Ranked #4496

Let's Nupu Nupu

'Let's Nupu Nupu' is a 'what you see is what you get' anime. Contrary to the MyAnimelist synopsis describing Nupu as a 4koma adaptation, Nupu is in fact a direct adaptation of an overtly sexualised gag manga of the same name that ran in Weekly Shonen Magazine from 1994, penned by Akira Mitsumori. As such, Nupu uses a number of short skits within 5 minute episodes, with a total run of 16 episodes.

The overarching story serves up a multitude of characters, such as a school nurse lusting after a student, a cat who works part-time at a sushi joint, a hamster putting up with a family of yakuza, and the list goes on. These set-ups don't build up very much back-story, but prove to be continually hilarious. They provide endless, mindless entertainment. Many of the character-type jokes that are so invasive in Japanese comedies takes its archetypes from depictions common to the 80's and 90's though, so a few jokes might feel dated or elusive.

Nupu exploited a wave of televised anime which previously would not have been put to air because of their explicit content, beginning with Berserk in 1997, simply so it could exist. Consequently, Nupu is infamously naughty and raunchy- such as almost depicting oral sex, fingering, and the use of taboo fetishisms like coprophilia. This is to the extent that Nupu has the somewhat dubious claim of being the first anime series which had a central theme of shotacon.

Mitsumori found success with her stories in the 90's, but as the times changed, so did her work. After composing some other serials, in 2007 Mitsumori restarted Nupu under publisher Takeshobo. With a new title 'Let's Nupu Nupu Super Adult', Mitsumori took advantage of less strict moral codes in publishing standards. Super Adult is not extant in English, but you don't need to worry about this. The simple difference between Nupu and Super Adult is in Super Adult, lurid things like oral sex is graphically depicted.

The art style is somewhat dated in Nupu, in fact more reminiscent of mid 80's design and animation, but this takes the sideline for the comedy. Background work is almost non-existent, the anime being set in a modern city, presumably Tokyo. In terms of palette, Nupu is similar in the use of a high range of disquietingly extreme bright and vibrant colours to 'F' or 'Ronin Warriors' from 1988.

The sound, in terms of quality and music, also has not kept its age gracefully. Absent of some of the heavy guitar, drums, and middle-eastern influences that made some of the classic anime soundtracks of the period 1996-2001. Nupu instead combines vibes, piano, an amount of limited percussion, light wind instruments; in what amounts to more forgettable sound effects than an actual soundtrack.

I don't think Nupu has the technical grace that will allow it to stay popular, but in terms of utterly gratuitous humour in anime, this is one of the starting points and a definite highlight. I'd especially recommend it to fans of Ping Pong Club or Ebichu. read more