Review of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Reviewing a show like "The Disastirous Life of Saiki K." on its technical aspects would be unfair, because it makes it apparent from the get go that it isn't a series that takes itself seriously. It's goal is to make you laugh with zany characters, wacky scenarios, and 4th wall breaking comedy. Luckily, it does it well. Kusuo Saiki, our main character, has psychic powers that allow him to do pretty much anything he wants. He can turn back time, he can summon any item he needs, he can real peoples minds. You would think having these powers would be a wonderful thing, but Saiki doesn'tsee it that way. He see them as a burden because he ends up having to be the one to fix all the problems the people in his life create.
The format of the show is different than anything I've seen before. There are 120 episodes, but each one is only 5 minutes long. You can also watch the series in the tradition way, where 5 episodes make a typical 24 minute episode. Each 5 minute episode is its own mini-story, none of which play into a central plot because there isn't one, save for introducing new characters. Some episodes have a part two, but that's about it.
The characters in this series are stupid, but that's not a bad thing. They are enjoyable, not only because they themselves are crazy, but we constantly are able to hear their thoughts and what Saiki thinks of them, which creates some humorous moments. Saiki is the main character, but he is also the audience character, because he thinks what most people would be thinking if presented with the same situation. There are times when his thoughts are overly mean, but most the time his opinion is a relatable one.
The voice cast does a good job. Jerry Jewel is a good Saiki, keeping the "annoyed, disinterested" voice consistent throughout the series. Micah Solusod as Kaidou, David Wald as Nendou, and Tia Ballard as Teruhashi bring good comedic performances to the table as well as the rest of the supporting cast.
Critiquing the art and sound wouldn't be fair, because they aren't attempting to be anything extraordinary. The best thing I can say is that neither did anything too distracting to turn me off of the series.
"The Disastrous Life of Saiki K." is a great comedy that compliments it's silly situations with the relatable inner monologue of a down to earth man with unearthly abilities. It's a good series to watch when you want a good show to unwind with.