Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou

In a word? HILARIOUS.

Each episode is only, like, 12 minutes long... and the whole series is incredibly worth it... if you've ever seen anything that has a "delinquent" in it (i.e. anyone with a hairstyle like John Travolta in Grease ;) ) or even if you haven't... this was just so surprisingly funny that it became almost an instant favorite.

...Am I hyping it up too much?

The first episode, I kind of chuckled/smiled a few times... and then as the series goes on, I found myself just dying of laughter. It's incredibly clever and witty...

The show follows a bunch of hoodlums in their ... and their ...non-traditional concerns. One badass boss has severe problems with motion sickness, another is a comedy snob, and well... one's a robot. It's wacky in the best way -- a little light on plot but heavy on the funny. It kind of reminds me of The Tick (the animated series, not the live action) in the way that it's kind of campy and over the top and oh-so-original.

The show does such a good job of turning the typical delinquent devices on their heads. It starts off like something that seems familiar... something that feels normal for the genre... and all of a sudden it's like you're in bizarro-land and this hilarious joke comes out of nowhere. And it's even more surprising and even funnier because you know they knew you were expecting the generic follow-through and they gave you a spoonful of crazy instead. (Does that make sense?) ...It's like watching a pitcher in baseball go through a windup, but at the very last second, instead of pitching the ball to you, his feet turn into ducks.

It's like that... only funny. ;) Really, really funny.

I always find it hard to actually LIKE a comedy. Sure, it's fun and all that, but that doesn't mean it's good. So what's a good comedy like? Well, I've never been a real fan of slapstick humor because it's just too easy. When I was introduced to Cromartie High school (thumbs up for Danny), I gave it a shot right away. After several episodes, I put it away as it didn't seem interesting. When I gave it another shot weeks later, I was proven wrong.

The anime starts off with the main character's - Takashi Kamiyama - first day at the Cromartie High school ... for delinquents. From there on the story spirals down a maze of odd events and insane situations. Though he's the only non-delinquent person on the school, Takashi claims the title of class boss - and later the 'boss of japan' title. And that's only the beginning of the madness.

Story: Naturally, there isn't much of a story to mention. However, following a nice, intelligent person on a school filled with delinquents should be interesting enough. You get to see other schools as well. They're always planning to attack Cromartie, but never succeed. You could say this a delinquent slice of life(!), driven by activities done by the characters rather than a main storyline.

Art: Although there is remarkably little movement in this anime, the art makes up for it. The roughly sketched faces really make the characters look like badasses. And that's what's also improving the fun factor.

Sound: With great power comes great responsibility. And with little movement, comes little sound. If you catch my drift. The sound in general doesn't really stand out, except for the kickass voice acting of Mechazawa. Although the sound doesn't stand it, it's still a main part of the whole thing, and therefore gets a high score.

Character: A gorilla. A Freddie Mercury copy. A robot. And his son. A tough, strong boss with motion sickness. A silent boss with a wish to become a known comedian. A man with fake hair (No spoilers, duh). A servant without a name. The anime introduces a wide selection of characters, each with their own unique personality. Cromartie wouldn't be Cromartie without its characters.

Enjoyment: I'll admit it. Cromartie starts off a bit slow. If you survive the first five, six episodes, you will find it hard to not watch the rest right away. Every episode tells a different story, usually following one person or a group through the episode. It's impossible to forsee what's about to happen, and that's definitly a good thing in a comedy. A good example of this is when they hold a competition to decide who gets the 'Boss of Japan' title. All contestants have to answer the question: "Is it milk in yoghurt?" Hundreds of delinquents are present, but, naturally, Takashi's the ONLY ONE who gets it right. And even if you won't laugh when you watch, you'll laugh later. Sometimes it just needs to sink in.

Overall The unique thing about Cromartie is that it takes two quite different elements and put them together. In this case, that would be 'delinquents' and 'FUN'. If you're not used to seeing serious-looking gangsters in hillarious situations, it might take some time before you get used to it. All in all, Cromartie is one of the funniest and smartest comedies I've ever seen.

Comedy is an art. Throughout human existence comedy has existed. It is a way to bring humans together in fun and merriment. It can also be used to make light of serious issues. There have been many historical landmarks in comedy.

1900 BC: The first joke is told in Sumeria

446 BC: The first comedic playwright, Aristophanes, is born.

1475 AD: Geoffrey Chaucer begins his epic quest for universal comedy with The Canterbury Tales but ultimately never finishes.

1605 AD: Miguel de Cervantes releases the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha, a piece of literature still hailed to this day as one of the funniest things ... ever written.

1895 AD: L'Arroseur arrosé, the first comedy film, is released.

1926 AD: Buster Keaton releases the film The General, and slapstick comedy is created.

1974 AD: Blazing Saddles, what I consider the funniest film ever made, is released.

2004 AD: Cromartie High School, what I consider the funniest TV series ever made, is released.

STORY: 8/10
No anime has made me laugh harder than Cromartie High School. The misadventures of Kamiyama and his gang of juvenile delinquents are ones that I could experience over and over again and just laugh harder. Is the story some avant garde masterpiece? No, in fact it is non-existent. Cromartie High School is episodic in nature. It has no real plot, no resolution, and little to no character arcs. The series works as showcasing six months of a Sophomore year in what is both the best and worst school in fiction. At Cromartie, there's no teachers or faculty, just delinquents left to their own devices. This allows the series to go into truly bizarre territory, and it does so on an episodic basis.

It is not a perfect set-up, however. While it's fun not knowing what to expect every episode, that feeling of aimless wanderlust starts to diminish as the series come to a close and is replaced with a feeling of pointlessness. If you're watching this for a story, the final episode may be the worst you've ever seen. But if you buy into the hilarity of the premise, you'll know what to expect. You may not know what exactly, you just know it will be funny.

