Anime Review: The Human Crazy University
Hirofumi Satake is an ordinary, run-of-the-mill death row inmate, convicted of the murder and cremating of his fiancée Chie Negishi and the man she was supposedly cheating with. Before he became a criminal, Hirofumi worked for a trading company, traveling all over the world, and fluent in several languages. For a murderer, Hirofumi is a soft-spoken, gentle fellow who’s impressed at least one guard as a swell guy. But the day of execution comes as Satake is hanged.
Hirofumi wakes up in what looks like a doctor’s office. He’s lost large parts of his memory, and an odd man called “The Professor” explains that Satake survived his hanging by a bizarre series of coincidences. What’s more, Hirofumi has a history of unusual near-death experiences. The Professor has an interest in anomalous events and people, and a “human bug” like Satake has piqued his curiosity,
For a while, Hirofumi lives in the laboratory, his memory being sparked by various bits of conversation or items from his past, allowing to have access to moments such as his first meetings with Chie and exotic food maven Joji Kito. These memories also tend to involve near-death experiences. However, Satake is still a convicted murderer, and the government eventually decides to move him to a more secure location, which is when the actual plot kicks in.
This 12-episode series is based on the manga Hyūman Bagu Daigaku, which is published by K Contents on Youtube. It uses limited animation to tell an offbeat story.
To be honest, the first episode was dreadful. While the first half built tension by looking like a slice of life drama set on death row, the second half screeched to a halt for twelve straight minutes of talking head exposition. The next few episodes were a bit better, using flashbacks to introduce important characters and set up questions about just why Satake had murdered his fiancée, or even if he’d actually done it.
Once the present-day plotline started, the show wasn’t half bad. The Ripley’s Believe It or Not style trivia and constant near-death moments combined to build an interesting story, though the comedy aspects were still hit or miss. The ending gave me dark chuckles.
Satake’s a likable main character, kind and decent. If he seems to be a bit too passive at times, it’s because he’s under some constraints that aren’t immediately apparent. Several of the other characters are more one-note.
Content note: Violence, including hanging, torture, attempted cannibalism and police brutality. Stalking. Some unsettling cuisine choices. Children in peril.
This series isn’t going to be for everyone, especially with that dud of a first episode and the limited animation. But if you like dark humor and suspense, mixed with fun facts, you may enjoy it as a break from better-animated shows.
