African Office Worker: The Appeal and Appreciation of a Unique Workplace Comedy

African Salaryman - A unique anime depicting the corporate life of animals

Overview

"African Salaryman" is a TV anime series that aired from October 7 to December 23, 2019, and is based on the manga of the same name by Gam. It aired every Monday at 12:30am on TOKYO MX and AT-X and consists of 12 episodes. It was produced by ANIMA & Co. and directed by Tetsuya Tatamitani. The series depicts the humorous and cynical life of three office workers, a lion, a toucan, and a lizard, who work for a major company in Africa.

■ Story

The three lions, toucan and lizard work for a major African company, living the tough life of an office worker, even more so than humans, while being forced to work on projects and suffering relentless pay cuts every day. Their daily lives have nothing to do with the savanna or the food chain, and the story depicts their struggle to survive in a Japanese society. Their violent language and eccentric behavior will surely resonate with office workers all over Japan.

■Explanation

"African Salaryman" is a corporate comedy that depicts animals working in human society. In a world unrelated to the savanna or the food chain, the lion, toucan, and lizard work with sweat and tears, providing laughter and empathy to many viewers. There will be many scenes that are particularly relatable to salarymen working in modern Japanese society.

■Cast

The cast of this anime is impressive, bringing out the individuality of each character. The performances of the voice actors, such as Akio Otsuka as the Lion, Kenjiro Tsuda as the Lizard, Hiro Shimono as the Toucan, and Akira Ishida as the Turtle President, make the work even more appealing. In addition, the voice actors who play unique characters are also impressive, such as Hina Kino as the Killer Hamster, Eri Kitamura as Shishimura, Yui Ogura as Gorimi, Hiroshi Kamiya as Caracal, Tatsuhisa Suzuki as the Honey Badger, Kengo Kawanishi as the Honeyguide, and Soma Saito as the Crane.

■ Main staff

Many staff members are involved in the production of "African Salaryman." The original story is by Gum, the director is Tetsuya Tamiya, who is also the chief animation director, art setting, art director, color design, and director of photography. The series composition and script are by Yuichiro Momose, the character design is by pH Studio, and the original character design and prop design are by HOTZIPANG. In addition, the 3DCG director is Shota Sakamoto, the sound director is Junichi Inaba, the sound effects are by Yuika Shiraishi, the sound recording is by Yoko Nakano, the recording studio is Studio Jumo, the sound production is by Ai Addiction, the sound production is by Mori Kaneko, the music is by Tako Yamaguchi, the music production is by Pony Canyon, the animation production producer is Hiroki Okutani, and the animation production is by HOTZIPANG.

■ Main Characters

The lion is a character who is the king of the animals but works as a middle manager, and although he has an overwhelming intimidating presence, he is basically a gentle character. The lizard is a serious character with an excellent sense of balance, caring for his senior lion and never forgetting to poke fun at his junior toucan. The toucan is actually not from Africa, but is a giant toucan, and has a very frivolous personality and a frivolous attitude towards work, but gets by with momentum and enthusiasm. The turtle president is the president of the company where the lions work, and is a cold-hearted character who often carries a stack of bills on his head and calls his employees "corporate slaves." The lethal hamster is depicted as a dangerous being, as its name suggests.

■Subtitle

The subtitles of each episode humorously depict the daily lives of African office workers. Each episode has a different theme: Episode 1 "Molestation in Africa", Episode 2 "Corporate Slave in Africa", Episode 3 "Cherry Blossom Viewing in Africa", Episode 4 "Fuwa-fuwa Characters in Africa", Episode 5 "Job Hunting in Africa", Episode 6 "Shady Colleagues in Africa", Episode 7 "Company Trip in Africa", Episode 8 "End of Vacation in Africa", Episode 9 "Loan Shark in Africa", Episode 10 "Commentator in Africa", Episode 11 "BBQ in Africa", and Episode 12 "Office Worker in Africa".

■ Related works

The original manga for "African Salaryman" has been published in volumes 1 to 3. It is also available on Blu-ray and DVD so viewers can enjoy the anime again.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "Soul Flag", sung by Hiro Shimono, with lyrics by RUCCA, and composed and arranged by Ryo Takahashi. The ending theme is "White Collar Elegy", sung by Akio Otsuka, who plays Lion, with lyrics by Goro Matsui, composed by Kodai Akiba, and arranged by Ken Ito. These songs are important elements that add to the atmosphere of the anime.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"African Office Worker" has attracted many viewers with its unique setting and humorous storyline. In particular, the realistic depiction of the life of an office worker and the unique characters of the animals are a perfect match, making it a work that provides both laughter and empathy. In addition, thanks to the efforts of a stellar cast and staff, you can enjoy high-quality animation and a story.

This anime has many scenes that working people can relate to and will help them relieve stress. Also, for animal lovers, watching animals struggle in human society will be a fresh and enjoyable experience. Furthermore, for anime fans, the unique setting and distinctive characters will make this an appealing work to watch.

"African Salaryman" is a work that combines laughter, empathy, and a little cynicism, and is an anime that can be recommended to many people. Please give it a watch.