Wagnaria!!3

Episodes 1-3

Some things never change. No matter what ups and downs the anime industry goes through, no matter what trends come and go, some constants will always remain. For instance, I will never understand how the restaurant of Wagnaria!! stays in business. Half the waiters qualify as genuine safety hazards for the customers, and the sheer volume of comedic hijinks ensure that little to no work ever gets done. While I may not be able to explain how the place keeps its doors open, I'm glad it's still around.

It's been a while, but the cast of Wagnaria!!3 wastes no time in getting back to business as usual. The first three episodes feature a kidnapping, a post-divorce battle of wills, and a potentially disastrous drunken night on the town. As expected from this series, each incident is far more benign and amusing than it sounds. Otoo's long-lost wife wanders into the restaurant, and Souma and Todoroki try everything they can to keep her in the break room until he arrives, including boarding up the doors and windows. Takanashi has a tense meeting with his oldest sister's ex-husband, who turns out to be as much of an oddball as everyone else in the series. Satou finally manages to ask Todoroki out on something resembling a date, but things don't quite go to plan. Amidst all the chaos, Inami tries to avoid punching anyone and Yamada tries to avoid doing her job whenever possible. Like I said, some things never change.

Going almost four years between seasons almost guarantees that the audience won't remember all the details of the show's world, which might explain why it leans so heavily on well-established character dynamics in these early episodes. An opening sprint through a typical day at the restaurant serves as a refresher course, reminding us of what we're supposed to remember about each character. Takanashi still thinks Taneshima is adorable, and she still doesn't know how to pronounce his name. Inami is still torn between her feelings for Takanashi and her overriding instinct to punch his lights out. Satou still likes Todoroki, and she's still completely oblivious. Sticking to the basics helps get the wheels turning, but the show will likely need to branch out more as the season wears on.

The good news is that Wagnaria!!3 is just as funny as its predecessors ever were. Much of the humor in this series comes from its unanimously flawed crew of part-timers, as they all take turns reacting to one another's quirks. Since no one is completely normal, the show can play every character for laughs without ever piling too much ridicule onto any particular individual. In fact, the characters all seem to be perfectly comfortable in their own skins, offering deadpan admissions of guilt that help punctuate each scene. By letting the characters in on the jokes being made at their expense, the show makes it much easier for the audience to laugh at their antics.

In many ways, this series has a lot in common with the style of restaurant that serves as its setting. It's hardly the greatest or most memorable thing out there, and it's possible to walk right on by without missing anything important. On the other hand, it offers a comfortable and consistent experience for its regulars, serving up the usual orders in a timely and competent fashion. Wagnaria!! is the kind of show that you watch when you're too tired to make a riskier or more complicated decision. The stories are lighthearted, the humor is deep-fried, and it ends on a pleasantly sweet note from time to time.

This season assumes some basic familiarity on the part of the viewer, so curious newcomers will be better off starting from the beginning. Returning fans, however, should have no problem jumping back in. Even after a lengthy absence, Wagnaria!! is still a reliable source of disposable fun.

Rating: B

Wagnaria!!3 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Viewster.

Paul Jensen is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow more of his anime-related ramblings on Twitter.