Human Bug Daigaku

Every once in a blue moon, there are shows that more than just the typical copy-paste blurb that you see in the current seasonal landscape, takes you to a deeper dive of something that is truly original and stands out on its own. While the most recent case example is last year's Odd Taxi being seemingly an unkempt story about a walrus driving a taxi with the detective mystery plot of twists and turns hiding from within and awaiting its chance to demystify and satiate the audience at every corner. And this Fall, other than the return of Pop Team Epic renewed for Season 2, ... that show is Human Bug Daigaku a.k.a The Human Crazy University.

Human Bug Daigaku tells the story of a lone salaryman by the name of Hirofumi Satake. Accused of a murder that he committed of his fiancée Chie Negishi, the punishment for murder is death, and he is being sentenced just as the justice courts say so. Satake has one particular trait: being known as the "Undead Man", he has outlived all the dangers imposed on his life, no matter how high nor how wide. For that reason, the mysterious research institution, known only as "The Human Crazy University" with the unassuming Professor spokesperson in toll, develops an interest and uses him to seek answers to the mundane human life of miraculous phenomena and the thing we call karma.

Derived from a web manga published by K Contents and seralized online via YouTube with voiced narration and dialogue since March 2019, this is what I can call: the dark side of the web, and seemingly so, because this show is the definition of edutainment. Sprinkling in real-life events, locations and the like in tandem with Satake's situation of finding out who is the mastermind behind this murder case that he obviously did not commit, takes a bunch of truth and facts that it just feels satisfyingly undeniable. In fact, I will go so far as to say that despite studio DLE's choppy Flash animation-like prowess (because the studio DID start off as one) in the veins of one of my favorite anime of all time (Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san), it looks out of place and bad, but I assure you that please do not define a show by its animation, when the plot itself is so interesting and has many twists and turns that when you come around to realize it, it has already taken into effect of its own case study.

As an example of creative use, via the Torture Sommelier Shigeo Ijuin, there is actually a YouTube channel dedicating to everything about torture, its many ways of infliction and whatnot that feels like a road trip diving into YouTube's great unknown of entertainment that is seen by the few and hardcore. And adding to that, the magnificent casting of Tomokazu Sugita and Yui Ogura as the main couple, with some unknowns like Professor's VA Hidenari Ugaki adding into the mix, and you'll have one fine web comic that has unlimited amounts of creativity at whatever it desires to showcase.

nano's OP fits the show to a T, and Lowland Jazz's instrumental ED, NGL, is a certified banger. Heck, I would consider this as one of my favourite EDs of the season.

The only sad part: it's tough to recommend a show like this, if you're a very simple-minded person hell bent on criticizing even one aspect that makes or breaks the watching experience. And I tell you, while Human Bug Daigaku is easily defined as a niche anime, it's for the people who can see this from a different view, to take a chance and say: "Man, how did I dismiss such a show like is? Because it's deep, rich and contextual, and it's so engaging." It's definitely a personal preference if you like or hate this show, but if you take a gander, it's really a fascinating one-of-a-kind show that's unlike anything else out there.

First a summary of the plot: Satake Hirofumi is sentenced to death. He is accused of killing his fiance and another man because he thought she cheated on him. He then lost all his memories of the past. After that he even survives the execution. The police isn´t sure what to do now so he is left alive as an interim solution. He now tries to get back his memories and quickly realizes that he already survived many unusual situations.

When you watch the first episode you´ll definitely notice that the animation is awful. At first it kinda bothered me but I quickly got used ... to it and accepted it as the shows own style.

The story isn´t deep but this anime doesn´t really need it to be. At first it´s a pretty episodic series but later on the plot becomes more coherent. In every episode they tell a funfact that is pretty well implemented into the story. It´s not supposed to be some deep, dramatic story (or at least I hope so because otherwise it completely fails).

The characters also aren´t that complicated. They just have one trait that is usually pretty cool and unique (one guy is absolutely crazy about trying out all different kinds of food and local specialties) but that´s it. There´s no big development of them throughout the show but just like with the story they don´t need to be deep or anything.

Apparently the original web manga was published on youtube (the manga panels and a voiceover) and that doesn´t surprise me because this show feels more like a youtuber project than a TV anime.

If you expect just that this anime definetly won´t disappoint you. Otherwise even the first episode will be a absolute pain to sit through.

Crazy Boring University.

Crazily enough I was slightly looking forward to “The Human Crazy University”. From what had been shown through promotional material this would be a fun, absurdist comedy told through a 1960s, minimalist animation style about a death row inmate surviving his death sentence and recovering his memories. And it is that… minus the comedy… and the absurdity… and any reason to continue watching it….

The biggest problem this show has is how seriously it takes itself despite its goofy premise. The first episode is told completely straight-faced from start to finish, setting a strangely sombre tone that overstays its welcome. Even the introduction of ... the Professor halfway through the first episode feels very underwhelmingly sane for a character with a mad scientist vibe.
That’s not to say the show doesn’t have its moments where a chuckled at some of the character quirks, and the mystery around Satake Hirofumi's circumstances is well told and somewhat interesting, but there's nothing that will immediately grab you as a viewer and hook you into watching more (expect the ED, that song slaps).

I think the show would benefit from a shorter episode run time instead of the standard 20-22 minutes to speed up the pacing and make each episode more engaging. Series like “Pop Team Epic” and “The Way of the House Husband” which also used minimal animation benefited greatly from this approach and their episodes felt more like fast-paced comedies rather than drawn out and full of exposition with a few gags thrown in. It is hard to watch literal static, wooden characters talk for 20 minutes about things when most of the time there's nothing to focus on.

Overstaying its welcome is the overall impression I get from “The Human Crazy University”. It doesn’t take advantage of its art style, its pacing is sluggish and although I do think it has an interesting narrative it’s just not all that funny for a comedy. Now I know comedy is different for different people, but… should this be labelled a comedy MAL?

3/10 Wasted Potential.