Warau Salesman New

I would like to say first and foremost - fuck this show. Don't watch it. Its mean spirited, morally empty and without a message.

You know anthology shows like The Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock Presents usually give a scenario where you are waiting for a character to "get theirs" or to see where a single mistake can lead you. The setups and endings are different - you could be following a character you want to see succeed or one you want to see fail, and the supernatural aspects they sometimes encounter vary wildly and the shows make good use of plot twists to throw you ... off the trail.

The issue with The Laughing Salesman is that it does none of that. Let me explain to you every single episode - every single story, of which there are two in each episode - of The Laughing Salesman.

All people in this world - young and old, male and female - are lonely at heart. My name is Moguro, they call me the Laughing Salesman but I'm no ordinary salesman I deal in peoples hearts, oh no I don't need a single yen the best thing is to see the face of a satisfied customer
Introducing our Japanese worker bee who will be ruined for no reason, ****-san
Something goes wrong
Moguro appears and does his shtick then gives them a device that solves the issue, warning them that if they misuse it or use it to much there will be consequences. Or sometimes he causes the issue himself?
Heres where you might see some variation! The customer either misuses it or is led into scenarios where they have to use it.
PUNISHMENT TIME DOOOOOOOOM
Uneven punishments that usually don't fit the scale of the crime or have an ironic Sisyphean nature to them


And thats it. The issue is that the show never bothers to stray from these tight confines. It is usually not a fulfilling show to watch either, as good people - some who Moguro purposefully creates a situation for them to be trapped into so he can punish them for misusing something he gave them to solve the problem he made - get punished through no fault of their own and for no moral reason. There are stories where the person is pretty shitty and gets whats coming, but I can't think of a single one where they would have ended up at that point without Moguro.

So is the issue that its far too depressing, bleak, pessimistic and fatalistic? Yeah a little bit. But I think the issue is more along the lines of the show just being not very good. Aside from the strong visual direction (aside from flashing to pictures of Hell all the time. Stop doing that its the opposite of clever.) I wouldn't classify this as a good show. It has plenty of things about it that seem interesting and I spent the majority of the season trying to decide if it had some deep commentary on Japanese society, fate or Bystander Syndrome locked in there but I really don't think so - its just a mean spirited show with no human soul. This is in no small part due to the series mascot - the ever smiling, fat and mysterious Laughing Salesman, Moguro. Moguro isn't a human, angel, demon or god. He's not anything. He's just a force, I guess. No story in this happens without his direct intervention, and he seems to have reality bending powers that require the viewer to just roll with it. Want a natural story about a fall from grace? Well fuck off because Moguro's only method of tricking people is to design most of the failure from the ground up. These people aren't bad, even the ones with bad tendencies or those who abuse the power because Moguro is always the one behind it all. Nothing happens without Moguro. Since he is essentially the narrator, I would say he is similar to the Cryptkeeper but with more direct impact on the story. But since none of these stories would happen without Moguro its like...whats the point here? Trying to make a statement about fatalism? Why have the direct hand of Moguro unnaturally steer people in the wrong direction then? Free will? None of these outcomes would have come together without Moguro setting them into a situation which causes the things to happen, and one of these people choose this. Moguro just leads them there, by force or foul play if necessary. If someone denies his requests he will just steal their purse or some shit and runaway until they listen and are connived into a scenario of shit. Its just...ugh. Have a message. The message is never "misuse of power is wrong" or "this is the morally wrong thing to do" its "Haha here is Salaryman Takamoto-san, drink this water that makes you feel better about your shitty life. But don't drink too much or else you'll be punished, probably in a way that doesn't reflect the theme of the episode at all BECAUSE WE HAVE NO THEME."

You know whats scarier then the Devil? The fact that there is no Devil, and humans don't need the help of any evil creature to be evil themselves.

I spit on this show.

Have you ever desired​ to deal with the devil? Countless stories throughout the past had tried to portrait the consequences of a deal. A fire tempting the fly.
The laughing salesman is another display of such. A salesman disguised as a helping hand with a sole purpose to take you into a deeper despair. Like "the man with big eyes and the man with big mouth" in Monster, you all sure remember.
Every episode has two separate stories with a same type of ending. A distinct setup of letting a person through extreme joy, meeting his or her ultimate desire and as they get used to ... such services, as their personality changes to ignorance, they find themselves in a depth of loans. So it is clear that they have already set some rules they'll always obey, but I would very much like if they add some volume into it. Otherwise it may get quite boring for some.
Being an ​episodic anime, unlike other animes such as natsume that moves us with emotions, laughing salesman strikes psychologically.
Now the opening, oh my god the opening is already my favourite this season both visually and melodically. And the music is also highly satisfying.
Some might don't like the animation style as it has a old-fashion cultural presentation with a comedic touch. But boy it suits completely.