ART: 9/10
The art in Cromartie is, well, terrible, and there's very little of it. This is used however to the anime's benefit and results in some of the funniest sight gags the viewer will ever witness. Every character has the same exact face with just a few alterations, adding to the satire of the educational system being a factory pumping out identical products. Don't expect some flashy stuff to happen; the anime is mostly just people standing around. However, even this is made interesting and hilarious due to the gags and quirks found in the animation style.

SOUND: 9/10
When one of your characters is Freddy Mercury, you know your soundtrack should be good. And as the cover suggests, much of the music in Cromartie High is a love letter to rock n' roll like Queen. The opening is fantastic and memorable, being oddly melancholic despite the sheer hilarity of the opening sequence, resulting in a laugh being heard upon each viewing. The ending theme is equally as bizarre and random as the series itself. The voice acting for the Japanese version is inferior, anyone who says otherwise is wrong. If you are to watch this anime, which I highly advise you do, go with the English Dub. It is without a doubt one of the most hilarious dubs ever made, and an objective improvement over the original Japanese.

CHARACTER: 10/10
Without a doubt the anime's strongest field are its rich and diverse characters. Takashi Kamiyama is the main protagonist. He was an exceptionally good natured student until he went to the longest domino chain in Japan and glued the last piece to the floor. Because of that, he is banished to Cromartie High School for Delinquents. It's assumed he's the toughest guy in school because he is such a wimpy figure in such a tough environment. Kamiyama goes through some truly hilarious revelations as the series progresses, and his letters to his mom (read during the preview to the next episode) are comedy gold.

Next up is Kamiyama's right hand man, Shinjiro Hayashida. Hayashida is the dumbest man alive and sports a pink mowhawk with a mind of its own. I would say he's comedy foil, but everyone is. Every single character in this anime is bafflingly stupid in some way. Because of that, I like to call it "Japan's Beavis and Butthead". If the anime was just Kamiyama and Hayashida, they'd be a perfect comparison to Beavis and Butthead. Thankfully, the cast is shockingly massive for such a short series, and every single character steals the show in concept and comedy.

Just to rattle some students at Cromartie off, there's a gorilla, Freddie Mercury, a robot named Mechazawa, the only semi-competent physical foil named Maeda (Who is kidnapped on a frequent basis and is apathetic to it), a massive beast of a man named Takenouchi who is cripplingly chronologically motion sick, a rich elitist named Hokuto (Who goes to a different school and accidentally shows up at Cromartie and stays there for some reason, hence his different uniform), Hokuto's lackey (A nameless character who follows Hokuto around and tries to let people know his name but is always interrupted), a terrorist pretending to be Takenouchi named Masked Takenouchi, a gang leader named Noboru Yamaguchi who is a connoisseur of sophisticated humor and constantly criticizes the show's humor, and many more. Somehow, they all get ample screen time and each one is perfectly hilarious. The cast in Cromartie is one of the best I've ever seen. Unique, memorable, hilarious, and somehow compelling, they're the friends I wish I had. And they're all somehow 16. Yes that includes Freddie.

ENJOYMENT: 9/10
If it wasn't clear yet, I cherish Cromartie High School. It is one of my most quoted and rewatched anime. I often like to watch it with friends as we laugh heartily at the hilarity of the show and the bizarre resemblance to our own lives. Juvenile delinquent genre is a genre I never knew I loved until I watched Cromartie, which helped me fuel my love for my 2nd favorite part of Jojo, Diamond in Unbreakable (Very, very similar series). I wish I could give this a 10 in Enjoyment, but alas the series does lose some steam in the final few episodes, especially one serious episode that just is not interesting (The only joke is that there was suddenly a serious episode of Cromartie). Even then though, this series always shocks and surprises me, and it ended in a way I never could have seen coming but at the same time should have expected. The series deserved to go on longer than twenty six 11 minute long episodes.

OVERALL: 9/10
Cromartie High School begins bizarre and only get increasingly so. I will admit it is an acquired taste. It is very likely you will only be increasingly annoyed at the sheer stupidity and brain cell killing cast and atmosphere, but then again that's how school feels. Cromartie is a near perfect satire of Japanese school lifestyle with clear cut references that even strike American school lifestyle. It is a series that only seems to get better upon each rewatch. Like the slogan of another juvenile delinquent anime AKIRA, Cromartie High School is good for health but bad for education. You will learn absolutely nothing watching Cromartie High School, but they say laughter is the best medicine. If that's the case, Cromartie High School will keep you alive forever.

School comedies are commonplace in the anime scene, where the usual is a boy-girl relationship in which romantic/comedic events take place, with sufficient side characters (female or male), in conjunction of maybe some dramatic, mysterious or fantastic elements. Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou defies all of these by making a parody of it, and gives the audience a very generic delinquent high school setting, with very diverse and fantastic characters. Instead of beautiful girls and shōnen protagonists, here, have a gorilla, a robot with a godlike voice and friggin' Freddie Mercury!

There is not much story to Sakigake!! Cromartie Kokou, as its main purpose is to make a ... parody of the genre. The setting is very cliché: Kamiyama enrolls at Cromartie High, where everyone is a delinquent. Because of the most absurd and twisted logic, he becomes the toughest of the class, and this is where the story kicks off. Being considered the toughest of the class can only lead to more trouble right? The narrative, besides of focusing on Kamiyama, gives a lot of attention to all the diverse characters and their lives, habits, including the different interactions between the protagonists which leads to absurd and hilarious situations. These are often predictable, and some spectators may dislike this.

