Asobi Asobase: Workshop of Fun

This is much more than just an ordinary anime series - this is art! Granted, I always got like a C in art class, however, if this is not Expressionism being used in anime, they never taught me anything of any worth. The expressions of the female protagonists are as dramatic and powerful as Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream. Sure, some will find it ugly, perhaps they will think the animation is rubbish and everything is unnecessarily dramatic, extremely shocking, and insane, etc. However, that is the purpose of such works! That is just how it is supposed to be! The whole of this anime series is something completely out there and original, and it is often quite intense and really absurd. As for the jokes, the humor is sometimes even more insane and extreme than the jokes in Gintama, for example, and nothing is sacred in Gintama... In addition to this, the ending of each episode is perfect, with one hell of a kick-ass song and, in the last episode, there is the addition of another small in-joke for the attentive viewer, which is a reference to the preceding narrative. Does it work? I guess it depends on who is watching it. Some people are going to be disturbed by it's visuals and give up on watching it, other people are going to be disgusted by the teacher tasting that mysterious liquid under the door in the very first episode and give up on watching it, and then there will be people like me who will be thoroughly entertained, who will gush over the originality, rawness, and the absurdity of it all... So if you want another classic slice of life anime series about cute girls doing cute things in their own club, then this show is definitely not for you. However, if you are looking for something hardcore, unexpected and brutal - welcome to the Freakshow. 8.2/10. (23/09/2018)

Picture a lively family gathering where everyone has come together, including your sweaty Auntie Mary, your balding Uncle Jack with a beer belly, your endlessly complaining Grandmother Janice, your grumpy Grandfather Fred, and of course, your own parents, John and Jeanette, along with you. Everything is relatively peaceful until Uncle Jack decides to steal the spotlight and become the center of attention. He starts telling his usual corny jokes, which you've already heard a hundred times before, and then he takes things too far by sharing some pretty racistic and homophobic jokes he read somewhere on the internet. And you just sit there, suffering. If you can imagine this scenario, then you'll understand how I felt while watching Asobi Asobase. While I typically love absurdist Japanese comedy (I have watched a great amount of Jel comedy videos and thoroughly enjoyed genre-similar Nichijou), this particular anime fell short. It seemed as though the creators of the show thought that because it was an absurdist comedy, they could throw in any random idea or joke that came to mind without considering timing or cleverness. As a result, the show felt forced and awkward, with too many screaming and snotty jokes that left a bad aftertaste. In comparison, other absurdist comedies like Nichijou have managed to strike a better balance between randomness and cleverness, creating a more enjoyable and thoughtfully executed experience. Although Asobi Asobase may be appealing to those who are new to this type of humor, I suffered through the whole thing. I'll give it one star for a few decent ideas that managed to make me laugh without feeling forced or awkward. (31/01/2022)