TL;DR – An oddity even among the growing number of anime reboots, The Laughing Salesman offers a darkly comic, pessimistic &, unfortunately, a little bit dated journey through the underside of Japanese society & human nature.

The last few years have seen a growing trend for older series getting new adaptations. From action classics like JoJo's Bizarre Adventures to children's shorts like Bono Bono, an ever growing number of titles are being given new prequels, sequels, remakes, reboots or simply getting an adaptation years after the source material finished publication. This goes double for The Laughing Salesman, adapting a manga by Fujiko Fuko A that ... ran from 1969-1971 & was previously adapted into anime from 1989-1992, another period when adapting older titles was in vogue.

At its simplest, The Laughing Salesman can be summed up as a series of morality tales that follow an almost identical structure. We're introduced to a character who, perhaps despite outward appearances, is missing something in their life & is open to ways of finding it. This leads them to encounter Fukuzou Moguro, a sinister looking figure who offers them a solution on condition that they promise not to ignore his instructions. Of course they inevitably do, so each story ends with an ironic punishment.

This structure has led to criticism that The Laughing Salesman is mean spirited. No matter how good or deserving the client seems, or understandable their reasons for breaking their end of the bargain; all of them do it & all are punished for doing so. This criticism I think is based at least partly on the false assumption that you're supposed to agree with what happens to them. The Laughing Salesman is no saint. Indeed, he's not unlike the Devil in Western folklore, seeking out those who might be susceptible to his charms & offering them a deal that seems fair but is designed to encourage his client to break it.

A simple reading would be that the moral of each story is be careful of what your wish for or be weary of offers that seem too good to be true, but it goes beyond that. Many characters start out sympathetic & clearly wronged, but reveal themselves to be hypocrites, liars or just as bad as those who wrong them. As Moguro says to one client toiling at a black company, “who knew you were rather black yourself?” Arguably not all characters really deserve their fate, but then you have to ask where the story is really laying the blame. For example, who's at fault: The old man who breaks his promise not to try to find the fake, online grandson Moguro provides him; or the society that allows the elderly to become so isolated that they would need such a service to begin with?

Ultimately, The Laughing Salesman simply presents his clients with a deal & punishes them for breaking it. The right & wrong of the situation is for the viewer to decide. Having said that, there is undoubtedly meant to be humour in the irony of how things turn out. So while it's debatable what the stance the series takes on events, it is a series that expects the audience to see the funny side in what happens, if perhaps in a "if you can't laugh, what can you do?" way.

That's not to say the execution is flawless. For one thing, there is an annoying reliance on fat &/or old hags being either the punishment or cause of a character taking Moguro's deal. While often used in the context of showing the shallowness of a client's professed love of something or someone, it does get tiresome seeing yet another man be tempted by a beautiful woman & punished with an ugly one. The stories with female clients are also arguably the weakest, with the final one ending with the the very unpleasant implication that her punishment is to be raped by a foreigner.

The Laughing Salesman also has a similar issue that a somewhat similar series (at least at first), Hell Girl, had. Because it follows the same formula for each episode, the result is that very different situations are treated with the same gravity despite clearly not being on the same level. It feels incongruent to see someone punished for wanting to cheat on their wife, only for the next story to be about a guy who just really wants to ride on a favourite train a second time.

The age & occupation of many characters also stands out. Most of Moguro's clients are middle aged salarymen or office workers, with the youngest being a 22 year old university student. While there has been an effort to modernise the setting, a number of characters feel the product of past decades, as well as raising the same questions about how, for instance, nobody would have heard of this very unique looking Salesman that dogged Parasyte's modernisation. There are some, such as the aforementioned old man & a chat room nerd, who feel like appropriately modern takes on the shows formula. But many of the stories use quite familiar stock characters & settings, which can leave The Laughing Salesman feeling its age.

But it doesn't look old. While retaining the artstyle of manga & anime from the 1960s-1970s, this production by Shin-Ei Animation (who also did the previous adaptation) still feels quite modern. While fairly limited overall, the animation for Moguro's “Boom!” sequences, the point where he punishes the client, are all well done & there is good use of switching from the simple art style to more detailed & full of action line stills to emphasise a character's reaction. It all contributes to maintaining a suitably ominous & darkly comic tone, with one notable exception being when a possessed girl is dancing in front of oncoming traffic - the sequence being funny for the wrong reasons.

