REVIEW: ‘Let’s Go Karaoke!’ Is Relentlessly Unserious

A yakuza walks into a choir competition and enlists a middle school student to teach him how to sing. That’s it, that’s the sell on the wildly silly, somewhat discomforting Let’s Go Karaoke!. Based on the manga series from mangaka Yama Wayama that has already spawned a sequel (Let’s Go Family Restaurant) and a live-action adaptation from Nobuhiro Yamashita (Linda Linda Linda, Ghost Cat Anzu), the five-episode anime series aims to capture sources of off-kilter whimsy. A ridiculous premise gives way to a ridiculous show. 

Produced by Doga Kobo (Oshi no Ko), the series follows Satomi Oka (Shun Horie), a third-year who is facing his final choir performance and, more distressingly, the perils of puberty. The lead in his choir, his voice is changing, threatening his spot in the group. However, his life takes a turn for the surreal upon the arrival of Kyouji Narita (Daisuke Ono), a yakuza lieutenant. 

Kyouji has one request: he wants Satomi to give him singing lessons after seeing him perform. The reason? Kyouji’s boss holds an annual karaoke competition, where the losing performance is subjected to the boss tattooing them—a skill he’s yet to refine. 

Reject reality and embrace silliness in Let’s Go Karaoke!.

Listen, there’s plenty to maybe sort of delve deeper into with Let’s Go Karaoke!. However, the best bet is to embrace the inherent absurdity of the premise and revel in the fun of the odd couple dynamics between the two leads, along with the sharp yet straightforward animation.

It’s the former that truly elevates the series, which nearly overstays its welcome with just the five episodes. Because while it’s fun enough and there’s plenty of humor in the situations Satomi finds himself in, there would need to be more to the plot to justify a longer run. 

There’s some interest in Satomi’s ongoing struggle with his voice, especially with one of the younger students waiting in the wings to claim his spot with his unchanged voice. And there’s a direct tie to his work with Kyouji, which helps him be more confident and forthcoming about his interests. When Satomi’s classmate calls him a coward in Episode 4 for missing an important performance, it transitions to Satomi standing in front of a large group of yakuza, all staring him down. 

But really, Let’s Go Karaoke! is only interested in the bit. They attempt in Episodes 4 and 5 to further develop Kyouji as a character—and perhaps he’s better written in the sequel—but the result is half-baked. And it’s less appealing to see how this middle school boy influenced Kyouji. Because here enters the elephant in the room: the relationship between Kyouji and Satomi is notably odd. 

The central dynamic works when focusing on how they’re polar opposites. 

The first few episodes stray away from making it weird. Yes, there’s a significant age gap, but it doesn’t seem to be heading in a romantic direction. It’s more focused on these two polar opposites helping each other find their respective voices in a slice-of-life manner.

However, towards the end of the story, there are implications of romance. Be it through a suggested crush on Satomi’s side or Kyouji seeing Satomi as someone who “derailed” his life, there’s certainly something going on. 

Luckily, the series doesn’t actually go there (what a low bar). And, if something is to culminate in the future, the series makes sure to fast-forward to their reunion, with Satomi now graduated and heading to college. But the hints of it sour the overall appeal. The story could have started with this time jump and achieved the same level of odd-couple shenanigans with a slightly more palatable age gap. 

Come for the low-stakes energy and try not to think too deeply. 

Let’s Go Karaoke! triumphs in the low-stakes energy and the surrealist humor that helps keep us on our toes. The silliness blended with the softly pretty animation helps strike an odd yet engaging palette. The cityscapes and natural scenery are genuinely striking, unsurprising from the studio that brought us both Oshi No Ko but also, perhaps more noteworthy, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. Like the latter, the series delivers strong visuals with a madcap energy at its center, anchored by an unlikely duo. 

Directed by Asami Nakatani, the distinctive style of Yama Wayama is brought to life with simple and realistic character designs. That, plus the music interludes, the sight gags, and the absurdity of the premise, help create a fun and zippy series that benefits from viewers not thinking too deeply about it all. 

A slice-of-life story with an edge, Let’s Go Karaoke! charges through its short episode count with palpable glee. But while there’s apparent enthusiasm in the production, the story itself loses steam, too confident that the dynamic between the two leads will be enough to coast on. It’s fun, but in a season with so many extraordinary anime, it can’t quite measure up. 

Let’s Go Karaoke! is available now on Crunchyroll.