It occurred to me that the very fact that I’ve laughed at Inugami’s humor is a testament to how good Kokkuri-san is. I normally hate pedo characters, even in comedies, so you better have something damn funny up your sleeve if you’re going to use one in my anime. And indeed, Kokkuri-san does have some witty jokes to make about pedos. It’s not just that he’s obsessed with Kohina, it’s that Kokkuri taunts him for resorting to cheap magazines to make himself more appealing. Even then, the punch line goes beyond this simple humor.
Of course, it’s far easier to accept a pedo character when the humor relies on us being so detached from the characters. Kohina’s emotionless nature is what starts our detachment; there was a whole third of an episode devoted to showing how she can only smile at the misfortune of others. The score and the drab colors only further distance us from caring about the characters. I should have been sad when Kohina walked towards that noose, but I laughed instead.
For a show that keeps its characters so one-note, it’s amazing how it’s managed to keep its jokes from getting stale. Kohina is just emotionless, save for her attachment to Kokkuri-san, Inugami is just a cold-hearted pedo, and Kokkuri-san is just an overbearing protector. Nonetheless, each joke is a new enough spin on these elements that I laugh every time. It’ll be interesting to see if the series can keep this up, but I see no reason to be pessimistic.
Mo[r]e Anime 