Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto

Episode 4

Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto tries its hand at a three-segment format this week, once again delivering a riotous good time from start to finish. Although the stories remain as simplistic and paper-thin as ever, the jokes are incredibly sharp, the timing is pitch-perfect, and the material is presented with genuine enthusiasm. In many respects, Sakamoto is still a one-note character—but he's among the funniest ones I've seen in recent anime.

This week's first segment hearkens back to the series premiere, as it revolves around a would-be antagonist trying to find a chink in Sakamoto's armor. This time around, the villain du jour is Kakuta-sensei, Gakubun High's tightly-wound guidance counselor. If you've followed the show up until now, it should come as no surprise that each of Kakuta's attempts to discipline or discredit his flawless pupil blow up in his face. Lacking a linear narrative, the second segment is something of an oddity. This short segment is a collection of several even shorter segments that document various parts of Sakamoto's day. If these bits weren't so funny, I'd be tempted to deduct points for the lack of structure, but at the end of the day, this show succeeds on the strength of its jokes. In the final story, Acchan's gang decides to kick off summer vacation by creating a pitfall trap at a local playground. However, the semi-reformed thugs fly into a panic after Sakamoto falls victim to their prank and seemingly vanishes from the face of the Earth. This prompts the boys to go around town and collect information on their idol's increasingly bizarre whereabouts.

Every week, it becomes more apparent that Sakamoto himself does have some flaws, albeit incredibly minor ones. For example, why does he always arrive at school at the last possible second? (Knowing him, he probably had plenty of weird and amazing tasks to perform on the way there.) Furthermore, while it succeeded in impressing his female admirers, the portrait he drew of Aina looked like something a child would draw. He also had no qualms about taking excessive advantage of his local grocer's free sample tables. As usual, it can be hard to get a read on the kid. Did he actually believe Acchan and company were digging a hot spring—or was his disappearing act an elaborate attempt to teach them a lesson?

At least once per episode, I'm driven to question whether Sakamoto possesses superhuman (or even supernatural) powers. Last week, it seemed entirely possible that he had somersaulted into a TV screen. This week, there seemed to be a genuine possibility that he traveled to Brazil by tunneling his way through Earth's molten core. Even though the show has established that there are limits to Sakamoto's abilities, overcoming these limits never feels like it's off the table.

This week's episode further confirms that Sakamoto's brain just can't stop buzzing. At any given time, the enterprising lad has his fingers in a dozen different pies. Whether he's taking a mock fire drill way too seriously, helping a supermarket improve its marketing practices, or aiding a wounded animal, Sakamoto puts his all into every task he undertakes.

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.