These situations are everyday business and problems, such as competitions in humor, public transport, motion sickness, basically what everyday life is, which makes it for the spectator easy to relate the events to themselves. The reasoning, the discussions and conclusions behind some of these situations are often absurd, but hilarious. Monologues are often used to make the audience understand what's on the mind of the characters, as adding an amusing tone to it.

The strongest point of Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou are the characters. As stated earlier, instead of having the usual cast of characters, it introduces a great variety of them, each with their own personality and charm. There is the main protagonist Kamiyama, who is basically the character the cast relies on whenever something comes up. The robot Mechazawa, a very dependable and manly character, and whose voice actor is Wakamoto Norio. Then there is literally the gorilla, and not to mention Freddie, who obviously represents Freddie Mercury. This isn't by any means the cast of Cromartie: the delinquent who aspires to be a comedian, the boss with motion sickness, nameless servant, and the list goes on. Without its characters, it wouldn't be as great as it is.

The animation of Sakigake!! is nothing outstanding, but it nevertheless fulfills its purpose. Character facial designs are very similar and manly, which probably was done on purpose; however, through different hairstyles and bodybuilds, the cast is easy distinguishable from each other. The sequence of different scenes and well placed character worked well in favour of the comedy displayed in the anime.

The soundtrack fitted perfectly well with the ambience it was trying to portray, for example through the use of rock tunes or violin. A great variety of voice actors were used, all with a distinguishable and well fitting voice for the characters. As for the opening and ending, I personally don't find myself indulging more than once on those, but with Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou I found myself watching it every single time: it had a very catchy tune that perfectly described the anime, as well as the animation with it.

All in all, Sakigake!! was a very enjoyable experience, especially as a comedy genre. The amazing cast of characters, the diversity of those, as well as the absurd and hilarious reactions and situations really made the anime a very enjoyable experience. The jokes and absurdness may get old if it is marathoned, so I would personally not recommend doing this.

Thank you for reading.

Overview

Cromartie is a very silly anime about a school for juvenile delinquents. To say the humor in this show is random would be the understatement of the century. Despite the show's whimsical nature, this is actually the only anime that all of my friends universally like. This isn't Eva or Elfen Lied where people will argue until they are blue in the face that "THIS RULES" or "THIS SUCKS!" Pretty much everyone likes Cromartie.

Plot: 5/10

There really isn't much of a plot in this one. Each episode is an independent event about the wild shenanigans at Cromartie. There are a few running gags that ... carry from episode to episode, but that is really it. You don't watch Cromartie High School for the plot anymore than you would Family Guy.

Characters:10/10

The characters in this anime are spectacular! Each character is hilarious in their own way and adds to the comedic formula. This is a school in which a wise cracking robot named Mechazawa, a guy that may or may not be Freddie Mercury from the band Queen, and a gorilla are considered normal students. The narrator is Kamiyama, who often acts as the comedic "straight man" and has by far the most practical sense of anyone in the series. Every comedy should have at least 1 sane person right?

Art 4/10
The art style parodies "youth gang" anime of the 1980s like Crying Freeman. It is barely animated, but that hardly matters considering how hilarious it is. Actually the anime itself calls attention to the lack of animation and breaks the 4th wall by insulting the animators and art staff.

Soundtrack 8/10

The opening theme song Jun is freaking awesome. nuff said.

Enjoyment 10/10

This is probably the funniest anime to ever exist. It isn't deep or artsy. It won't change your outlook on life. You WILL laugh your ass off though!

Overall 9/10

As I mentioned previously, even with its complete oddness and quirky sense of humor, Cromartie has near universal appeal. It wasn't just my group of friends that felt that way. I even once saw a massive anime thread that found that Cromartie was about the only anime that absolutely no one hated. This anime is from 2003, so it is a bit older than Angel Beats and Attack on Titan, so younger viewers may have missed this one. If you haven't seen it, dig it up and watch it. It is quite short and all episodes are free on youtube.

Manly men doing manly things has been a staple in the medium since the early 80s and 70s with shows such as Fist of the North Star, Dragon Ball and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure easily being the most popular examples. These shows would typically feature a man with huge muscles with some kind of special technique, going around and beating the everlasting shit out of everyone on their journey while shedding the utmost manliest of manly tears at the sight of their fallen friends. Enter the slice of life and the cute girls doing cute things genre that was ushered in at the beginning of the ... early 2000s at the wings of the moe boom where visual novels were becoming more and more mainstream. These shows were typically focused on a group of cute girls going about their everyday lives while attending high school, as they laugh, make friends, and tackle a series of everyday problems. But what happens when you take manly men and put them in a high school setting akin to a moe show from the early 2000s? You get mother fucking Cromartie High School, produced by Production IG in 2003 and still remains one of the funniest comedies ever made for its smart line delivery and execution!

The narrative of Cromartie is admittedly pretty paper thin but for a comedy anime I'm completely fine with it, as long as the comedy is good and varied, which it is. Essentially, a student by the name of Kamiyama, Takashi, a good natured pacifistic with an above IQ, enrols into Cromartie High School, a school that is occupied to the brim with the hardest and most bad-ass delinquents around! Feeling like the odd one out, Takashi vows that he will adapt to this new place and try to fit in which he eventually does after befriending some of the other students at the school. And that's pretty much it for an overall narrative but where the show really begins to shine is in its comedy and characters. Each episode is pretty much completely episodic but each focus on a new character and not just our main protagonist which gives the audience a lot of variety in both events and comedy as well, which massively works in the shows favour and keeps things interesting. Each episode, while utilising some reoccurring jokes, manages to stay fresh, original and funny during its entire run and the unpredictable nature of the show keeps things fun. If you're imaging that Cromartie High School is your average place of education, then you'd be wrong since anything can, and does happen at this place. One of the students happens to be a robot called Mechazawa who doesn't even realise the fact that he is indeed a robot, there is a giant gorilla constantly walks around who eventually even gets a job at a sushi restaurant and lastly there is a man by the name of Freddie who walks, or better yet, rides around topless whilst on a horse. The show is absolutely insane but what's impressive is that all of these insane events and moments don't feel as if they're breaking the rules of this established world and feel as if they're actually happening as to not to break my suspension of disbelief. We learn from the get go that Cromartie High School is this strange and bizarre place and we learn more about this school as the main protagonist does as well. We experience the world through his eyes and thus plays the straight man rather well, which helps with creating a sense of believably with the comedy.

