masterclass in comedy

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spoiler warning! this is a deeper look into the story and everything the anime has to offer. if you haven't finished it yet and came here by accident, you might want to go back and finish the story first. take me back!

imagine you have an unlimited budget, a team of talented individuals, and a passion to do whatever the hell you want. that’s Nichijou for you.

the absurdity in the ordinary

how does a show without plot be executed so brilliantly, is what i keep asking myself every time i try to explain this anime. Nichijou takes the mundane aspects of everyday life and amplifies them to absurd levels. even the most trivial situations can lead to hilariously over-the-top outcomes.

kyoto animation’s touch

Nichijou is one of the best examples of kyoto animation’s mastery in blending animation with heart. the studio’s attention to the anime they produces elevates their work to a level that few others can match.

overanimating everything, even the most mundane or absurd stuff is what makes Nichijou so special. i don’t think the anime would’ve been as impactful (or even funny) if it wasn’t for KyoAni’s passion and dedication to their craft.

the most painfully relatable character

you guessed it, it’s Yuuko. i love her, she’s a character that many can relate to, including myself. and while i do laughed at her misfortunes the loudest, i also cried on the inside because it’s just so painfully relatable.

multicultural references

let’s not forget that the source material itself is amazing on its own, with multiple references to various cultures and traditions, especially south-east asian ones. simple things like Yuuko greets her friends with “selamat pagi” (good morning in indonesian), or that one time Mio’s mom played sepak takraw 🗿

there are also many japanese puns that we really wouldn’t get because it doesn’t make sense in english, and the cultural references that would fly over our heads if we didn’t know about them.

trolling done right

we also have a couple of characters that really seems like their only purpose is to troll the, which is a fantastic way to make us expect the unexpected. like, every time Mai or Mio’s big sister is on screen, we just know that something ridiculous is going to happen.

the trolling is done without malice, it never feels like they’re being mean-spirited or cruel. but rather, they’re so unpredictable and confuses the characters around them that it makes for some of the funniest moments in the show, with or without context!

clips

let me causally dump a couple of youtube clips with some of the most iconic moments from the show.

shrine incident

mio loses it

trouble with dogs

jam testing

“your jam was so disgusting, my life flashed before my eyes!” is so good, i love it so much.

the successor!

unfortunately, Nichijou didn’t sell that well and as of this writing, there has not been any news about season 2 or any continuation of the series.

however! what are the odds that i would (finally) review Nichijou, just to find out that KyoAni has announced City the Animation, which is the closest thing we got to Nichijou season 2. based the manga by the same author, Keiichi Arawi, City is set to premiere on the 7th this month!

open-source and open to improvement — file an issue or suggest changes via github

2017–2025 Ignatius Bagus.