Neo Yokio is so good because it manages to perfectly balance satire (both making fun of high-society capitalists and playing homage to anime of the 90s) and a serious message of questioning the system in which you reside.
The point that Neo Yokio is making is an anti-capitalist one. This is made most obvious in the last episode with Kaz's own revelation, but is evident from the beginning in the complete ridiculousness of these rich kids and how they care so much more about clothes and drinks than the very real problems happening around them, the so-called "demons" specifically attacking the rich in order to demolish high society (including the obvious reference to McCarthyism with the fear of "demon sympathizers"), and the very obvious lessons against selfishness and using others as a means to your own ends. The main serious moments of the show ("I feel no synergy" being one of my favorites) come during moments of disillusionment; when Kaz is losing his faith in the society of elegance he worships.
(Gonna take a moment here to say that these are all good things the show is doing. Capitalism is bad. Just thought I'd put that out there in case any stupid idiots are reading this and think that I'm making any sort of criticism.)
In contrast, part of the humor comes from mocking that very society and the way people uncritical of it act (placing so much importance on fashion and useless competition, trying to hard to be intellectuals but just coming off as dumb and pretentious); the main characters are fundamentally unlikable because they buy so much into the society from which they come. Even Helena in her rebellion against capitalist society is mostly ineffective outside her own circles because she can only see the world from the point of view of the extremely wealthy. It doesn't matter that they're unlikable, though, because they're absolutely hilarious. It's part of the charm. But most of the charm comes from the overall aesthetic directly referencing Saturday morning cartoons.
Look: If you were born in the late 90s and your parents couldn't afford cable, you grew up watching shitty 4Kids dubs of YuGiOh and Dragonball. Everything about the quality of Neo Yokio is reminiscent of the Americanized anime of my childhood. Bad dialogue and voice acting, the most basic communication of the original plot and concepts, poor lip syncing from the original Japanese to English, even things like onigiri being called "snacks" (or "jelly donuts"-- thanks, Pokemon) are part of Neo Yokio. The joke, of course, is that there is no "original" to butcher-- the failing philosophy undergrad dialogue, the over/under acting, the cultural disconnect-- are all how the show was meant to be. And that's hilarious! It's f*cking amazing! It's ultimate form is to be a parody of itself, and it's honestly incredible.
I would highly recommend this show to anyone who grew up watching 4kids, have a sense of humor, and/or can understand when people are mocking the capitalist system.
The point that Neo Yokio is making is an anti-capitalist one. This is made most obvious in the last episode with Kaz's own revelation, but is evident from the beginning in the complete ridiculousness of these rich kids and how they care so much more about clothes and drinks than the very real problems happening around them, the so-called "demons" specifically attacking the rich in order to demolish high society (including the obvious reference to McCarthyism with the fear of "demon sympathizers"), and the very obvious lessons against selfishness and using others as a means to your own ends. The main serious moments of the show ("I feel no synergy" being one of my favorites) come during moments of disillusionment; when Kaz is losing his faith in the society of elegance he worships.
(Gonna take a moment here to say that these are all good things the show is doing. Capitalism is bad. Just thought I'd put that out there in case any stupid idiots are reading this and think that I'm making any sort of criticism.)
In contrast, part of the humor comes from mocking that very society and the way people uncritical of it act (placing so much importance on fashion and useless competition, trying to hard to be intellectuals but just coming off as dumb and pretentious); the main characters are fundamentally unlikable because they buy so much into the society from which they come. Even Helena in her rebellion against capitalist society is mostly ineffective outside her own circles because she can only see the world from the point of view of the extremely wealthy. It doesn't matter that they're unlikable, though, because they're absolutely hilarious. It's part of the charm. But most of the charm comes from the overall aesthetic directly referencing Saturday morning cartoons.
Look: If you were born in the late 90s and your parents couldn't afford cable, you grew up watching shitty 4Kids dubs of YuGiOh and Dragonball. Everything about the quality of Neo Yokio is reminiscent of the Americanized anime of my childhood. Bad dialogue and voice acting, the most basic communication of the original plot and concepts, poor lip syncing from the original Japanese to English, even things like onigiri being called "snacks" (or "jelly donuts"-- thanks, Pokemon) are part of Neo Yokio. The joke, of course, is that there is no "original" to butcher-- the failing philosophy undergrad dialogue, the over/under acting, the cultural disconnect-- are all how the show was meant to be. And that's hilarious! It's f*cking amazing! It's ultimate form is to be a parody of itself, and it's honestly incredible.
I would highly recommend this show to anyone who grew up watching 4kids, have a sense of humor, and/or can understand when people are mocking the capitalist system.