Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto

Episode 11

This week's Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto largely serves as a preamble to next week's finale. Since this show has never been huge on continuity, this represents a notable deviation from the norm. While I appreciate the effort to up the stakes, I'm not sure it was necessary. Episode 8 already did a satisfactory job of illustrating Fukase's menace, and the penultimate installment didn't really bring anything new to the table in this regard.

The first segment almost works as a standalone Sakamoto story. With the show's as-yet unnamed little town receiving its first significant snowfall in years, Atsushi sees the weather as the perfect opportunity to finally show up his idol/rival. Having spent his formative years in the snowy mountains of Hokkaido, Acchan attempts to school Sakamoto in wintertime fun. Although you'd think he'd be used to this by now, Acchan is shocked to find himself effortlessly bested by Sakamoto at every turn. Whether it's making snow angels or building snowmen, Sakamoto's efforts surpass those of his teacher despite his lack of familiarity with snow. (Yet another nod to his possible alien origins.) Egged on by Fukase, Atsushi attempts to reclaim his lost pride by challenging Sakamoto to a snowball fight, which the brazen Acchan predictably loses. His frustration carries over to the second segment, in which Megumi shares a collection of Sakamoto-centric photo memories with the rest of Class 1-2. The sight gags are juxtaposed with scenes of Hayabusa and Gakubun's other delinquents discussing the looming threat of the perpetually un-graduated Fukase. The episode ends with Atsushi partnering with Fukase with the intent of taking down Sakamoto.

Humor-wise, this is definitely one of the show's weaker entries—and since this series succeeds or fails on the strength of its jokes, it's one of the lesser episodes overall. Despite a premise that seems conducive to gag generation, the first story only features three or four memorable “Sakamoto moments.” Furthermore, the humorous moments found in the second segment are mostly background fodder for the rapidly-developing plot.

Atsushi has always walked a fine line between admiring Sakamoto and wanting to best him for his own personal pride, so it's fitting that Fukase would choose him as a pawn. However, the post-credits sequence that features Acchan approaching Sakamoto with a baseball bat during a school assembly struck me as too dramatic for this particular series. I'm sure Atsushi will fall back under Sakamoto's spell after all is said and done, but at the moment, he appears to have made the transition from cartoonish villain to genuine threat. It seems like Acchan should have undergone more personal growth by this point, but it's possible that Fukase is just that persuasive.

The intentionally ill-defined Fukase's devious machinations help raise the stakes as Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto heads into its endgame. I get that his plan is being drawn out for the purpose of advancing the overarching plot, but does this series have any need for such things? Still, if the finale manages to be anywhere near as amazing as the show's titular character, this below-average episode may well be forgiven.

Rating: B-

Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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