SKET Dance

i gave it a 7, the story is kinda weird, even though i kinda like the characters and how they solve the mistery, i didn't like the mistery, it's just that i don't see anything ggod about the motivation, and the kid who started the mistery seemed crazy to me, but well, the art was good, and i love the idea of a club who solves peoples's problems, also the villain was pathetic, but well what can you expect from an ordinary high schol, i could have been better to me but i really didn't like the twist, the art was good, though most of the time i didn't know who was saying what

Note: More than a review, this is more like a short, personal reflection after reading the entire manga, so if you are looking for a very specific or detailed review, you won't find it here.

Nonetheless, it would make me happy if you still decide to give it a try after reading this^^

Having said that, on to the actual review:

It's always sad when a story that you like a lot eventually comes to an end. I must say that chapter 286 made me tear up a bit, which is something that I rarely do whenever i'm reading/watching something, even if I like it an awful lot. But yeah, Sket Dance was able to do it, and now that i have read the last chapter, I can finally say that it was a pleasure to read such an interesting story with such likable characters that I will surely miss. Reading the final chapter was almost like saying goodbye to an old friend.
You know, that kind of friend you had for a long time and were especially close with, and then he ends up slowly but gradually disappearing from your life, both you and him/her following differents paths in life because that's how it is and that's how life works. But, even if you end up having to say goodbye to them, the memories are still there and you'll nevertheless cherish the time you spent together. That's how I feel towards Sket Dance. It was one of the first anime/manga I've watched and one of my favorites for a long time. It made me laugh (a lot). It made feel sad (often). It even inspired me to become a someone better, to help others - the same way GTO did to me.

All in all, Sket Dance is a series about helping and saving others. But you can only help others if you can also help yourself and only if you are able to rely on other people to guide you along the way. It's by giving that very first step that you can become a better person, that your world might change and advance towards something more meaningful.

Isn't it a wonderful message?

Just finished this manga, and I gotta say... It was amazing.
The comedy in this manga was hilarious!!

I love the trio of characters that main in the manga very much. They each have their own characteristics that are original and unique.
As I was reading each chapter, it gave me the urge to continue reading non-stop haha.
From the beginning to the end, it was a wonderful experience and the tsukkomis and bokes were nicely timed, which made my innards hurt xD

Of course like all things, there is an end. I am very sad that the manga has ended. (even though it ended a while back)
The ending was nicely done and I'm satisfied with it.
This is now one of my fav. mangas and I hope it can be one of yours too.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review.

This is my review for SKET Dance. I'll be referring to the characters by what they are most commonly called in the manga. Please note that this review is structured around how I personally felt about the manga: objectively, it deserves an overall rating of 9 (individual ratings being 8/8/10 for story, art, and character, respectively), but subjectively, I give it a 10.

Story: 9/10

As this is a mostly a comedy shounen series, it does not have much of a plot. We get chapter and chapter of hilarious moment by the SKET Dan. So why did I give the story a 9? That's because of the drama in this series, which many people tend to overlook because it is mainly just comedy. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are the backstories of our three main characters, Bossun, Himeko, and Switch. These arcs are extremely well done, and they serve to remind the reader that the manga isn't all light hearted fun and games. As you might've figured out by now, these sections are all extremely sad, but we get to see their emotional development as they battle through their problems; these backstories explain how each of our three main characters came to be the way they are presently. They are also not one and done, as all the backstories are only explained halfway, only for them to pop up later on when the reader probably forgot about them. The manga wraps up all the problems presented in an excellent fashion, as all of them are resolved, except for one of them, which will become obvious as you are nearing the end. The characters tend to break the fourth wall very, very, often, so be on the look out for this as you're reading!

Art: 8/10

Another great aspect is the art. There is nothing much to say here, as it is very cleanly drawn. All the characters are distinct from each other, so it's not hard to tell who is who. We also have art shifts very often, as they are used to enhance the joke or comedy in that particular chapter. Character expressions are also gold as well, especially with Bossun's faces.

