Mayonaka Punch

Episode 3

There's a certain type of personality that can really thrive in the world of online video. While all kinds of people make a living on YouTube or Twitch doing a wide variety of things, a longstanding and infernal combination of algorithmic preference, audience, and content means that you can make big bucks if you're a loud jackass willing to do anything for attention. That's not necessarily a moral judgment, but it's undeniable that a total lack of shame makes it easier to perform the kinds of spectacle that go viral online. It can also, unsurprisingly, make you insufferable to be around.

Thankfully, the separation of fiction makes dealing with a room full of shameless idiots a lot more tolerable, and this episode makes great use of that with our newest cast member. Tokage is a mess, even compared to the rest of the cast; she's got a gambling problem with no interest in fixing it, hoards garbage and junk in her room until it's practically a bio-hazard, will do anything to weasel a few bucks off of anyone, and worst of all: she vapes. In short, she's a trash disaster and exactly the type of person who would try to make a bank off YouTubing. Nobody tell her about OnlyFans or she's liable to unwittingly commit several crimes.

More importantly, her addition adds a welcome level of volatility to the group's dynamic. Mu and Ichiko are bound to fall in line with Live, who will do just about anything Masaki asks, so having a wild card in the mix adds a lot of spontaneity. She's also just enough of a weasel that she can work as the butt of a lot of jokes and slapstick, mostly because she brought them upon herself. At the same time, there's a teensy weensy bit of likability to her stalwart pursuit of fodder for the pachinko parlor. Where others falter or chicken out, Tokage is willing to suffer any indignities for that juicy ad revenue. If MayoPan ever gets a sponsorship deal, you just know she'll be the one to shill for World of Tanks or Hello Fresh.

Outside of Tokage's intro, we mostly gel with the rest of the cast through regular ol' shenanigans. The team is fully in the doldrums of online creation, struggling to find success or an identity that will garner any stable interest from viewers. I love the detail that Masaki is having a harder time coming up with ideas than when she first started with Hyped-Up Sisters. It speaks to how online creation has developed from the realm of amateurs, making whatever came to mind into a viciously competitive attention economy that is exponentially harder to break into. That leads MayoPan to a ton of gimmick-chasing, trying to find something, anything that will get their feet in the door. It makes for some great jokes as each character tries to come up with an idea, be it reaching for new gimmicks or attempting to mine every inch of their surroundings for content. It's the grind that can quickly turn anyone's brain into internet backwash slurry.

The best laughs come when they inadvertently discover the secret Hot Ones figured out years ago: people love watching other people hurt themselves with food. I don't know if this actually counts as a Mukbang when it's so clearly a torture session, but either way, the sequence of MayoPan's vampires forcing themselves through piles of garlic is the most laugh-out-loud hilarious part of the show so far. From the pitch-perfect editing with Mu collapsing onto the table to the desperate expressions filmed through the filter of a camera display, it's just fantastic cartoon comedy presented with a style unique to this show. I love all these garbage goblins, but seeing them in pain is just too funny to pass up.

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Mayonaka Punch is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.