Anime Hajime Review - Seitokai Yakuindomo

Series Synopsis

Osai Academy is a co-ed high school that has recently been converted from an all-girls institution. On his first day, Takatoshi Tsuda (voiced by Shintaro Asanuma) meets the president of the student council, Shino Amakusa (voiced by Yoko Hikasa). Wanting to give the newly established male demographic representation on the council, Shino offers, or rather forces, Takatoshi the position of Vice-President. Their fellow council members include Secretary Aria Shichijo (voiced by Satomi Sato) and Treasurer Suzu Hagimura (voiced by Sayuri Yahagi).

Takatoshi is calm and level headed. The appointed straight-man of the group, he often finds himself at the source of every perverted comment made by Shino and his fellow female classmates. While troubling at first, Takatoshi grows accustomed to the bizarre behavior to the point where any normal reaction is met with confusion.

Shino is a model student, ranking first in her class. Along with that, she is popular, beautiful, hardworking, and serious. A natural as president, she genuinely cares about the welfare of her peers and has their best interest at heart. However, most of her mindset and mannerisms are often perverse and immature.

Aria, Shino’s best friend, is equally perverted, if not more so. To add to this, her wealthy upbringing has made her into a social airhead. Often times she
forgets to wear underwear, expects doors to open themselves and waits at the bottom of escalators because she is unaware that they are in fact stairs. Despite this, she is second only to Shino in terms of academic proficiency.

Suzu is perhaps the most gifted student at Osai. Having studied overseas and being fluent in English, she is quick to point out her 180 IQ and ability to perform ten digit calculations in her head. However, she extremely self-conscious about her short stature and is quickly angered when people mistake her to still be in elementary school. Her comparatively sane nature often allows her to sympathize with Takatoshi.

Series Positives

The Humor

The show is funny, simple as that.

The comedy comes from the childlike behavior of the student council ; which is in contrast to their efficiency, high academic proficiency, and strong influence among the student body. But where the show really shines is the sheer amount of innuendos and double meanings that are either crude, immature, or have strong sexual undertones. Usually, though, it's a combination of all of the above. There really doesn't seem to be a joke that the series is not willing to make. The openness of the humor allows for some truly hilarious moments.

Yes the jokes are very sexually charged. However, it never crosses the line of being offensive simply for the sake of being offensive. Think of it as a kid saying something dirty but not understanding why it is dirty. All of the adults in the room know why, making it all the funnier that it came out of a little kid’s mouth.

This is the kind humor you get when you are hanging out with your closest friends or when you are alone. It's the kind of humor you allow yourself to have when you remove the filter between what you say and what you think. It plays on the immaturity in all of us.

The Characters

Complementing the show’s humor is the slew of characters you get to know along the way. They bring the necessary charm a series like this needs in order to function.

That being said, the three main female characters, Shino, Aria, and Suzu, are not all that unique. You can find some variation of their personalities in plenty of other anime, both good and bad. They are the tools needed to build up the show. And just like any tool, if used incorrectly, it brings the entire project down. Thankfully, this series knows what it's doing.

What makes Seitokai Yakuindomo stand out is Takatoshi. In most anime that I have encountered, male characters are often expressive and sensitive to the type of situation Takatoshi finds himself in every episode. Again, this is not a bad thing. Many shows do this extremely well. However, because Takatoshi is calm and more or less accepting of the absurd nature of his fellow council members, the humor is heightened despite its immature nature.

Series Negatives

Like I said, the show is hilarious; however, there is a noticeable and unfortunate lack of laugh out loud moments. There was never any stand-alone instance where you can think back and laugh all over again. If you were to describe the series to a friend you would be able to say that it was funny and even explain why it was funny. But you cannot pull out a specific example to illustrate your explanation.

Final Thoughts

If you need an anime to pick your spirits up, I highly recommend Seitokai Yakuindomo. It’s funny, it’s charming, and it knows what it is and does not try to be something else.

While it may not last with you as long as other shows, I cannot deny that this series had me laughing. It is a shame that Seitokai Yakuindomo ends too quickly. I think there is a lot more this show can offer and has only scratched the surface of its potential...OH WAIT, what the hell I am I talking about. I am happy to say that Seitokai Yakuindomo was renewed for a second season.

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