I couldn't agree more with your analysis on "beating" the Laughing Salesman. If he appears to you with a deal it's already too late. He chooses his victims carefully, you can see him walking around, drinking, and interacting with other people to a limited extent, but the people he offers his "services" to are clearly targeted, often for their vices. If you were the type who wouldn't accept the Salesman's offer, congratulations, you'd never see him.
You might be able to survive by obeying his rules and occasionally a punishment can be light. One guy got a tree as he couldn't own a pet, a neighbor destroys it and Moguro revives the tree and punishes the owner. Another, one guy fell in love with a trans woman.
Kinda sounds like Truth from FMAB. Helps you be a more responsible person. I just saw Daydream and Making a Budget and Stick to it. Already I knew these people were making bad decisions especially being pressured into it.
I think it's almost poetically ironic that the cultural resting place of The Laughing Salesman is a Pachinko Parlor where he'll face hundreds of gambling addicts a day, likely some of the people he would have "helped".
Here you go a good luck charm, BUT you must only play 1 game per day you mustn’t break that rule, you don’t want to know what will happen if you break that rule
@@theonlyshinyumbreon 5 seconds. Gambling addiction seems like a meme until someone you love is violently resisting your attempts to stop them from putting down their home because "They WILL win the casino this time and you WILL NOT stop them"
live-action Moguro-San was always, to my mind, going to be constrained by both the innate degree of difficulty that an actor faces in portraying a truly non-human psyche and the inherent limitations of the format (b/c even the most accomplished actor probably can't do the thing where he's using his mouth but only his teeth are actually moving, for example) also the dude definitely looks more like your lovable scamp of an uncle than an eldritch being that toys with human lives for its amusement
@@user-zm3tc6yy8p Sure, but if someone did make a successful investment into something as dumb as that, then I don't care what they think; it's pretty rad.
Part of the reason I think why the rebooted version didn't succeed is because The laughing salesman feels a lot mellowed out. He still gives wicked punishments to those who break the deal, but more often he just gives them a slight tap on the wrist. in the old version if you messes up you gets absolutely smited, and sometimes even when you don't mess up he still comes after you. That's the main appeal of The laughing salesman. His punishments were unpredictable. He was simply a force of nature. He gave zero crap about whether his customers deserve the punishments. In the new version he seems to follow strict moral code to punish bad people and reward good people, which in itself isn't a terrible idea, but it kinda deprives the omnipotence and unworldliness eminated from the character.
"In the old days, I was a real salesman. Now, I'm not sure about that: internet took all those who would be interested in my products. And the only thing that I can sell is pachinko machines." "Horrible times to live." 😭
That wouldnt be hard with todays tropes. Most of the high school shonen stuff is always a loser gets all girls lusting for him. Seeing a harem tag on any manga/anime is pretty much guaranteed that it will be some generic shit tough.
that sort of reminds me of franken fran. she's kind of a supernatural being? but if you ask her for a quick fix she might just ruin you or reduce you to a clump of cancer cells. fun stuff
I'm sorry you'll lacking some historical lore behind the series. This was a work done by Fujiko A Fujio, he's the long time partner of Fujiko F Fujio, the creator of doraemon. Now let's get into this. Side note I'll refer to Fujiko A Fujio as his real name Abiko and and Fujiko F Fujio as Fujimoto from here on out. Now if you like anime or things that are japanese, especially if you are from outside of USA, then you probably would recognize Doraemon. The extremely iconic blue cat deus ex machina that is Doraemon, saving his friend Nobita with from the daily grind of life being horrible at it. Fujimoto was extremely well read in multiple fields, from history to science and politics to history, and he had the knack to be able to provide these topics to a younger audience so that they can easily digest it. I mean the man wrote stories catered to each school grade from 1st to 6th, changing up manner of presentation of said topic to suit the age group. So Fujimoto excelled in stories for kids and juveniles. So where does that leave Abiko? He's also started off creating manga for kids, because thats the demographic that was reading manga around the time Fujiko Fujio pair was starting up around in the mid to late 50's. I wouldn't exactly say his works were bad, actually the opposite. He found a niche that his partner Fujimoto didn't fill. While Doraemon was really taking off and seeing that Fujimot always keeps his innocent side to be able to produce doraemon, Abiko starts to consider a different option to his career as a manga author "Can I keep making manga for kids?", "Should I just become a manager to Fujimoto?". Around this time, the anthology magazine catered to a much older and adult demographic "Big Comics" was starting to get published and the publication head came to Abiko asking him "Wanna make something for it?". So Abiko considers his option for a manga catered to adults and he comes to this genre "Black Comedy". He himself was inclined for that genre, enjoying the works of Stanley Ellin and Roald Dahl. So he thought "Wouldn't this be something really interesting"and thus the formerly the "Black Salesman" now known as the "Laughing Salesman" was born. This was his turning point, previously he has worked on pure and innocent stories but always had a sense black comedy with in him, so this was IT for him. Which kicked off his career into the recently formed Seinen demographic and a fork in the road of what can be done within this medium. His partner, Fujimoto, diligently creating for the younger audience to the point of losing his own life at his work desk, finishing up a poster for a feature length movie for his magnum opus, Doraemon. While Abiko still alive and well. But their legacy still lives on of a duo who started their career at the legendary Tokiwa So. and a story of the tokiwa so should be left for another random comment of mine. Source. mantan-web.jp/article/20171224dog00m200032000c.html
@@doyalbaba6379 I wouldn't exactly say that, though people who aren't familiar with Doraemon nor the by the duo might consider it so. Because the two share similar styles or more so they acquired a style that are similar through their partnership, people may not be able to tell the difference between their works. But honestly consider it as a "fujiko fujio" style, though their works do usually share an universe, having characters from one story make an cameo in another.
I used to watch this when I lived in Japan in the late 80s. Loved it since it was so different from the usual primetime dramas and anime fare. Also loved another anime from the same time called Oishimbo, about a reporter who was always doing stories on Japanese food. Always made me so hungry.
the shows message is: You cheated not only the game, but yourself. You didn't grow. You didn't improve. You took a shortcut and gained nothing. You experienced a hollow victory. Nothing was risked and nothing was gained. It's sad that you don't know the difference.
Fun fact: people might have recognised it from the character artwork. But the original creator of “Laughing Salesman” was the same creator as “Doremon”. Whew talk about genre switch.....
I remember seeing this salesman as a toy in gacha toy machines in a Japanese restaurant in a mall next to my house and it creeped me out so much I ran away screaming internally.
The Laughing Salesman: A modern yokai. No rhyme or reason, no lesson to be learned. Just a normal, every-day, magical, metaphysical being that messes with people for its own goals.
The fact that this anime was made by the same people who did Doraemon, Ninja Hattori, Perman, Chimpui, Ultra B etc. makes this golden. It's like the adult version of all the childhood shows I watched as a kid that I always needed but never got... till I discovered it this year.
This is why the other characters look extremely similar to the characters from the Doraemon and Ninja Hatori. I am pretty suprised that almost no one commented on this topic 😅
The Major It isnt, its a bad 80s horror flick trying to be a seinen with a moral story. Newsflash: said "moral story" never works when your entire country operates on zombie economy and your workers have barely livable wages while being pushed around by fat cats in suits and suffer from price inflation
The reason for the new show's failure is really complex. Though I think the main problem is it came from a completely different era of entertainment and way of living.
Yeah. As someone pointed out in another comment, unfair deals between a powerful entity, specially true for businessmen, and people down in their luck just feels too harsh and hits too close to home. Personally, if I wanted to see a businessman screw over people who need help, I'd just watch the news.
I think Everyone should understand the correlation between the salesman and the devil although these days....yeeesh. The dumbing down of our world is scary.
You'd think that episodic series would be more popular now rather than big, overarching plots in that it requires less concentration and investment and it's something easy to just dip in and out of, especially when you're busy. This looks cool as well.
For Western viewers, Anime was probably their first introduction to serialized story telling that a lot of kids shows lacked at the time so that’s probably one reason
For me, the lack of long plots and basically being free from consequences episode to episode generally puts me off from most shows like this because it's harder to care and get invested in the characters. Cowboy Bebop is one of the few shows that does this very well, where you still get characters being introduced or leaving and have their backstories expanded on in subsequent episodes. Contrast it with something like Space Dandy, where the characters repeatedly die throughout the show and come back next episode like nothing happened.
@@faceless2302 Um, that's the thing. "Invested in the characters" is one of things that modern generations think too much about >< I don't need to be invested in characters to get invested in the story. I just love to see a fun creative unusual story.
@@KeyleeTamirian Characters are the primary way the story interacts with the viewer, I should at least like (or dislike) them through their personality and experiences, and it's a lot easier to show that through a series with some sort of real continuity and character growth. If I don't feel anything for the characters, why would I watch the show? Upotte!! comes to mind as one of my least enjoyed anime, despite me liking the premise. It's one of those kind of comedy slice of life but with a twist shows that has very little consequences episode to episode and just kind of meanders along with daily hijinks for most of it's runtime. After thinking about it more, you realize that none of the characters actually go through much of anything or have any meaningful interactions or developments except for the side character L85 learning to overcome her disability by the end (she's the best character in the show too). As much as I like the core ideas of the story, it falls flat for me because I just can't give a damn if FNC and the other girls succeed or not.
@@faceless2302 I personally prefer if characters are either likeable, or just... there. It's difficult for me to watch something when i dislike the characters. When i'm indifferent to characters, however, it means i can focus on other things. "If I don't feel anything for the characters, why would I watch the show?" So... feelings towards characters are the ONLY, 100% only reason to watch any show? There's no other reason to watch the show, it means? Like, Art Style, Art Direction, Atmosphere, Aesthethic, Music, Sound Design, Lore, Scenery... all those things don't matter by that reasoning? Oh wait, they apparently do matter, but the Characters are the most important... i don't like this inequality and Character dominance above other things in shows. When i want to watch the show, it's because i either like art style, character design, specific character design, atmosphere, aesthetic... Character's personality can be whatever. I just love to look at the character. Modern anime don't appeal to me because i don't like they art styles. Old anime appeal to me more. In fact, over half of 90's Anime appeal to me visually just by taking look at the cover art. Even if story would be about nothing, i just love to look at it. When i were a teen i cared about the story the most, but now i realized that i made myself think that i care about the story. I realized that once i started analyzing the story of a game that i praised for a story... and i realized... well, story is actually good, but i also realized that i did not understand the story back when i was a fanatic of it. I praised it's story... becuase everyone praised it! Now i praise it's story because it's actually good. But that's not why the game appeals to me now - it's visual aesthethic, atmosphere and music. The story is not important to me in it, even though everyone praises it for the story.
@@bon7029 @Bon Joker tricked a 5th dimensional being in order to steal his powers. He might outsmart the Laughing Salesman or get tricked himself, but he definitely would not be afraid. It's an interesting matchup.
I've watched a ton of episodes on this anime and the only reason why I can find people not liking it is that there is never a happy ending, just a disturbing reality check.
Some episodes do have happy endings, but that's not the appeal of this series. The appeal is watching evil doraemon screwing people over by exploiting their vices.
Sounds a bit like Michiko and Hatchin. Great show, but man, does it give you character whammies that make the drollness of Cowboy Bebop quite tame at times.
@@kennylauderdale_en I recognized the animation style. Turns out not only are both series drawn by the same animation studio, but they were created by the same manga artist duo- like it was meant to be!
I recall a chapter of Doraemon where a gadget of his resembles the laughing salesman, which might have been a reference. However, it's hard to find it among the countless other chapters I read.
I think the younger generation thinks it looks and is old. They might remember their parents or something liking the show, since it was 30 years between the shows. I think it worked back then because the 80s and 90s were more business-minded, especially in Japan. The new audience might have a harder time connecting with the show, and might not like how short the episodes are and that it’s not a continuing anime story. The old anime of it is something my 60 year old dad would definitely enjoy if I showed it to him, not too long of an episode and watch an episode every now and then instead of binging it.