Character: 10/10

Hands down SKET Dance's strongest point. The mangaka has somehow managed to create three characters that compliment each other terrifically. These characters in question, of course, are Bossun, Himeko, and Switch. They are all so different that it's a miracle that they can get along, but each individual's qualities make them seem real. All of them tend to have over exaggerated reactions towards the simplest things, and the way they talk and act make them very likable. The supporting characters are nothing to sneeze at either. Although there are tons of them, each one has his or her own eccentricity that even if they don't appear for multiple chapters in a row, you will probably still remember their name once they do appear. A certain someone often makes comments regarding this! I doubt anyone can dislike any of the main characters, despite how seemingly ridiculous and over the top they may seem.

Enjoyment: 10/10

It took me a full 3 months to go from the first chapter to the last chapter, mostly because of my lack of time. SKET Dance's length is a good thing, as there are always new jokes being introduced, and some of the chapters had me laughing like a maniac. If you like comedy, especially the tsukkomi and boke routine, this is the manga for you. After reading the last chapter, it made me stop and reflect on my life, and how blessed and lucky I was to be able to read about the SKET Dan's adventures. It was an awesome ride all the way to the finish, and SKET Dance will always have a place in my heart.

That's all I have to say. Thanks for reading!

This review is by me as of chapter 97, so its actually up to date...


The manga is essentially comedy based; its shounen after all. However, the characters themselves are what truly make the manga.


In the series you'll find several characters each with their own trials and tribulations they are trying to overcome. And in between the AMAZING comedy (I laugh out loud IRL like every chapter) which includes many inside jokes from the series itself, and gets more funny as it goes on, there is a level of drama that is unexpected at all for a series like this.


The way the characters and stories are panned out is really great. And there's a depth to this manga that no one would see coming and really gives it a powerful feel.



But I don't want to dwell on that too much; the main reason to read this IS the comedy and its quite amazing. The inside jokes of the manga just build up and get even more funny as chapters go on.

Also, the art style is greatly unique and the way some old stories and new stories mesh together is woven together masterfully.


The things I liked most were the fact the manga had so many types of humor in it, stuff that natives to Japan would get and stuff that even people living in America like I would get.

I also liked the characters. The main characters of this manga are all amazing and flawed to a perfect extent. And the way the characters play off each other makes it truly a unique, amazing experience when reading, and there is NO other manga I look forward to being released more than sket dance.

As far as things I disliked, I can't really think of any! Its that good!


With that said, I'm hoping to spread the word and get more people reading this :).

To be honest, when my brother told me about this manga i was a little skeptical on the grounds that it sounded a lot like another SJ title known as Gintama. That (to this day) is true. In fact the main cast is composed of three leads as well. But there's a reason as to why the two series's share similarities, Kenta Shinohara(the author) oppenly stated that used to work as an assistant under Hideaki Sorachi (the author of Gintama). So it's natural for the influence to be there and ,to be honest, aside from the plot (Three leads do all sorts of nonsensical jobs) Sket Dance is a manga that stands gloriously on it's own and is by no means a ripoff.

Moving onto the story, Sket Dance has no all consuming story with a beginning and an end, rather it's composed of episodes. Each chapter chronicles a new case for the Sket Dan and occasionally certain arcs (which can span up to 3-6 chapters) like the: "Sket Dan vs. The student council" arc. The cases are most of the time nonsensical and random: Like the chapters in where they have to deal with the Roman, the girl who sees everything in her 'otome filter' (in short Shojou manga vision). However they may equally be touching and at times sad and very deep. The most touching arcs in my opinions are the ones that explore the pasts of the three leads and how they came to join the Sket Dan. For spoiler reasons i wont explicit on the content of these chapters. Just know that you are guaranteed to at least get teary-eyed at one them.
The story mixes ridiculously funny humor with ,at the same time, drama and suspense worthy of a shojou manga.

Now the characters, the one thing i can say about the cast of Sket Dance is that it's unique and very colorful. The three leads are: Fujisake Yusuke otherwise known as "Bossun" (the protagonist), Kazuyoshi Usui or "Switch", And Onizuka Hime a.k.a "Himeko". Obviously these three characters receive the most development of the cast. Bossun acts rather childish and hot-blooded and in one chapter is even made out to be a "useless shonen hero" by an amateur manga artist. However it's thanks to his talents that the Sket Dan is able to solve many cases. In a way you could describe him as being a sort detective because he is able to analyze, and logically solve most dilemmas that come his way. Then we have Himeko the "straight-man", who ironically used to be a Yankee so feared that she was nicknamed "Onihime" a name which she she, nowadays, rejects. And finally Switch, the apparently good-looking otaku who uses a voice synthesizing software on his laptop to speak.He is stone faced but often willingly gets involved with the nonsensical situations of the show.
The supporting cast equally receives varied levels of development. The most notable being Tsubaki, the student council vice president and possibly Shinzo the phony Samurai.

