It’s 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic is still an issue. No one’s life is what they expect it to be. That’s why now is the perfect time to Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan. The film follows an approaching middle-aged man in his less-than-ideal work with often goofy co-workers. He can put on a happy face, but sometimes he’s just almost insurmountable. Just like us! With the exception of pairing a children’s show star, it just got a little easier to poke fun at the situation. (Even if it’s a bit too real sometimes.)
Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan is part of life. But it’s not necessarily filled with heartfelt, sweet moments. Instead, it’s more about the real life of people in their 30s. Things don’t turn out the way they expected. Uramichi Omota is a talented gymnast. But instead of doing something in sports… he’s one of the members of With Maman and tends to handle exercise segments. Both Iketeru Daga and Utano Tadano are hoping to land lead singer roles. But the former failed as a musical actor and the latter couldn’t get into many other genres like idol or enka. Tobikichi Usahara and Mitsuo Kumatani attended university with Uramichi and also studied athletics. Now? They wear animal costumes and play Usao-kun and Kumao-kun in the show. They are all also dealing with other issues, such as being unmarried, in debt, depressed, or immature. They must be “fun” because this is a children’s program! But everything bleeds through! (And often ironically, given that the failed singers played by Nana Mizuki and Mamoru Miyano were in Japanese!)
It shows Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan dealing with the stuff that makes its dark humor really come out. There are some serious problems there. Uramichi was really depressed. His work situation is also not very good, as a character he originally created and used in a skit is later turned into a commodity his employer can profit from as a result of his contract. he. This is not exclusive to him, as both Uramichi and Iketeru have bad costumes. Bacterian and Germinator costumes are a prime example. But the tone and the way it’s handled somehow makes it all the more palatable. Although he can be honest with the kids about his loneliness, work, and life, he is never cruel or mean. He really let them know what was going on. But it’s handled in a way that the kids don’t necessarily catch on, but an older viewer would totally enjoy and would probably find it hilarious. That means we, the viewers, are “participating” in the joke. We understand that their life is not really terrible. They are not what they expected. And that makes it all, well, really funny sometimes!
See, even though things aren’t ideal, there’s still hope Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan. For example, there are children themselves. All actors are working with children on With Maman. They are really sweet! While they do sometimes land some big and pointed (unintentionally) digs, they’re actually well-meaning. And while Uramichi’s lessons and Utano and Iketeru’s songs may not always be “right,” they really care about the kids. Using the Bacteria and Bacteria skit as an example again, Uramichi tries to make sure the kids maybe hit him.
There are also relationships between With Maman cast. Even when people seem annoyed or angry at each other, they care about each other and get along. Usahara may be absolutely terrified of Uramichi, but they hang out together. Kumatani takes care of both Iketeru and the animals. Everyone works well together. Sure, this sometimes involves Uramichi threatening Usahara or Kumatani, but there’s a chemistry and working relationship. Again, going with Bacterian and the Germinator — as it helps to prevent too many spoilers — Iketeru came to Uramichi with a sincere apology for receiving too Throw him with toy balls in the segment.
Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan nailed its landings. Former gymnast Uramichi is doing his best. So his mask sometimes slips. Given what he’s dealing with, that’s understandable! Also, it’s usually pretty funny. We know him. We can be him. And if we don’t, then we’re probably in the same situation as one of his colleagues. While everyone is supposed to be doing “well”, none of them are doing what they always wanted. But there is still some happiness and hope there. This highlights that even when things don’t go the way viewers want, especially in times like these, they can appreciate the good things in their own lives.
Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan streaming on Funimation. Kodansha is handling the English localization of the manga.