It's definitely old but I like it because of that, that 80's-90's bubble Japan vibe is very distinct from modern anime and Japanese society. Hell, people loved Yakuza 0 and I'd wager the setting (1989, year this anime started airing) was one of the biggest reasons for it.
I don't think it's a matter of age demographic or story structure, it's a matter of self-insertion like you said. You can see modern anime like Dragon Maid being clearly targeted toward Japanese salarymen with a somewhat episodic structure as well, but with much more wholesome and nourishing content. In the early 90s, entertainment was all anyone was looking for from an anime, even if it was about the show's mascot stabbing them in the back, but today what people really want are entertaining stories with a mascot that helps them get out of bed in the morning, and that is decidedly not what the Laughing Salesman does.
Dragon Maid was mostly made for young adults like most shows oriented at adults nowadays. I think the laughing salesman is oriented to a public that for anime mostly doesn't exist anymore. wich is actual adults, probably around 30
No, I think the age demographic & story structure are at fault here. Dragon Maid was NOT a good example to use. A lot of anime consumers today aren't used to these old older story structures pre-2000s, which is why I think Kenny RIGHTLY pointed out all the stupid questions these kids start asking; rather than just enjoying the show for what it is. If it's not Isekai or some generic battle Shonen, adaptable for Netflix, ripe for porn, or allows for self-insertion; then it wont sell well Today.
To be entirely honest, I absolutely loved this anime. It carries the theme of having to deal with things yourself and trudge through life’s challenges, and demonstrates how you really shouldn’t take shortcuts or make someone do certain things for you. Moguro Fukuzou deserves a salute for being so bold with his work as a salesman! He shows people what life really is supposed to be on its own, and I honestly hope that his customers learned their lesson.
The moral felt like, "Sometimes having a wish forefilled or a minor problem instantly solved could turn out to be the WORST thing that can happen to you" Get that girl to notice you until to find out she's insufferable, etc etc.
The worst selling anime?...ironically after this it’ll develop into a strong cult following...never heard of it before but it sounds interesting...surprised it didn’t sell more
Another one I'd like to point out is a Japanese cgi kids show called Poppee the Clown that aired in 2001. The show has gained quite a following after the show ended with only one season. If anyone is interested, you can find the episodes on RUclips. Fair warning, though. The show contains blood and other weird elements
It looks like something that could have beed succesiful on american TV if it was aired on Adult Swin back in the day. It certainly fits well with Adult Swin...
I mean, look at the success of Black Mirror recently if you need any more proof of it. The only thing that would really hold it back is people's preconceived notions of anime, and that the Black Mirror and anime audiences may not have a huge overlap, but if something like Netflix pushed it hard enough it would probably be successful.
I remember one character keeping his promise for almost the duration of the episode. The salesman didn't think he would succeed that long, so he had to sabotage the poor guy into messing up.
I just discovered the show and I binged the whole series in a day. Loved it. Its like a Japanese twilight zone. I disagree him being the devil. More like an entity, he gives them the rules, it's the person's greed that is their demise Hooooo! Ho ho ho🕵️♂️
Ooh, I like this idea- maybe it turns out that The Laughing Salesman is a title given from person to person- and Moguro Fukuzou is the latest in a long line of salesmen.
@@zorasmith4880 That would just kill the immortal, ineffable vibe of the Salesman though, which is the whole point. He's an unknowable, immortal, ageless and uncanny force of nature, and all we can do is try to avoid being his next customer.
what if Moguro himself actually starts off as a normal person originally but as it progresses it shows him becoming who he is now? like it would explain a certain episode, AND also would explain why his body has become essentially more of a vessel to what he carries with him
@@StargazerSkyscraper I figure it could still be played for laughs. Have Moguro just... _always have been there!_ from the dawn of human civilization, all the way back to when the first fish adapted to walk on land! Like he's never in any different form or whatever in these different time periods, he still looks the way he's always had!
The Laughing Salesman came two years before Stephan King's Needful Things. I have wondered if he knew about this anime. Likely not, the devil being a salesman is a great concept across many cultures.
Probably because almost everyone knows someone that had an impeccably dressed man sit before them out of nowhere and offer them everything they could ever want. It's like the 'lady in white' urban legend.
It’s a pretty old trope; there are multiple twilight zone episodes written with this type of story, and even older short stories with pretty much the exact premise and tone.
@@leejerrett8268 👍 when Kenny says "submitted for your approval" at the beginning of the video, he's quoting one of Rod Serling's opening lines to the Twilight Zone
The sad thing about old anime VA's is that most of them are already gone by now. Ohira Toru passed away in 2016 and Isamu Tamonaka aka Medama-oyaji from Gegege no Kitaro passed away in 2010, he'll always be Medama-oyaji to me. May they rest in peace.
gives me a petshop of horrors vibe. "gives you what you wish but there is a rule you must never break".Honestly, it sounds awesome, I wanna watch it now.
Pet shop of horrors? Is that a thing? Now that sure sounds derivative. Like, a ripoff of the title "Little Shop of Horrors" but a ripoff of the plot of Gremlins.
Pachinko machines have replaced anime for Japanese adults as an entertainment medium after work, which is pretty sad and reflective of Japanese society as a whole if you think about it.
This anime is best compared to "tapas". It was intended to be read by busy businessmen. Imagine Japanese businessmen on a crowded train with a comic magazine on one of his hands. You can enjoy a whole short episode without knowing the previous. Or you don't even have to have read any episode to enjoy any episode. It's a style opposite of JJBA, same as Golgo 13. As a middle aged Japanese man I couldn't help noticing that you never mentioned that the author was the one who drew Doraemon. When this comic was published it was surprising to me, and probably for many Fujiko Fujio fans. Laughing salesman was dark, cynical but intriguing pieces of comic that was quite opposite from Fujiko Fujio's usual kids comics.
Recently I found out that there's an urban myth in the USA about the Smiling Man, related to the Mothman myth. It claims that a mysterious man with a kind, but unnerving smile approaches people randomly, exchanges some pleasantries, then disappears, and that shortly thereafter someone will sight the Mothman.
@@towelgirl21 I think they would clash indefinitely and eternally until the residual magic energy around them is so much it turns into a big bang and the universe collapses.
Oh my god, when you talked about how people ask stupid questions about deeper lore, that really resonated with me. I really first started to notice that trend way back around 2010, when kids in my middle school started talking about that dumb theory where Muriel and Eustace "die" at the end of the first season of Courage the Cowardly Dog, and all the remaining episodes take place in Courage's mind. Completely misses the point. I don't know why this phenomenon of rejecting cartoon & fantasy logic in favor of supposed 'true meanings' began to sweep across the internet, but I believe it reflects some desire to prove one's intelligence. The internet has turned media at-large into a bizarre pool of frantic analysis and theory talks, and some of us forget that sometimes great entertainment doesn't always require these things. Cheers to you for making an effort to bring this awesome spooky series to the attention of the masses.
Well put. The theory stuff has really exploded. Some shows embrace it, but most of the time it harms the medium. The most ridiculous part about it is that it's bled into video games just as passionately. The Legend of Zelda community for example has even managed to peer pressured Nintendo to start keeping a comprehensive continuity for the LoZ series, and I can already see the potential obstacle this creates for the upcoming sequel.
It happened to Steven Universe too. Now people have every right to critique it because it has bad writing and pacing. But a key point people like to bring up as real critique is that “Steven’s powers don’t make any senseee!” When... yeah bro... it’s a cartoon for a kids channel. Yes it has adult themes and stuff but WHY are you calling the show bad for a lack of realism. Your overthinking it. Lol I wish more people would just relax about how cartoons work sometimes.
Japan is also better at simple ideas, especially for horror, if you consider Junji Ito. His monsters often weren't explained and the occurence is usually a fluke that just happens for a bit then stops and the main character is telling you, the reader. It's very goosebumps, very spooky campfire story, the unknown is what makes it scary
Episodic animes are something we need more than ever. Most of shows are these epics continuing year after year and it becomes a burdensome to follow more than 3 plots n lores at the same time. You were still wrong about a one thing: since the episodes are so short, this is super fun series to watch few episodes at a time! Thx for the pitch 😁
Ricky MyBoy Dont say that about Doraemon dude. It’s a great show for kids. It’s entertaining and teaches you lessons. The animation of the first seasons was really cute and cartoony. I loved it to death as a kid and I still find it enjoyable.
An anime without waifus, lolis, or gorgeous guys? Has anything like that been even remotely successful since, I dunno... A couple years after Haruhi Suzumiya? Even Osomatsu-san had the fujoshi angle.
I actually found this series from the revival, and its premise hooked me from the summary. I think your idea that growing up with more horror-themed shows making us more accepting of Laughing Salesman's crueler tone is pretty accurate.
I watched the revival up until the halfway point until I simply stopped watching, not that I didn't like it, but it being an episodic show makes it hard to really commit to it, and I had a lot of other shows to catch up to then.
I wanted to thank you for this video and introducing this series to me. I had a feeling my parents would enjoy this, so we all watched a bunch of episodes together and had a wonderful time. I never thought I would ever get to enjoy an anime with my parents like that.
>Your fate is sealed Kenny, maybe you've seen the entire show but there are a few exceptions. "Night Train" episode where his client actually listened to Moguro's advice and did what's right, so Moguro appreciated that and helped him. "Wanio's Cooking" episode where Moguro himself actually broke the promise and as a result, that helped the client. "The Man Who Look Down" Not a perfect happy-ending, but the client definitely got much more confidence from Moguro's treatment... and some other episodes where client (or the entire family) get cursed by Moguro but actually having fun in that state. Also, about the live-action drama, try search "マンガニア" in niconico and you will find a full episode(three-sepate videos). It really drags because it's a 10 minutes anime watered down to 45 minutes, but one thing I'm sure is, Moguro's actor Shiro Ito did a fantastic job (He NEVER blinks during the show. what I heard is he looked at the original character design and thought "I think this guy does not blink whole life") .
gorijaimo Not only that, but he also doesn’t seem interested in hurting children, or at least anyone under the age of 20. He also helped healed a tree someone was taking care of back to life after their neighbor destroyed it, and he helps save a kid of a mother from being ran over by a car and decided to “punish” the mother by giving her the desire to become a idol despite her age and appearance, with the kid even cheering her on. Also, any more information on how Moguro broke the promise in “Wanio’s Cooking” and how the client followed his advice and got his help in “Night Train”? I tried to look them up but couldn’t find anything.
@@kingvideogames Night Train... Ep99 Yakou Ressha(夜行列車) Wanio's Cooking... Ep72 Wanio no Kaiki Ryouri(ワニオの怪奇料理) The ending for Ep99 is one of the most beautifully directed anime episodes I've ever seen, honestly.
I love this anime and the Salesman just makes me smile. He's a merry little imp and a force of nature, as you said. He's not necessarily a villain: he just gives people the things they deserve due to their own actions.
@@kennylauderdale_en the possibility of you joining the masteace gives me life. Also nobody brings them up in the Fujika Fandom which is surprisingly huge
@@kennylauderdale_en I had a hunch that was the case, I recognized the style immediately. Hell, one of the people in the video was straight up the bully from that show.
6:12 This isn't just with anime - almost everything these days has to be more arc-based. Two things really - everyone wanting to be the next "Game of Thrones" or "Avatar", but most notably the rise of On Demand. Back then it was a little harder to sell things that had this really big metaplot told across a couple dozen story arcs, especially outside of Japan where a lot of shows would air in random order in syndication. I remember seeing Seinfeld episodes where one day, you see Elaine standing behind the counter because this was from the season where her actress was pregnant - then another where she's just recently introduced. Even the things these days that do seem to have some semblance of an "Anything goes" or "Episodic nature", there's always some kind of continuity.
I guess to alot of ppl, it's inherently satisfying to notice a small detail that actually becomes much more important in a season or 2 in a show. (Or just following one big story in general) Like you said even shows that are episodic, have that continous quality to them so a observant viewer will get a bigger dopamine rush. Their are pros and cons to each format. Episodic shows can run out of steam quick if you can't come up with completely new scenarios or stories every episode. After a while some episode can blend together rendering them redundant. Plus not having an ongoing plot where the story resets next episode can have some viewers thinking well it kinda didn't matter. For on-going plot shows its much harder to just even start watching especially when it's been around for years. Missing some episodes can leave you without proper context for certain plot points later ie, losing impact. Some can have massive amounts of lore that can be difficult to keep track of therefore putting a whole show on "stand-by" for seemingly forever as the situation gets worse.
