Some anime opt to use chibi animation throughout the course of the series to enhance the way characters react, like in Lucky Star. Others, such as Black Clover and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, frequently switch to chibi or other different styles of animation to make the humorous moments stand out. The contrast to an anime’s usual animation helps us remember these funny moments long after the episode is over, especially since the characters’ actions are usually exaggerated as a result.

One of the most common forms of comedy in anime stems from things that could never happen in any other medium. A great example of this kind of humor can be seen in Gintama, which is full of seemingly random scenes. Characters get stretched to their limit, but they are able to maintain some semblance of story throughout the series, despite the different cadence in episode plot. Anime has the potential to tell any kind of story, and it has this potential with comedy too. Series that use ridiculous character stories or random episodic plot lines, like Asobi Asobase or Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou, manage to blend the nonsense with enough cohesive pieces to make an excellent anime. However, the line this type of comedy walks can be difficult, leaving some series falling flat if they cross over too far into the ridiculous.

With some of the most popular anime series, parody can be a clever form of entertainment, again when it is done well. There are a number of great examples of parody anime, such as One Punch Man, Gintama and Pop Team Epic. Each of these series take the popularity of something from anime, like shounen tropes or samurai tales, and twist them into a more humorous take on the aspect. With Pop Team Epic, the series took many of the most popular scenes from anime and pop culture to be their personal jokes. The important thing with parody is to make sure the reference is subtle enough to give the anime its own personality, but still seem similar enough to the thing it is referencing. Parody anime are less common than any other type of comedy, but when done well, they have some of the best humor!

Often, the funniest moments of an anime come when the characters act just like we might, giving us a way to look outside ourselves and laugh at situations we might get into. This relatable humor and style of internal monologue can be seen often in anime. Some specific examples are Hitori from Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu or any of the five main characters from Gamers! The best way this type of comedy is pulled off is if the characters are realistic and relatable. Their actions also need to be stretched just far enough into nonsense to make the situation more exaggerated than what it might be normally.