The wide range of characters certainly does help with spicing up the comedy and keeping it fresh. Each character has their own specific and unique personality trait that works and bounces very well off each others character which makes some of the characterisation and dialogue an absolute blast to watch. Not only that, but the entire show is both a parody of the clichés that you'd expect to find in typical fighting shounen while at the same time celebrating the genre too. Some of the funniest moments in the show derive from the over the top actions some characters take and their reactions to certain events. Whenever our main character encounters something insane or strange, such as another student eating his pencil at the start of episode one to prove his manliness, the show uses super detailed, close-up reaction shots to convey this complete with the overblown musical "gasps" and line delivery. Part of comedy and its effectiveness is timing and this show nails that perfectly. Cromartie High School is not contempt to just throw a joke out and move along, it instead keeps building up on the same joke creating a snowball effect which only gets more and more funny, and the reoccurring gags in the show, such as the behaviour and eccentricities around Freddie's character always left me in stitches.

One of my favorite gags in the show involved a cut away gag to a television show that is heavily popular amongst delinquents in which two men, dressed up in bunny outfits, deal with their everyday life. It's delightfully funny and entertaining to watch due to the absurd nature of the programme but also because these two people will resort to beating the hell out of each other whilst on set. There are plenty of other characters and jokes which I could talk about for ages, but I'll leave it as such since I don't want to spoil every personality and trait since it would also ruin the fun of the show too. In terms of animation and music, both do a great job at aiding the comedic moments and the opening song complements the entire show's silly premise and idea. The lyrics are also pretty funny in the context of the show's satire on the shounen genre and overall, Cromartie is a solid comedy, with great characters that I would greatly recommend. It's clever in its satire, fun and easy to watch. So, eat some steroids, gulp down that protein shake and watch some MANLY men in a high school.

If you are looking for a serious shounen anime about a boy's hardships through high school and him gaining experiences that make him a better individual in life then you may have to keep on looking because Cromartie has none of this except the boy and high school.

Cromartie High School is one of the funniest crack humor animes I've had the pleasure of surviving. It is definitely a delightful distraction if you're having a bad day as the humor is just simply put, hilarious.

A warning to those who consider humor as a side dish to their animes, Cromartie has no running story. There is no ... grand plot to the whole story. This however, is also one of its good points as it is like I said something to distract you. It's sorta like a bag of chips it's definitely yummy but it's bad for your health which in this case your mind! Another warning would be since it's a shounen anime, its humor caters more to the male crowd and so women might find the jokes boring.

The anime relentlessly pummels you with so many jokes and so much stupidity that it tends to blur your perception of the anime you might be watching alongside it making them seem more profound than they really are.

All in all, if you need something to put a smile on your face or you just need to waste 12 minutes of your life, I think this anime is what you're looking for.

Call me easy to impress, but this anime had me laugh pretty much constantly. I love the nonsensical humor, and the general random events that take place. Nothing makes sense, and nothing has to. There is a lot I love about this anime. But above all else, I especially enjoyed the art style it was made in. It really helps bring out that they are supposed to be tough badass delinquents. There isn't really that much of a plot, but for a anime like this, that's to be expected. The characters are all very unique, and entertaining. As for the type of humor, I don't ... really know what it would be called. I guess it would be called unexpected humor? Pretty much everything that happens you would never think of. It's totally random, and completely unpredictable. Overall, I thought it was pretty damn funny.

Every once in awhile with anime you need to change genres up a bit to help reset and refresh your tastes. That's exactly what I did with Cromartie High School, adapted by Production I.G (Attack on Titan, FLCL) in 2003. Its aimless, campy nature is hilarious and juxtaposes well with its classroom setting. Cleverly placed jokes, eccentric bad ass characters and an ironic setting makes it one of anime’s best comedies of all time.

As expected, Cromartie opens up with a bang. The opening sequence features our main protagonist, Kamiyama swimming in a sea of hopeless degenerates, only fixated on how tough or bad ass they ... are. Kamiyama joined the school seemingly by mistake, and he starts many episodes out with a “dearest mother” monologue. A perfect Gary Stu of the series. In the first episode he drops a pencil, and some dude literally eats it instead of handing it back to him. Kamiyama shows him the rest of his sizable pencil stash, and the derelict attempts to eat those as well. That was certainly unexpected, but that's exactly what this show is about. There isn't much by the way of plot, as each 12 minute installment is episodic in nature. This doesn't really pose a problem for the viewer however, as this series should be watched in small segments anyway.

Unlike most slice of life comedies, Cromartie High School feels quite westernized in its style of humor. Its foul-mouthed and stupid dialogue reminds me a lot of watching adult.swim growing up, with shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Metalocalypse leading the way. Though not as vulgar as the infamous Detroit Metal City, Cromartie just has a certain air about it that I find hilarious. It's an anime that certainly gives no fucks. Some characters have rather petty problems that are over-exaggerated to enhance the humor, and there is your fair share of miscommunication comedy as well. The jokes are seemingly pointless, but that's really what gives the series charm. I found myself constantly surprised by the writing and how witty it was, but it does tend to run out of steam towards the end of the show. There's even a completely serious, out of place episode at the end that understandably threw me for a loop when I first watched it. It's just that after a while you get used to the style of humor and isn't as funny as initially received.