Sket Dance's art is generally varied in terms of quality. It ranges from a little below average to holy-shit-that's-freaking-godly.To be fair, It was sometimes impossible for me to appreciate the art for the sole reason that the scans were messily cleaned up and they looked rather poor in quality. But the most notable instance of absolutely mind blowing art is arc which explained Bossun's past. I honestly dumbfounded at the level of detail and expression revealed during those chapters. It's clear that Shinohara can draw very well both with comedy and in drama.You really connect with the characters regardless of who they may be. Not to mention certain expressions can just make you laugh so hard.

Overall Sket Dance is an extremely good and cleverly written manga,definitely one of my favorites . I enjoy it very much, most notably ,of course, because of it's comedy but also because of the characters and it's ability to have "a different and truly unique approach to the same idea".
There are no overly negative aspects to the manga. However some may argue that the humor can get a little repetitive, i personally love it.
It's a shame that on the international circuit it doesn't have much a fan base because it truly is one of my favorite SJ titles alongside Gintama and One Piece.I'm confident that it will stay in publication and i sincerely hope it gets an anime adaptation. It is already slated to have a drama CD after all!

( Sorry english isn't my first language (; 3 ;) )

With endless sequel of comedy, sket dance is one of the best gag manga I've ever seen. This manga is a great choice if you want to relax from your busy time or when you want to read together with your friends. This is the manga that can make you laught as hard as you can, bwahaha....

Story 8 :
Sket dance's story tells about an activity of highschool club that accept all the request of the other students. But, the request is not an average request. Every chapter have their own twist and amusement. Some chapter even show the unexpected serious story.

Art 9 :
Art is an important aspect of a manga. Before you read the story, you must see the art first. Well, from my eyesight the art is very good. The artist can draw almost all of type that can make you laught. For example the art when you see Bossun nervous face, bwahaha. Also the art of character face are good looking that I want to draw them with my pen...

Character 9 :
Maybe the main reason why Sket dance can keep the long running series is the development of the characters. The 3 protagonists Bossun, Himeko, and Switch are the core of this laughing machine manga.
Bossun the leader, is the main protagonist that has many talent, very idiot personality althought talented but sometimes can be very cool. Himeko the vice leader, is the only member that can really fight, she has extraordinary power but also has a motherlike attitude expecially to Bossun. She and Bossun have a complicated relationship. And Switch the secretary, is a silent otaku. He can't speak because of his dark past, so he used his laptop voice software to speak. Anything that come from his word, his face never chance.
The other supporting character such as the student council, roman, Chuu-san, dante, shinzou, etc... are very good too, none of them are normal.

Enjoyment 10 :
I only say this manga have an outstanding enjoyment. You can read it and laught anytime you want.

Overall 9 :
Well, it has shogakukan manga award, it has a good story, it has great art, character, and enjoyment. So I give 9 to Sket Dance. Good luck!

Summary: it's about a club who helps people, nothing really to add on to that really. Hey tho, read the rest of the review before you go on judging on the summary alone, because I assure you, this is a near-perfect manga with a simple plot.

Story (8): I'll admit, this could've been a 10 but the ending kinda left me with a sour taste in my mouth and there's too many chapters that just slows down the pacing. However when the manga gets going, it's perfection, it can make you cry, laugh, smile, eager to know more or angry (in my case the last chapter.) Just one thing to note on, there's no romance in this manga, even though there's a lot of hints shown through the manga, but the ending doesn't do it justice, so don't be like me and expect a kiss between any characters lol.

Art (9): It was average at first, but til the later chapters it started to improve.

Character (10): I loved every single character in this manga, to the major, supporting, and minor characters. Each character is diverse, brings a life to story, and gives you a reason to keep on reading! I wish the characters were given a epilogue so I can live in peace and know what's everyone is doing in the future, but I guess that's never going to happen.

