In Japan, August 8th is marked as a “Day of Laughter”.

This is because the number “8” can be read as “Ha” in Japanese, which reminds people of the laughter, “HAHAHA”.

A lot of anime has hilarious titles that make the viewers fall and roll on the floor laughing. Those anime titles try every possible means to amuse them: some anime have weird characters, some have bizarre stories going on, and others contain dirty jokes that make people blush.

This time “Anime! Anime!” has conducted a questionnaire to our readers, asking “Which anime makes you laugh the most?”. We have received responses from 1,455 readers during the survey period from July 23rd to July 30th.
The gender ratio was about 45% men and 55% women, which indicates that almost equal numbers of men and women answered the questionnaire. Also, 60% of the respondents were 19 and under, and 20% were in their 20s. This shows that majority of the respondents are young.

Anime Based on Manga Seized the Top Ranks!

Ranked No.1

Ranked No.1 was “Gintama”. 30% of the respondents voted for this anime.

“Gintama” is based on a manga that was serialized at “Weekly Shōnen Jump.” This anime was first broadcasted in 2006, and it became so popular that in 2021, it released a movie titled “Gintama: The Final.”
The readers enjoy the comical story that sometimes goes way too far. Some commented, “there are serious stories sometimes, but I always laugh with the parodies and dirty jokes that are close to crossing the line.” Others said that “you can’t see the main characters pick their noses, vomit, and make funny faces in any anime other than Gin-san and Kagura from Gintama!”

Also, other comments said, “Gintama makes you laugh with crazy gags but in the end, it moves your heart.” Many viewers admire the technique of this anime which mixes jokes and serious stories to make the anime even more attractive. To sum up, ranked top was the anime that made its finale this year.

Ranked No.2

Ranked second was “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K”. 7% of the readers voted for this anime.

Same as “Gintama” this anime is also based on a manga serialized at “Weekly Shōnen Jump.” There are several series made since its first broadcast in 2016.
Many fans could not stop roaring with laughter at the hilarious conversation between the characters. Some commented, “All the characters have a unique personality, including the protagonist Kusuo Saiki. I giggle when some characters react to other’s silly jokes with witty comments.” Others said, “Kusuo keeps reacting seriously to other characters that keep saying stupid jokes at fast speed, which made me laugh for the entire 30 minutes of the episode.”

Ranked No.3

Ranked third was “nichijou”. The sum of the votes was very close to second place.

This anime is based on a gag manga serialized at “Monthly Shonen Ace”. It was first broadcasted in 2011 and became viral because of its broadcast on an NHK program called “E-tele”.
The viewers seem to be in love with its unique and peculiar world. Some commented, “I love the word choices of the characters and how the story goes wild. The comical expressions of the cute characters are also fun to watch!” and “Although the title means daily life, the story is way far from it. It is so chaotic and surreal! I also love the performances of the voice actors and the beautiful illustrations produced by Kyoto Animation.”

Introducing Other Comments!

One reader commented to “Asobi Asobase” that “The scream of the characters makes me worry where does that voice come from, but I love the scream and the silly gags so much I watch this anime so many times!”
Another chose “Gag Manga Biyori” because “I recommend this anime to those who like silly gags thrown at superspeed! You can’t get the point of this anime from the opening scene, which is so funny.”

There were comments to the currently broadcasted anime, such as “Seitokai Yakuindomo” and “Uramichi Oniisan.” One of the comments to the former anime wrote, “this anime introduces many types of laughter. It is not just about the gags, but everything is funny, including the witty phrases used to the witty reaction to the gags, the way the voice actors perform, and the gimmicks set by the anime staff.”
Another comment to the latter said “The way the protagonist who works as the main performer of an education program shows the reality of the society to the kids is so hilarious.”

As you can see, in this questionnaire, anime based on manga seized the higher ranks. Several anime that contains both crazy gag and hanky episodes also ranked in.

Ranked Top 10

“Which Anime Makes You Laugh the Most? ”

No.1 “Gintama”
No.2 “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K”
No.3 “nichijou”
No.4 “Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!”
No.5 “Osomatsu-san”
No.6 “GRAND BLUE”
No.7 “Asobi Asobase”
No.8 “Uramichi Oniisan”
No.9 “Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo”
No.10 “Seitokai Yakuindomo”

(Survey period: July 23rd,2021~ July 30th,2021)

Ranked Top 20

“Which Anime Makes You Laugh the Most? ”

No.1 “Gintama”
No.2 “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K”
No.3 “nichijou”
No.4 “Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!”
No.5 “Osomatsu-san”
No.6 “GRAND BLUE”
No.7 “Asobi Asobase”
No.8 “Uramichi Oniisan”
No.9 “Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo”
No.10 “Seitokai Yakuindomo”
No.11 “Detective Conan”
No.12 “Daily Lives of high school boys”
No.13 “Hinamatsuri”
No.14 “Joshikousei no Mudazukai”
No.15 “Gag Manga Biyori”
No.16 “Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo”
No.17 “Haikyu!!”
No.18 “Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai – Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen”
No.19 “Crayon Shin-chan”
No.20 “Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun”

(Survey period: July 23rd,2021~ July 30th,2021)

*This questionnaire is aimed to research the readers’ recognition of anime and anime characters of today. The result of the questionnaire does not mean one anime or one character is better than another. We hope this questionnaire helps you discover and become more interested in new anime titles and anime characters.