I will offer up one disclaimer about Cromartie overall. The jokes could be very hot and cold depending on your style of humor. For instance, I found the segments involving the Afro-haired comedic hopeful rather dull, but most moments involving Maeda and his mom utterly gut busting. The baseball episode was especially funny. Maybe it was just my experience, but there were some episodes I kind of glazed over due to the lack of hilarity that some others had. I will say that the series overall is easily binge-watched due to its short episode structure. Episodes are over before you know it, and you'll often find yourself trying to click over to the following one for that next good laugh.

Cromartie has a plethora of unique characters; some covering delinquent tropes and others being completely ridiculous. There's the golden boy, the self-proclaimed leader (who just so happens to get motion sickness), The guy no one remembers the name of, a gorilla, a robot and Freddie Mercury. Yeah you heard me right, somehow even the lead singer of Queen ended up in this anime, only this time he's mostly mute. The writers did a nice job here, because instead of having them as standalone characters, they sometimes made anecdotal segments with each of them. This offered better comedy than a quick second or two of screen time in each episode. The writers also excelled by fitting in an appropriate amount of characters so you don't end up getting confused along the way.

The animation was sloppy but fitting. Granted this was the early 2000's, so it's not like it was underwhelming at all. Most of the art was drawn to fit the scene or the specific joke trying to be relayed to the audience. I love how unique all the characters were drawn, especially Freddie’s uncanny resemblance and his manly outfit. The characters also looked more like actual people then some other anime from that time period, making it seem even more like a late night American cartoon show. Also, from what I can gather the art is a fantastic adaptation from the manga, so you purists out there can revel in excitement.

I feel that Cromartie is very underappreciated in the music department. Maybe it's because I like this kind of music, but most of the tracks just fit so well with the genre and setting. The classic introduction statement by Kamiyama is fitting, and the OP track flows nicely. The ED always seems to play out of nowhere, but the style of music captures that response perfectly with its distorted guitar and offbeat drums. The rest of the soundtrack was rock oriented and meshed well with the atmosphere, but sometimes I didn't necessarily notice it was there at all. The English dub is perfect, and I honestly would recommend you would’nt watch it any other way. Some of the character voices are so completely outrageous and I love it.

In summary, I would highly recommend Cromartie high school to fans of Detroit Metal City and more westernized American cartoons. Anime fans that are more fond of traditional Japanese slice of life comedies may still find this funny, but just know what you're getting into before you start. This show made me laugh more times than I can count, but it does lose steam over time, making its short airtime appropriate. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out some of my other reviews!

Edit- Thanks to everyone who has voted on my anime review poll, this has been a fun experience!

I have not read the manga, so know that that will in no way influence this review.

Cromartie High School is a very funny show, I just want to get that out there from the get go. I'm sure someone reading this review will automatically look at the 7 as my overall rating and think, "I guess he didn't find it all that funny, humor is subjective." Well, in fact, I did enjoy this show a great deal.

So, yes, Cromartie High School works very well as a comedy. But, it is lacking in other areas and thus isn't a great anime. For one, the characters are ... very flat and usually run on one mode only: Stupid. I mean, yes, this works very well for comedy purposes but I believe anything and everything should have well developed characters and/or plot even if the works sole objective is to make the viewer laugh.

In any case, to focus on the characters there is a very large cast in this series. The most prominent seem to be Kamiyama and Hayashida along with their group of friends. Kamiyama is at first played as a normal everyday high school kid who tries to fit in (to hilarious effect in the first episode) and Hayashida is just an idiot delinquent, along with pretty much every other character. He just has very..interesting hair that may or may not be alive.

Other important characters include the Freddie Mercury look alike who is named..Freddie, who says nothing the entire series and usually seems to do incredibly random things such as taking over in a comedy tv series. Mechazawa, a robot who fits in very well at the school and our two main characters seem to be the only two who initially realize he is a robot. And then there is Gorilla, who is exactly what his name entails.

There is also Maeda, who seems to be one of the few characters who seems to have a decent head on his shoulder as he is frequently baffled by his compatriots actions.

The series, being purely episodic comedy, has no real "story" and instead touches on topics such as getting a song stuck in your head and not knowing what it is, a Gorilla learning how to make Sushi, what is or isn't funny in comedy, and an alternate universe where the characters go to an all female school. Unfortunately, this series can be either hit and miss as some of the stuff covered just fell flat to me.

The Art is decent and has some..interesting character designs throughout the series. One of which being Freddie's and, of course, Hayashida's mohawk. Speaking of said Mohawk, there is actually very little animation throughout the series so much of the comedy is delivered through "talking heads" for all intents and purposes. Given the nature of the series this isn't a big deal at all, but I can imagine it bothering some viewers.

Being one of the few anime I've watched as I dub, I was surprised by how well it is done for the most part. Almost all the characters have the usual tough guy voice aside from Kamiyama and a few others. So, it's normally hilarious when they talk about random stuff such as how to make people laugh and numerous other topics people like them aren't normally known for discussing.

Story: 6
Not really any story to speak of, just different topics for most of the episodes. Can be hit or miss depending on the viewer, as this series is mostly just random humor with occasional moments of "smart" humor thrown in. An example of this is the episode where Kamiyama talks about how people perceive others taking actions they normally wouldn't.

Art/Animation: 6
For the most part the character designs are realistic, aside from the robots, TV show comedy duo, Hayashida's hair, and the guy who wears the mask all the time. Pretty good art style overall, not much to complain about. The animation, however, isn't there for the most part. If the viewer likes to see characters move about and such, it just won't happen here. But, given the style and nature of this series it isn't a big deal.

