Television series
MM!
- Comedy
- Strange
MM! is a comedy anime about a high school boy who discovers he has masochistic tendencies and joins a school club full of equally troubled students. It's rapid-fire, absurdist, and genuinely funny—think less heartfelt drama, more controlled chaos. For anyone who loves comedy that doesn't apologize for being weird.
If you liked this
Hataraku Maou-sama!2013
A demon lord and his general work fast food in Tokyo while plotting conquest. The premise is wild but the comedy comes from character chemistry and the absurdity of everyday situations colliding with supernatural stakes.
But It leans hard on slice-of-life mundanity, which can feel slow if you want constant plot momentum. The payoff takes time.
Nichijou2011
A masterclass in visual comedy about ordinary high school girls experiencing impossibly ridiculous situations. Every frame is packed with gags, the humor escalates brilliantly, and it respects your intelligence enough to land jokes without explaining them.
But The rapid-fire style and dense visual humor can be exhausting. Some episodes prioritize weirdness over coherence, which won't click for everyone.
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!2016
A fantasy RPG parody where the hero is useless, the goddess is broke and mean, and every plan falls apart spectacularly. The chemistry between the dysfunctional party carries everything—you genuinely love these failures together.
But It's repetitive by design; if the joke of 'everything goes wrong' doesn't sustain you, the formula wears thin fast. Fan service is also heavier than some prefer.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from MM!
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Monogatari Series2009
Both MM! and Monogatari center on a high school protagonist surrounded by girls with specific psychological 'issues' or perversions that are played for comedy while also being... sort of serious? Both let the weirdness breathe without apologizing for it.
Stylized Japanese high school comedy-mystery where weird supernatural girls have weird problems and a mostly-regular boy talks them through it. The visual language is utterly singular—experimental direction, dense dialogue, absurdist humor mixed with genuine character depth.
But It's visually dense and dialogue-heavy, which exhausts some viewers. The series is also very long and its own mythology becomes increasingly opaque. Fan service is also present.
More like this (7)
Cromartie High School2003
Delinquent high school meets absurdist comedy. Characters include a sentient robot and a guy who communicates only through grunts. The humor comes from playing ridiculous premises completely straight.
But It's intentionally chaotic and plot-light. If you need narrative structure or character development, you'll be frustrated.
Sekirei2008
A battle harem comedy where the ridiculous premise—winged alien girls fight in a tournament—is played with enough self-awareness that it becomes genuinely entertaining beyond the fan service.
But The fan service is genuinely excessive. If you're not comfortable with that, the show will feel like it's working against you constantly.
Prison School2015
Five boys in an all-girls prison comedy that somehow makes juvenile humor feel clever through absurdist escalation and genuinely inventive visual gags. It's trashy and knows it.
But The sexual humor is relentless and crude. If that's not your register, nothing here will redeem it for you.
Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts2010
A school comedy about class warfare where mediocre students summon cute chibi avatars to fight each other's avatars. The premise is ridiculous, the execution is charming, and the ensemble cast clicks.
But The plot is thin and it relies on tropes. Viewers looking for substance will find it all surface.
Outlaw Star1998
Space western comedy-adventure with a ragtag crew, absurdist humor, and genuine heart beneath the chaos. It balances joke density with moments of real character warmth.
But It's a 1990s anime, so the pacing is slower than modern comedies. Some viewers find that dated rather than retro.
Puni Puni Poemy2001
An experimental comedy OVA that fires jokes at you like a machine gun—visual gags, non-sequiturs, surreal tangents. If you like being overwhelmed by absurdity, it's a masterwork of chaos.
But It's deliberately incomprehensible and deliberately tries to exhaust you. For most people, that's a drawback, not a feature.
Revolutionary Girl Utena1997
Both MM! and Utena treat their ensemble of broken characters with a kind of compassion that never undercuts the comedy. Both say: these people are ridiculous AND their problems matter.
A surreal magical girl deconstruction where the comedy sits alongside something genuinely strange and deeply felt. It takes absurdist premises seriously, uses repetition as a comedic and narrative tool, and rewards rewatching.
But It's a 90s series with a very specific visual language that won't work for everyone. The plot is deliberately obscure and symbolic rather than straightforward. Patience is mandatory.
