Sakamoto Desu Ga Episode 12 [Final Impression]

Sakamoto ends this week (though there is supposed to be another episode much later in the year, so I will tack it on when it comes out) with the focus on Atsushi/Acchan versus Sakamoto as he is giving his farewell speech. This episode is a good one to end on and a good one to review the series with, namely because Sakamoto is actively dealing with a real physical assault while trying to do his cool guy maneuvers. In fact, he manages to stage most of the things in the episode Atsushi does as an elaborate act to go with his speech. It’s convincing until Atsushi literally begins falling off of a platform up the stairs and this prompts one of Sakamoto’s more genuine moments.

Sakamoto actively lets Acchan beat the tar out of him with his bat, even making his hand bleed, in order to prove to him he cares. Because this is a comedy he even pantses himself in order to catch him, and this basically proves it to Atsushi. We learn afterwards Fukase’s motivation extends to his fear after graduation of emptiness and hopelessness, but Sakamoto and all of the delinquints pull a rock concert wave and carry him out man by man forcing Fukase to get out of their lives.

Sakamoto then reveals at the end of the show he is leaving to go work in America at NASA to further the colonization of Mars. I’m pretty sure this is one of the reasons we saw the date episode in the first place, because that is the episode where we learn he wants to do this. Everyone is terribly sad and we see Sakamoto actually have his first moment of sadness as well, choosing to throw cream pie in his own face so he can have a last moment of unity with his classmates.

I think the best way to rank this is actually to retcon a lot of my previous rankings. The more you review anime the more you realize what is contextually good and what is actually good. For its twists and turns I gave Black Bullet a 7, but I would not give Sakamoto an 8 and it is definitely better than Black Bullet. Retroactively, I’d say most of my currently finished review series are about a 5 (I tend to be unlucky) and Sakamoto is more like a 6. While I was actually attached to some of the characters it was an attachment I had to force. I didn’t enjoy Sakamoto until I sat down and made myself watch it, which isn’t how an anime should be. I should be watching because I’m engrossed and invested.

Would I have watched Sakamoto if I wasn’t reviewing it? No, not really. After the first episode there was a good 6 episode period where I was more or less only attached to one skit or one joke and it didn’t really improve until around episode 8. Is it good? I’d say to a degree. If you are a huge fan of comedy anime Sakamoto falls somewhere behind Good Luck Girl and way behind Assassination Classroom, which in my opinion is a perfect mix of comedy and plot. Having forced myself to watch it I can attest that I have forced myself to watch way worse shows. When you review anime sometimes you end up with winners and sometimes you want to eat rocks in frustration. As a viewer I can’t really say with an anime season filled with so many good options really needed Sakamoto or if Sakamoto even stands a chance.

That being said there is a reason I actively enjoy Sakamoto even though the show felt lackluster to me: Sakamoto is an awesome meme. Just calling him my husband or referring to him as Swagamoto cracked me up each and everytime, and while Sakamoto’s anime might not live on the mere existence of him in the anime world has made it a funnier place. How can you argue with the ‘coolest’? He’s got such a ridiculous level of tropes inside of him that I feel he simply must not be forgotten, and that all anime should now have a Sakamoto episode.

So on that note, Sakamoto Desu Ga itself receives from me a 5 out of 10, based solely on its merits.

But Sakamoto himself gets an 8 out of 10, as a memorable character with interesting things happening only because he exists. It’s worth checking out at least a couple of episodes so you can keep this glorious dork in your memory forever.

Oki