Enjoyment (9): This manga kept me on my feet wondering what's going to happen next, I know I used a cliche phrase there, but there's nothing else to describe a great manga that I just finished. I'll be honest, the ending and those useless chapters down the score a bit, but a 9 still is a great score.

Overall (9): This manga isn't perfection, it has it's flaws, but as much as I cry about the ending, this manga is still a great read from beginning to end. Everyone has their opinions on what they want to read and what they don't, but in case if you like a comedy school manga with some drama that can make anyone cry, then I'll recommend this to those certain group of people, if you're looking for any romance like I did... then read it with a clear mind, because it ends with no development between any character whatsoever. Other than that, hope you enjoy the manga like or more than I did!

Little Rant: Stop adding romantic hints in the manga and then ending it off with nothing happening! I know this isn't a romantic genre, but it doesn't hurt to have some closure between the characters you've hinted between!!!

Okay thanks for reading! I try to keep my reviews spoiler free!!~ Shaney @69th Street

I think this may be a series that you will either love or hate, since it is not the traditional series a person would see in Weekly Shonen Jump. The plot is based on a group of high school students, known as the Sket-Dan, and they assist the people in the community by doing odd jobs. Immediately, you may think that this is a rip-off of the series Gintama, but it does have a few similarities to Gintama. For one, it has a 3 person group that consist of 2 boys and a girl. One being the main character of the story, the other being the mediator of the group, and the girl being the strength of the group.

For the most part, there really isn't a big narrative to the story of Sket Dance, since it mostly depends of the aspect of character interaction, and episodic chapter layouts. However, this is done very well, so there isn't much to worry about. Sket Dance also has some of the best character development arcs for the protagonist of the series.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable series, and I recommend anyone to try it out.

Fujisaki Yuusuke (bossun) creates a club to help people, SKET-Dan with 2 of his friends, Onizuka Hime (himeko) and Usui Kazuyoshi (switch). this club takes a lot of kind request, from taking care of monkey until find a missing item.

it didn't sound very good, didn't it? but i promise you, your time to read this is really worth it. it toys with your emotion. this manga can make you laugh so hard, whether it's because Bossun's ridiculous action or Himeko's tsukkomi that usually comes because of Bossun's action. it also can make you sad, especially at switch's or bossun's background story. but most of the time you'll laugh, so don't worry

character is one of the strongest point of this manga. each of the three main characters (bossun, himeko, switch) have a very interesting background story, and all of them is a bit tragic. but without having that, maybe they won't meet each other, and there will be no SKET-Dan.

Bossun is a typical high-school boy, a bit idiotic, and always wears a red hat and a glasses. whenever he wears that glasses, he enters something called "concentration mode", where he can concentrate about problem that he faced, and come up with a genius solution

Himeko is a strong girl that came from Osaka. she is the muscle of SKET-Dan and use a hockey stick as her weapon. if SKET-Dan have to use violence, himeko is the one they looking for. it seems like she has a crush on Bossun, but she can't say it out loud

Switch is a unique case. because of a certain incident, he can't speak. no, he didn't lost his speaking ability, he just don't want to speak. he always using his laptop to communicate with others. his computer and engineering skill is amazing, and he has a lot of information that'll be useful for SKET-Dan activity.

do i enjoy this manga? yes. i watch this over and over again, and it still can make me laugh or cry. it's just that good for me. if you like comedy and school life manga, or just looking for some great manga, you have to read this

Reviewing the Cases
by radiantfire

Context:
For this review, I will be analysing Sket Dance by Shinohara Kenta. I have read 18 chapters at the time of this writing.

Story:
Sket Dance revolves around 'Sket Dan' - a campus support group established to help students and staff with their problems. The chapters are generally episodic, in which they are simply referred to as a "Case." One-off cases are simply that. Some cases, however, span 2 to 3 chapters. These are often my favourite to read.

Art:
The art is decent. It's nothing special but it isn't bad either. I have no qualms about it. In fact, I'm quite impressed by the number of cells which only display the characters - that is, they're not displayed with scenery but with shades, lines or simply white as the background. What this creates is a strong focus on the expressive and emotional context of the characters. This, for me, makes it more enjoyable to read.

