Anime: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (Season 1 Part 2)
Released By: Funimation
Release Date: December 26, 2017
Retail Price: $64.98
As I stated once before, If you’ve ever had a thought that a psychic, high school and comedic setting would create a memorable anime series – you were absolutely right, and possibly crazy. The anime series (which has become a major comedic hit with anime fans) titled The Disastrous Life of Saiki K showcases a plethora of comedic genius over the course of a 24 episode first season. Most anime series don’t earn the luxury of getting an extended season, but if there has ever been a smart choice to continue for a genre series like this one – the decision made perfect sense. The first review (linked here) discussed my initial thoughts on the early portions of the anime, but by the time the second half begins, the characters, tone and atmosphere of Saiki K has been established – so did the follow up succeed in keeping its rare elements of outlandishness?
As you must know already, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. centers on a peculiar character named Saiki who isn’t you average – well, anything really. The young student has bright pink hair, antennas attached to his head, and 80’s green glasses that couldn’t be more polar opposite of his demeanor. Though Saiki looks to be over the top or in your face, he is actually someone who desires solitude (mostly) and has been known to avoid people as much as possible. To complicate matters, his varying abilities make it all the more difficult to avoid human interaction when he is privy to everyone’s innermost thoughts on a regular basis. At a first glance of the series, Saiki is someone who has a distaste towards humanity in general, but after the second set of 12 episodes commences you begin to realize there’s more than meets the eye.
In the second half of the first season, it begins to follow up a two-parter school trip that involves all of the supporting characters in addition to our lead Saiki. Saiki becomes involved in mishaps with his classmates (the ones he pretends to disregard) and the next thing you know, he has taken it upon himself to be a comedic savior. We may see these brief innuendos of compassion in the first half, but it really begins to sink in as the first season progresses towards the end. His inner thoughts may portray him as someone who doesn’t care for his peers, but you begin to witness him help them feel stronger, safe, or anything he can do to appease his “friends.” One prime example that also pays off for the comedy sides of Saiki K is his relationship with Teruhashi, the young girl who thinks rather highly of herself and is convinced that Saiki will eventually fall for her like anyone should (her thoughts, not mine!) The second half has even more fun with the pair, making it a consistent focus for entertainment’s sake alone.
What makes Saiki K an excellent series that uses the best avenues for comedy is the fact that they have created several characters worth investing in. From the lead, to his parents, classmates or random inclusions as he meets new people – every figure in the series feels necessary. By making the series an extended run, it gives time to see them in different lights such as Saiki’s father wanting to confess his love for his wife (yes, the relationships are extremely unique but also makes sense in a bizarre fashion) or investigating a new student with a few perks of his own that differ from your standard humans in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Where most series would drop the ball after being given so many stories to tell, Saiki succeeds in making it even more enjoyable and charming.
So clearly there aren’t any obvious changes to the animation of Saiki K, but what I can say is that they continued to find new visuals to appease viewers by changing up the setting from time to time. By adding new characters and places to explore, it avoids any repetition of appearance making it feel like it was handled with the care it deserves. The voice cast has become one of my favorite productions in the genre, with Jerry Jewell continuing to excel at his portrayal of the otherworldly yet oddly human figure. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. definitely isn’t your average humorous anime in the best way possible, so it is one that will be enjoyed for years – and has been one of the lucky few to earn itself another season slated for 2018.
Overall Score: 9/10
Aedan’s Final Thoughts:
- I’ll keep it simple with one statement: bring on season 2!
