Mr. Osomatsu

Episode 15

This week's Mr. Osomatsu has something for everyone. If you enjoy seeing the Matsunos plucked from their familiar surroundings and inserted into wacky new settings, the first half of episode 15 should be right up your alley. Conversely, fans of the show's more heartfelt side are sure to enjoy the episode's latter half.

Ever since Mr. Osomatsu's second cour began, the show's humor—and its characters—have become considerably more versatile. This is particularly apparent in episode 15's opening segment, which finds the boundlessly hyperactive Jyushimatsu attending a job interview conducted by the tsukkomi Choromatsu, who is a respectable middle-manager in this reality. As usual, Jyushimatsu doesn't appear to possess any understanding of the situation, responding to each of Choromatsu's questions with indecent exposure, head biting, and impromptu batting practice. In an unintentional homage to Office Space, Jyushimatsu's borderline psychotic antics somehow ingratiate him to the company's CEO, who appears to be played by Karamatsu.

This segment is a perfect example of zaniness for its own sake. There's no social commentary or deeper meaning to be gleaned from the bit. If anything, the story functions as a backdrop for an assortment of Jyushimatsu-centric sight gags. Seeing our favorite characters placed in yet another alternate reality calls to mind popular American cartoons like The Ren and Stimpy Show and Looney Tunes. Franchises like these start from scratch with each new episode, offering virtually nothing in the way of continuity. Although this approach isn't completely unheard of in anime, it isn't exactly commonplace either.

If episode 13's Girlymatsu segment left you itching to see more of the gender-flipped Matsunos, you're in luck. This week's second segment revolves around the boys-turned-girls taking a group vacation out in the sticks. Throughout the trip, the ladies never pass up an opportunity to bicker with one another, much to the chagrin of trip planner Osoko (Osomatsu). Strangely, despite all their fighting, the short segment ends with all six girls planning their next trip together. I enjoyed this segment for the most part, but the novelty of seeing the sextuplets in female form wears thin pretty quickly. Furthermore, aside from being a tiny bit more considerate of one another, the Matsunos didn't act much different in female form this time around. (The exception being Osomatsu, who's far more together as Osoko than he is as a man.) Had their genders remained the same, I can't picture the story playing out much differently. The overall joke seems to be that women who travel together drive each other crazy, but quickly forget about past altercations the next time a long weekend rolls around.

This week's third segment is also the longest, encompassing half the episode's runtime. Frustrated by his inability to break new ground with his oden, Chibita finds himself struggling with crippling self-doubt. However, the headstrong pipsqueak's fortunes change after he waters a withering flower on the side of the road. In a nod to The Crane Wife, The Snake Wife, The Carp Wife, and countless other animal wife-based folktales, the flower takes on human form and appears before Chibita as an attractive young woman. In true fairytale fashion, the two begin dating, and before long, Chibita (who knows how to rock Conan Edogawa cosplay and Roman Holiday references) forgets about oden and prioritizes his relationship with the self-proclaimed “flower fairy.” Unfortunately, during their time together, no one bothered to water the flower that serves as the fairy's main body, resulting in her fading away. Despite being devastated by his loss, Chibita returns to manning his oden stand. Although he still hasn't made any culinary breakthroughs—and the Matsunos describe his oden as “saltier than usual”—Chibita seems content with his current lot in life.

While not quite as touching as ESP Kitty or Jyushimatsu Falls in Love, this is definitely one of the series' more heartfelt installments. In the past, Chibita has served as a comic foil for the Matsunos' jerkiness and occasionally functioned as an over-the-top antagonist, so seeing him portrayed in a vulnerable and sympathetic light was a welcome change. Chibita's short-lived romance with the flower fairy bears a thematic resemblance to Jyushimatsu's short-lived romance with a suicidal young woman, though the ending isn't quite as heavy. It's beautiful while it lasts, and the relationship adds some depth to a fairly one-dimensional character. Like the Matsunos, the lessons Chibita learned this week are unlikely to carry over to future episodes, but the show's lack of continuity is one of its core strengths. Additionally, Karamatsu's romance subplot with the alcohol-doused fly-trap fairy (?) added some levity to the segment and served up some this episode's biggest laughs. B-stories are something of a rarity in anime comedies, but if any series can pull them off, it's this one.

Although alternate reality skits are quickly becoming the norm, this week's episode proves once again that Mr. Osomatsu shines brightest in its own “real” world. Even though the Matsunos are undoubtedly the show's most compelling characters, seeing one of their acquaintances get the spotlight is fun on occasion. While not on par with the series' best, episode 15 is a mixed bag with more hits than misses.

Rating: B+

Mr. Osomatsu is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for two decades.