Sound: 8
A pretty good Opening track starts the episodes off and the voice acting is well done for the most part. Though I will say that the voice acting could get irksome at some points, such as Takenouchi who's voice seems to crack every now and then. Otherwise a pretty solid dub.

Character: 7
The series takes the delinquent stereotype and runs with it, putting the characters through all kinds of odd situations and most of the time it works. These characters aren't deep or anything and aren't particularly well developed but..that was never ever the point of the show to begin with. These characters were meant to make us laugh and they do a good job of that.

Enjoyment: 8
I enjoyed the series, though some of the later episodes weren't quite as funny as some of the early stuff. I think the jokes run thin towards the last half, though I will say that the final 3 or so episodes were some of the series best episodes.

Overall: 7
Not a great series by any stretch of the imagination, but a very enjoyable comedy for sure. I believe that any genre should have character development, so I can't give this series high marks though I will say that Cromartie High School is probably one of the better series of it's type I've seen.


In any case, I recommend anyone who is looking for a well done comedy anime to look up this series. Chances are you will laugh.

I take comedy seriously. Many anime shows in the comedy genre or with comedic elements are not very original, get lost in translation or simply swing and miss. Cromartie High School blasts through each of these tests astride a gigantic, manly horse. There are things you will laugh at in this show that you have never seen before and will never see again. The maturity of storytelling in these twelve-minute tidbits is refreshing and allows the series to jump from simple "hey! look at this crazy thing!" type gags to meta reflections on life and its absurdity at a rather joyous pace. "Absurd" is really ... the best description for this show. Delightfully absurd.

Anime Review No.9
Cromartie High school a 10-11 minute long School Comedy series featuring a school full of delinquent badass and it also filled with cool weird stuff that will spice up the comedy. Not your typical school comedy which always use the same formula all over again which is becoming dull and not memorable but in “Cromartie High school you will have difficult time to forget it for it so weird you can’t even compare it with other high school comedies meaning Cromartie gained its identity and more importantly it’s originality.

Warning the entire overview might contain spoilers

Plot (6/10)
Anyways in Cromartie there is no plot ... at all. The premise is just composed of extremely random story that can be both enjoyable and sometimes dull at times. Cromartie High school is a school comedy series and so just expects the school plot will automatically drive the story while the comedy is spicing it overtime. The plot went to nowhere for nothing really seems to change. I give big appreciation in the humor of about the series. The anime didn’t built its humor in fan service and quick slap humor which normal school comedy use a medium in entertaining people but it uses really smart jokes that really can make a brain tickler after you get the joke. The series focus more about characters standing and talking all the time but unlike other boring anime school comedy this series actually give intellectual conversation even I was surprise even they are just delinquent talk about a lot of sensual things like example individual perception, morality, and other mature stuff. I admit I was sometimes well informed and well entertain while other times I just felt bored so in conclusion about the plot Cromartie is unique for it didn’t use the average elements use in other school comedy instead it uses its own originality to make even the notorious delinquents cool and likeable which school series always portray them as jerks and mindless side character villains.

Characters (9/10)
Cromartie is fun not because of the girls which is always the reason why a lot of school comedies got attention because of the fan service it provides and in the first place there isn’t a single girl in Cromartie to begin with except for Maeda’s mother but how did Cromartie attract attention to the male population if there no girls for the guys to get excited with? The answer is simple. Cromartie establish it for being one of the few anime titles to apply a different formula that make it “Cromartie”. It became true about itself and presented the comedic side of a delinquent which other anime during that time failed to present and that’s how the show got its fame and of course the unforgettable characters the series have provided us with. Nobody can forget Kamiyama logical explanations, Hayashida swaying hair, Maeda’s Mom, Mechazawa the motorcycle, The Gorilla who knows how to make banana sushi, Pootan the popular comedic idol, Hokuto the out place but cool looking elite and his nameless lackey, and add up with Takenouchi motion sickness with the Masked takenouchi that give’s life inspiring lectures, Fujimoto computer life dilemma, Yamaguchi afro and we must not forget the most legendary character among them all and that’s “Freddie” the man without words but his action speak louder than words that rides a black horse and a mighty badass singer I think he will never get out of my mind. Cromartie have unique set of characters that you won’t see much in school comedies and because of this bizarre cast we have made the name “Cromartie Highschool”.

Sound (8/10)
I like the opening song “Jun” the song blend’s well with the manly atmosphere and the comedy bizarre approach which certainly fun to hear and sing along. “Jun” is definitely going to my phone’s song list that’s for. The background is music is one damn rocking is good. The Rock music really suited the show’s atmosphere of cool and “GAR”. Ending is good and I will say again “GAR”.
Art (9/10)
No Moe Blob here, No big eye anime characters here, and no scent of word “kawaii” art style here but the anime offered manly drawn guys in the picture. The manly drawn art style give the most iconic images you can get to Cromartie for the art make them one hell of a badass even Kamiyama’s skinny and wimpy look’s is a badass because of the art style. Even to the movement present manly figures. This is one the few anime’s I can call the drawing suitable for guy like me to be proud of liking.

Enjoyment (8/10)
Even I did get bored in some parts but in majority I love every single ounce of badass comedy it has to offer. I love the intellectual humor this anime make and the creative and original comedic blast it gives in the end of every episode and I didn’t learn nonsense here no! I learn so many things. Even they just talk about random things it didn’t erase the fact that those random conversation make the show’s contents fresh and enjoyable. This anime is not purely recommendable to everybody but if you like smart humor “Cromartie High School is indeed for you”!

Overall (8/10)
This is going to be my one of the hard to forget High school comedy for I cannot compare it to other anime that uses the same formula. Cromartie is unique and hard to be copied by other titles for it didn’t pretend to be something but instead just made out what it really is, a very entertaining show with originality. I recommend this series for people who love’s comedy with badass people. Cromartie are the only few school comedies that can stand out among the rest for being original.

