Liked Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan? Watch Aho Girl!

• Episodes: 9
• Aired: Jul 4, 2017 – Present

Three Major Similarities Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan and Aho Girl

1. The Straight Man

Although Akuru is not Aho Girl’s protagonist, he shares a lot of similarities with Saiki. They are both serious and straightforward characters who are trapped in a high school setting designed to annoy and frustrate them. Despite his unique abilities, Saiki is the only normal student at P.K. Academy, which forces him to use his psychic powers to just survive another day. Yoshiko might be the dumbest student ever, but she is hardly alone in her weirdness; the Public Morals Chairwoman and a shy delinquent named Ryuichi Kurosak both developed an unhealthy obsession with Akuru. As the show progresses, these two straight men start to warm up to their quirky classmates and learn that there is more to them than meets the eye.

2. Funnily Stupid

Yoshiko might have set a new standard for all blockheads to aspire to, but Riki Nendō is hardly far behind. Despite Saiki being a borderline god, the only person he fears is Riki. As a large and muscular student with a mohawk, Riki’s contradictory and overly friendly demeanor forces the psychic to always be on edge while in his presence. Yoshiko has the same effect on Akuru and her teachers, as she often leaves them dumbfounded because she never behaves in a way a rational person could comprehend. Yoshiko’s lack of foresight leads to hilarious and often painful situations for herself and those around her, even children can’t quite understand how she could possibly be so stupid. Despite her low IQ, Yoshiko knows how to enjoy life and her positive energy can be contagious, just like Riki.

3. Pacing

Comedy is about timing, something both series clearly understand. Since it is based on a gag manga, an episode of Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan lasts only about four minutes; the humor is always on-point with jokes landing every other second. Although Aho Girl is a slice of life comedy, with each episode lasting around twelve minutes, the plot moves along at breakneck speed. It bombards the viewer with jokes, and before we know it, the episode is over. The original manga is limited to just four panels per release, therefore an episode of the anime adaptation contains a few different plotlines. Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan and Aho-Girl share similarities in their stories as well, with both series dealing with everyday situations like teenage romance, homework, and birthday parties. Yoshiko’s personality and Saiki’s powers lead these relatable events down unexpected and hilarious roads.

Liked Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan? Watch Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-Kun (Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun)!

Three Major Similarities Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan and Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun

1. Cool and Collected Protagonist

Aoyama and Saiki are defined by their ability to stay cool under pressure. Despite both having a fair amount to worry about, they constantly hide their emotions to present a subdued and calm persona. They are almost too good to be true. The soccer genius is popular, considerate, and always in control. He does not let his fear of germs dictate the way he behaves, instead, that weakness is used to his personal advantage. Similarly, Saiki handles his powers to improve his life and, whenever it is possible, help his classmates. As he needs to wear pink antennas to limit his destructive capabilities, Saiki easily can be identified as different but people do not judge him for it. Aoyama also does not hide from his phobia, as everyone in school knows and accepts it.

2. Parody

Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan and Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-Kun poke fun at genre conventions, with a special focus on slice of life anime. Saiki and Aoyama are parodies of the typical romanticized protagonist seen on many of these series. Their entire life is dictated by their own major flaw, which restricts their behavior so much that it somehow ends up convincing everyone that they are practically perfect. The side characters follow stereotypical story arcs, but they are taken to such extremes that it is impossible to not laugh. Other mediums are not off the hook either, as video games and Japanese television are often referenced.

3. It is all about the side characters

It takes more than a solid protagonist to create a great show, especially when it comes to comedy. Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan and Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-Kun deliver an abundance of quirky side-characters. While Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan is told strictly from Saiki’s perspective, as he goes through his day and reacts to his classmates and their thoughts, Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-Kun shares the responsibility among the large cast who observe Aoyama. For example, one episode might follow the manga author Atsumu Ozaki, as he uses the soccer star as inspiration to create an antagonist who ends up eclipsing the hero in popularity. Another entry centers around Shion Narita, a closet clean freak who wants nothing more than to keep his fear a secret. Soccer only serves as a tool to bring these characters together, it is far from the focus of the anime.