Most notable is of course the Salesman himself, appearing like a besuited Laughing Buddha with a Cheshire Cat smile that often emerges menacingly from the shadows. His design alone gives him a commanding presence, though commendation goes to the director for often picking just the right angle to amplify the sense of menace he exudes. Credit also to the performance by Tessyo Genda (Violence Jack!) who gives Moguro an unnerving laugh & a voice that can make your skin crawl. But with all that said, it seems likely that some will be put off just by the apparent juxtaposition of an art style now mostly associated with old kids shows with the darker tone of the stories.

Beyond the content of the show itself, though, there is one nagging question: why was this made? What about 2017 made the producers think now is the time to bring The Laughing Salesman back? As mentioned before, the series feels old, not really fitting in even among all the reboots etc being released. It made sense for the manga to be written when it was, when gekiga comics were booming & many mangaka were looking to cater to an audiencve eager for darker, edgier stories. The previous anime adaptation fits in with the transition in anime from space opera optimism to cyberpunk & post apocalyptic pessimism that occurred during the very peak of the bubble economy & the crash that in some ways Japan still hasn't fully recovered from.

But there is no economic crash in 2017. No Japanese New Wave driving artists to challenge the post-war consensus on what is an appropriate subject for media. There is certainly a growing unease about inequality & the failing social contract in Japan, & as mentioned some of the characters do seem to address that. But too many feel like stock characters that could have existed at any time in post or even pre-WW2 media. Office women having to put up with their co-workers talking behind their backs & salarymen cheating on their wives, while still no doubt a feature of Japanese society, just don't feel particularly modern.

There really needed to be more done to make this adaptation stand out as more than just a well done rehash of old ideas; though when viewed purely in the context of today's anime, it still manages to seem different. Even so, fans of series like Paranoia Agent that explore the darker side of people's characters which they'd rather keep hidden should enjoy The Laughing Salesman. Those who expect good things to happen to good people, however, should stay away.

Warau salesman is mostly the materialization of people's decisions when confronting their less moral drives. The character of each 10 minute story always gives in to the salesman's temptation and always gets punished.

I think it is fair that the salesman doesn't warn them about any possible consequences. No one can pass responsibility over their own actions.

However, many of the punishments they receive, or rather, the consequences of their actions, have nothing in common with what they were doing wrong. So quite a few end up disappointingly.

Still, the main problem of this anime lies in the fact that the moment you see the characters fall ... into their own desire's trap there's no reason to be interested in any way about the action. It becomes just a tedious wait for the inevitable ending.

There's no problem with being formulaic, or episodic, but when the formula itself deprives the viewer from any pleasure it's hard to not view this anime as a waste of resources.

I would like to start out by saying that this show is not as bad as people make it out to be. Each episode there are two people visited by the Laughing Salesman and they end up receiving some sort of punishment for their greediness.

The episodes are not meant to be watched back to back. If you binge-watch the show, it will get real repetitive real quick. On a weekly basis, this anime works. I looked forward to each episode. While all the cases provided may not be relatable, they do show the greedy side of humans. (I especially loved episode 11).

I think ... Warau Salesman New is a relatively underrated anime that only gets marked down because of its episodic nature. Some continuity would have been nice but it is still good the way it is. I recommend watching the Warau Salesman New despite its current rating of 6.29. It's a really enjoyable watch.

Spoiler free review

I welcome feedback on my reviews

So you've finished another long hard day at work, and you're walking home so you can eat and rest. You've got this tiny problem that's been bugging you for the longest time, but since you're so busy with your day to day life, you just don't have the time or determination to solve it yourself. Suddenly, a short old man appears before you. He's wearing a three-piece suit, tie, and hat, and he has teeth the size of bricks. Smiling that massive grin of his, he hands you a business card that reads "Moguro Fukuzou. I will fill ... that hole in your heart..." He then proceeds to offer you the best deal you have ever heard in your life. He plans to help fix that problem that has been nagging you for an eternity. It's too good to be true... right?

Laughing Salesman New is pretty much that fun little story I just shared with you. Each ep is split into two 10-minute segments, each focusing on Fukuzou Moguro, the "Laughing Salesman," and his latest customer. It's an episodic show where we watch each client get exactly what they want... until Moguro takes it away and fucks them over hard. There's quite a mix of clients throughout the series, some deserve what they get while others were just trying to make their own life easier. It's an interesting premise that could be explored quite well, but Laughing Salesman kinda misses the mark.