Cromartie High... The School I would go to if I had the balls
Story 8: No storyline, but nice material and delivery of high school and some other stuff.
Art 8: Different but in comic way.
Sound 8: Background music and theme music matched the anime. Splendid voice acting
Character 8: Colorful cast of characters like few other anime. None that I have seen so far though.
Cromartie is a shounen comedy that is like no other. Mainly for the fact that it relies mainly ... on the aspect it should, pure comedy. No excessive fan service. No good looking dudes. No perverted jokes. No creepy sensei, I don't think there was teachers in this. Pure comedy and a little weirdness.
Kamiyama is attending Cromarite High, a place rampant with delinquents, as the only good kid. That's it. Nothing else major really except he becomes friends with certain people and hang out. It makes you wonder how something so ordinary is a good story. Well to put it in a nutshell the funny moments. Every episode fills you with laughter as Kamiyama and he friends goes through life and struggles. It's like a sitcom, but it's an anime. What makes it better is the puns are funny even if you haven't seen one show about the tough guys. It's a parody of their world, but without the unnecessary fighting. Truly a simple work that leaves you with an impact.
The characters are tough guys, yet they say some of the realest things, especially Kamiyama. As you watch these episodes you find the characters relate able. We've all had a rival, been bored in class, made some dumb mistakes and the characters bring it out the best. Besides Kamiyama you got a freaking gorilla, a robot, Freddie Mecury, and an allien! And that's only the weird ones. Best of all they bring something to the comedy table.
Not only does the characters shine, but so does the art. It looks so manly and different from an other anime I have seen. Also I love the fact the art sticks closely to the manga.
The voice acting is what seals the deal though. Dub was amazing and I was shocked. Usually it's the shows like this when the mess it up the most, but dub fans should be proud. You didn't feel like the dubbing sounded so fake or trying to hard. As for the subs I have watched an episode in subs and it was the same vibe. A little hard to transition, but the voice acting was also good.
Overall loved the anime and I would recommend it to someone who wants a little change in pace. Some may not like the lack of girls, artwork, or the lack of story line and I understand. If you decide to watch it enjoy :)

I have watched only a couple comedic animes, yet this one surely shines. Not even close to halfway to completing the anime, I still cannot control my laughter and enjoyment.

Cromartie High School is hilarious because of its flexible humor. All characters have their own funny personalities that help add to the comedic storyline. Its flexibility helps strike all watchers to be able to laugh when all of our ideas or thoughts that we find funny.

Even if each episode is only eleven minutes long, Cromartie High School still does not fail to make its watchers laugh. If you ... are one of those people who cannot stay awake through some animes, just bear with this one and watch only the first three. I guarantee you will be drawn to it, and will urge you to watch it again and again.

I wasn't all too sure what to expect from Cromartie High School, but following School Rumble I had high hopes for some academia-bound mayhem.

There is an anime stereotype of hard-cases going to a new school, in order to rule the roost through sheer toughness alone. The delinquent is a character that thrives in these school anime. But what happens when there is no one else in the school but delinquents? Cromartie High School is one such institution, which takes the dregs of society and ... throws them together. The tone of the show becomes apparent when it becomes clear that such delinquents will accept the least delinquent as the strongest among them, as the rabbit daring to live among the lions. Yes, it's one of those shows that turns all convention on its head, and throws in all that is unexpected. Kamiyama is the new kid on the block, the rabbit among the lions, the sheep in wolf's clothing, and the star of the show, whose letters home to mother narrate the chaos that ensues. Among the friends he makes are Akira Maeda, a genuine hardcase who just can't get any respect, due to his lack of a tough nickname, Shinjiro Hayashida, whose Mohican haircut is the most animated thing on the show, indicating his mood, gestures, and thoughts, Yukata Takenouchi, the toughest kid in the year, leader of the school gang, and with a motion sickness Achilles Heel. Other Cromartie pupils include a giant gorilla, a robot named Mechazawa who has no idea he is a robot. And Freddie Mercury. Straight from the '80s, with red braces and mustache is the lead singer of Queen, or a close facsimile, and although he never says a word, his presence is certainly felt in these episodes. As you would expect, there are rival schools of delinquency, and among their students is Takeuchi Noboru, an afro wielding tough guy who has secret dreams of hitting it big on the comedy scene, and who analyses and criticises each comment for comic potential. It turns out that Kamiyama is his chief rival when it comes to donating gags to a radio show, but how can two delinquents reveal their inner japesters, without losing that tough veneer?

The episodes are short and sweet, focusing on whatever bizarre oddities that may occur. One episode revolves around a tune that Hayashida can't get out of his head, yet cannot put a name to. The whole school gets involved trying to figure it out. A school trip causes problems for Takenouchi's delicate stomach, and then a taxi ride into the wilderness when a rival school kidnaps Maeda only makes matters worse. A new student, Takeshi Hokuto transfers in to take control of the school, as convention dictates, but he winds up at the wrong school, and has to build a tower of lies to get out of it. Noboru has a hard time understanding why a TV show called Pootan is so funny, and then a doctor has to administer medical exams to the students. He can refer Mechazawa to an electronics store, and he can just about handle Freddie, but the gorilla is going too far.

Cromartie High School is daft and surreal, which can be the making of a hit show. It can also be the death knell if no one gets the jokes. Sometimes the story will make no sense where it's headed; With its bad animation comes comedy and is well worth looking up if you are in the mood for some animated insanity.

