I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying (Danna ga Nani o Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken) is an adorable four-minute anime about a normal girl and her otaku husband. Based off of the 2011 4-panel manga, this television adoption will certainly cheer you up on a rainy day. Viewers follow Kaoru and her NEET husband on their daily lives as a married couple. This may seem like a very boring storyline, but this anime doesn’t need one! Watching Kaoru misunderstand her nerd-culture obsessed husband is hilarious. Both characters love each other and often times they don’t understand how they married each other.
This anime explores the tropes and memes of the otaku world ranging from references to other animes and popular memes. Any nerd can appreciate how excited Hajime gets over watching anime, playing games, and doing dorky things. You don’t need to be a super otaku or “anime head” to look at this show and laugh a little at yourself (and at those who don’t understand geek culture). If you don’t like anime but you enjoy Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Marvel Comics, etc., you will sympathize with Hajime when his wife is confused by his daily life. I know I have watched my boyfriend’s eyes glaze over with disinterest while I try to talk to him about a new RPG.
For a short show, the supporting characters are surprisingly interesting. Side characters leave you begging for their return. Hajime’s perverted, cross-dressing brother Mayotama is childish but funny and enjoys parading around as Hajime’s ” cute little sister.” Miki is a manga enthusiast. Kaoru’s father is a top chef who dislikes her husband. There are many more characters, but you’ll just have to watch the show. Hint: Each character’s encounter revolves around their connection to their hobbies or job and their relationship to Hajime and Kaoru, making this show extremely clever in only four minutes.
I Can’t Understand What My Husband is Saying is only on its 12th episode and at four minutes each, you have no reason not to dive in and marathon through to the most recent adventure. I suggest grabbing some munchies and sitting down on a Saturday morning to catch up and enjoy some comedy. Unlike other four-minute animes, this one does not tire. You really can watch every episode back-to-back without feeling impatient.
You can watch the simulcast on Thursdays 2:30pm EST at Crunchyroll.com
