Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou [Anime Review]

This review can also be found on my profile at myanimelist.net/profile/Wadezig

What is the first thing pop up in your head when you hear a high-school-slice-of life-comedy anime? Boring, if you ask me. I used to think that a pure comedy show revolving around high school students life is so common and dull, my perception changed after I watched Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou or Daily Lives of High School Boys in English. The title may give you a doubt, I wouldn't be surprised if you're skeptical, what's so great about watching a normal everyday life anime? This series stands out because it succeed in delivering what it offers, that is comedy.

Let's move on to the story. This show is quite literally what the title says; it's about the daily lives of irrational high school boys from Sanada North to be precise. No it's not about cute boys do cute things, it's about a group of school boys do what they do best, such as slacking off in a friend's house, pranking on people, talking about girls, telling random stories and any other things in exaggeration manners that will crack you up. You won't find a twisted plot, complicated story or a bunch of giant robots destroying the city, the latter is exceptional thou. Well, it's Sunrise to begin with. Every episode of this series is composed of several short skits/sketches which usually are not connected to the other. For me, the punchlines most of them hit the mark while other are predictable. Each episode, each sketch is like riding a roller coaster, but it has more ups than downs. I had fun and good laughs. Some people may find one or two sketches boring and unfunny. But again, I believe comedy is subjective -- what's funny to one person will not always to another.

As for the art, it's quite decent but it's not amazing either. Although the background is simple but it's pretty detailed especially the buildings which is fine for this kind of show. The characters are well drawn and they look natural, like how the male characters aren't wearing their uniform properly.

 That's how the high school boys dressed. They leave their ties undone, some characters even don't bother to wear ties at all, their shirt are un-tucked, even Karasawa is wearing a hat all the time. The funny expressions or the faces they make is enough to make me burst out in laughter. The characters are also well animated, I notice some characters look alive and vibrant. There is one thing I'm complaining about its design, they (the studio) probably decided to cut corners by drawing some characters with no eyes or it was simply lazy, I have no idea. Still, one can say it's on purpose to show which ones are the main characters.

Another strong point of this show is the characters. First of all, the series doesn't have much character development. I believe character development isn't always necessary especially in a pure comedy show like this one, as long as they are there to make you laugh, that will do. Now let's check out our main characters, the first is Tadakuni, he is the straight man in the group and probably the most ordinary among the trio, but surprisingly, he's someone you can easy relate to. He's usually needed to pull off the jokes. Hidenori, he's the one who usually comes up with crazy schemes. The last is my favourite, Yoshitake, the blond guy. He usually plays along when Hidenori comes up with anything stupid. Their exaggerated attitudes, expressions and randomness are really amusing to watch. In the midst of the series, in fact, they don't "eat" all the screen time. In other words, if one is too "normal" being a student, he won't have much screen time. This when the supporting characters rise. I find the supporting roles are very interesting as well, complete with their own unique personalities. One thing I mind is how violence the girls are to the boys. In my opinion, it's a bit overusing for a slapstick joke anime like this.

I can't say much about the sound. The opening song is rather typical but I find the ending sequence is really something. They put a skit on the ending which is very interesting. The upbeat and catchy music while the casts are performing a play in cultural festival is hilarious. The randomness on it is epic. Here is the video.

I have no complaints for the voice acting. The voice actors fits the characters, especially Hidenori who's voiced by Sugita (he also has done voice for Gintoki). The way when he talks to himself or when he's overthinking something really makes me laugh.

My personal note; Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is a solid comedy show. If you're looking for good laughs, I'd like to suggest you to give it a shot. In my experience, in every episode I've watched I always find at least one or two skits that are funny and memorable. Moreover, I'm sure you can somehow relate them to your highschool life, although it won't be as extreme and funny as in this series. This is the first time I've watched an anime that is divided into several skits each episode and I like it. I would gladly recommend this to everyone. Overall, This show is thoroughly entertaining and worthy my time.