I used to watch more episodic animes with my sister 2007-2011 time period. I really enjoyed the amount of story telling put into a singular episode. Now, a lot of anime feels so stretched out, almost like comparing a micro series on television to Wagner's entire ring cycle. I don't dislike all modern anime, but I miss the short story format. I still can't get my hands on some of the series I watched with my sister either...
Top 10 Characters that Can Beat the Salesman: 1. The Laughing Salesman 2. The Laughing Salesman 3. The Laughing Salesman 4. The Laughing Salesman 5. The Laughing Salesman 6. The Laughing Salesman 7. The Laughing Salesman 8. The Laughing Salesman 9. The Laughing Salesman 10. The Laughing Salesman Edit: Honorable Mention- 11. Bobo Bobobo
It's comfortingly predictable too. It follows a format like the Simpsons does, so you know what to expect which makes it a great weekly show. Everything I like about it modern fans hate though.
Yeah, maybe I'm just old but I no longer binge watching anime anymore. There's a certain feel of savouring the show by watching one or two episodes a day (or a week just like when I watch Doraemon, Cyborg Neko Kuro-chan, Saint Seiya and other weekly shows) and talk about it rather than binge watching it and missing some small interesting points in that episode.
The Laughing Salesman reminds me of PetShop of Horrors where it the stories are interesting to watch, each product has a rule, rules are always broken by customers, and we want someone to stop the saleman/count d but at the same time we love both characters. I never understood why both animes got the crap end of the sticks.
I'm really loving how you've made it a point to introduce people to obscure, overlooked titles in an animation genre that's considered popular and trendy by today's standards.
I think today, the Laughing Salesman concept is restrictive and doesn’t appeal to audiences anymore. The reason the Twilight Zone could come back is that it’s basically a playground for psychological horror. There’s no real rules or structure, other than “things didn’t go as planned”. The Laughing Salesman is a bit too restrictive to storylines. He sells things, consequences happen when rules are broken, but there isn’t much space to play around. Also, it’s just natural for people today to try to figure out the powers, how to beat it, how to game the system. And if the Laughing Salesman is impossible to beat, it leaves you feel like there’s no hope. After a new episode of the Twilight Zone airs, or a new season of Black Mirror goes up, there’s usually an influx of videos on how to beat the big bad in the story. It’s a key part of horror these days, the ability to beat whatever horrific thing is tormenting the Everyman. The Laughing Salesman has become too real, in a way. He’s unbeatable, omnipresent, reoccurring and represents the fear of consequences perfectly. With cameras and surveillance being commonplace, and his tactics being utilized by nearly every social media and self-help product, it is far too bleak to think about. Black Mirror and the Twilight Zone counterbalance their dark and realistic life comparisons with the main characters occasionally finding a way to at least have an self-satisfying ending. San Junipero, U.S.S. Callistar, Nosedive, Fifteen Million Merits, and Hang the DJ are all great examples of endings in which characters are at least content.
and here we got another example of people overthinking for nothing _"if the Laughing Salesman is impossible to beat, it leaves you feel like there’s no hope"_ That's the point _"He’s unbeatable, omnipresent, reoccurring and represents the fear of consequences perfectly"_ You mean that he is an eldritch horror? You know like... Cthulhu? The idea of Laughing Salesman is about the devil that appears just to screw you, MANY comments already pointed this. If you find him, and accept his deal, you already screw it, you just sold your soul and the devil isn't going to just take it, he will have his fun first. This is a Horror series, there is just no escape to Laughing Salesman. Just like those horror stories told in the campfires, when you see the devil, pray he just ignore you or goes away, unless you want to die in a horrible and regretful way. If you need another example, try: Pet Shop of Horrors
I won’t lie . After watching your video I took a look at the series and I’m quite disappointed I wasn’t aware of this prior . The laughing salesman is a perfect level of calm and charismatic in the chaotic anime world .
You were right on about the knuckleheads who kept asking questions about the Salesman's powers. People are so obsessed with lore. Can't have anything without lore nerds sapping the imagination out of a premise.
@@kennylauderdale_en I know right? There's no way Tweety should be able to fly. It must be telekinesis. I mean why else would a bird have that big of a head if not because of mind powers.
What annoys me even more are the people that watch old Ecchi comedies and then make comments whining that there is no deep story and that there isn't enough character development. Come on, why would you even expect such things out of a silly soft porn comedy? It's like modern anime fans have lost the ability to just relax and have fun. I honestly don't get it.
kenny lauderdale Granny was a commando for the OSS in WW2. I’m not joking. That’s an actual thing now since that short lived Looney Tunes show came out a few years back.
I've known about this series for 10 years. A friend in Japan recommended it to me. I was always kinda sad that it was virtually unknown outside of Japan. Thank you for letting more people know about this great series!
3:33 It's the year 2008. You go to limewire and download a season of Bleach. Once the download finishes, you start watching the season premiere-episode. Your computer starts glitching. Oh shit, you think to yourself, there must've been a virus in that Bleach. Cold sweat blurs your vision. You hear laughing. From the computer. You're awestruck with terror. On the computer screen appears silly looking man who smiles unnervingly. And he says: "Don't worry animation-fan. It's not a despicable virus your computer has contracted. No no no. It is but I, a humble salesman, who has decided to pay you a visit. Now, do you realize, young weeb, that you have... B R O K E N T H E L A W . . . " After this, nobody hears from you ever again.
Because when you binge them, the episodes start to feel samey. Same thing happened to me while watching CowBoy Bebop. I liked it, but I didn't love the show like most people. love a great story, it makes me want to watch another episode. Episodic doesn't do it for me.
@@thehistorynerd8537 Yeah that´s really a problem that most episodic shows tend to repeat their own formular. Like Samurai Champloo is episodic and really great in style, actions and characters. But every story feels kind of the same.The trio goes to some famous japanese City or sight to gain food and money (because no matter what they did last episode they end up being poor in the next) and either end up figthing each other or some hilariously skilled enemy. It´s kind of the Scooby Doo things were you know what happens every episode because they almost reset everything in this episode. Great example of episodic show that also have kind of a start/goal was gravity falls where every episode had either character development or had some plot reveals that became relevant for future episodes without necessarily needing you to watch the whole show because you can totally be fine watching one episode and be entertaint.
What is meant by "episodic"? Does it mean an ongoing series with many episodes, or anime where each episode is a standalone plot? I thought most anime was episodic
@@r4ndom7000 Episodic is shows where each episode is a standalone plot. A lot of newer shows are either one story or have small arcs. Shows like Cowboy BeBop is like Spongebob, where you can watch a random episode and not be lost in what is happening.
It's about how we consume them. Back in time the most common way to watch a series was through television, where following an episodic series is way easier than a continuous one, since you will still understand if you missed a certain episode or was watching it out of order. Nowadays we have streaming services, where watching every episode in order is very easy and binge-watching is very common, and because of this a continuous story is much more interesting than an episodic one, since it gets boring very fast.
Oh hey i found this video randomly and decided to check this show. It’s very weirdely entertaining. I was kinda mad he ruined some peoples lives for seemingly no reason but I just kept pressing next episode. It also has this quirkiness only old anime has. Thank you for promoting it I wouldn’t have ever known this series if it weren’t for this video!
"Be happy with your lot and don't wish for better. It could always be worse." It's a moral that may have resonated with the stereotypical Salaryman of the 1980s. Maybe some people found the idea comforting; after all, mundane problems and life aren't that bad - wising for better might be inviting trouble. But with a suicide rate that has become a meme outside of Japan and global unrest and uncertainty in daily life, it might not be something people find comforting anymore. If life is so bad that you start feeling really desperate, the mundane problems of the characters who meet the Salesman may seem trite. The punishments they receive may seem malicious to the extent that they are insulting to the viewer - how dare anyone want something better? It's not the escapist fantasy that people unsatisfied with their lives will enjoy. It's only something someone reasonably content can appreciate. So if there aren't enough content people, it's possible the show will fail. Just a guess.
But this series isn't about not wanting something, at the start of every episode they even say that everyone has something they desire. Moguro is a villain that preys on salaryman and their dreams, offering a quick solution to problems that comes with a trap. The series is about working for your dreams, and not be fooled by ruthless people that profits from your dreams. Moguro is not there to teach a lesson, he is the ultimate swindler and wants nothing more than a good laugh. (sorry if my english is poor, im not a native speaker).
Disagreed. You are going too complex about it, the answer is clear and everyone says the same In Japan, any show that isn't trendy, catchy. or that represent how the real world works will fail miserably and many studios have gone bankrupt because of that Gangsta is underrated, specially in Japan and the studio went bankrupt, simply because it involved drug/hookers/gang fights instead of a goth tiddy and a loli screaming Nico Nico Ni "insulting to the viewer" Onepiece is literally the most sold manga in the world, 80% of backstories are worse than anyone who is going through middle life crisis and that's what Oda is trying to show by making the backstories darker and darker. It insults the "my life is bad, i wish i had better" mindset, yet it is still selling a lot
@@mariama.f8314 I don't follow your logic at the end. The problems in One Piece may be grim, but they're almost entirely "fantastical" and not at all realistic. They wouldn't strike the same chord with most people than an (somewhat) down-to-earth show set in an urban setting with people with realistic problems. I can always relate to someone going through poverty and desiring some expensive commercial product than I can someone losing their entire family. I understand the latter is far more severe, but the former is something that I, and countless others, can understand.
Honestly, the concept of the Laughing Salesman reminds me a bit of Yugioh Season 0, with Yami running around playing Yami no Game with people; though to be fair, Yami isn't malicious so much as an agent of retribution, unlike the salesman
Carl Jensen Yeah, I actually really enjoyed Season 0. It’s very different from the Yugioh we got afterwards, but I‘d love this concept to be made into a full series.
Is there any where we can watch series like this? I know most are on VHS which nobody has so wondered if there was a place for anime like this one so that they aren’t lost and can be enjoyed again.
I just want to through some stuff out myself, I usually find my new or old anime show to watch through Tv Tropes. Though it mostly through certain keywords of course. And digging through piles and piles of simple words only to find the strange ones like "X meets Y" or "Spiritual Adaptation."
If you guys like this type of story, try reading Trafford's Trading Club. The same premise but instead of the boss being evil just because, he actually invests effort into helping his customers. And the people who visit the club aren't evil.
I'm sorry, Kenny.. You told me that I can't watch more than 1 episode per week.. But I can't help but binge this beautiful episodic series..! Please, don't curse me for this comfort that I just found..!
Virtually all modern anime are targeted towards teenagers and contain almost exclusively high school student characters (or younger), and it REALLY pisses me off. I wouldn't mind so much if it was like two thirds of anime like that, but nope! We're getting more anime made per year than ever before and yet anime has never been more overwhelmingly pigeonholed into one demographic.
True, nowadays there are only a few anime out there that I enjoy. Hell, I only watched two animes in the last two years, "Cells at Work" and "Promised Neverland", though the latter again has young kids as protagonists, but that works well with the dark and brutal story.
i love the fantasy genre especially with more dark themes into the story and if i see another isekai anime about "your average student" send into a different world where he can make shit rpg references and indulge in fanservice i will puke like come the fuck on
I just watched Promised Neverland yesterday... ALL OF IT, because it’s so engrossing! While the characters are young, the story is very mature, and thank god it doesn’t fetishize it’s young female characters like so many horrible modern anime do.
@@vladys5238 i don't say its not possible to make an interesting fantasy story about interesting character that happened to be high school student but the amount of shows the use the "high schooler" card just to make the main character "relatable" to their target audience are way too many and their characters are usually simple and stupid to be honest so many anime shows try to be "relatable" they harm their quality in the process
They're both cartoon characters, so it's a stalemate. Worst thing that would happen is the salesman sells him a wig & he breaks a rule & they change his name from caped baldy to wig baldy.
@@kennylauderdale_en well considering Saitama bad luck... yeah i think either he so stupid (or in this case smart) he won't take the deal or he take it which I guess like you say
Bruh wasn't this a Twilight Zone episode? I remember there was one with a salesman who gave you exactly what you needed, even if you didn't know it, and the guy who tried to exploit him ended up accidentally dying for him
I would argue it's less about thin skin and more to do with the 90s economic collapse, various natural/artificial disasters, and the purposeful globalization of the anime industry to appeal to Western tastes that have made escapist media targeted at youth more popular. Characterizing a response to an increasingly overwhelming world as a matter of "everybody just has thin skin these days" is a very American way of thinking. Plus popularity isn't just based on what people actually want, people are complaining that isekai stories are saturating the market now, so isekai may have been good for a while and now it's time to move on. Furthermore, fiction for adults doesn't have to be a 1 to 1 recreation of real life to be a valid critique/examination of adult life. All that said, I agree that The Laughing Salesman may have been a hard sell in 2017, but I still wanted to say that there are definitely problems in the anime industry that go beyond "thin skin" and "kids these days". (Ftr, I'm an Elder WeebTM at 33, whatever that means re: supporting my argument.)
His smile fair as spring, as towards him he draws you His tongue sharp and silvery, as he implores you Your wishes he grants, as he swears to adore you Gold, silver, jewels - he lays riches before you Dues need be repaid, and he will come for you All to reclaim, no smile to console you He’ll snare you in bonds, eyes glowing’, a fire To gore and torment you, till the stars expire
I watched this video when it came out, and now all of the episodes and specials have FINALLY been translated. I just finished watching the series. Thank you for making this video years ago and inspire me to follow the translation progress of this. I really enjoyed this show!
The funny thing about wanting a show to tell a larger story is that many animes don't finish. They get one season, and that's it. I enjoy larger stories, but every time I begin a new anime, I have to wonder if I will get to see the entire story. With something episodic, at least I can have that closure.
A lot of modern anime start cutting content in order to finish the story in one or at least two or three seasons. For example, Ushio to Tora, Manga had more story arcs than Anime. After the arc where Ushio and Tora fought against entire forest of Yokai, they have skipped several story arcs that followed so they could get to the story arc with Ushio's Rivals. And it was kinda sad, because the arcs they have skipped had funny duo of idiots which followed Ushio and Tora, and also there was an epic arc with a yokai that was eating bus, and it had one of the most touching story about ex-biker. From what i heard Karakuri Circus also condenced around over 30 volumes of Manga... into 39 Episodes. Even JoJo Stone ocean, to get proper (By modern standarts) pacing, had to cut a lot of content to do entire story not in 39, but in 38 episodes. (And people justify it by saying "Eh, that wasn't anything important"...) In comparison, old Ushi to Tora OVA was unfinished, but episodes felt more interesting.
I couldn't agree more with your analysis on "beating" the Laughing Salesman. If he appears to you with a deal it's already too late. He chooses his victims carefully, you can see him walking around, drinking, and interacting with other people to a limited extent, but the people he offers his "services" to are clearly targeted, often for their vices. If you were the type who wouldn't accept the Salesman's offer, congratulations, you'd never see him.
You might be able to survive by obeying his rules and occasionally a punishment can be light.
One guy got a tree as he couldn't own a pet, a neighbor destroys it and Moguro revives the tree and punishes the owner.
Another, one guy fell in love with a trans woman.
There is an episode where he used his magic to force someone to make a deal with him when he was refused.
Kinda sounds like Truth from FMAB. Helps you be a more responsible person. I just saw Daydream and Making a Budget and Stick to it. Already I knew these people were making bad decisions especially being pressured into it.
@@WitcherCrow What episode is that?
@@SudrianTales he didn't punish the owner, he punished the neighbor, the owner is happy with the overgrown mutant plant in the end
I think it's almost poetically ironic that the cultural resting place of The Laughing Salesman is a Pachinko Parlor where he'll face hundreds of gambling addicts a day, likely some of the people he would have "helped".
Here you go a good luck charm, BUT you must only play 1 game per day you mustn’t break that rule, you don’t want to know what will happen if you break that rule
@@theiceygamer4742 I'd bet it'd only take the person 5 minutes max before they test their luck with a second game.
@@theonlyshinyumbreon 5 seconds. Gambling addiction seems like a meme until someone you love is violently resisting your attempts to stop them from putting down their home because "They WILL win the casino this time and you WILL NOT stop them"
Wow 😂
"Helping" plenty.
That's actually the kind of poetry i wish i found there. I found cruelty. The 2nd part of first episode... I really felt for her.
*Sad eyes with a sinister smile*
Yeah that blanket will definitely help me sleep at night
It will express both your sadness and your unchained rage (jk)
Reminds me a bit of Peter Lorre.
Yeah I think most people would spend their money on Rem hugging pillows before even thinking about buying the laughing salesman blanket.
That smile doesn't reach his eyes... Or his soul.
If he has one.
@@MrSuperbeast92 he is the devil so he must be a soul himself
Live-action Laughing Salesman is too adorable to be scary. Lookit that happy guy.
He looks like a nice gentleman, unlike the actual salesman....
live-action Moguro-San was always, to my mind, going to be constrained by both the innate degree of difficulty that an actor faces in portraying a truly non-human psyche and the inherent limitations of the format (b/c even the most accomplished actor probably can't do the thing where he's using his mouth but only his teeth are actually moving, for example)
also the dude definitely looks more like your lovable scamp of an uncle than an eldritch being that toys with human lives for its amusement
I just don't like how he looks like he shat his pants and is trying to make it home while desperately trying to hide it.
I love him
@@DominatorLegend xD thank you for this comment!
"You guys don't pirate Anime, right?"
_Sweating furiously_
*profusely perspiring*
Most people that aren’t Japanese do, since Crunchyroll doesn’t include some animes
"In that case... DON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
**starts to fan myself**
Who doesn...
My uncle invested in those Garfield suction toys as a joke. He's lazy rich now
@Ray C. Swornaugh 18 back then, they were sold as water.
To bad he's pissing it away on Blackjack, and Hookers.
@@Ichijoe2112 What? Aside from making other profitable investments, that's a legitimate way to spend all that money.
@@PresidentFunnyValentine It's just a reference to Futurama.
@@user-zm3tc6yy8p Sure, but if someone did make a successful investment into something as dumb as that, then I don't care what they think; it's pretty rad.
He's like a cross between Buddha and the Joker
That's the most badass discription of a character I've ever read.
I think you mean Boris Badinov (Rocky & Bullwinkle), and Mark Hammel's Joker.
By Buddha, you actually mean the Budai, right? Big bellied wealth-and-prosperity bald fella
Literally how is he Buddha
@@RafilaWan i mean there's the aspect of contentment, appreciating what you have and not wanting material things or shortcuts
Part of the reason I think why the rebooted version didn't succeed is because The laughing salesman feels a lot mellowed out. He still gives wicked punishments to those who break the deal, but more often he just gives them a slight tap on the wrist. in the old version if you messes up you gets absolutely smited, and sometimes even when you don't mess up he still comes after you. That's the main appeal of The laughing salesman. His punishments were unpredictable. He was simply a force of nature. He gave zero crap about whether his customers deserve the punishments. In the new version he seems to follow strict moral code to punish bad people and reward good people, which in itself isn't a terrible idea, but it kinda deprives the omnipotence and unworldliness eminated from the character.
I hate him for his cruelty . Can't help it. Shadenfreude ain't my thing.
This seems more accurate.
Yeah it makes him creepy that in itself makes him appealing as a character.
@@damienstarshine9095 I dislike it as much as the next person but that's not really what this show is about..
"In the old days, I was a real salesman. Now, I'm not sure about that: internet took all those who would be interested in my products. And the only thing that I can sell is pachinko machines."
"Horrible times to live." 😭
Perfect laughing sales man pitch for the younger generation. Your waifu becomes real, but you have to woo her with your actual social skills.
I know Laughing salesman is evil but that's just sadistic.
...I could actually manage that.
Made me laugh out loud, thanks
You mean amazing strangers anime?
That wouldnt be hard with todays tropes. Most of the high school shonen stuff is always a loser gets all girls lusting for him. Seeing a harem tag on any manga/anime is pretty much guaranteed that it will be some generic shit tough.
"If you want some short stories about an unbeatable character that messes up people's lives-"
you sold me there
isn't that gman
I mean that was ten minutes in so, yeah
Anime aim at modern working man... teaching lesson about taking shortcut in life will come with punishment.
Sounds like Goku, but better!
that sort of reminds me of franken fran. she's kind of a supernatural being? but if you ask her for a quick fix she might just ruin you or reduce you to a clump of cancer cells. fun stuff
I'm sorry you'll lacking some historical lore behind the series.
This was a work done by Fujiko A Fujio, he's the long time partner of Fujiko F Fujio, the creator of doraemon. Now let's get into this.
Side note I'll refer to Fujiko A Fujio as his real name Abiko and and Fujiko F Fujio as Fujimoto from here on out.
Now if you like anime or things that are japanese, especially if you are from outside of USA, then you probably would recognize Doraemon. The extremely iconic blue cat deus ex machina that is Doraemon, saving his friend Nobita with from the daily grind of life being horrible at it. Fujimoto was extremely well read in multiple fields, from history to science and politics to history, and he had the knack to be able to provide these topics to a younger audience so that they can easily digest it. I mean the man wrote stories catered to each school grade from 1st to 6th, changing up manner of presentation of said topic to suit the age group. So Fujimoto excelled in stories for kids and juveniles.
So where does that leave Abiko?
He's also started off creating manga for kids, because thats the demographic that was reading manga around the time Fujiko Fujio pair was starting up around in the mid to late 50's. I wouldn't exactly say his works were bad, actually the opposite. He found a niche that his partner Fujimoto didn't fill. While Doraemon was really taking off and seeing that Fujimot always keeps his innocent side to be able to produce doraemon, Abiko starts to consider a different option to his career as a manga author "Can I keep making manga for kids?", "Should I just become a manager to Fujimoto?". Around this time, the anthology magazine catered to a much older and adult demographic "Big Comics" was starting to get published and the publication head came to Abiko asking him "Wanna make something for it?". So Abiko considers his option for a manga catered to adults and he comes to this genre "Black Comedy". He himself was inclined for that genre, enjoying the works of Stanley Ellin and Roald Dahl. So he thought "Wouldn't this be something really interesting"and thus the formerly the "Black Salesman" now known as the "Laughing Salesman" was born. This was his turning point, previously he has worked on pure and innocent stories but always had a sense black comedy with in him, so this was IT for him. Which kicked off his career into the recently formed Seinen demographic and a fork in the road of what can be done within this medium.
His partner, Fujimoto, diligently creating for the younger audience to the point of losing his own life at his work desk, finishing up a poster for a feature length movie for his magnum opus, Doraemon. While Abiko still alive and well. But their legacy still lives on of a duo who started their career at the legendary Tokiwa So. and a story of the tokiwa so should be left for another random comment of mine.
Source. mantan-web.jp/article/20171224dog00m200032000c.html
That was interesting to know.
that explains why the artstyle is quite similar to doraemon lol
Also to add Doraemon is actually voted as the #1 favorite of all time anime in Japan.
So this show is kinda like Doraemon but demonic?
@@doyalbaba6379 I wouldn't exactly say that, though people who aren't familiar with Doraemon nor the by the duo might consider it so. Because the two share similar styles or more so they acquired a style that are similar through their partnership, people may not be able to tell the difference between their works. But honestly consider it as a "fujiko fujio" style, though their works do usually share an universe, having characters from one story make an cameo in another.
I used to watch this when I lived in Japan in the late 80s. Loved it since it was so different from the usual primetime dramas and anime fare. Also loved another anime from the same time called Oishimbo, about a reporter who was always doing stories on Japanese food. Always made me so hungry.
the shows message is:
You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
You didn't grow.
You didn't improve.
You took a shortcut and gained nothing.
You experienced a hollow victory.
Nothing was risked and nothing was gained.
It's sad that you don't know the difference.
It feels like your referencing something but I'm sad to say that I can't quite put my finger on what your referencing.
@@torinthemad6250 They're referencing Metal Gear Solid 2, I believe.
I think that's from undertale
I think thats from bubsy 3d
@@nahobeano I think that's from Super Mario Bros 2.
Fun fact: people might have recognised it from the character artwork. But the original creator of “Laughing Salesman” was the same creator as “Doremon”.
Whew talk about genre switch.....
It’s fujiko fujio f for doraemon
Doraemon*
The genre is still the same, dumb people getting their hands on things they can't use
It's the same but for a more mature audience, like when an artist used to have a tumblr for their art and then another tumblr for their NSFW art
Fate025 i just wanted to comment that
An unbeatable character that messes up peoples lives?
Bugs Bunny?
Bugs Bunny with a day job
Shaggy?
Bugs Bunny must be stopped. He's too powerful.
There was a character that gave Bugs a lot of trouble though, the uh *gulp* Gremlin.
Mephistopholes
I remember seeing this salesman as a toy in gacha toy machines in a Japanese restaurant in a mall next to my house and it creeped me out so much I ran away screaming internally.
Entirely appropriate response, it turns out
That... was actually a very wise, appropriate response.
The laughing salesman lighter seems like the most bad ass thing you could pull out to light a cigarette
I can beat it: my lighter looks like a literal grenade and is from the 60's
Classic engraved ivory Zippo with a trick opening. One fluid motion on the most sophisticated lighter designed for every situation. Gotta love it
@@JohnWick-qf1gr wait I have a lighter just like that in my old lighter collection! Still haven't restored it yet tho beecause of my lazy ass
@@JohnWick-qf1gr It sounds like something some firearms nerd would have
Well, I can certainly say I'd want one. This creepy character seems like a missed opportunity xD
It feels like somebody...
WANTS TO SELL ME SOMETHING!
i told you he was onto us!
Nice
Thank you for existing.
I'm not interested in anything you're selling!
Yo, I forgot all about this episode lol
The Laughing Salesman: A modern yokai. No rhyme or reason, no lesson to be learned. Just a normal, every-day, magical, metaphysical being that messes with people for its own goals.
The fact that this anime was made by the same people who did Doraemon, Ninja Hattori, Perman, Chimpui, Ultra B etc. makes this golden. It's like the adult version of all the childhood shows I watched as a kid that I always needed but never got... till I discovered it this year.
This is why the other characters look extremely similar to the characters from the Doraemon and Ninja Hatori. I am pretty suprised that almost no one commented on this topic 😅
Look up Sasurai-kun if you want another adult anime by the same people.
The Laughing Salesman is the only anime I'm legit afraid to pirate.
Why
You're right about it. It would be a horror story.
Why? It's a good anime, and I'm afraid that getting a copy nowadays when it's a collectors item and hella rare, isn't the easiest.
The Major It isnt, its a bad 80s horror flick trying to be a seinen with a moral story. Newsflash: said "moral story" never works when your entire country operates on zombie economy and your workers have barely livable wages while being pushed around by fat cats in suits and suffer from price inflation
@@nomblob5592 lemme guess, the salesman got to you too, eh?
The reason for the new show's failure is really complex. Though I think the main problem is it came from a completely different era of entertainment and way of living.
Yeah. As someone pointed out in another comment, unfair deals between a powerful entity, specially true for businessmen, and people down in their luck just feels too harsh and hits too close to home. Personally, if I wanted to see a businessman screw over people who need help, I'd just watch the news.
I think
Everyone should understand the correlation between the salesman and the devil although these days....yeeesh. The dumbing down of our world is scary.
Caius? Where did you go? People keep telling me I'm the nerevarine and I have no idea where to go. Come back! I have your pipe.
Now, everyones too poor to cash out for random anime blu rays, and the only people with money like that to spend are buying shitty isekai anime
@@reagandow850 That's a pretty huge generalization for a baseless and irrelevant assumption.
You'd think that episodic series would be more popular now rather than big, overarching plots in that it requires less concentration and investment and it's something easy to just dip in and out of, especially when you're busy. This looks cool as well.
For Western viewers, Anime was probably their first introduction to serialized story telling that a lot of kids shows lacked at the time so that’s probably one reason
For me, the lack of long plots and basically being free from consequences episode to episode generally puts me off from most shows like this because it's harder to care and get invested in the characters. Cowboy Bebop is one of the few shows that does this very well, where you still get characters being introduced or leaving and have their backstories expanded on in subsequent episodes. Contrast it with something like Space Dandy, where the characters repeatedly die throughout the show and come back next episode like nothing happened.
@@faceless2302 Um, that's the thing. "Invested in the characters" is one of things that modern generations think too much about ><
I don't need to be invested in characters to get invested in the story. I just love to see a fun creative unusual story.
@@KeyleeTamirian Characters are the primary way the story interacts with the viewer, I should at least like (or dislike) them through their personality and experiences, and it's a lot easier to show that through a series with some sort of real continuity and character growth. If I don't feel anything for the characters, why would I watch the show?
Upotte!! comes to mind as one of my least enjoyed anime, despite me liking the premise. It's one of those kind of comedy slice of life but with a twist shows that has very little consequences episode to episode and just kind of meanders along with daily hijinks for most of it's runtime. After thinking about it more, you realize that none of the characters actually go through much of anything or have any meaningful interactions or developments except for the side character L85 learning to overcome her disability by the end (she's the best character in the show too). As much as I like the core ideas of the story, it falls flat for me because I just can't give a damn if FNC and the other girls succeed or not.
@@faceless2302 I personally prefer if characters are either likeable, or just... there. It's difficult for me to watch something when i dislike the characters. When i'm indifferent to characters, however, it means i can focus on other things.
"If I don't feel anything for the characters, why would I watch the show?"
So... feelings towards characters are the ONLY, 100% only reason to watch any show? There's no other reason to watch the show, it means?
Like, Art Style, Art Direction, Atmosphere, Aesthethic, Music, Sound Design, Lore, Scenery... all those things don't matter by that reasoning? Oh wait, they apparently do matter, but the Characters are the most important... i don't like this inequality and Character dominance above other things in shows.
When i want to watch the show, it's because i either like art style, character design, specific character design, atmosphere, aesthetic... Character's personality can be whatever. I just love to look at the character.
Modern anime don't appeal to me because i don't like they art styles. Old anime appeal to me more. In fact, over half of 90's Anime appeal to me visually just by taking look at the cover art.
Even if story would be about nothing, i just love to look at it.
When i were a teen i cared about the story the most, but now i realized that i made myself think that i care about the story.
I realized that once i started analyzing the story of a game that i praised for a story... and i realized... well, story is actually good, but i also realized that i did not understand the story back when i was a fanatic of it. I praised it's story... becuase everyone praised it! Now i praise it's story because it's actually good. But that's not why the game appeals to me now - it's visual aesthethic, atmosphere and music. The story is not important to me in it, even though everyone praises it for the story.
I guess, in the end, the Laughing Salesman could sell just about anything... *except for himself*
if he was a salesman of the night that would be even more cursed
if this ever gets dubbed.
mark hamil could totally voice the salesman.
Yeah, I can see that working.
Could he voice him without putting a big JOKER-image on him though? I have my doubts...
Morgan Freeman should do it. Just imagine one of the world's kindest voices voicing someone who would give The Joker the creeps.
Sadly it won't ever happen
@@bon7029 @Bon Joker tricked a 5th dimensional being in order to steal his powers. He might outsmart the Laughing Salesman or get tricked himself, but he definitely would not be afraid. It's an interesting matchup.
A gambling machine of a creepy character who screws those who accept his deals is pretty appropriate
Keep this at 666 likes
@@orlandomartinez5484 sorry bro
I actually enjoyed the series. It had some twisted sense of humor at times.
d'arby
It isn't really gambling. But it kind of is in a certain way.
Let Danny DeVito do a live action film!
Is that Ghoul even still alive?
@@Ichijoe2112 Of course. He still stars in IASIP every year.
Holy shit
you absolute MADMAN
you absolute INSANE PERSON
where do i put my wallet?
*_Take my money._*
I've watched a ton of episodes on this anime and the only reason why I can find people not liking it is that there is never a happy ending, just a disturbing reality check.
It’s basically it’s always sunny and wimpy kid
Some episodes do have happy endings, but that's not the appeal of this series. The appeal is watching evil doraemon screwing people over by exploiting their vices.
@@Otakumanu agreed makes sense. Other times it’s esoteric happy endings.
Sounds a bit like Michiko and Hatchin. Great show, but man, does it give you character whammies that make the drollness of Cowboy Bebop quite tame at times.
Happy ending in laughing salesman is such a rarity
I think there are only 4 or 5 episodes where the customer lived a happy end
He’s a force-a-nature, grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and brudda, he’s here to give you a great deal on just what you need
...
_Bonk._
He's just the devil.
And it's probably the only 'Serious' thing Fujiko Fujio (A) made.
Meet the Salesman
I want to see the episode where Nobita's dad meets the Salesman & gets stuck with Doraemon xD
Honestly that would be the perfect crossover. I'm going to love this comment right now.
@@kennylauderdale_en I recognized the animation style. Turns out not only are both series drawn by the same animation studio, but they were created by the same manga artist duo- like it was meant to be!
I recall a chapter of Doraemon where a gadget of his resembles the laughing salesman, which might have been a reference. However, it's hard to find it among the countless other chapters I read.
@@psykofreac9188 which one? The only one remind of me is the profession tripper tho
@@psykofreac9188 The doll that does things for you when you give it some yens.
"If you binge watch it you're doing it wrong" Well good thing I don't have to respect your authority mister RUclips voice
@Ricky MyBoy no u
Gotem
@Ricky MyBoy lol what?
Row Row Fight the Power!
@Jonnathan Crane did I pass the vibe check?
@Jonnathan Crane u right tho but the thing is, my vibes may be decent but I'm ugly asf. So maybe I don't have enough vibe for that stage
I think the younger generation thinks it looks and is old. They might remember their parents or something liking the show, since it was 30 years between the shows. I think it worked back then because the 80s and 90s were more business-minded, especially in Japan. The new audience might have a harder time connecting with the show, and might not like how short the episodes are and that it’s not a continuing anime story. The old anime of it is something my 60 year old dad would definitely enjoy if I showed it to him, not too long of an episode and watch an episode every now and then instead of binging it.
It's definitely old but I like it because of that, that 80's-90's bubble Japan vibe is very distinct from modern anime and Japanese society. Hell, people loved Yakuza 0 and I'd wager the setting (1989, year this anime started airing) was one of the biggest reasons for it.
This salesman looks so familiar yet I've never heard of this anime or character?
Big deja vu here.
Maybe , it is because you watched Doraemon before, both shows have the same author
@@ucnguyen6375 I have no idea what doraemon is. I might have vaguely seen it but I've never heard the name that I can remember.
Maybe it's his fat Joker vibe that gives you deja vu.
Zombozo from Ben 10
@@ucnguyen6375 Not the same author. His partner. They had the same art style.
I don't think it's a matter of age demographic or story structure, it's a matter of self-insertion like you said. You can see modern anime like Dragon Maid being clearly targeted toward Japanese salarymen with a somewhat episodic structure as well, but with much more wholesome and nourishing content. In the early 90s, entertainment was all anyone was looking for from an anime, even if it was about the show's mascot stabbing them in the back, but today what people really want are entertaining stories with a mascot that helps them get out of bed in the morning, and that is decidedly not what the Laughing Salesman does.
Wrong. The difference between Dragon Maid and Laughing Salesman is that Dragon Maid gives way to a LOT of porn. That's it, unironically.
Did you asked people about what they were watching anime in the 90s for? Did you watched laughing salesman? What makes it inferior?
