“Yamada, Yama-da!”


「山田, やーまだ」 (Yamada, Yamada)

Salacious Details & Fever Dreams:

I knew this episode was gonna be a good one. Why? Because it was a Yamada episode! With the title “Yamada, Yama-da!”, what more could you expect? Last week focused on a pairing I’m not that invested in, but this week turned that around and made me happy all over again. WORKING!!! has to be one of the best anime comedies in the past 10 year, surely? The situational gags are hilarious even after two and a half seasons, but now that we’re reaching the finish line, the truths are finally being revealed, relationships are blossoming, and yet it’s still as funny as ever.

Yamada seeking out Souma’s attention by getting salacious details on the new romances of Wagnaria was equal parts cute and hilarious. When she puts her mind to it, Yamada can achieved anything! Maybe. You never know what she’s gonna do next, but watching her train of thought skip from one thing to another never fails to put a smile on my face. There’s a reason why she’s my favourite: she’s goofy, funny, a little bit simple, and too cute to ignore. She should be unbearable, but that’s simply not the case. Yamada is the best!

But Popura is a close second (for me, at least). Her “pouting” was another hilarious moment (followed by Yamada telling everyone they aren’t focusing on their workha!), especially when it leads to her fever dreams back in her bed. Can I just say, I want a full spin-off about the magical girl adventures of Popura, and Satou, her chibi sidekick. Her face-off against the evil Souta was pretty out there by WORKING!!! standards, but I absolutely loved it. Again, I want that spin-off, preferably next season.

Yamada Meets Yamada:

As seems commonplace this season, the threads of plot that have been dangled in front of us for the past few years are finally coming together. This time around, the Yamada siblings finally met one another! It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for forever, and their reunion was everything I thought it would be. Shame on Inami and Souta for not figuring out they were obviously brother and sister – they even picked the same fake name! They’re practically the same person, so seeing them on screen together is a treat. Unfortunately, that could also spell bad things for Yamada next week.

Overview – What’s Next?:

The end of the episode saw Otoo being told he was going to look after Yamada, but going by the title of next week’s episode “Goodbye Girl (Yamada)” I can only imagine things aren’t going to work out. If Yamada is set to leave next week, I’ll be sad to see her go. She’s been my favourite since her introduction mid-way through the first season. As a Yamada fan, this episode was everything I could have asked for. Yamada, please don’t go!

Preview

14 Comments

  1. So Yachiyo has admitted that she wants to be more than friends with Sato, Inami has broken the fortress of Takanashi and is slowly dragging him into the light, and now the Yamada(alias) siblings have met! And it’s only episode 6!! Wow, we are all set for a conclusive ending to this series… something I rarely get to say! Of course there’s this the matter of Otoo’s wife, but it looks like there’ll be more on that next episode and that whole thing is so strange it kinda bothers me.

    I really hope they don’t slam on the brakes with Aoi like they did with Yachiyo and Sato, cause who she is has been bugging me all series. I thought there might’ve been a secret to the Yamada last name when her brother used it as an alias too, but nope, they’re both just the same kind of moron.

    And no, Takanashi, you cannot stop this change. Accept it: by the end of the series you’ll be walking Inami home hand-in-hand without the claw… and you’ll like it!

    Aex
  2. As much as I enjoy Working!, I don’t see the hilarity behind it. Sure, it has some chuckle-worthy moments, but for a comedy, it doesn’t make me laugh a whole lot (Don’t get me wrong – I do smile when I watch it, and I most definitely look forward every week. But Prisma Illya – that’s hilarious. And so is Shimoneta airing this season (Shimoneta is probably the best summer anime and the biggest surprise).

    I’d classify it under slice-of-life more than comedy. Because this is not “one of the best anime comedies in the past 10 years”. Not by a longshot. Not when you have Nichijou, Gekkan Shoujo, Sabagebu and Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita.

    Oh beloved Jinrui. The best anime comedy/satire in the history of anime. Nothing will ever come close to its brilliance.

    Saber
    1. I am not going to argue your view as everybody has different takes on anime.

      Instead I will agree with the author as it easily fits in as a TOP 10.

      I liked Nozoki but Love Lab / D-Frag / Hello Kirino / Non- Biyori are way ahead!

      BTW I like Sabagebu but that is more of a satire but very funny!

      Even comedies get blurred!

  3. I agree with your take . It will be sad if Yamada goes away as she has been a live wire this season Animes do finish but this was like you said very memorable ! I am thankful it got the 3rd season and maybe closures !

  4. WORKING!!! has to be one of the best anime comedies in the past 10 year, surely?

    Hmmm, we could a recommendation thread out of this, after all, us having more laughs in our lives can’t be harmful. =)
    Though let’s narrow it down to anime with unorthodox hijinks but still fun to watch.
    (aka humor that’s unique only to that particular anime itself)
    I enjoyed these:

    – Hataraku Maou Sama (I haven’t seen a stalker hero anywhere else)
    – Ore no Nounai (The multiple choice anime where MC is always getting trolled hard)
    – Seitokai Yakuindomo
    – Servant x Service
    – Shimoneta (guilty pleasure this season)

    – Gintama (In its own league, what with all the meta-jokes, breaking the 4th wall, and real-life references)

    Techim
  5. Woah! Nazuna almost got busted working underaged (really, you normally would NEVER let a 12 Y.O. girl working in a restaurant as a proper waitress).

    …too bad she doesn’t looks like one. That snipe must’ve hurt. A lot.

    Also, a lot of fail-whistles this week… and a bonus (original?) Mahou Shoujo Popura. That’s quite a bit to take in.

    …and we’re apparently going to see Yamada’s 2 worlds collide next week too.

    GG everyone, I think we have the best continuation for 2015 in this cour.

    info600
  6. I failed to ride the Yamada ship since season 1 apparently. Somehow I found Souma to be a hilarious wrench and push at everyone’s relationship and just the right dosage of everything with frying pan smacking him and all.

    Yamada is just overboard and too little to contribute to the overall scheme of things in my opinion. Although she exists, the relationship between the characters would’ve still progressed similarity if she wasn’t around, just at different orders. She’s often used as convenient plot devices to get the comedy going, but the comedy was strong even in scenes without her appearance, so I feel neutral about her. She hijacks the show at points, but doesn’t have enough content to bring out the most possible of all the involving characters.

    I don’t dislike Yamada, but I just think her role could’ve been a supporting one like the Takanashi siblings or Yamada-kun.

    azalea23

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