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Himouto! Umaruchan's Recent Episode Features Several Anime Spoofs

For a show that follows a genius otaku, it's no surprise Himouto! Umaruchan tackles its references with a great deal of humor.

Episode 9 of Himouto! Umaruchan featured a number of anime and game spoofs to tickle the fancy of the comedy anime's more knowledgeable viewers. The majority of them can be seen when protagonist Umaru and her frenemy Sylphynford visit their local anime shop together.

The spoofs are apparent from the get-go once the two reach their destination of "anumate", an obvious reference to renowned Japanese anime shop "animate".

Here, the two can be seen visiting the "Precura" section of the store, which serves as a reference to Toei's magical girl franchise "Pretty Cure", or "Precure" for short.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is seen here parodied as "Puella Magi Kajiki Maguro", featuring who is clearly a spoof of Homura Akemi with a blue marlin (known as "kajiki" in Japanese) fashioned on her head.

In this scene, a parody version of Koro-sensei from Assassination Classroom can be seen on a poster above.

Back at Umaru's home is where most of the game references are seen. In Umaru's room hangs a "Space Stream Fighter IV" poster, referencing game developer CAPCOM's "Street Fighter IV" game.

More CAPCOM references can be seen later in the episode. When the characters begin solving the mystery of who ate Umaru's pudding, the episode shifts to an Ace Attorney parody in which Taihei wears the same outfit as main protagonist, Phoenix Wright and he belts Wright's signature phrase "OBJECTION".

The trial scene also shows Umaru's snuggly bear cape change color to match Monokuma, the mascot of the Danganronpa game series. Those games also feature courtroom-like trials.

Another shot shows Taihei drawn in Nobuyuki Fukumoto's (Akagi, Kaiji) art style with the sound effect "zawawa" echoing in the background. The sound effect "zawa" (rustling) is often used in Kaiji to represent to sound of yen bills. When it's changed to "zawawa," it becomes a whispering sound.

A fun multifaceted reference comes from this screenshot.

The game shown is known as "Monster Fantasy", possibly a reference to both Monster Hunter and Final Fantasy game franchises. The game was developed by "Gapcom" and "Nyanco" and is playable on the "PP3", a reference to Sony's PlayStation Portable and PS3 systems. Said "PP3" can be seen atop the game case alongside a game controller that bears a striking similarity to the average PlayStation controller.

The episode contains several more references and spoofs interspersed throughout.

[Via Otakomu]