I think it’s safe to say that most American adults don’t watch anime — with the exception, perhaps, of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. I don’t plan to try to convert my readers into dedicated viewers, but there are some gems out there. One of them is a short series called “Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto” (“Sakamoto desu ga?” in Japanese).
What makes this series worth your while is the completely over-the-top title character. Sakamoto is the coolest, most stylish kid in high school, worshiped by females and males of all ages. He regularly wins over his most jealous foes with his unflappable ability to handle any situation that is thrown his way. He is a fantastic student, but he is never awkwardly nerdy. He is aloof but usually kind (there are a couple of weird exceptions, like when he refers to a fellow student’s “zit face”). He is good without being a goody-goody. He is, in a word, Sakamoto.
My daughter pulled me into this one. After the first episode, I said, “They can’t possibly keep this up.” The situations Sakamoto faced and the ways he handled them were so outrageous that it would be easy for the creators to push the concept too hard and end up falling flat. But they kept it up for 13 episodes and then gracefully brought the show to a close before it got old.
I’ve shared the show with a couple of people who don’t watch anime, and they found it entertaining enough that I feel confident that it has broad appeal outside of anime nerds. That said, your appreciation of it will only deepen if you’re an anime watcher. Sakamoto’s “secret techniques” are funny, whether or not you are familiar with anime; however, if you’ve watched certain shows like “Hunter x Hunter,” you’ll recognize the techniques as a trope.
My daughter, who has taken two years of Japanese, has an even deeper appreciation of “Sakamoto” than I do. In providing the subtitles, the translators try to let English-speakers know that certain characters are “bad boys” who swear a lot, but my child says that these kids are speaking a sort of “bad boy” slang.
Episodes are approximately 24 minutes long. The show falls into the PG/PG-13 range, so parents will want to review it before sharing it with young kids. This week, when you need a laugh, take in an episode. Like everyone around him, you’ll fall in love with Sakamoto. You can find the show on Crunchyroll.