A comedic show specifically concentrating on
being humorous before any concern of plot, drama, or even comprehensibility. Noted for a complete lack of tact or pomposity on the part of the writers, and frequent
postmodern commentary. Can have occasional
Fanservice which the series will openly acknowledge. The
Rule of Funny will be observed.
Because they don't take themselves seriously, gag series tend to experiment across the board with parody, lewd humor,
random cutaways, and
short-lived drama. In a win-win situation, these can be very successful experiments when they succeed, or mocked by the series itself when they fail as a protective tactic. Ironically, they can be praised for presenting such topics without being
Anvilicious. However, doing this at the
end of a series can cause accusations of being pretentious.
Anime gag series often use a
Puni Plush design. Many are also
Widget Series. Shows that depend a lot on puns and parody are typically considered too difficult for commercial releases, and are
fansubbed only erratically. A few even get a
Gag Dub.
Anime and Manga are particularly notorious in this genre. Series will regularly go over the top in their nonsense and hilarity even within the context of the show itself. Characters will time-travel, change species or gender, die, destroy buildings, cities, or planets, anything that will push the ridiculousness even higher; also note that these effects are rarely, if ever, permanent. There are times when "normality" is broken and restored in the space of a few minutes.
Occasionally the
Gag Series is an adaptation of some 'canonical' source, except now the writers pretty much do whatever they like.
Examples
Anime and Manga
- Seitokai no Ichizon: A parody Anime with bits of Romance added in ..
- Sket Dance: From the former apprentice of the guy who unleashed Gintama onto the world, we have three high school students who will assist anyone with anything, usually with disastrously hilarious results.
- Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu: With a mix of serious and nonserious subplots.
- He Is My Master: More so in the manga, where the author inserts romantic comedy cliches, then chides the reader for expecting serious resolutions.
- Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo: Plots constructed entirely out of bad puns, sight gags, and pop-culture flotsam.
- FLCL: Although there is a plot, you would be hard-pressed to find someone that could identify which parts are gags and which are not in the first viewing. Additionally, this show has been described as Excel Saga on Excel Saga. The creators themselves admitted that about half of what they put into this show were completely a result of nonsense, and what they found funny at the time.
- Galaxy Angel: The animated equivalent of Dada Comics — nothing is sacred, and the writers are by-and-large allowed to run with whatever they like. Including scissors.
- The Negima!? reboot is sliding towards this, with most of the humorous banter between characters more characteristic of the Pani Poni Dash! writers than Akamatsu's usual fare. The original manga was like this for about 2 volumes before going in a different direction.
- School Rumble
- Digi Charat
- Super Milk Chan
- Ninin Ga Shinobuden
- Azumanga Daioh: To a lesser degree, since the series does have continuity and plot, but each episode is definitely a Gag Episode.
- Magical Pokaan
- Pani Poni Dash!
- Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei
- Hayate the Combat Butler: The first season of the anime, anyway - the second season and manga have continuity, and the latter has gotten serious.
- Gintama: Though with a healthy pinch of action and good ol' shonen standbys, like the power of friendship.
- Cromartie High School
- Axis Powers Hetalia
- Tokyo Pig
- Lucky Star: The series follows the norm and is quite realistic for the most part but has it's slight share of wackiness, especially in the anime.
- Beelzebub: Can't seem to take itself seriously even when trying to be shounen.
- Haruhi-chan
- Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu
- Puni Puni Poemi: Excel Saga, Only More So.
- Muteki Kanban Musume
- Seitokai Yakuindomo
- Dai Mahou Touge
- Seto no Hanayome
- Banana no Nana
- Majokko Tsukune Chan is a Cute Witch Gag Series.
- Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
- Dr. Slump
- Nichijou
- Carnival Phantasm being an Affectionate Parody of the Nasuverse, has gotten quite hilarious, EVERYTIME AND EVERYWHERE!.
- Colorful. A couple of braindead losers and surprisingly innocent ecchi. The show makes fun of itself and perverts.
- Goldfish Warning. The show has a paper-thin plot, little to no continuity, 7 is just the random insane adventures of a a particular class in a farm school.
- Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, where anything, even reality, is subject to change at a moment's notice.
Comic Books
Fanfic
Live-Action TV
Video Games
- Katamari Damacy: Any attempt at a sane description of the plot is an exercise in futility.
- God Hand : Near the end of the game you're treated to a mountain of plot....then you fight midget power rangers and a man in a monkey suit who happens to be a luchador so take that as you will.
- Warioware
Web Animation
- Homestar Runner
- The Demented Cartoon Movie features barely any plot, no continuity between scenes, and features more than half of the 30-minute running time consisting of explosions. Suffice to say, the title is accurate.
- Rejected. Not a series, but it fits. Seriously, try to create a plot from it. Your brain WILL explode.
- Siblings
Web Comics
- A complete list would probably make the internet asplode.
Western Animation
- The Tick
- Freakazoid!
- Earthworm Jim
- Sealab 2021
- Family Guy: And damn proud of it.
- Kappa Mikey: There must be drugs involved. These drugs need to be distributed.
- From interviews, the voice actors said they recorded lines for this show on Fridays only, when the week was winding down. The show could very well be seen as an excuse for the actors and their personal friends to fool around!
- Robot Chicken (
Basically a claymation Sketch Comedy.)
- In its earliest seasons, South Park was a full on Gag Series, but somewhere around its fifth season, started developing into something deeper. However, some fail to notice the change and (much to Matt and Trey's openly expressed annoyance) compare it Family Guy.
- The show is generally more satire than gag-humor (at least after the first couple seasons), with laughs coming less from specific lines, and more from using a well established plot structure with one major element swapped out for something banal.
- Drawn Together: Crude humor and openly acknowledged Fanservice.
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- Invader Zim
- Although, if the show had completed its second season and went on to make more seasons, it would've gotten a Myth Arc.
- Mission Hill
- Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
- The Mr. Men Show
- Sponge Bob Square Pants
- KaBlam!!
- The Oblongs
- The Problem Solverz
- The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, especially compared to the much more serious Sonic series that was running at the time.
Other Media