There is not much to focus on for this anime. The animation is retro themed, (similar to Mr. Osomatsu) and there are only two recurring characters. (Moguro and the bartender of Ma no Ten, who just makes drinks in the background) The only thing that can really be looked into is how well it manages its episodic theme. Sadly, it's pretty hit and miss as you progress through the show. A lot of eps can feel too predictable, rushed or forced, slightly ruining the consequence Moguro unleashes onto his customers, while others give you the right amount of satisfaction to tickle your dark side as you watch each and every person fall to their demise. It's very hard for some people to stay invested in a show where you have no idea when you'll like the latest ep or not, but when the show gets it right, it really shines for just a little while.

Moguro himself is a great main character, as long as you don't mind the fact that he scams anyone and everyone. He has a way of making you like him, even though you know he's kind of an ass. His unique laugh, the way he talks and draws in his victims, and the ever-satisfying BOOOM that triggers their downfall, they all gather up to make Moguro such a fun character to watch. Of course, these traits only really shine during the really good eps, so others will definitely see him differently depending on how they enjoy the anime.

Laughing Salesman New provides us with a tease with its interesting premise and character, but it just fails to keep its consistency with its eps. Many people will enjoy it, but there are also many that will dislike the feel of the show. If you truly want to see how this unfolds and are willing to forgive it for its ups and downs, then I urge you to watch it and discover this rough little gem for yourself. But proceed with caution if you dislike the sort of stuff I have talked about, you're only gonna end up burning yourself. Another victim of the Laughing Salesman.

At first I liked this anime as the premise is really good. It strikes how normal, unsuccessful people are mentally weak, how they easily succumb to their desires. However, I was hoping the stories will each have different endings, rather than only one kind of ending. Not every human is the same.
It does show how easily one can be manipulated by the promise of something akin to paradise. However, some people are smarter at using the chance and continue to improve their paradise, rather than blow it all away. The only issue I have with this anime is how the plot always ends. It ... gets repetitive.

Edit: After watching a few more episodes I dropped this and gave it a rating.

The reboot/remake/continuation of Waraus Salesman follows the exact same premise from the original series down to a T, but with a modern touch to it. If you liked the original show you will certainly enjoy this one too. The only gripe I have with this new version is that there are very few new and exclusive storys being told. Over half of the stories being told in "New" are reboots of episodes from the original show.

As for the content it is literally the same blueprint as the original Warau Salesman. So here goes my initial review I did on the original series:

Warau Salesman is not ... only one of those "one of a kind anime" but is also heavily underrated and missunderstood.
First of all, Warau Salesman is a Horror-Comedy with pretty heavy social commentary. I don't know why people always deem it as something else. But lets start at the beginning.

The show is about a mysterious salesman, Moguro Fukuzou, who deals in human souls (the literal japanese translation is "kokorou" which means heart, but its symbolic for souls). He offers people a splendid deal that fits their deepest desires perfectly and that they won't possibly refuse. All free of charge of course. However, Moguro has always one condition that he makes clear to his clients. If the client breaks that condition, the whole deal is void and Moguro can collect his soul (visualized by basically fucking up his former clients life). Now here is where the whole horror and also social commentary comes in. Moguro himself is of course not a normal salesman yet alone a normal human being. His true origins are never made really clear throughout the whole series, but its safe to say that he is some sort of a devils advocat if not the devil himself. He always hangs in a bar called "Demon Nest" so that basically covers that. And just like some demons Moguro, in some way, has to be invited by the people. If the client is on the hook and agrees to Mogurus terms, from that point on Moguru is in his life for good watching him at all times without being noticed (except if he wants to be noticed). Now why would anybody break a good deal that last forever as long as one tiny condition won't get violated? Because human beings are selfish, ignorant and greedy scum who always want more! You give them the little pinky and they take the whole hand! And that is the premise of this show and Moguros transactions. He knows of that selfish nature and feasts upon it. He knows eventually every last one of his human clients will turn into a greedy and dishonest pig, so he can collect his souls in peace.

But despite all the deep commentary, Warau Salesman is still a funny comedy show with some great humor in it. Not least due to Moguros crazy monologues and self awareness. The events in each episode make up for great situation comedy as well.

If you want sophisticated and social critical, yet dark, crazy and unpredictable comedy this is the show for you. I definitely recommand it!

Warau Salesman New began way back in 1968. It was written by Fujiko Fujio A. It's actually had multiple anime, visual novel games & a short-lived drama. The first anime ran for over a hundred episodes, but we're talking about the newer one today. Because that's the one I was asked to review. Both anime have the same studio, Shin-Ei Animation. Which is best known for the long running Doraemon franchise. So, how does this series hold up? Let's take a look at it and see.

Story:

There is no over-arcing narrative to this series. Rather, it's an episodic work where each episode contains two ... stories. Each story sees our titular “laughing salesman” Moguro Fukuzou, visit someone who's in some state of desperation. He offers them something that will help them out of their situation, but there's a catch to it. A rule, if you will. Should they be overcome by greed and break that rule they will suffer consequences. Really, the series is built around the schadenfreude of watching the build up that leads to their Electronic Arts moment of delving too deeply and greedily and falling as a result.

