Osomatsu-san: the six twins' rise to glory

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Written by Enrica Fiacchi

If one should elect the most popular trend in Japan for 2016, Osomatsu-san (おそ松さん) would win hands down.

On the nations' social networks the new animated series of twenty-five episodes, based on the Shōwa era manga by Akatsuka Fujio, has been all the rage. A previous adaptation was already aired way back in the Sixties, for a grand total of 148 episodes: the new, 2015 revival by Studio Pierrot kickstarts once more the adventures of the six Matsuno twins, twenty-seven years since the previous incarnation's last episode. Brothers Osomatsu, Choromatsu, Karamatsu, Ichimatsu, Jushimatsu and Todomatsu are no longer children but rather, unemployed, virgin adults with no perspectives; in other words, neets.

The animated series, a surreal comedy, is structured in short sketches that poke fun at contemporary Japan, including celebrated anime series such as Attack on Titan, Haikyu!! and Uta no Prince-sama.

The viewer, however, shouldn't be tricked by the series simple, childish style, as the comedy is often bolstered by sexual innuendos and adult-oriented jokes. The many sexual jokes have also attracted the ire of the Japanese Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement, who took particular issue with a scene from episode thirteen, in which one of the brothers is shown while masturbating in front of a porn magazine.

Polemics, BL dōjinshi , cosplayers, themed coffee shop and famous voice actors have only increased the 'osomatsu' phenomena, which shows no sign of waning.

Outside Japan, however, reception has been lukewarm. Many jokes are incomprehensible if one is not familiar with Japan's culture and everyday habits, making the series rather boring. Personally, I found the anime interesting as it paints a picture of contemporary Japanese pop culture, with bonus points for well-rounded characters and excellent animation.

The series is available in Italian through Crunchyroll.

Here is a sequence, taken from the first episode, in which the six brothers try a change of look: