
โ€ข  7725  โ€ข   0 โ€ข 14


To start, I want to note what Iโ€™m talking about today will probably apply to most comedies, but this is a doujin website run by weebs and I donโ€™t exactly consume much comedy outside of anime so my commentary will be limited to comedy animes. Iโ€™ve certainly noticed a common theme of the comedic anime that I hold in high regard and this seasonโ€™s offerings only further served to cement the pattern. Itโ€™s come to my attention that almost every comedy anime Iโ€™ve thoroughly enjoyed in the last several years were ones that touched on deeper themes and the struggles of life.


To show you what I mean, letโ€™s take a look at two comedies this season: Wave, Listen To Me! and Kakushigoto. Both of these animes are labeled as comedies. Thatโ€™s about where the similarities end. Wave is a radio anime about a girl trying toโ€ฆ well Wave is an anime about a girl who doesnโ€™t really care about radio but she gets into radio anywayโ€ฆ but then she doesnโ€™t care.. but she does a little bit... God dammit, I kid you not Iโ€™m currently CAUGHT UP on this fucking anime and I still have no idea what this shit is even about. I was warned that it was heavily Japanese in its comedy so some of the jokes may not land, but nobody told me this shit wouldnโ€™t even have a plot. It feels like episode after episode the characters dick around and face no real conflict or work toward any goal. The main girl doesnโ€™t even appear to be passionate about radio and sheโ€™s been doing it for the past several episodes. What the fuck is happening? There are some jokes that land and me cackle a bit, but the sense of misdirection and emptiness quickly comes back to remind me I donโ€™t like the plot, or these characters, and it makes it hard to appreciate any of the smaller jokes.


The worst part is they gave it a banger ending to fool me into thinking this shit was gonna be good. 


Now letโ€™s look at Kakushigoto, which is about a dad trying to continue working as a lewd (by Japanese standards) manga artist while providing for his young daughter whose mother has passed away. In an effort to keep doing what he loves, he spends his days getting into various hijinks and extreme lengths to ensure the daughter doesnโ€™t learn about his career. Itโ€™s clear that the motherโ€™s passing has caused a heavy hit on this family and the comedy takes time to show it in scenes that are much sadder than the others. The father-in-law, who looks down on โ€œlesserโ€ jobs like a manga artist also occasionally shows up from time to time to establish a serious tone and provide a small source of conflict. As someone who works at Doujins.com, I can relate to the dadโ€™s struggle of keeping secrets from those close to me, and root for him. Keep in mind the majority of the screen time is still comedic in nature. And here lies the difference. When the small jokes are occurring throughout the episodes, even if I donโ€™t laugh I appreciate the moments because I already enjoy the plot and characters. Iโ€™m rooting for them, even when theyโ€™re doing something ridiculous and I keep watching because I want to see how this ends (thereโ€™s been a ton of foreshadowing about an uncharacteristic ending for a comedy, and Iโ€™m interested to see what they do with it).



You know this anime has a bit more going on just from the cover.


Wasteful Days of Highschool Girls, Grand Blue, Love is War, none of these comedies shy away from having serious, heartfelt moments about a deeper theme (growing up and friendship, trying something new, and love respectively) and thatโ€™s what I love about them. Anytime I try a comedy anime that doesnโ€™t seem to have a moral attached to it, it never seems to hold my attention, and Iโ€™m curious if itโ€™s a similar situation for you guys. So without further ado...


What anime comedies are your favorite? Do you notice any patterns? Are good plot and characters still necessary even when the focus is on jokes? Leave a comment below! Trust me, I wonโ€™t tell your daughter about it.



Anon - Anon 4 years ago
They don't need too Bobobo I think proves that a very very loose story that is made up for with great gags something to turn your brain off and just laugh at
kaishi10 4 years ago
"Comedy" / "Slice-of-Life" = about the same thing, except one pulls no punches about the scenario being FUBAR and is deliberately TRYING to get you to either spit-take your drink or have to facepalm. (make it a double if it's REALLY out there)
Hectotane 4 years ago
I used to enjoy comedies before I found out what they truly are: laughing at someone else's life who's more fucked up than mine.

I was losing my sense of humanity, so I had to stop.
Washi-Washi 4 years ago
Comedies dont need plot it's just that the jokes have to be consistently funny, and not try and appear like it has a plot when it's all jokes.
MrObvious 4 years ago
Sometimes they do and it works, blending plot and comedy seamlessly. Other times it doesn't and it goes with it's own wild flow. Classics FLCL did it with a basic plot and raw absurdity galore while Monogatari got the drama, fanservice and comedy. The creators have to know what they are doing, or just run wild and see what happens.
Anon - Hecatoncheries 4 years ago
1. The plural of anime is anime.
2. Yotsuba has no overarching plot and is a great comedy manga.
If the focus is comedy, then a plot is only useful in how it aids the comedy. If the focus is on the story, then the comedy is better when it doesnโ€™t detract from the plot.
Anon - ??? 4 years ago
If Excel Saga has provided any insight, it's that not only does Comedy Anime not need a "plot," it doesn't even need coherence. Or causality. Or to be eligible for broadcast.
Anon - Anonymous 3 years ago
Anime just has the same cliche over and over. The Pervert.

Not funny ones like Johnny Bravo or Pepe Le Pew. I mean the horndog. The character who wants to get in the pants of the Team Hottie.
Anon - anon 4 years ago
depends. I hated bobobo because it was stupid humor and it had no real plot to hang on to to make it tolerable. Konosuba, which i love, has some plot but most revolves around the main cast's relationships and misadventures which only go somewhere by accident. It doesnt have the most clever humor but it keeps me coming back despite being a lover of smart-humor and hater of dumb humor.
exodusee7 4 years ago
Comedy anime/manga don't need a grand overarching plot. More often than not, the funniest comedies are mostly episodic, where the character/plot development is there, but it's at a snail's pace because that's not the point of the story. There should always be a plot and development, but it shouldn't be the focus.