Coming This Fall: Osomatsu-san

A little while ago I wrote an article about Anime’s next trend, and one show I mentioned was the comedy show, Osomatsu-san. Well, the time has come for us to examine this show, will it successfully break into this next generation?

Of course, what makes this show different is that, unlike all the other shows I’ve covered so far, this one is a sequel… kinda.

It is a continuation of the previous seasons, but there is a large time skip in the show, oh, and the last anime aired twenty-seven years ago. The original manga, penned by ‘The Gag Manga King” Fujio Akatsuka, was adapted in the 1960’s for 60 episodes. But in the 80’s it was re-adapted for 88 episodes. Which leads us to Osomatsu-san, the sequel to the 27-year-old Osomatsu-kun (TV 2), which was a re-adaptation of Osomatsu-kun (TV 1), which was an adaptation of Osomatsu-kun (Manga). Don’t forget that this is made in honor of what would be Fujio Akatsuka’s 80th birthday (he died at the age of 72 in 2008) Caught up? Ok. Now that we know the show’s 53 year history, let’s see what the show is actually about.


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Osomatsu Body 2
An appropriate reaction when trying to figure this history out

But the synopsis situation is a little odd. The only information we have on plot is that it will follow the characters during their adulthood. So for the sake of clarity, here is the synopsis for the original show: “The leading character is a boy named Osomatsu, who is one of sextuplets. This zany comedy features such eccentric and over-the-top characters as bucktoothed French-styled Iymi, bald boy Chibita, big-pants Dekapan, self-absorbed cutie Totoko, and many others. Together they create many topsy-turvy confusions in the town.” (Source) I’d imagine the only difference will be older characters and new workplace setting.

As you could imagine, considering it’s age, this sequel has a lot of new staff. While still animated by Studio Pierrot (Baby StepsBleachGTONarutoTokyo Goul), Akira Shigino (Karakuri Kengo Den Musashi LordTank Knights Portriss) who directed both the original 60’s and the 80’s remake of Osomatsu-kun, despite having worked as recently as 2010 won’t be directing this, instead we have Yoichi Fujita (ClassicaloidGintama).

Yeah, so we have the director known for one of the best comedy in anime, working on a sequel to an adaptation of a manga by “The Gag Manga King.” This show has some serious big comic names behind it.

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_imsKXx0Stk[/embedyt]

On top of that the animation looks pretty slick. It keeps the simple 60’s gag style found in the manga and the other adaptations, without holding back on the colors and smooth animation. I think it’s a pretty nice style.

The only big question left is whether you have to sit through 88 episodes, and a movie, to fully appreciate this show. My impression, no. 60’s Gag manga didn’t have much of a story beside the initial premise, and it seems to be full of anime-only content (this is not something I can confirm, just my conclusion after being unable to find the source material for this show).

Osomatsu Body 1
Miss me?

Regardless, I think this show should be checked out by everyone, when considering the staff behind it, the history, meaning, and the cultural impact this show has had, it will be perhaps the most important show of the season.

Osomatsu-san will begin airing on October 6th, 2015, for the Fall 2015 season.

GJ Corban
GJ Corban
Hi there, I'm GJ Corban, that stands for Gregory Jr., but I've been accidentally called CJ, DJ, JJ, and even Jesus... thrice. Other than that I'm just a guy obsessed with storytelling and the culture and news that surround it.