Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto

Episodes 1-2

There's nothing Gakubun High's bespectacled wunderkind can't do. Highly intelligent, effortlessly graceful, and seemingly flawless, this enterprising freshman, known simply as “Sakamoto,” is admired by students and teachers alike. As the pre-credits narration proclaims, “Every move he makes is Cool. Cooler! Coolest!” That's Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto in a nutshell. It's a show built around a simple gimmick—the titular character's meticulous perfection—that's utilized to great comic effect. Helmed by Gintama alum Shinji Takamatsu, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto is arguably the spring season's best straight-up comedy.

The series premiere finds our hero under fire from various would-be antagonists. In the first segment, a group of volleyball-savvy thugs makes every effort to expose Sakamoto's vulnerabilities, only to discover that he has none. With virtually no effort, Sakamoto is able to use each of the group's bullying attempts to his advantage, effectively making himself even more popular. The second segment introduces Sera, a chubby amateur fashion model who yearns to be the center of attention. Like the bullies from the first story, Sera attempts to employ a barrage of underhanded tricks to take the spotlight away from the decidedly more adored Sakamoto and finds himself thwarted at every turn. Not surprisingly, every bad guy who matches wits with the titular character is ultimately won over by his charms. Sakamoto essentially takes on a Bugs Bunny role throughout the first episode. Without even trying, he coolly evades his adversaries' increasingly cartoonish plots to take him down a peg. There's never any question that Sakamoto is going to come out on top; the real fun lies in seeing how it will happen. The sharp timing and crisp comic energy make Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto's freshman outing a riot from start to finish.

The slightly more subdued second episode finds Sakamoto taking on two different helper roles. In the first half, Sakamoto helps the frizzy-haired, baby-faced Kubota learn the true value of money, hard work, and personal pride, while the second half revolves around him discreetly helping the flirtatious Kuronuma Aina make friends with two girls who can't stand her. As with the first episode, the guest characters are the real stars, with Sakamoto serving as the driving force behind each narrative. While he's still a man of few words, we get to see a bit of Sakamoto's passive-aggressive side this time around. While he's certainly happy to help Kubota out, he isn't shy about tossing a couple of light insults in his direction. He also doesn't hesitate to give Ainu the cold shoulder when it becomes clear that her affections are unwanted.

In some respects, the eccentric supporting characters are the show's central focus. Whether they're hell-bent on Sakamoto's downfall or yearning to catch his eye, they are the mere humans in this amazing young man's presence. They all need something—whether it's learning how to stand up for themselves or to be kinder to others—and Sakamoto, in his roundabout manner, provides them with valuable life lessons. When he concludes that working toward a common goal while under duress will bring people closer together, we're left with the impression that he considers himself an observer of human behavior and a guide (of sorts) to his peers.

Sakamoto himself is hard to pin down. In some ways, he exists more as a concept than a character. We haven't been given any info on his personal history (even his first name is off-limits), but that adds to his cool mystique, which is crucial to the show's overall concept. I'm not sure if we'll learn more about him as the series progresses, but we don't need to. His deadpan delivery, staggering perfection, and general sense of worldliness have thus far proven entertaining enough.

Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto features an amusing concept, but I'm not sure it loans itself to longevity. (Since the parent manga is only four volumes long, creator Nami Sano likely agrees.) So far, I've been consistently amused by Sakamoto's unyielding perfection, but it's also the kind of gimmick I can see getting old quickly. Given the simplicity of the core concept, this almost seems like the type of manga that would be adapted into one of those three-minute micro-shows. However, in light of how thoroughly entertaining its first two episodes are, I'm willing to give Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto the benefit of the doubt.

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.