Character:
The best part of this series, in my opinion, are the characters. They're all fun and pleasant to follow, particularly the main characters. Through them, Sket Dance offers us moments of laughter and inspiration. Most importantly, they show us that helping others is quite a rewarding experience.

Enjoyment:
Initially I didn't like this series because of the introductory cases. However, I pursued reading it and was finally hooked after experiencing chapters 8 & 9 - which feature a more dramatic aspect of the series. From this point onwards, I started to look forward to reading the next chapter. It is definitely a fun read.

Conclusion:
In all, I recommend it for those who are looking for something light to read and has its basis on mystery, school-life, and comedy genres. The comedy is funny and the dramatic sequences are executed very well. Sket Dance promotes, as one reader has stated, "a breath of fresh air in a cliche magazine such as Shonen Jump."

If you looked at this manga and like me, read the plot at first as "Generic adventures of generic altruistic Protagonist and his generic lackeys, Love Interest and Best Friend!", let me warn you: That is false.

This manga is not revolutionary, nor is it insightful, or perfect, or even deep. It's just that it's everything you ever wanted except that. The art might not be unique, or the jokes might sometimes bounce off your ears, but the characters, stories, cleverness, and complexity of the whole web of connections more than makes up for it, with interest.

I think the greatest part of this manga is how episodic yet flowing the story is. You might have one character being the focus of one chapter, yet later they continue showing up more and more frequently until they are just as involved in the main plot as the members of the Sket-dan themselves. A good example of this is the baseball captain Takahashi. She first comes in as one of Himeko's friends, only showing up when the main trio is asking around for information and being the first one to question, but she soon becomes the champion of eating competitions and an important friend in Himeko's past. Momoka began as a simple delinquent who Himeko beat in the end but then begins to work her way to stardom throughout the series, completely changing the reader's view of her by the end. Genesis is the crappy game the Sket-dan first learned to play, but it turns out creator, Master Huang, had plenty of others, including board games, video games, party games, and card games, all with confusing rules just like the original sport. The author is never finished with a character or idea, new things are revealed about already recurring characters far after they are introduced. This method of plot-building made room to introduce at least 20 characters, each with their own development that you are aware of simultaneously overlapping on one another.

Every character, chapter, and event connects with at least two more, nothing stands alone without the support of the spiderweb of characters and events. Somehow Sket Dance manages this while still being a gag manga.

This leads me to the second best part of the manga: the perfect balance between comedy and everything else. Nothing is too exaggerated. You will laugh your face off, because that is what Sket Dance is for, but you will cry your heart out as well, because the author expertly weaves the drama in with the fooling around. The gags are in control but they coexist perfectly with the tears you might shed.

Now, I believe I mentioned earlier that this manga isn't perfect. It's true. There is nothing big wrong with it that any critic could see, but like every manga, it's not a one manga fits all. Some negative points about it might be how constant and uniform the gags are. They are thrown at you in groups of five every page, so often that you eventually stop caring to stop to laugh. This is made worse when all the jokes are the same kind of joke. Almost every gag in the series is formatted the exact same way: the Boke and Tsukkomi roles. These are funny, but so overused that the Boke gets more and more ridiculous to the point that it doesn't make sense, which may turn away some readers.

Overall, it's an outstanding manga and I hope you read it. Thank you for your time.

SKET Dance written by Shinohara Kenta is a comedy based Shounen series that focuses on the adventures of the academy support group 'SKET Dansu'. And so in this review, I will be writing my opinions on this manga.

Story (10/10):
Sket Dance does not have a plot like common Shounen series. Rather, it focuses on the adventures of the three main characters from the first chapter until the day they graduate from high-school. Most chapters are comedic ones and will make you roll on the floor holding your stomach in pain (Do not drink or eat while reading or else your computer/laptop will have a short lifespan, Guaranteed).

While most chapters are comedic and usually take only one single chapter, once in a while there will be sad stories popping up where you don't expect it to. These arcs usually range to 3-6 chapters. The saddest parts of this series from my opinion are the pasts of the three main characters as well as the final chapter. The anime decided to end it on episode 77 and that is not the last episode. Though english scanlation might be late, there are summaries of the last manga chapters on the internet if you look carefully.

Art (9/10):
The art of SKET Dance is in quite unique and is in good standards. The only problem I've had with the art is Himeko's appearance. I don't know, it just feels a bit weird. Or maybe its just me. But I have to say, Shinohara Kenta has a lot of experience in doing manga art.