Honestly, the biggest issue with the series is just that it's highly formulaic. You know right away who Moguro is going to approach. You know basically how he's going to interact with them and you know that they're going to screw themselves over as a result of their dealings with him. And this isn't a series for children or young teenagers where you can completely forgive that. The series might have benefited from having the occasional situation where they successfully resist temptation and he doesn't get his big “boom” moment as a consequence. It would've added some variety, at least. The series also repeats, basically verbatim, the same dialogue at the start of every single scenario. Because you might have forgotten what the lines are in the ten to twelve minutes it takes for one half of the episode to end and the other to begin.

That being said, the situations are interesting to watch, even though you know the basic way they're going to unfold. And the series does manage to build some tension over what exactly the trap is. It also gives some variety by having some people who really have a karmic kick in the bollocks coming to them while others you can feel kind of sorry for. For example, one of our subjects is a mum who's forcing her child into show business because it was her dream that she had to give up and it's satisfying seeing that total bint get her due. There's another subject who's just a lonely old man who's being ignored by his own family for unexplored reasons. I feel a bit sorry for him.

Characters:

Each individual story in this series puts the focus on one character, explores what factors have put them in a fallen state and what causes them to fall into Moguro's trap and how the karmic retribution fits. Some characters are better explored than others, with some stories focusing more on the scenario than others, but, in general, you do get enough of the characters to keep the events surrounding them interesting. Although, you do have to question their judgement when they're being completely taken in by someone as sketchy looking as Moguro.

Seriously, the dude looks like he ate one of the Joker's laughing fish and he never stops showing his teeth. Yeah, the occasional character points out that he looks a bit shady but none of them seem to get really sceptical after he's offered them something too good to be true. Nor do you ever see someone just refuse it. I guess he targets people who are a bit desperate and also really gullible.

Art:

This series makes use of really old style shounen art with all the exaggerated features and shifting proportions that entails. It looks a bit like Osomatsu-san, actually. Honestly, the art style doesn't work as well here. Here's the thing. That series is completely comedic. It can justify the strange stylistic kinks a lot better than this series where it's somewhat dramatic. In this, it's a bit distracting when a character's size changes from one scene to the next.

Sound:

This series did get some really talented people including Ishida Akira, Toyoguchi Megumi, & Koyasu Takehito. Then we have Genda Tessyo as our main protagonist. The performances are quite good. The music is pretty average. It's not particularly good nor is it bad. It simply is.

Ho-yay:

The series doesn't have any.

Final Thoughts:

Honestly, I'm rather fond of this type of series. I like seeing karmic retribution and I find the execution here to be pretty entertaining. It may not be Petshop of Horrors, but I did quite enjoy it. If you're a fan of that type of thing and you can forgive the parts that are rather repetitive, I suggest giving it a go. My final rating is going to stand at a solid 7/10. Next week I'm looking at Rose of Versailles.

It's easy to misunderstand this series and to see it as a 'deal with the devil' show, a supernatural show, or even a dark comedy. But this is the opposite of comedy; it is tragedy. Specifically, an allegorical tragedy about the consequences of desire.

Western cultures have newspaper cartoon series with simple themes: Dilbert is about the absurdities of the workplace; in Charlie Brown life will put you in your place but is ultimately rewarding. Warau Salesman comes from a Japanese newspaper cartoon series whose theme is apparently about the ways in which desire can damage your life.

In the West we have 'the ... green-eyed monster' as a personification of envy; in Japan Moguro Fukuzuo is the pale, clammy personification of desire who arises when a person becomes dissatisfied with their lot in life. It usually begins small, with a wistful sigh that life be just a bit easier in some way. Thus desire is born, and Moguro appears. Just by changing your behavior life CAN be a bit easier. You may have second thoughts, but with a sudden shock, your desire will force you onward. Sometimes, desire offers you a way to continue to make things easier, as long as you stick to a few simple rules. But it's the nature of desire that you will break the rules, because desire tends to grow. Sometimes the ending is comical, more ironic than morbid, more poetic justice than traumatic. Always desire grins at you with heavily-lidded eyes that speak of self-indulgence and of a cunning that is greater than yours. The ending is never quite what the victim wanted, but their cold consolation is that they are victims of themselves, they have been led astray by their own heart.

Why would anyone be interested in a show like this? Compare it to the popular American TV franchise "Law and Order:" crimes are shown and the criminals often caught, but the victims rarely end up better than before. Tragedy as a genre has been with us since classical Western times, and their expressive power is suggested by the longevity of the Hamlet and Oedipus archetypes. As a genre, Tragedy lets you watch and be warned. Or you can watch and say that you would never put yourself in such a situation, though the Buddhist philosophy that has heavily influenced Japan would say otherwise. Desire's laugh is not an evil cackle, it is a whoop of surprise and sudden self-awareness: I never thought this is how it would turn out, I never thought this would happen to ME.

If you are interested in a series that explores the everyday concerns of individuals in a complex, highly-structured society, this series is for you. If you'd like to know more about the kinds of things Japanese society finds shameful, inappropriate, or degrading, then this series is for you. If you seek an allegory of spiritual struggle worthy of "Pilgrim's Progress," then this series is for you. Otherwise, may your heart lead you elsewhere.

This one is a weird one to review. As I give it a 9 for enjoyment, but it's a lot of the same ways I like twilight zone, outer limits, or the good M Night Shyamalan movies, in that they have good twists, or endings.

Each episode is formulaic, there are two stories, each one introduces the person the story will follow, they bump into the laughing salesman, her offers them what they truly want, and it often goes bad, mostly through their own actions, by being too selfish, by breaking the rules, by ignoring the warnings.

What made me enjoy it is, the curiosity ... in how they will get their comeuppance, some b breaking the rules, others by getting what they want, but as often is in life, it isn't what they expected.

The animation and art is passable my main issue with it is, a lot of the characters start to look interchangeable, but doesn't ruin the over all feel of the show, just something I noticed.

This may not be for everyone, but if your interested in something in the light of twilight zone and such you might enjoy it.

Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise~

This is a quote from a famous person who defines the Psychoanalysis and the Personality Development, Sigmund Freud. If you have learned about the Id, Ego and Superego, you will be attracted to this anime.

Do you know why I mentioned Freud in this review of Warau Salesman? Simple. It is because the whole topic and story of this anime is all about the desires and luxuries of us people. This shows that we humans are thirsty for our self-desirement. This includes the basis of humans as a carnivorous being who wants to catch and hunt for their ... preys (desires) in order to satisfy themselves. It just a means of self-satisfaction. We cannot avoid this kind of experience since all people in this world wants to fufill their satisfaction right?

Warau Saleman is an episodic anime. Kinda boring because yeah some episodic stuff and repititive actions in the series. Ever wonder why episodic anime sometimes prove the essence of knowledge? Because this kind of anime gives us a message for every scenario. Warau Salesman gives golden lessons for every episode (2 scenarios per episode so double the golden lessons per episode).

As I finish every episode, I have realized that the main character of this series is a satire person. He holds the persona of a demon who makes a person suffers because of the words of a demon whispering to their ears. Not able to control themselves because of the shits that has given by the laughing salesman. Upon fulfillment, he will cast a "BOOM' to his victim and make them suffer more because for him it was fun. He doesn't care about the feelings because you know he was a salesman. Only business comes into this.

I hate this anime to be honest. Thanks to its lessons and I understand now why I should not let my urges goes before me. I understand what will happen if my "ID" will prioritize instead of my Ego. I don't want to suffer in this kind of menace. Enjoying life is the best fulfillment.

This is a good anime for me. If you are still not satisfied with my review then after reading this, you are now the victim of the "Laughing Salesman". Trust me. Watch this anime as long as you have guts. Would you let your Id comes before you or your brain to pass through? Think about it. You will never know what might happen.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the last part. It is just some figure of speech I have made to spice-up my review. Hope you like it.

At first glance, Warau Salesman's unappealing aesthetic is enough to dissuade one from watching this series. The aesthetic itself bears a resemblance to Mob Psycho 100 to some extent (even the cover art is uncannily similar), however unlike the latter, Warau Salesman does not compensate for this by featuring incredibly animated sequences.

Warau Salesman's selling point primarily lies in its ability to convey the flaws within human nature, namely greed. This aspect is exemplified by the focal character of the series, Moguro Fukuzo, a self-proclaimed salesman that dons a black fedora and a large, unsettling smile. Each episode follows a concrete formula: Moguro finds a ... client, or rather, a victim > victim tells Moguro about their problems > Moguro conjures an item to help resolve this problem, albeit with a specific rule attached and if the rule is broken, consequences befall the victim > victim temporarily resolves their issue > victim attempts to further alleviate their issue, breaking the rule in the process > victim is punished by Moguro in an ironic fashion. While this formula makes for a predictable outcome, the manner by which Moguro's victim is punished is still quite amusing. Warau Salesman not only deconstructs the blatant flaws of Moguro's victims but also of contemporary society as a whole; unemployment, social ineptitude, unhealthy emphasis on appearance, etc.

