I watched Neo Yokio as someone with only a passing knowledge of anime - pretty much the same as anyone who uses the internet, sees the animemes, sees the cultural influences, and the occasional thing that breaks through into the mainstream. I mention this because I'd be interested to know what people who were really into it felt, and those with no reference at all. For me it gave a familiarity and coolness to the show that was easy to get into, and also allowed the show to live in this fantastical and unrealistic place where it all felt absurd.
This absurdity is important because this is the selling point of the satire/comedy. In this place the self-serving suffering of the main character can be taken as part of the unrealistic world it all happens in, whereas I think it would have evoked more anger if it had been more realistic. The vapid and selfish nature of this life eats itself well, and the dialogue is enjoyably sharp in how out of touch so much of it is. The downside is that these two aspects work from the very start, and then continue to work, and continue to work; there isn't a higher gear it gets to, or more interesting place it takes it to - it just continues to do what it did but with different plots. It still works, and I enjoyed the episodes, but when the season finished I didn't feel like I needed more or that there was more to be said/done.
This absurdity is important because this is the selling point of the satire/comedy. In this place the self-serving suffering of the main character can be taken as part of the unrealistic world it all happens in, whereas I think it would have evoked more anger if it had been more realistic. The vapid and selfish nature of this life eats itself well, and the dialogue is enjoyably sharp in how out of touch so much of it is. The downside is that these two aspects work from the very start, and then continue to work, and continue to work; there isn't a higher gear it gets to, or more interesting place it takes it to - it just continues to do what it did but with different plots. It still works, and I enjoyed the episodes, but when the season finished I didn't feel like I needed more or that there was more to be said/done.