Characters (10/10):
The most enjoyable part of SKET Dance are its unique characters. Like in the real world, everyone has flaws. And those flaws are what makes you love the characters even more. Lets say for example Bossun. He is the main character of the series. He is reliable, smart and talented in art, but has zero delicacy, gets easily depressed and in many cases very shy.

Other examples include a wannabe samurai, a mangaka who comes up with interesting plots but has no talent in art, a genius who cannot think properly if it comes down to relationships with his sister, a girl who changes personality when he gets touched by a man, the captain of a softball team with a big appetite but vomits whenever she eats boiled eggs, and many many more.

Enjoyment (9/10):
The enjoyment I feel whenever I read this work is outstanding. Sure, maybe a few of the comedic chapters are a bit cliched. And maybe there are one or two chapters where I thought "Maybe I can skip this chapter.". But this series is a very talented mix of humor, drama and angst that I have to go and say it is a masterpiece.

Overall (9/10):
Like everything else, this series has flaws. Its not perfect, but to those who can really enjoy it and understand all of those life lessons hiding behind those 32 volumes, this manga stands above the normal standards of Shounen. A new type that even though it has pretty much no action or fancy storylines, is still brings us the good of Shounen mangas. I say thank you to Shinonara Kenta for writing this masterpiece

Sket Dance is a comedy gag kind of series, with lots of extreme character and situations that often spin out of control. Many compare it to Gintama, and there are some slight similarities to it.

Not to mention, that the author of Sket Dance, Shinohara Kenta, did work as an assistent of Sorachi Hideaki, the very author of Gintama. This is Kenta's first own work, so there being similarities is to be expected. Not to mention there is an chapter where Gintoki and gang meet up with Bossun and his group in Sket Dance!

Taking that to account, was Sket Dance an amazing and hilarious read, at times awkward cause the characters are being themselves; following mainly the story of Bossun, Himeko and Switch. What really made this so powerful for me is that just like Gintama is it full of humor, but also have parts that show such intense sadness and emotions.

The main thing of it is the humor, as Sket Dan try to help people with all sorts of problems. It struck me to see and made me think back on my own time in school (which was very bland, damn I'm boring), but also about the future. Even if the ending was a little bit weak imo, was it still good and I enjoyed Sked Dance to the very end.

It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me attached to the story and characters. A great read I suggest to anyone.

Also many like to call this 'Poor Mans Gintama', and I hate it, cause they are two separate series and both are enjoyable. Enjoy and read them! : D

tl;dr: A manga with solid comedy with an interesting and unique cast of characters, but a story that was pretty weak especially in its conclusion. 

With this manga, I think it's really important to go in with the mentality that it is ultimately simply a gag manga. The three main characters are all given pretty solid and serious backstories that explain their interesting circumstances and how they grew to become who they are during the manga. The three of them have their own bonds. There are a number of side characters as well that have stories, though ones that are considerably less developed than the main characters as one would expect, and there are various bonds that exist amongst them and amongst them and the main characters. All of these result in a number of plot threads that slowly develop over the course of the manga. And many of them even reach a conclusion. However, most of them don’t really end with any major sort of feeling of satisfying closure with a lot of them just sort of fizzling out at the end and not having gone anywhere, including what felt like the most important reoccurring plot thread in the manga which was immensely frustrating. There are a few that do have solid conclusions, mainly the one regarding Switch, but those are very much the exception.

Ultimately, this is the story of high schoolers having fun school lives and then parting at graduation, with any sort of conclusion beyond that being non-existent. Thus, I can’t say that I find the story of this manga satisfying. What is more satisfying, as should be the case for gag mangas, is the comedy. Due to having such a large cast of interesting characters, there’s a lot of opportunity for variety in the comedy which is handled really well. In addition, while the plot lines may not really go anywhere, they allow for running jokes and built up humor, that also works really well. Thus, the manga is humorous from beginning to end. Furthermore, just watching all these humorous antics is enough to come to find the cast of characters really amusing and thus really likable. Still, I can’t help but feel that that makes the fact that the ending didn’t really go anywhere with a lot of things all the more disappointing. The art was okay but not that great.