Overall, Warau Salesman is a great show to watch on the side. It has all the qualities that a show needs to procure a bit of amusement.

Laughing Salesman is a pretty good show, easily watchable from beginning to end. If you are considering watching this, you can just go through one or two episodes and pretty much get the jist of it since the show has a static pattern.

What made this interesting to me was seeing how different characters approach Moguro's offers, and their particular weaknesses that cause them suffering. For a psychological show, its simple and easy to digest. The occasional exaggeration in the art adds to its comedic moments, and its eerie ones. The opening is also catchy and sets the mood pretty well.

It falls short because after ... time it becomes too predictable. The plot of each half-episode is fairly solid, but the formula easy to foretell and probably not very entertaining if you try watching it all at once. None of Moguro's customers ever outsmart him, end up better off, or solve their issues without some consequence. It's obvious Moguro specially chooses his targets because everyone he deals with is doomed to fail, but that doesn't really make for an entertaining narrative for weeks on end.

Overall, it's a 6/10. You could probably pass this and be no worse off, but at the very least Laughing Salesman is better than most would lead you to believe.

If you are an avid follower of Japanese media and culture you will probably be acquainted with the problems caused by intrusive salespeople in Japan, the blame is often placed on poor regulations within the legal system to protect the consumer and in a society like the Japanese society, where people generally embrace the concept of minimalistic and frugal lifestyles, the more unscrupulous and sagacious people need to find better ways to reach out to the market and make the best out of every little chance they can get.

This is what I believe inspires the character of Moguro Fukuzou, the "Warau Salesman" (adding the good ... ol' "NEW" to the title because it works everytime)

So this could be considered a formulaic, episodic animated work with a defined structure to deliver a "punchline" showcasing the flaws of the different "clients" and how their actions invariably devolve in unpleasant outcomes for them, now this seems simple enough, almost too simple even, so the execution is the only selling point that this show can offer for those that don't get a kick out of plain black humor or what is essentially a fleeting moment of sadistic schadenfreude for those who are into that, because as I see it, there isn't even much of a comedic value to the series, and there's also the fact that it tends to give itself a little bit too much to nonsensical portrayals while dealing with the hard hitting, dark themes it's supposed to delve into.

So essentially, even when the show is dark and ugly it doesn't takes itself seriously on that subject, which would then disappoint those looking for a serious, grim and crude depiction of real life conflicts, so it comes off as light-hearted, even on the face of unethical and sometimes outright malicious and fraudulent bussiness practices.

Even with that, I can at least praise the accurate depiction of actual marketing stratagems, in this show you see examples of loss leading, decoy effects, razor and blades, locked-in consumerism, and other common underhanded (yet legal) methods of catering and marketing used by many great and successful companies around the world, it's a great watch for those wanting to "deconstruct the method" behind (unethical?) bussiness practices, which is the part of the anime I probably enjoyed the most, admittedly.

But that leads me to another aspect which I consider a flaw, because even when the circumstances in which the events take place are often presented without leaving much to the imagination (for a 15 minutes per episode format it's actually hard to cram all that information within the time frame) from time to time it still leaves out small details which, might or not be very obvious, but would probably escape the grasp of the untrained mind, and take out that special realistic feeling out of the story.

Again, this is probably because it tries to stay away from getting too dark, but it affects the enjoyment factor for those who want to see a well-written and well-executed story even if it's just a formulaic XYZ type of narrative.

And lastly on that note, the fact this is a dark, sordid type of humor tale that doesn't even takes itself seriously can potentially leave viewers feeling with that sense of discontent and emptiness, mainly because there's no sense of closure upon reaching the punchline, and for those who are morally uptight this can be borderline upsetting even, so watch out for that, it's not something like Jigoku Shoujo or Yamishibai where you can expect something 'fulfilling' to happen by the end, as in, something to close the cycle or answer questions, there's not gonna be any of that surely.

But one thing's clear to me, the character of Moguro is most definitely evil, and while the actual instances where his devious need to cause harm are actually evident are pretty scarce, you can see that his dark intent is more than just hinted throughout the series if you look close enough.

First ever review.

What would you do if you came across a man who states that he is a salesman and can help "fill the hole in your heart?" Would you take up his offer or deny it?

Story
Every episode is different but it follows the same sort of formula. Each episode has two parts which means it features two different characters with two different situations. So basically, character meets Moguro (the main character) and tells of their troubles. Moguro agrees to help but there is always some sort of catch. Character doesn't heed Moguro's warning and then BOOM!! they get punished for it.

I have to ... say that the premise is very interesting since it is essentially teaching that you will be punished if you get too greedy or don't follow the rules. I did have some problems with it. Because the anime follows this same formula, it does get predictable about what is going to happen. When I was watching, I was playing a game of "how can the character mess this up?" And when it was revealed of how they can they mess it up I start to play the game of "what is there punishment going to be?" There were times that I was able to predict what was going to happen but there were times when I wasn't expecting things to end up the way that they did.

Art
When I first saw the art in the anime, it gave me Osomatsu-san vibes. But after doing some research, it actually has more of a Doraemon feel because the person that created Doraemon also created the Laughing Salesman. (There is a fun fact for you in case you didn't know)

I love the whole pop of color that you get from watching the show. I also like the different patterns and textures that would appear at times like when Moguro is warning the character or when he is punishing them. It gives the feel of like something bad will happen. I also like the different designs of the various characters that appear in each episode. The character's designs help with signifying what type of person they are.

Character
Throughout the anime there are only two major characters: Moguro and the bartender at Ma no su. Moguro at first glance I would say looks creepy. I mean I would not blame the characters for being skeptical of him and freaking out when they first encounter him. Not only does he look creepy but he could act creepy as well.

Despite that I find him very interesting. That is all I could say. I mean I find it interesting how he goes out of his way to "help" these people. I also have to wonder why he does this sort of thing and how in the world he is able to do the things that he does. Is he some sort of supernatural thing? I don't know.

Regardless he is a very interesting character and the characters that he encounters in the anime are also interesting.

Enjoyment
Besides having the same formula for each episode, I would have to say that I enjoyed this anime in some way. Although there were times when I wished that the characters didn't mess up and they had some sort of happy ending. I mean I could only recall like only one episode where there was a some sort of happy ending. But most of the time the characters get punished and then it just ruins their lives. I watched a couple of episodes with my cousins and finished the rest by myself. During the times I watched it with my cousin we just kept thinking, "wow that was pretty messed up" or "okay they kind of deserved that." But whenever I watched the anime I would have to say I really enjoyed the opening theme. I never skipped the opening.

Now would I want to rewatch this anime if I had the chance, I don't think I will.

Now this anime I would say is not for everyone. People might get turned off by the art style or something but I would have to say, if you want to try out new things or just curious, check it out. Maybe you will enjoy it or not.

“All people in this world – old, young, man, woman – are lonely at heart. I will fill that emptiness in their hearts.”

This line is recited by the so called ‘laughing salesman’ himself at the beginning of the 24 sub-episodes in the series to remind us of the show’s premise. This premise being that there is always a cost that comes with human over-indulgence. Donning a black suit and a smug grin, the salesman approaches people with a ‘problem’ which he offers to solve in a manner which seems too good to be true. Although the salesman is truthful in his words and he does ... “fill the emptiness in their hearts”, they quickly find that there is an ironic catch to each deal.

The anime doesn’t seem to have any connections between the sub-episodes that would make up an overarching plot, meaning the series is entirely episodic and can theoretically be watched in any order. That being said, the sub-episodes are well self-contained, and they quickly set up an introduction and finish with a satisfying punchline in ~10 minutes. They begin by introducing a new protagonist each time and usually reveal some type of problem that they are experiencing. This leads to them meeting Mogoru Fukuzo, the laughing salesman, where he will then offer them a magical solution. He always warns them not to get carried away, but his customers always break their promise and learn a harsh lesson in the end. Despite the strict formula in the anime, it didn’t feel overly repetitive to me personally, although this will differ for each viewer.

Because the protagonist changes in each episode, there are too many to cover in one review. However, I felt like they were satisfying overall, and they each had enough of a backstory to set them apart and keep the show interesting. Not much is revealed about the salesman himself in order to keep him mysterious, but his outward design is memorable to say the least, and he has a shrewd and uncanny demeanour that is uncommon for main characters that make him stound out.

The animation is nothing to write home about, but it is satisfactory and does the job well. The appeal (to me at least) was more the art style, which is a replication of the manga’s creator, Fujiko Fujio’s, iconic style that everyone can recognise at a glance due to the popularity of his other more mainstream series such as Doraemon.

The sound is decent. The music is fitting and relatively well-placed, and the OP and ED are above both above average but nothing too special. Overall, the sound is pretty forgettable and not particularly noteworthy, but it does the job.

I found the series to be decently enjoyable. Some of the stories were fairly thought-provoking and there are some reasonable lessons about greed desire, while others were unfortunately on the superficial side. It’s not hugely philosophical or ‘deep’ (and it’s not exactly trying to be), but it’s meaningful enough to the extent where it is engaging without being overly pretentious.