Obatarian: Appreciating the fusion of extreme humor and deep themes

Obatarian - A masterpiece of unique humor and social satire

Overview

"Obatarian" is a TV anime series that aired on TV Asahi in 1990, originally based on a manga by Katsuhiko Hotta. Although it was a short series of only six episodes, its unique humor and social satire made it a favorite with many viewers. It was directed by Tetsuro Amino, character designed by Yoshinobu Inano, written by Shunichi Yukimuro, Toshiki Inoue, and Shoji Tonoike, and music by Kohei Tanaka. Copyright © Katsuhiko Hotta/Takeshobo, TV Asahi, Sunrise.

■ Story

The main character of "Obatarian" is Obata Kinuyo, a typical Obatarian. She attends driving school to get her driver's license, but she chooses a good-looking male instructor, and when the instructor speaks to her, she starts looking elsewhere while driving, ignores traffic lights as a matter of course, and even drives the wrong way, frightening everyone around her. Furthermore, the day Kinuyo comes to her son's school to observe classes turns out to be a terrible day. Furthermore, Michiko, a newlywed couple living nearby Kinuyo, gets into a fight with her husband Kunihiko over Kinuyo's irresponsible gossip, and the story also depicts how she eventually follows Kinuyo's example.

■Explanation

"Obatarian" is based on a manga by Katsuhiko Hotta, which won the Grand Prize at the 1998 Japan New Word and Popular Phrase Awards. The anime version includes an original story and is made up of six short episodes. While each episode deals with a different theme, the series overall portrays the problematic behavior of obatarians and their impact on those around them in a humorous way.

■ Main staff

・Original story by Katsuhiko Hotta ・Director by Tetsuro Amino ・Character design by Yoshinobu Inano ・Screenplay by Shunichi Yukimuro, Toshiki Inoue, Shoji Tonoike ・Music by Kohei Tanaka

■Subtitle

Episode 1: "Forgive me! Is there a world for me?"
Episode 2: "Do I want to be an Obatarian?"
Episode 3: "Please, Mom, don't come to school"
Episode 4: "I want to go far away, a journey to a secret hot spring, throwing away all shame"
Episode 5: "Dreaming Obatarian, Raging Sexual Harassment"
Episode 6: "Obatarians Die Twice!!"

■Detailed episode commentary

Episode 1: "Forgive me! The world exists for me"

This episode begins with Kinuyo starting to attend driving school. It shows how her self-centered behavior causes trouble to those around her. In particular, the scene where she looks away while driving when the instructor speaks to her provides laughs for the viewer while also satirizing social issues. The scene where Kinuyo's behavior escalates and she ends up driving the wrong way leaves a strong impression on the viewer.

Episode 2: "Do I want to be an Obatarian?"

This episode introduces Michiko, a newlywed couple who live next door to Kinuyo. Michiko gets into a fight with her husband Kunihiko over Kinuyo's irresponsible gossip, but she eventually learns to emulate Kinuyo's example. This episode provides viewers with a deeper insight into how Kinuyo's actions affect those around her.

Episode 3: Please, Mom, Don't Come to School

This episode depicts a scene where Kinuyo attends her son's school to observe classes. Her actions cause chaos throughout the school, which is depicted in a humorous way that provides laughs for the viewers. However, at the same time, it also shows how much of a burden her actions are placing on her son, which deeply touches the viewers.

Episode 4: "I want to go far away - A journey to a secret hot spring, casting aside my shame"

This episode shows Kinuyo going on a trip to a secret hot spring, providing laughs for the viewer as she shows how her actions cause trouble for those around her, but also provides insight as it shows how her actions cause her to feel embarrassed for herself.

Episode 5: "Dreaming Obatarian, Raging Sexual Harassment"

This episode depicts a scene where Kinuyo commits sexual harassment. It shows how much her actions cause trouble to those around her, providing laughs for the viewer, but it also shows how problematic her actions are, providing deeper insight for the viewer.

Episode 6 "Obatarians Die Twice!!"

This episode shows Kinuyo dying twice. It gives viewers laughs as it shows how much her actions cause trouble to those around her. But it also gives viewers deep insight as it shows how problematic Kinuyo's actions are. This episode is symbolic of the theme of the entire series and leaves a strong impression on viewers.

■Character Introduction

Obata Kinuyo

The main character is an obatarian. Her self-centered behavior scares those around her, but her humorous behavior provides laughs for the audience. Her actions satirize social issues and provide deep insight for the audience.

Michiko

A newlywed woman who lives in Kinuyo's neighborhood. She gets into a fight with her husband Kunihiko because of Kinuyo's irresponsible gossip, but she eventually learns to follow Kinuyo's example. Her actions show how much Kinuyo's actions affect those around her, providing viewers with deep insight.

Kunihiko

Michiko's husband. He gets into a fight with Michiko over Kinuyo's irresponsible gossip, but is troubled when Michiko soon starts to emulate her example. His actions provide viewers with deep insight into how Kinuyo's actions affect those around her.

■Production Background

Obatarian is based on the manga by Katsuhiko Hotta, which won the Gold Prize at the 1998 Japan New Word and Popular Word Awards. The anime version includes an original story and is made up of six short episodes. Director Tetsuro Amino used various techniques to recreate the humor and social satire of Katsuhiko Hotta's manga in the anime. Character designer Yoshinobu Inano used a unique design to visually express Kinuyo's character. Screenwriters Shunichi Yukimuro, Toshiki Inoue, and Shoji Tonoike dealt with different themes in each episode, but throughout the series they humorously depicted the problematic behavior of Obatarian and its impact on those around them. Musician Kohei Tanaka used unique music to humorously express Kinuyo's behavior.

■ Evaluation and impact

Obatarian was loved by many viewers for its unique humor and social satire. In particular, the scenes depicting how Kinuyo's self-centered behavior causes trouble to those around her satirize social issues while providing viewers with laughs. Also, the scenes depicting how Kinuyo's behavior affects those around her provided viewers with deep insight. Although it was a short series, Obatarian was loved and influenced by many viewers for its unique humor and social satire.

■Reasons for recommendation

"Obatarian" was loved by many viewers for its unique humor and social satire. In particular, the scene depicting how Kinuyo's self-centered behavior causes trouble to those around her satirizes social issues while providing viewers with laughs. Also, the scene depicting how Kinuyo's behavior affects those around her provided viewers with deep insight. Although "Obatarian" was a short series, it was loved and influenced by many viewers for its unique humor and social satire. Please give it a watch.