Ask John: How Should Fans React to Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo?

Question:
A lot of anime fans, and especially casual viewers hold Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo in extremely low regard simply because it’s not a “serious” anime, and simply on the basis that it “doesn’t make sense.” Some have even judged the Toonami broadcast based solely on the commercials. In my opinion, those people don’t realize that the show is not supposed to be serious or make sense, and may or may not be judging it based on how they think anime should be . I would like to know what your thoughts about the show are. Do you, or have you enjoyed watching it? If not, do you find the show’s nonsensical humor to be detracting?

Answer:
Had this question been solely about the Boboboubo Boubobo anime series, I would have considered not attempting an answer because I’ve seen only its first three or four episodes, and that was three years ago. However, I think the point of your inquiry has more to do with the reaction to the style of shows like Boboboubo Boubobo than a direct inquiry about the quality of any single show in particular. Based on my limited exposure to the original Japanese language version of the show, I found it mildly enjoyable, and definitely bizarre. I enjoy strange, illogical comedy anime. I’ve watched non-sequitur anime comedies targeted at children, such as Boboboubo Boubobo, Papuwa, Akazukin Cha-Cha, and Mahoujin Guru Guru, as well as similar comedies targeted at slightly older viewer, titles like Excel Saga, FLCL, and Dai Mahou Touge. I’m not a big fan of Boboboubo Boubobo and Papuwa because I find both shows a bit childish and lacking in sly wit, but that doesn’t make them bad shows, in my opinion. They’re simply shows that don’t appeal to my subjective tastes.

The reaction I’ve encountered toward Boboboubo Boubobo from American fans has been consistently negative. I’ve honestly never heard enough substantial critique of the show from American viewers to be able to judge why typical American anime fans don’t like it. I have a feeling that, as you suspect, average American viewers dislike the show because it doesn’t adhere to their expectations of what anime should be like. Many American fans may expect anime to be reasonably intelligent or logical, or at least be comprehensible on some level. The point of Boboboubo Boubobo is just to be irreverent and wacky. Although I’m not a devoted fan of the show, I accept it as anime because I consciously understand that anime is a form of entertainment. Boboboubo Boubobo may not be trendy or counterculture, which may explain why so many American anime fans don’t like it. But Boboboubo Boubobo is entertaining, which is its ultimate purpose.

I’m as guilty as anyone of touting anime as a serious art form, but I also realize that anime is most often designed to be a cathartic leisure entertainment. Boboboubo Boubobo may not conform to the typical American perception of “normal” anime, but its divergence from that standard doesn’t make it inferior; just different. I don’t think that Boboboubo Boubobo is an outstanding comedy anime. I also don’t think that it’s a bad comedy anime. I’ve seen both better and worse. I really don’t know how many American viewers dislike the show because they dislike its technical cinematic qualities, and how many dislike it because it doesn’t conform to their image of “anime,” but I suspect that the majority of the show’s detractors fall into the latter category rather than the former. It’s okay not to like every anime, but open minded anime fans should be receptive to anime that fall outside of their narrow concept of “good” anime.