For some, Osomatsu-san's crudeness may be going a step too far. There are frequent jokes about things like enemas, phimosis and masturbation, and the characters will stab each other in the butt or attempt to... yeah, defecate on a table, and on more than one occasion. Those looking for something more mature or refined in their comedy are probably not going to find what they are looking for in Osomatsu-san. It is far more crude than something like Gintama, but not quite as offensive as something like South Park (and without all its racism and antisemitism). Whether or not you will enjoy Osomatsu-san's irreverent humour is entirely dependent on your tolerance for the above-mentioned things. If enemas and table-pooping don't immediately scare you off, you're in for a very fun time with Osomatsu-san.
Iyami, the dumbass, self-proclaimed "Frenchman" (I put quotation marks here as what nation or planet he actually comes from is a mystery), armed with buckteeth and a bowl cut, is probably the highlight of the entire show. An episode will, for example, open with him watching a newscast about brushing your teeth "at least 45 minutes a day", and he will stare at some grotesque object (the likes of which I can only imagine came from a person's digestive system) with his misshapen pal Daiyon, screaming and fidgeting into some bad Austin Powers pose as though he is having some sort of aneurysm or seizure. In one of the later episodes, Iyami engages in a martial arts competition with the aforementioned "Sheeei!" pose, and the sextuplets make him unleash his Inner Sheeei by shredding his bank statements and insurance cards from the stands to piss him the hell off. These are just a few examples of how much of a goof, and unbelievably stupid character Iyami is. I am not sure how someone could not laugh their butts off watching him. If he truly was the protagonist of the 1988 series, I can easily understand why.
Hatabou's episode is another example of the many, many amazing moments in the show, what with all the awful flag puns and Barack Obama appearing out of nowhere, to name a few things. Or how about all the moments when Juushimatsu is just casually sitting in the background, completely unlike his brothers, tongue out and eyes googling around, seeming like he is on the hardest psychedelic drug ever known to humankind. The show is so stupid, and yet hilarious all the same. There will inevitably be a joke every now and then that you find dull or repetitive (I didn't laugh once during the 'fish idol' gags, for example), but the overall win-to-lose ratio with Osomatsu-san's jokes is quite high. It is like the best moments of Gintama, but much cruder and more neatly compressed. Most comedy anime struggle to be even a fraction of what Osomatsu-san is at its worst.
I think having a certain level of experience with anime and Japanese culture also lends to a greater appreciation for what makes Osomatsu-san so unique, especially when compared to how banal most other comedy anime are. I can easily picture new fans, still going through the big boys like Clannad After Story and Steins;Gate, checking out an episode of Osomatsu-san out of curiosity and wondering what the hell they are even watching. While I don't think references should play an important role in any anime, the frequent parodies of less-popular shows like Akagi are a good indication that Osomatsu-san is meant to be watched by an audience already well-acquainted with the medium.
There are, surprisingly, quite a few references to western media as well, like the Saw or Captain Underpants ones in the third episode. I had no idea Japan knew or cared about the crap that my generation was reading in primary school. Captain Underpants! I haven't even thought about that dumb series in a decade.
Osomatsu-san's art is particularly cartoonish and simplistic, but this simplicity lends more freedom to the outrageous acts and facial expressions that the comedy relies on, and which would not be possible, or at least severely limited, under a more elaborate and distinct art style (i.e. your typical KyoAni anime). My only complaint is that the six brothers look almost exactly the same, with the exception of Jyuushimatsu and his trippin' googly eyeballs, and Ichimatsu who looks like he is constantly stoned. For the first half of the series, you will likely find yourself relying more on the voices to tell who is who, and so things can get quite chaotic as you're busy pointing fingers.
If there is one detail that should be criticised, it is that the random bouts of drama can get a bit concerning. These scenes are generally well-executed, but the problem is that they put a damper on what is supposed to be a comedy series. I'm not entirely against the show having a structure more resembling an actual plot, but the reason we're all watching anime like this is to have a nice, fun time, yeah? It does not feel appropriate here.
While I do not have any experience with the original anime, a bit of research reveals how the entire series is something of a cultural phenomenon in Japan, far more mainstream than I had originally guessed it to be. There's even black-and-white pictures from the 1960's of kids enacting Iyami's pose! It's neat to find such a successful revival of a historic series. Nothing in the 2015 anime feels old-fashioned, and it perfectly captures the humour and culture of the current generation of twenty-somethings. As far as I am concerned, Japan has a knack for picking excellent anime for their mainstream, if we consider series like Touch, Aikatsu and Osomatsu-san. The west could take lessons from Japan in that regard.
Sure, Osomatsu-san's brand of humour is not going to be to everyone's taste, and perhaps it will even be a bit disturbing to those of a more conservative palate. I get it. But if any of what is described above sounds even the slightest bit appealing, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving the series a go, beyond the initial, confusing first episode.
And you know what? Even if it doesn't sound appealing--- I never would have thought I'd enjoy something like this, either--- Osomatsu-san serves as a careful, potty-mouthed reminder that great anime can also exist outside of one's comfort zone. Maybe it won't be the 'best' anime of the year, but I have little doubt it will have been the most fun. A little bit of fun is something we all need in our lives. We get stressed and we feel the need to turn on our electronic devices, relax and enjoy the smaller things life has to offer. Table-pooping is OK with me.
