Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto

Episode 3

With its general formula established, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto delivers its funniest (and darkest) episode yet. Even though the title character's ceaseless perfection is still the driving force behind the show's humor, Sakamoto appears more vulnerable (or whatever passes for “vulnerable” with a being this flawless) than he has in previous episodes. Both of this week's stories have a distinct faux-horror feel to them, although Sakamoto himself only facilitates this atmosphere in one of these segments.

This week's first misadventure finds Sakamoto acting as an errand boy for Maruyama, Gakubun High's top delinquent. Displaying a surprising degree of naiveté, the bespectacled god-among-men believes this to be an elaborate character-building exercise designed to promote respect for one's senpai. Although Sakamoto takes to his new role like a champ, Maruyama soon grows bored with giving him orders. After tasking his hyper-competent protégé with fulfilling his requests without receiving instructions, the bloated hoodlum gets more than he bargained for. Sakamoto constantly appears out of nowhere to grant nonexistent requests, which ultimately proves too much for Maruyama, prompting him to abolish his gofer program and run his own errands.

In a show this gag-heavy, it's reasonable to expect a few of the jokes to fall flat. However, despite featuring an abundance of gags, each one manages to hit its mark. Sakamoto commandeering the home economics room to hastily create a stylish and practical P.E. uniform for Maruyama is one of my favorite moments from the series to date. Additionally, the makeshift hotel room our hero throws together in the gym equipment storage shed is a top-tier sight gag. After the roundabout lessons Sakamoto imparted onto Kubota and Aina last week, I was surprised to learn that teaching Maruyama the importance of self-sufficiency hadn't been Sakamoto's goal the entire time. Still, this naiveté laid the groundwork for a ruefully funny closing line.

The second segment plays out like a classic Warner Brothers cartoon, sans the copious amounts of animated violence. During an afterschool study session at Kubota's apartment, the Milhouse to Sakamoto's Bart discovers that he left an important book at school and rushes back to campus to retrieve it, leaving his friend at the mercy of his amorous mother, who we learn is madly in love with Sakamoto. Despite his best efforts to conceal himself, Mother Kubota is able to sense Sakamoto's presence, giving way to a creepily hilarious game of cat-and-house—or more appropriately, “boy-and-cougar.”

Once again, everything works out so serendipitously for Sakamoto that it seems like the Boy Wonder had it all meticulously planned out. In some instances, this has to be the case. For example, he had to have pre-recorded the DVD he used to cool off Kubota's mom. (Then again, he seemed to have only learned about her willingness to give up on TV crushes moments before pulling out the disc.) However, his reaction to Maruyama's newfound fear of him certainly suggests that he had not been aiming to teach the lazy bully a lesson. Of course, not every Sakamoto story has to end in the guest character learning something. Kubota's mother finally gives up on Sakamoto, but the line between fantasy and reality still seems pretty blurry in her mind. In fact, it may even be blurrier than it was before. This isn't a complaint—the story is hilarious even without a “lesson learned”—just an observation.

So far, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto has managed to take what seems like a limited concept and bring something fresh to the table with every outing. Sakamoto's perfectionism and bizarre behavior are always good for a laugh, as are the progressively zanier situations these characteristics facilitate. Kubota probably treats him the most human out of anyone, and it'll be interesting to see if his role ever expands beyond “comic foil.” With next week's episode featuring three segments, I can't wait to see who our hero inconveniences or helps next.

Rating: A

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.