I have to admit. When I discovered this anime not long ago I didn't expect anything amazing. I turned it on and I get this warning about characters being delinquents. Starts nice. Next I get awesome opening. I love it! But the very first scene is what made me felt for this anime. Seriously I didn't expect some random guy eating dropped pencil. It sounds stupid, it is stupid but it made me laugh so hard. And from now on most the time I enjoyed this title sooooo hard!

Story: each episode covers different story, sometimes episodes are vaguely connected but that is strength of this ... anime. You never know what will happen next. Sometimes I felt some longer story would be nice but then Sakigake made ma laugh so hard I instantly forgot about that stupid wish.
'Adventures' of Kamiyama and his friends are simple, sometimes stupid as hell but almost always I was dying laughing hard.

Characters: it is story about school full of delinquents so it is obvious we will encounter some bizarre characters. Copy of Freddy Mercury who never says a word. Robot Mechazawa who seems to be the most mature student. Gorilla as eloquent as Freddy.
But the strongest characters are the main guys. Kamiyama who is not delinquent at all and believes that bettering the school body is possible for him. Everybody assumed he is toughest guy in school and he wins National Boss Championship with his brains not fists. And his adventures and lists to his mom are incredible comedy.
I won't discuss every character because there is quite bunch of interesting guys. And everyone is funny and has rich background. Also everyone adds something to comedy making this show one of the greatest.

Sound: opening and ending fits incredibly this title. And to be honest I can't get op song from my head. Voice acting also is pure gold and even Freddy who doesn't speak a word has nice background noise.

Overall: I enjoyed this show. Laughed hard, cheered on this bunch of idiots who wanted to be the biggest delinquents in the world. Adventures of Kamiyama and gang were ridiculous, stupid and extremely funny. From beginning to the very end I enjoyed every episode regretting the fact that they last only 11 mins.

Hilarious and deep at the same time, even though Sakigage ! Cromartie is a parody of the deliquent stereotype and also a kinda of homage/parody to Otokokuju, it has its own identity and a couple of philosophic questions inside it over the top crazy plot of a school for deliquents that has : A muscular Freddie Mercury that doesnt speak, a gorila (yes, the big monkey), a robot and his little brother (called beta/mechawatt) and a strong bancho(gang leader) that cant travel cause he gets sick inside vehicles, even though he loves school trips ! This anime is so crazy that will make you fall ... in love with it, the characters are totally parodies of cliches while they have an certain characteristic that makes the very unique, like the dude who is pissed of 24/7 at the street, but is a nice guy talking to people in his forum. Please give it a chance, that anime deserves every love there is out there. OH and before i forget, the opening theme is so freaking good, i love that final part, "mo aaaarusaaaa" it is beautiful.
My favorite characters are :
Kamiyama (the protagonist)
Maeda (the best boi)
Fujimoto (computer fella)
Freddie (FUREDY)

Hilarious, engaging, interesting, and very what-the-hell-just-happened, Cromartie High School is one of the best comedy anime I personally have ever seen. While there's little plot, the mini-stories are side-splitting and action-packed.

The only basic story for Cromartie High School is that the main character, Takashi Kamiyama, has been enrolled in a school known for its bad-assedness, yet he is a normal, intelligent, kind Japanese boy. The little bit of plot this story had was lost from the switch from manga to anime (as any bit of plot mentioned in the first episode is interrupted by Kamiyama's cry of, "If you want to know what happened just ... read the manga!") however this anime is not known for it's plot, or its use of anything people are able to understand.

Kamiyama and his cast of bad ass friends are fun and hilarious. One of the best aspects of this anime is the character Shinjirou Hayashida, who sports a purple mohawk. While it was funny in the manga alone, what makes this even more hilarious in the anime is that it moves, making slithering movements and randomly shooting out straight. Each other character has his own catch-phrase or mini-plot which makes him a favorite or just fun to watch.

This is the only shonen-based comedy anime I know of, and it's definitely a home-run. The best part is if anyone watching is planning on looking into the manga or the live-action movie there are different stories for all of them, while the basic elements stay the same, making it just as interesting on any field.

This anime certainly is a one-of-a-kind in the world of comedy, a really witty comedy anime involving high school delinquents.

There's no certain story nor the narration is linear, but the series revolves around the main character Takashi Kamiyama who joined a high school named Cromartie High School which is a den for the Tokyo delinquents. Kamiyama who's a decent guy adapts to be in the atmosphere of the delinquents by actually being himself. The series is about the routine of the delinquents in Cromartie High school which involves many bizarre characters. Cromartie has many rival schools with whom they fight a lot like a real ... gangsta novel, which is too hilarious and well put.

The direction is good and the timing of the delivery of the lines is just perfect, the production is on a low budget, the voice acting is very good and every character was just too funny. Each episode is about 12 min long, it is a parody series all in all. I really loved the comedy aspect of the series as one character puts out, the comedy is entirely made on situations and the perspectives of the characters, not on the premature adult jokes. The anime is flat-out funny, recommended to the comedy-loving peeps.

(I try to keep my reviews short and sweet and straight to the point without giving away spoilers with that said lets get this show on the road)

This anime is an hilarious show that could be watched to pass the time.

Story line- This anime is follows a "normal boy" in a delinquent school. Each episode is about him just trying to find the strength to survive each episode. There's no real plot that goes through the anime. Nonetheless it didn't take away from the overall concept of the anime.

Art & Sound- The art was classically done, nothing to modern. The art was also well ... done.

Character- Each character has his own respected personality. Some was just straight bad and others were the quite type. Nonetheless I feel like each character had their own role to play to make this anime successful. They were all kind of the main character in a sense. Most characters were present in all of the episodes.

Enjoyment- I really enjoyed this anime and the "light nature" of it. The while anime was nothing but laughs and that's why I enjoyed it so much. Not all animes need to be about death or heavily into romance. It was all about having fun.