Dragon Maid was mostly made for young adults like most shows oriented at adults nowadays. I think the laughing salesman is oriented to a public that for anime mostly doesn't exist anymore. wich is actual adults, probably around 30
No, I think the age demographic & story structure are at fault here. Dragon Maid was NOT a good example to use. A lot of anime consumers today aren't used to these old older story structures pre-2000s, which is why I think Kenny RIGHTLY pointed out all the stupid questions these kids start asking; rather than just enjoying the show for what it is.
If it's not Isekai or some generic battle Shonen, adaptable for Netflix, ripe for porn, or allows for self-insertion; then it wont sell well Today.
maidragon* fixed it for you, casual
To be entirely honest, I absolutely loved this anime. It carries the theme of having to deal with things yourself and trudge through life’s challenges, and demonstrates how you really shouldn’t take shortcuts or make someone do certain things for you.
Moguro Fukuzou deserves a salute for being so bold with his work as a salesman! He shows people what life really is supposed to be on its own, and I honestly hope that his customers learned their lesson.
Basically, The Monkey's Paw, only with a salesman and in 1980s Japan.
retrogamelover2012
Lmao yeah!!
@@oku12
😳
The moral felt like, "Sometimes having a wish forefilled or a minor problem instantly solved could turn out to be the WORST thing that can happen to you"
Get that girl to notice you until to find out she's insufferable, etc etc.
Be careful what you wish for.
"A Laughing Salesman blanket to help you sleep at night." Why does that sound so counterintuitive?
I'm under the impression he kinda IS
That'sthejoke.jpg
The worst selling anime?...ironically after this it’ll develop into a strong cult following...never heard of it before but it sounds interesting...surprised it didn’t sell more
Tho...when was the last time cult following turn a product into a worldwide cultural phenomenon?
@@reynaldipangestu259 Maybe Heathers?
@@reynaldipangestu259 There exist things like The Room, Earthbound, and True Detective for example
reynaldi Pangestu Watamote
Another one I'd like to point out is a Japanese cgi kids show called Poppee the Clown that aired in 2001. The show has gained quite a following after the show ended with only one season. If anyone is interested, you can find the episodes on RUclips. Fair warning, though. The show contains blood and other weird elements
It looks like something that could have beed succesiful on american TV if it was aired on Adult Swin back in the day. It certainly fits well with Adult Swin...
Or old school toonami. Woulda watched the piss outta this show.
@@martyjuannaandcannalynn5553 Yes.
You mispelled swim twice... Wtf.
I mean, look at the success of Black Mirror recently if you need any more proof of it. The only thing that would really hold it back is people's preconceived notions of anime, and that the Black Mirror and anime audiences may not have a huge overlap, but if something like Netflix pushed it hard enough it would probably be successful.
@@TheSergio1021 lol
I remember one character keeping his promise for almost the duration of the episode. The salesman didn't think he would succeed that long, so he had to sabotage the poor guy into messing up.
I liked the Anime.
He is like the devil.
He tricks you into selling your soul, then he ruins you after.
*I prefer the Soviet Union.
*Stalin is like Satan.
*He forces you to make food or weapons.
*And you die regardless.
He's from the classic deal with the Devil story.
Rick, and morty?
@@firepower7017 lol
@@charact8063 You know that the rick&morty episode was an homage to Steven Kings "Needful Things"? I mean, even the shop has the same name.
I'm sold on watching this just by the character's looks. He's like Japan's Joker.
He's like Japan's Leland Gaunt.
They live in a society
Cookie Cookie yeah but a fat version
Basically if you throw The Joker, Scarface(Ventriloquist), and Penguin in an blender.
I just discovered the show and I binged the whole series in a day. Loved it. Its like a Japanese twilight zone. I disagree him being the devil. More like an entity, he gives them the rules, it's the person's greed that is their demise
Hooooo! Ho ho ho🕵️♂️
He's the personification of entropy for me
keep it a mystery for now, its more worth it to keep him as a secret magical character
I always thought of him as a genie of sorts.
You're watching it wrong
He's 100% a youkai
The should do an OVA entitled: The origin of the Laughing Salesman. Give it a dark theme, make it a prequel to the series... That'll get em hooked.
Ooh, I like this idea- maybe it turns out that The Laughing Salesman is a title given from person to person- and Moguro Fukuzou is the latest in a long line of salesmen.
@@zorasmith4880 That would just kill the immortal, ineffable vibe of the Salesman though, which is the whole point. He's an unknowable, immortal, ageless and uncanny force of nature, and all we can do is try to avoid being his next customer.
what if Moguro himself actually starts off as a normal person originally but as it progresses it shows him becoming who he is now?
like it would explain a certain episode, AND also would explain why his body has become essentially more of a vessel to what he carries with him
@@StargazerSkyscraper
I figure it could still be played for laughs. Have Moguro just... _always have been there!_ from the dawn of human civilization, all the way back to when the first fish adapted to walk on land!
Like he's never in any different form or whatever in these different time periods, he still looks the way he's always had!
The Laughing Salesman came two years before Stephan King's Needful Things. I have wondered if he knew about this anime. Likely not, the devil being a salesman is a great concept across many cultures.
Goes all the way back to before Faust.
Probably because almost everyone knows someone that had an impeccably dressed man sit before them out of nowhere and offer them everything they could ever want. It's like the 'lady in white' urban legend.
@@raccoonchild gman
It’s a pretty old trope; there are multiple twilight zone episodes written with this type of story, and even older short stories with pretty much the exact premise and tone.
@@leejerrett8268 👍 when Kenny says "submitted for your approval" at the beginning of the video, he's quoting one of Rod Serling's opening lines to the Twilight Zone
The sad thing about old anime VA's is that most of them are already gone by now. Ohira Toru passed away in 2016 and Isamu Tamonaka aka Medama-oyaji from Gegege no Kitaro passed away in 2010, he'll always be Medama-oyaji to me. May they rest in peace.
I wonder how super robot anime VAs are holding right now.
I can see why they chose Ohira to voice Darth Vader just from hearing that brief clip of him as Moguro.
@@GigawingsVideo Most are still kicking and doing fine
"Laughing Salesman Pachinko Machine" is the most on-the-nose product I've ever heard of
gives me a petshop of horrors vibe. "gives you what you wish but there is a rule you must never break".Honestly, it sounds awesome, I wanna watch it now.
Pet Shop of Horrors yes! Loved that one too.
Pet shop of horrors? Is that a thing? Now that sure sounds derivative. Like, a ripoff of the title "Little Shop of Horrors" but a ripoff of the plot of Gremlins.
Pachinko machines have replaced anime for Japanese adults as an entertainment medium after work, which is pretty sad and reflective of Japanese society as a whole if you think about it.
Yeah, large scale gambling tends to be a bad sign for quality of life in a country.
Jesus loves you
John 3:16
Romans 8:35-39
This anime is best compared to "tapas". It was intended to be read by busy businessmen. Imagine Japanese businessmen on a crowded train with a comic magazine on one of his hands. You can enjoy a whole short episode without knowing the previous. Or you don't even have to have read any episode to enjoy any episode. It's a style opposite of JJBA, same as Golgo 13.
As a middle aged Japanese man I couldn't help noticing that you never mentioned that the author was the one who drew Doraemon. When this comic was published it was surprising to me, and probably for many Fujiko Fujio fans. Laughing salesman was dark, cynical but intriguing pieces of comic that was quite opposite from Fujiko Fujio's usual kids comics.
Saving that for the Doraemon video (assuming I ever get to it).
..... THAT'S WHY THE ART LOOKED SO FAMILIAR !
Some of Doraemon's chapters is kinda scary, in my opinion.
Wow, I knew that style looked familiar!
@@DecimusYna Yes! Some episodes gave me nightmare, literally.
Recently I found out that there's an urban myth in the USA about the Smiling Man, related to the Mothman myth. It claims that a mysterious man with a kind, but unnerving smile approaches people randomly, exchanges some pleasantries, then disappears, and that shortly thereafter someone will sight the Mothman.
dude, I didn't know that moguro is working with mothman nowdays thats so cool :O
Business Cthulhu. His strongest magic is his smile. :)
Real talk: Do you think he could beat meme-wielding elder god waifu Twinkle Nora? She has a magic smile and unlimited powers too.
@@towelgirl21 I think they would clash indefinitely and eternally until the residual magic energy around them is so much it turns into a big bang and the universe collapses.
From what I remember is that Business Cthulhu helped cause the Wall Street crash
(◡‿◡✿)
@@cthulhuchan9587 I gotta pollute the earth more. Probably not to the extent to the Soviets but I'll try
2:25 "a laughing salesman blanket to help you sleep at night"
Wait... how do you sleep with that?
if you expect the blanket to comfort you, you're using it wrong
It scares the demon under your bad
Oh my god, when you talked about how people ask stupid questions about deeper lore, that really resonated with me.
I really first started to notice that trend way back around 2010, when kids in my middle school started talking about that dumb theory where Muriel and Eustace "die" at the end of the first season of Courage the Cowardly Dog, and all the remaining episodes take place in Courage's mind. Completely misses the point.
I don't know why this phenomenon of rejecting cartoon & fantasy logic in favor of supposed 'true meanings' began to sweep across the internet, but I believe it reflects some desire to prove one's intelligence. The internet has turned media at-large into a bizarre pool of frantic analysis and theory talks, and some of us forget that sometimes great entertainment doesn't always require these things. Cheers to you for making an effort to bring this awesome spooky series to the attention of the masses.
Yeah, now that you mention it. It really was wide spread the creepy pastas and spongebob theories and shit.
Well put.
The theory stuff has really exploded. Some shows embrace it, but most of the time it harms the medium. The most ridiculous part about it is that it's bled into video games just as passionately. The Legend of Zelda community for example has even managed to peer pressured Nintendo to start keeping a comprehensive continuity for the LoZ series, and I can already see the potential obstacle this creates for the upcoming sequel.
This happened with the Simpsons too. People forgot it isn't supposed to be consistent.
It happened to Steven Universe too. Now people have every right to critique it because it has bad writing and pacing. But a key point people like to bring up as real critique is that “Steven’s powers don’t make any senseee!” When... yeah bro... it’s a cartoon for a kids channel. Yes it has adult themes and stuff but WHY are you calling the show bad for a lack of realism. Your overthinking it. Lol I wish more people would just relax about how cartoons work sometimes.
Japan is also better at simple ideas, especially for horror, if you consider Junji Ito. His monsters often weren't explained and the occurence is usually a fluke that just happens for a bit then stops and the main character is telling you, the reader. It's very goosebumps, very spooky campfire story, the unknown is what makes it scary
Episodic animes are something we need more than ever. Most of shows are these epics continuing year after year and it becomes a burdensome to follow more than 3 plots n lores at the same time. You were still wrong about a one thing: since the episodes are so short, this is super fun series to watch few episodes at a time! Thx for the pitch 😁
I don't know why people don't like episodic stuff anymore either. This animation reminds me of Doraemon.
Jamberite The manga came from the same team who created Doraemon
@@The_Davo_Domain Well, now I have to see it.
@Ricky MyBoy fuck off
Ricky MyBoy Dont say that about Doraemon dude. It’s a great show for kids. It’s entertaining and teaches you lessons. The animation of the first seasons was really cute and cartoony. I loved it to death as a kid and I still find it enjoyable.
[laughs in dragon maid]
Looks like Gomez and Uncle Fester has a messed up love child and left him in Japan.
Fester and Gomez were brothers were'nt they? he's just their Japanese raised sibling.
☠☠☠☠☠☠
CAN'T UNSEE
And it happened at Coney Island under the watchful leer of "Funny Face"... *shudder* 😨 And possibly a vat of chemicals? Only Batman can save us now!
It’s they’re nephew whose mother had a tryst with the joker
An anime without waifus, lolis, or gorgeous guys? Has anything like that been even remotely successful since, I dunno... A couple years after Haruhi Suzumiya? Even Osomatsu-san had the fujoshi angle.
Megalobox , Devilman crybaby , March Comes in Like a Lion
@@nyan5785 Those all have waifus & gorgeous guys
Fist of the North Star and its spiritual successor JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is quite successful and popular imo...
@@crazytiger800 yeah but that also has waifus and gorgeous boys
@MrAwesome172 Manly muscular men, you mean...
The mangaka just died recently.
Rip my dude.
He made this and doraemon
I actually found this series from the revival, and its premise hooked me from the summary. I think your idea that growing up with more horror-themed shows making us more accepting of Laughing Salesman's crueler tone is pretty accurate.
I watched the revival up until the halfway point until I simply stopped watching, not that I didn't like it, but it being an episodic show makes it hard to really commit to it, and I had a lot of other shows to catch up to then.
I wanted to thank you for this video and introducing this series to me. I had a feeling my parents would enjoy this, so we all watched a bunch of episodes together and had a wonderful time. I never thought I would ever get to enjoy an anime with my parents like that.
Old anime have this kind of warm feeling regardless of the main themes, they are special to watch either alone or with your family
>Your fate is sealed
Kenny, maybe you've seen the entire show but there are a few exceptions.
"Night Train" episode where his client actually listened to Moguro's advice and did what's right, so Moguro appreciated that and helped him.
"Wanio's Cooking" episode where Moguro himself actually broke the promise and as a result, that helped the client.
"The Man Who Look Down" Not a perfect happy-ending, but the client definitely got much more confidence from Moguro's treatment...
and some other episodes where client (or the entire family) get cursed by Moguro but actually having fun in that state.
Also, about the live-action drama, try search "マンガニア" in niconico and you will find a full episode(three-sepate videos).
It really drags because it's a 10 minutes anime watered down to 45 minutes,
but one thing I'm sure is, Moguro's actor Shiro Ito did a fantastic job (He NEVER blinks during the show. what I heard is he looked at the original character design and thought "I think this guy does not blink whole life") .
gorijaimo Not only that, but he also doesn’t seem interested in hurting children, or at least anyone under the age of 20. He also helped healed a tree someone was taking care of back to life after their neighbor destroyed it, and he helps save a kid of a mother from being ran over by a car and decided to “punish” the mother by giving her the desire to become a idol despite her age and appearance, with the kid even cheering her on.
Also, any more information on how Moguro broke the promise in “Wanio’s Cooking” and how the client followed his advice and got his help in “Night Train”? I tried to look them up but couldn’t find anything.
@@kingvideogames Night Train... Ep99 Yakou Ressha(夜行列車)
Wanio's Cooking... Ep72 Wanio no Kaiki Ryouri(ワニオの怪奇料理)
The ending for Ep99 is one of the most beautifully directed anime episodes I've ever seen, honestly.
@@Nikujaga4649 Anywhere I can watch this anime? The one site I was able to find it on, kiss anime, only has up to 73.
Go search in DxxlyMxtion
I think that still counts as their dates being sealed... not in a BAD way but still
I love this anime and the Salesman just makes me smile. He's a merry little imp and a force of nature, as you said. He's not necessarily a villain: he just gives people the things they deserve due to their own actions.
The new Joker movie is looking different also why does this remind men of a more twisted Doraemon?
Because it was made by the same person. I didn't mention that in case I do a Doraemon video eventually & want to use that fact to pad out the video.
@@kennylauderdale_en the possibility of you joining the masteace gives me life. Also nobody brings them up in the Fujika Fandom which is surprisingly huge
I wants laughing salesman and doraemon crossover.
@@iliveinsideyourhouse1367 The laughing salesmen just kills Noby *Insert people of earth here*
@@kennylauderdale_en
I had a hunch that was the case, I recognized the style immediately. Hell, one of the people in the video was straight up the bully from that show.
Never stop uploading Kenny.
Why do you keep insisting on uploading Kenny? What has he ever done to you?!
6:12 This isn't just with anime - almost everything these days has to be more arc-based. Two things really - everyone wanting to be the next "Game of Thrones" or "Avatar", but most notably the rise of On Demand. Back then it was a little harder to sell things that had this really big metaplot told across a couple dozen story arcs, especially outside of Japan where a lot of shows would air in random order in syndication. I remember seeing Seinfeld episodes where one day, you see Elaine standing behind the counter because this was from the season where her actress was pregnant - then another where she's just recently introduced.
Even the things these days that do seem to have some semblance of an "Anything goes" or "Episodic nature", there's always some kind of continuity.
I guess to alot of ppl, it's inherently satisfying to notice a small detail that actually becomes much more important in a season or 2 in a show. (Or just following one big story in general) Like you said even shows that are episodic, have that continous quality to them so a observant viewer will get a bigger dopamine rush.
Their are pros and cons to each format. Episodic shows can run out of steam quick if you can't come up with completely new scenarios or stories every episode. After a while some episode can blend together rendering them redundant. Plus not having an ongoing plot where the story resets next episode can have some viewers thinking well it kinda didn't matter.
For on-going plot shows its much harder to just even start watching especially when it's been around for years. Missing some episodes can leave you without proper context for certain plot points later ie, losing impact. Some can have massive amounts of lore that can be difficult to keep track of therefore putting a whole show on "stand-by" for seemingly forever as the situation gets worse.
I used to watch more episodic animes with my sister 2007-2011 time period. I really enjoyed the amount of story telling put into a singular episode. Now, a lot of anime feels so stretched out, almost like comparing a micro series on television to Wagner's entire ring cycle. I don't dislike all modern anime, but I miss the short story format. I still can't get my hands on some of the series I watched with my sister either...
The laughing salesman be like:
👁️👄👁️
Hahahahhahahahahahah that's so funny I absolutely love seeing this funny and original emoji combination being on every single comment section
@@tartaroid Omg ikr hahaha
Oh he’s a bottom 🥺🥺🥺
Is he though?
Ok😐
Top 10 Characters that Can Beat the Salesman:
1. The Laughing Salesman
2. The Laughing Salesman
3. The Laughing Salesman
4. The Laughing Salesman
5. The Laughing Salesman
6. The Laughing Salesman
7. The Laughing Salesman
8. The Laughing Salesman
9. The Laughing Salesman
10. The Laughing Salesman
Edit: Honorable Mention-
11. Bobo Bobobo
11. The Bartender
12. A person that doesn't have money.
Wrong. Not even the Salesman can beat himself.
I disagree,The Laughing Salesman should be above The Laughing Salesman
@@uncleshrek3614 fool , they all lose the the laughing salesman
I miss anime like this. It's simple, straight forward, and dark, and I like that.
It's comfortingly predictable too. It follows a format like the Simpsons does, so you know what to expect which makes it a great weekly show. Everything I like about it modern fans hate though.
Yeah, maybe I'm just old but I no longer binge watching anime anymore. There's a certain feel of savouring the show by watching one or two episodes a day (or a week just like when I watch Doraemon, Cyborg Neko Kuro-chan, Saint Seiya and other weekly shows) and talk about it rather than binge watching it and missing some small interesting points in that episode.
@@kennylauderdale_en Sounds like my kind of show, tbh.
The Laughing Salesman reminds me of PetShop of Horrors where it the stories are interesting to watch, each product has a rule, rules are always broken by customers, and we want someone to stop the saleman/count d but at the same time we love both characters. I never understood why both animes got the crap end of the sticks.
"If you want some short stories about an unbeatable character who messes up people's lives"
The Salesman is just the short story version of Goku
Insult Moguro one more time and I'll send you to the fourth dimension bastard
@@-hello6177 you mean the Shadow Realm.
@@ahniandfriends123 That's too good for her, she gon live in a black hole
Dunno on unbeatable but messes people's lives and a very powerful magician is Lina Inverse, enemy of all living :3
Not really, plot of DB is Goku being defeated, but coming back stronger
I'm really loving how you've made it a point to introduce people to obscure, overlooked titles in an animation genre that's considered popular and trendy by today's standards.
It's an awesome show, why wouldn't I talk about it?
@@kennylauderdale_en Exactly.
By todays standard, anythng that isnt highschool/comedy/isekai/harem/music will blow up everywhere
I think today, the Laughing Salesman concept is restrictive and doesn’t appeal to audiences anymore. The reason the Twilight Zone could come back is that it’s basically a playground for psychological horror. There’s no real rules or structure, other than “things didn’t go as planned”. The Laughing Salesman is a bit too restrictive to storylines. He sells things, consequences happen when rules are broken, but there isn’t much space to play around.
Also, it’s just natural for people today to try to figure out the powers, how to beat it, how to game the system. And if the Laughing Salesman is impossible to beat, it leaves you feel like there’s no hope. After a new episode of the Twilight Zone airs, or a new season of Black Mirror goes up, there’s usually an influx of videos on how to beat the big bad in the story. It’s a key part of horror these days, the ability to beat whatever horrific thing is tormenting the Everyman.
The Laughing Salesman has become too real, in a way. He’s unbeatable, omnipresent, reoccurring and represents the fear of consequences perfectly. With cameras and surveillance being commonplace, and his tactics being utilized by nearly every social media and self-help product, it is far too bleak to think about.
Black Mirror and the Twilight Zone counterbalance their dark and realistic life comparisons with the main characters occasionally finding a way to at least have an self-satisfying ending. San Junipero, U.S.S. Callistar, Nosedive, Fifteen Million Merits, and Hang the DJ are all great examples of endings in which characters are at least content.
and here we got another example of people overthinking for nothing
_"if the Laughing Salesman is impossible to beat, it leaves you feel like there’s no hope"_
That's the point
_"He’s unbeatable, omnipresent, reoccurring and represents the fear of consequences perfectly"_
You mean that he is an eldritch horror? You know like... Cthulhu?
The idea of Laughing Salesman is about the devil that appears just to screw you, MANY comments already pointed this. If you find him, and accept his deal, you already screw it, you just sold your soul and the devil isn't going to just take it, he will have his fun first.
This is a Horror series, there is just no escape to Laughing Salesman. Just like those horror stories told in the campfires, when you see the devil, pray he just ignore you or goes away, unless you want to die in a horrible and regretful way.
If you need another example, try: Pet Shop of Horrors
MalekitGJ I’m not saying I don’t get the point of the show. But I am saying that I get why people wouldn’t take a liking to it.
@@MalekitGJ >cthulu
Can we all stop bringing up these constant loose as hell comparisons
@@jimthegrapple6086 no
@@ANJROTmania Where the fuck did this racist dynamic come from ? We're still calling people negroes in 2019 ? Archie Bunker is that you ?
I won’t lie . After watching your video I took a look at the series and I’m quite disappointed I wasn’t aware of this prior . The laughing salesman is a perfect level of calm and charismatic in the chaotic anime world .
You were right on about the knuckleheads who kept asking questions about the Salesman's powers. People are so obsessed with lore. Can't have anything without lore nerds sapping the imagination out of a premise.
Still waiting on that deepest lore on Tweety Bird.
@@kennylauderdale_en I know right? There's no way Tweety should be able to fly. It must be telekinesis. I mean why else would a bird have that big of a head if not because of mind powers.
I think they are obessed with
DURR HE CAN BEAT YOUR CHARACTER
What annoys me even more are the people that watch old Ecchi comedies and then make comments whining that there is no deep story and that there isn't enough character development. Come on, why would you even expect such things out of a silly soft porn comedy? It's like modern anime fans have lost the ability to just relax and have fun. I honestly don't get it.
kenny lauderdale Granny was a commando for the OSS in WW2.
I’m not joking. That’s an actual thing now since that short lived Looney Tunes show came out a few years back.
"and never pirate anime" Looks like he's gonna be after me then
I just stream it illegally. Do you think he'll come for me too?
As long as it's not old anime, then you're fine to illegally stream it.
@@vedgerna3366 That's the only way I can watch most old anime. If it's new I usually just watch it with ads on Crunchyroll.
@@towelgirl21 Same ;-;
I prepare my reverse card.
I've known about this series for 10 years. A friend in Japan recommended it to me. I was always kinda sad that it was virtually unknown outside of Japan. Thank you for letting more people know about this great series!
3:33
It's the year 2008. You go to limewire and download a season of Bleach. Once the download finishes, you start watching the season premiere-episode. Your computer starts glitching. Oh shit, you think to yourself, there must've been a virus in that Bleach. Cold sweat blurs your vision.
You hear laughing.
From the computer.
You're awestruck with terror.
On the computer screen appears silly looking man who smiles unnervingly. And he says:
"Don't worry animation-fan. It's not a despicable virus your computer has contracted. No no no. It is but I, a humble salesman, who has decided to pay you a visit. Now, do you realize, young weeb, that you have... B R O K E N T H E L A W . . . "
After this, nobody hears from you ever again.
That would literally horrify me
"Episodic anime just doesn't sell these days"
siiigh
I feel so old... I like a good Episodic -.-
Because when you binge them, the episodes start to feel samey. Same thing happened to me while watching CowBoy Bebop. I liked it, but I didn't love the show like most people. love a great story, it makes me want to watch another episode. Episodic doesn't do it for me.
@@thehistorynerd8537
Yeah that´s really a problem that most episodic shows tend to repeat their own formular. Like Samurai Champloo is episodic and really great in style, actions and characters. But every story feels kind of the same.The trio goes to some famous japanese City or sight to gain food and money (because no matter what they did last episode they end up being poor in the next) and either end up figthing each other or some hilariously skilled enemy. It´s kind of the Scooby Doo things were you know what happens every episode because they almost reset everything in this episode.
Great example of episodic show that also have kind of a start/goal was gravity falls where every episode had either character development or had some plot reveals that became relevant for future episodes without necessarily needing you to watch the whole show because you can totally be fine watching one episode and be entertaint.
What is meant by "episodic"? Does it mean an ongoing series with many episodes, or anime where each episode is a standalone plot? I thought most anime was episodic
@@r4ndom7000 Episodic is shows where each episode is a standalone plot. A lot of newer shows are either one story or have small arcs. Shows like Cowboy BeBop is like Spongebob, where you can watch a random episode and not be lost in what is happening.
It's about how we consume them. Back in time the most common way to watch a series was through television, where following an episodic series is way easier than a continuous one, since you will still understand if you missed a certain episode or was watching it out of order. Nowadays we have streaming services, where watching every episode in order is very easy and binge-watching is very common, and because of this a continuous story is much more interesting than an episodic one, since it gets boring very fast.
Oh hey i found this video randomly and decided to check this show. It’s very weirdely entertaining. I was kinda mad he ruined some peoples lives for seemingly no reason but I just kept pressing next episode. It also has this quirkiness only old anime has. Thank you for promoting it I wouldn’t have ever known this series if it weren’t for this video!
Is it a bit like Needful Things in that respect?
Hello you.
@@kennylauderdale_en Lol, you know of me? :D
You're everywhere. I couldn't avoid you if I wanted to, haha.
@@Larry strangely enough Larry does look like a less pale salesman with more colourful clothing
As soon as you said, "Force of nature" I imagined how it would end up with The Laughing Salesman in TF2, and Soldier asking for a new hat.
"Be happy with your lot and don't wish for better. It could always be worse." It's a moral that may have resonated with the stereotypical Salaryman of the 1980s. Maybe some people found the idea comforting; after all, mundane problems and life aren't that bad - wising for better might be inviting trouble. But with a suicide rate that has become a meme outside of Japan and global unrest and uncertainty in daily life, it might not be something people find comforting anymore. If life is so bad that you start feeling really desperate, the mundane problems of the characters who meet the Salesman may seem trite. The punishments they receive may seem malicious to the extent that they are insulting to the viewer - how dare anyone want something better? It's not the escapist fantasy that people unsatisfied with their lives will enjoy. It's only something someone reasonably content can appreciate. So if there aren't enough content people, it's possible the show will fail. Just a guess.
But this series isn't about not wanting something, at the start of every episode they even say that everyone has something they desire. Moguro is a villain that preys on salaryman and their dreams, offering a quick solution to problems that comes with a trap. The series is about working for your dreams, and not be fooled by ruthless people that profits from your dreams. Moguro is not there to teach a lesson, he is the ultimate swindler and wants nothing more than a good laugh. (sorry if my english is poor, im not a native speaker).
Disagreed. You are going too complex about it, the answer is clear and everyone says the same
In Japan, any show that isn't trendy, catchy. or that represent how the real world works will fail miserably and many studios have gone bankrupt because of that
Gangsta is underrated, specially in Japan and the studio went bankrupt, simply because it involved drug/hookers/gang fights instead of a goth tiddy and a loli screaming Nico Nico Ni
"insulting to the viewer"
Onepiece is literally the most sold manga in the world, 80% of backstories are worse than anyone who is going through middle life crisis and that's what Oda is trying to show by making the backstories darker and darker. It insults the "my life is bad, i wish i had better" mindset, yet it is still selling a lot
@@mariama.f8314 I don't follow your logic at the end. The problems in One Piece may be grim, but they're almost entirely "fantastical" and not at all realistic. They wouldn't strike the same chord with most people than an (somewhat) down-to-earth show set in an urban setting with people with realistic problems.
I can always relate to someone going through poverty and desiring some expensive commercial product than I can someone losing their entire family. I understand the latter is far more severe, but the former is something that I, and countless others, can understand.
nightsong81 sounds like a message from people who’ve never hit rock bottom to me
No matter how show defender show up here and spew lines and lines of nonsense, yall pirate wont matter shit. This shit show is going down anyway
Honestly, the concept of the Laughing Salesman reminds me a bit of Yugioh Season 0, with Yami running around playing Yami no Game with people; though to be fair, Yami isn't malicious so much as an agent of retribution, unlike the salesman
What
Carl Jensen
Yeah, I actually really enjoyed Season 0. It’s very different from the Yugioh we got afterwards, but I‘d love this concept to be made into a full series.
I honestly watched the 2017 version knowing nothing of the character or the 89 version, And i loved it to pieces.
Is there any where we can watch series like this? I know most are on VHS which nobody has so wondered if there was a place for anime like this one so that they aren’t lost and can be enjoyed again.
Seconded, now wanting to see this
Where do you find these underrated 80's anime gems
VHS tapes, Laserdiscs, sometimes VHDs. You know, the normal anime sources.
I search for ages on mal or anidb
@@kennylauderdale_en
Do know any anime websites that have a good selection of Old anime?
@@magnaz26 I'm pretty sure the Laughing Salesman will get you for that.
I just want to through some stuff out myself, I usually find my new or old anime show to watch through Tv Tropes. Though it mostly through certain keywords of course. And digging through piles and piles of simple words only to find the strange ones like "X meets Y" or "Spiritual Adaptation."
The Laughing Salesman is an eldritch horror and I desire an art piece of him in Junji Ito's style.
Yesssssss
The very thought of that makes me sweat. If someone drew him in that style, he'd become far too powerful.
Oh my God that'd be horrifying
10/10 best plot
he maybe is one of the forms of nyarlathotep
If you guys like this type of story, try reading Trafford's Trading Club.
The same premise but instead of the boss being evil just because, he actually invests effort into helping his customers.
And the people who visit the club aren't evil.
That’s a real book?
@@jamesvanitas Everything is but a dream, why so serious.
I'm sorry, Kenny.. You told me that I can't watch more than 1 episode per week.. But I can't help but binge this beautiful episodic series..! Please, don't curse me for this comfort that I just found..!
Why per week, per day is enough.
Virtually all modern anime are targeted towards teenagers and contain almost exclusively high school student characters (or younger), and it REALLY pisses me off. I wouldn't mind so much if it was like two thirds of anime like that, but nope! We're getting more anime made per year than ever before and yet anime has never been more overwhelmingly pigeonholed into one demographic.
True, nowadays there are only a few anime out there that I enjoy. Hell, I only watched two animes in the last two years, "Cells at Work" and "Promised Neverland", though the latter again has young kids as protagonists, but that works well with the dark and brutal story.
i love the fantasy genre especially with more dark themes into the story
and if i see another isekai anime about "your average student" send into a different world where he can make shit rpg references and indulge in fanservice i will puke like come the fuck on
I just watched Promised Neverland yesterday... ALL OF IT, because it’s so engrossing! While the characters are young, the story is very mature, and thank god it doesn’t fetishize it’s young female characters like so many horrible modern anime do.
I want more gems like sangatsu no lion and mob psycho 100 just because the MC is in high school it doesn't always mean there's no depth to the story
@@vladys5238 i don't say its not possible to make an interesting fantasy story about interesting character that happened to be high school student
but the amount of shows the use the "high schooler" card just to make the main character "relatable" to their target audience are way too many and their characters are usually simple and stupid
to be honest so many anime shows try to be "relatable" they harm their quality in the process
Saitama probably would "defeat" him, but not due his power, but due how clueless and unambitious he is.
They're both cartoon characters, so it's a stalemate. Worst thing that would happen is the salesman sells him a wig & he breaks a rule & they change his name from caped baldy to wig baldy.
@@kennylauderdale_en indeed.
Now genos on the other hand, he seems like quite a target.
@@kennylauderdale_en well considering Saitama bad luck... yeah i think either he so stupid (or in this case smart) he won't take the deal or he take it which I guess like you say
Bruh wasn't this a Twilight Zone episode? I remember there was one with a salesman who gave you exactly what you needed, even if you didn't know it, and the guy who tried to exploit him ended up accidentally dying for him
Yup. Season 1, episode 12 "What You Need".
I keep thinking of Mark Hammil’s debut episode as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.
the one got me some black mirror vibes...
I would argue it's less about thin skin and more to do with the 90s economic collapse, various natural/artificial disasters, and the purposeful globalization of the anime industry to appeal to Western tastes that have made escapist media targeted at youth more popular. Characterizing a response to an increasingly overwhelming world as a matter of "everybody just has thin skin these days" is a very American way of thinking. Plus popularity isn't just based on what people actually want, people are complaining that isekai stories are saturating the market now, so isekai may have been good for a while and now it's time to move on. Furthermore, fiction for adults doesn't have to be a 1 to 1 recreation of real life to be a valid critique/examination of adult life. All that said, I agree that The Laughing Salesman may have been a hard sell in 2017, but I still wanted to say that there are definitely problems in the anime industry that go beyond "thin skin" and "kids these days". (Ftr, I'm an Elder WeebTM at 33, whatever that means re: supporting my argument.)
His smile fair as spring, as towards him he draws you
His tongue sharp and silvery, as he implores you
Your wishes he grants, as he swears to adore you
Gold, silver, jewels - he lays riches before you
Dues need be repaid, and he will come for you
All to reclaim, no smile to console you
He’ll snare you in bonds, eyes glowing’, a fire
To gore and torment you, till the stars expire
I will torment you for eternity
-Anime telling peoples not to buy things
-Don't sell
Everyone : wth
Saleception
I remember this show, the first thing that popped in my head was that the salesman is not a human, just a being of some sort intrigued by humans.
I watched this video when it came out, and now all of the episodes and specials have FINALLY been translated. I just finished watching the series. Thank you for making this video years ago and inspire me to follow the translation progress of this. I really enjoyed this show!
The funny thing about wanting a show to tell a larger story is that many animes don't finish. They get one season, and that's it. I enjoy larger stories, but every time I begin a new anime, I have to wonder if I will get to see the entire story. With something episodic, at least I can have that closure.
A lot of modern anime start cutting content in order to finish the story in one or at least two or three seasons.
For example, Ushio to Tora, Manga had more story arcs than Anime. After the arc where Ushio and Tora fought against entire forest of Yokai, they have skipped several story arcs that followed so they could get to the story arc with Ushio's Rivals. And it was kinda sad, because the arcs they have skipped had funny duo of idiots which followed Ushio and Tora, and also there was an epic arc with a yokai that was eating bus, and it had one of the most touching story about ex-biker. From what i heard Karakuri Circus also condenced around over 30 volumes of Manga... into 39 Episodes. Even JoJo Stone ocean, to get proper (By modern standarts) pacing, had to cut a lot of content to do entire story not in 39, but in 38 episodes. (And people justify it by saying "Eh, that wasn't anything important"...)
In comparison, old Ushi to Tora OVA was unfinished, but episodes felt more interesting.