'My Neighbor Seki' Is Amusingly Relatable and Fittingly Diverting

My Neighbor Seki, a.k.a. Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time, is a 2014 short-form anime series that I only got to watch recently.  I saw a supercut video of it in Facebook, and I enjoyed it so much that I stopped midway through so that I can watch the actual anime for myself.  I really found its premise extremely amusing and charming.

All of us have experienced getting bored by lectures, whether in a seminar or in school.  Every now and then, during these times, we would look for ways to amuse ourselves, like doodling on our notes, fidgeting with whatever small items we get our hands on, or simply letting our imaginations fly and go daydream.  Sometimes, we would even sneak in books, toys, or other prohibited paraphernalia to help us bear the tedious task of remaining on our seats during a lecture that disinterests us.

This is the subject matter of My Neighbor Seki, and that’s why this anime is immediately winning and relatable.  However, the show’s eponymous character, Toshinari Seki, takes it to a whole new level.

While in class, Seki never pays attention the teacher.  Instead, he spends his time in his desk engaging with imaginative games and intricate distractions that require incredible creativity, dedication, and attention to detail.  This includes playing mini-golf, building a complex domino show from erasers, directing melodramatic plays with shogi pieces, taking a driving test with an RC car, simulating a mountain climbing expedition with mini-bears on his classmate’s back, etc.

Constantly getting distracted by Seki’s antics is Rumi Yokoi, his seatmate in class.  She’s perpetually trying to pay attention to the teacher, but she just can’t help but be sidetracked by his absurdly elaborate undertakings.  No matter how much she implores him to stop playing in his desk, he never obliges; whenever she tries to tell on him, she’s the one who gets scolded instead.  However, occasionally, Yokoi herself becomes deeply invested on what Seki is doing – especially when it involves his Transformer-like toy robots.  And, apparently, she has the imagination that can match his crazy imagination, as she can effortlessly follow the narratives that Seki is fantasizing in his mind.

My Neighbor Seki consists of 21 episodes and three OVAs, but it’s quite easy to binge because each episode only clocks around 7 minutes.  On top of that, the comedy generated by the childish but striking contrivances that Seki comes up with as well as his dynamic with Yokoi unfailingly prompts smiles, chuckles, and laughter.  Hence, it should be a breezy, fun watch.

All in all, My Neighbor Seki doesn’t deliver anything worthwhile beyond diverting entertainment.  But, considering what it’s about, it’s actually delightfully fitting that way.