Shinichi Watanabe is a relatively known name in anime, despite him not working on anything since 2006’s Wallflower. I haven’t watched much by him, but I have also not enjoyed what I have seen. The exception to that is Nerima Daikon Brothers, my first excursion into Nabeshin. I should note that I am in love with most, if not all, musicals I’ve seen. And now that I look at Nabeshin’s credits, I’ve only seen Excel Saga before this (and did not really enjoy it)—though I did enjoy what I’ve read of the Wallflower manga.
Nerima Daikon Brothers is about these two siblings and their cousin who are down on their luck and seemingly everything bad happens to them that can possibly happen. Part of it they bring on themselves, but part of it is wrong place, wrong time. And they say karma is a bitch, which is the part of them bringing it on themselves. They, in their own words, “steal from the rich and give to the…well…us.”
I would honestly like this show a lot less if I were watching it now and especially without the music. But me being me, this is probably the closest thing to a guilty pleasure I’ll get. The dub at least (which is what I watched) is not very funny and pretty offensive in several places…but the songs are so catchy. So I continue watching like a fool because I want to hear Greg Ayres, Chris Patton, and Luci Christian continue to fill my ear holes with their silly songs.
I think watching it all in one day really dampened me on the show. I remember watching this show as recently as two or three years ago and really enjoying it, but I was also only watching about two episodes per night. The best way to digest this show is slowly because, unless this comedy is really scratching your itch, it’ll just be too much all at once.
Despite this, I still really like the show. But now I know exactly in what context to watch the show for me. Nerima Daikon Brothers is an almost incessant barrage of dick jokes, which works for some people, but not for me, or at least not eight episodes in a row. But the three are still lovable in their own way, despite all being kind of terrible people who might actually have negative luck. Sure, this show stands the test of time, but it’ll only get more juvenile as the years go on. But there’s always room for juvenile in someone’s life.
