OK… here’s a truly unique comedy… one in which the main character isn’t really a character at all: Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto (DVD / BD). Sakamoto may be the titular character, but this is a classroom comedy where most of the class makes up an ensemble cast of relatively ordinary people. The comedy comes from their reactions to the enigmatic, caricature that is Sakamoto.

As an example, we get to know the mother of one classmate, the thug life of several others, and the dreams / hobbies / fantasies of several others, but we never even get Sakamoto’s first name. We know nothing about his family life, or even if he has one. We never see his house, or anywhere he goes besides the school. He may as well be an alien from outer space, or a shared delusion. It’s really all about how the ordinary people of the class react to the extraordinary Sakamoto. To that end, the comedy is hit or miss. There’s a lot that’s amusing, sometimes simply for its novelty, but very little is laugh out loud funny. The art is adequate, but plenty of things not essential are relatively crudely rendered. The music is forgettable. What sticks with you after the show ends is the premise: How do mere mortals react to a deity in their midst. To that end, it’s a fun show. Others have said it’s hard to take large doses of this at once, but I had no trouble bingeing the whole 13 episodes in a weekend, 9 straight on Sunday. It’s a good show, and despite the initial negative reactions of some classmates, never truly mean spirited. In fact, it’s not only pleasant and likable, but heartwarming. Sakamoto’s presence enhances the lives of all around him without him really trying or them even being aware of it. It’s not until the end that the class even realizes it, expressed in the 13th episode OVA which is half clip show and half new material. But even the clip show part is played for the comedy it’s worth.

This isn’t the best comedy and it’ll be very taste specific, but for people who appreciate it, it’s truly worth a watch. Watching this show puts me in mind of Cromartie High School which came many years before and is quite different, but in some ways similar. If you’re a fan of comedy and of the unusual, give this a try… it may become one of your favorites.