Review of Arakawa Under the Bridge

So what is the essential element of comedy? It would be the element of surprise, one would say. Arakawa Under the Bridge is a comedy that breaks the concept of any expectations to outer space (and quite literally with introduction of Nino), something which modern comedy often lacks. Is this show hilarious? Absolutely. And those confused with the romance genre tag: It's not a romantic-comedy like Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, but rather a comedy-romance, focused much on the first part than the latter. But would I recommend this series to anybody I see? Yes. But would I recommend them to finish both seasons... No. In fact, I'd actually tellthem to drop this mid-series for a reason I will explain.

Story: 7/10
This is the type of comedy I just couldn't see coming. It mainly comes from characters who just blow expectations you'd see from an anime. But this type of anime has a critical flaw. As you watch more of this kind, the element of surprise dwindles, making each successive episode less funny than the rest. I've come to a problem with this section as I was watching the second season, and the comedy just wasn't fresh anymore. Either take a break from this series while you watch this or drop it. This isn't the best show for binge watching IMO.

When the element of surprise is fresh, the story is a 9/10. But with more exposure, it just becomes an average routinical comedy.

Art: Works fine to tell the story.

Sound: 8/10
Being a comedy, there just isn't need for many background tracks (although Konosuba revealed how much vibrance it could bring with just soundtracks). One thing that Kinda bugged me throughout the series was the fact that the VA for Kou was VA for Araragi and I just wasn't able to get Araragi out of my mind for the first few episodes. Well, it might be just me every time I hear Hiroshi Kamiya's voice.

Character: 9/10
The way that these characters are just out of the Earth (and one literally) is what makes this entire comedy work.
There is a diverse spectrum of characters, all of which are perfectly suited for comedy. And what is fantastic about this series that even the side characters have importance in the comedy, unlike how some cliche anime just throws them away or kills them for 3 seconds of emotion. Those who live under the Arakawa Bridge will make you laugh, I'm sure.

Enjoyment: 8/10
Pretty funny series overall. No complaints. I wouldn't say that this is the masterpiece of comedy, but it made me just laugh really.

Overall: 8/10
Funny and above average anime that just makes you wonder what would happen next.
But drop this series once you feel like this gets repetitive. I personally gave a lower score to the second season because it just didn't feel as funny anymore. It wasn't much different from the first season, but being exposed to the characters for quite some time didn't make the series as funny as it could have been.

TL DR; Funny series that is an expert at the element of surprise. However, it will fade as you watch more episodes, and I'd recommend dropping this series once the comedy starts to feel like a routine.