Common Name: Nichijou
Alternate Names: Everyday, My Ordinary Life
Score: 8/10, 5/5
Length: 26 episodes
Genre: Comedy, School Life, Slice of Life
Warning: Absolutely absurd comedy
Summary: Nichijou is a comedy revolving around an ensemble cast of zany kids. Primarily, the show focuses on two groups: three close-knit friends who learn a little more about each other with every new day and a juvenile genius and her perfectly made robot who suffers almost constant emotional stress due to the Professor's appropriately childish behavior. From battling wildlife, to BB gun arms, to philosophy class, everyday life turns into anything but ordinary.
Review: From the word go, Nichijou is a barrage of absurdist comedy composed of short skits that build upon one another as time goes on. This is not to say that the show is filled with only jokes though. What really separates Nichijou from the crowd is that the characters have...well...character. While they all have roles to play for the sake of making their own enjoyment as well as the viewers, they occasionally have very humanizing moments like wondering what kind of relationship they have with their friends and how that could easily fall apart or simply dealing with their feelings of isolation and loneliness.
And then there are moments like this.
While on the surface it may seem like a dumb, cutesy, laugh fest, Nichijou has a lot to offer beneath the surface. While subtle, the show even offers subtle hints that there might be more to it. Nietzsche quotes, Zen Buddhist iconography, and several moments where the show breaks from it's simple sketch art style for the sake of a more high brow pun, yet all these strange things coalesce into something like an abridgment of youth, or high school life to be specific. Now, this is purely conjecture on my part, but I can think of no other point in one's life when they would be intentionally subjected to such a wide range of information. However, if one were to look at a bullet point list of things kids learn in school down to the finest detail, I get the feeling they would be just as confused by all the absurd topics listed as they would be while watching Nichijou.
Ignoring all the over-analysis that borders on conspiracy though, Nichijou is an enjoyable watch that uses the sum of its parts to make a wholly satisfying product. The animation and art, while simple, is easy on the eyes and makes the moments when it changes more jarring. The music is typically appropriate and adds a sense of frivolity or intensity depending on the gag. While there are a few "stories" that fall flat over the course of the show, it rarely gets old. The overarching plot, however, hits home and hits hard, lending a unique strength to the show overall and some for my conspiracy nonsense as well.