Based on Fujiko A. Fujio's classic 1960s manga, The Laughing Salesman, or Warau Salesman, this 1989-1992 anime is a treat for fans of dark humor, episodic plot lines and characters who live in relatable circumstances, at least to the Japanese audience: a salaryman being forced to work overtime everyday, a family with a drunkard as the head, a husband with an overbearing wife and a man who is unable to drive are just a handful of characters in this anime. Each 10 minute episode is quite similar to one another: the first minute introduces the Salesman, Mogoru Fukuzou, as well as his client and their problem. Moguro always offers what seems to be a perfect solution. Sounds like an offer that is hard to refuse, right? However, everything about Moguro is slightly odd, even sinister by design, so there is always one catch. Break it, and your fate could be sealed. It is up to the customer to make the right decisions, but often they are not always so simple and wind up putting the customer at odds with their better judgement and frequently result in a breach of the agreement and the customers ultimate doom.
When it comes to production values the studio, Shin-Ei Animation, did a really good job at creating the environment of the show's happenings. Backgrounds (mainly of Tokyo) are consistent and animated, quite uncharacteristic considering the show's era, where backgrounds were, more often than not, static and typically quite bland. The music score, which is all original, is really fit for the show, containing elements of mystery in certain tracks and wonder in some of the others, but they repeat everyepisode, giving a sense of familiarity. Additionally, charater designs, though cartoony, are all unique, a typial hallmark of manga titles by both Fujiko Fujios (who, as a side note, created Doraemon and Ninja Hattori together, among other wildly popular titles), which has been well adapted into the anime.
So, in conlusion: good characters, backgrounds, animation and designs, as well as an intriguing story, even if there is no overarching plot easily makes this among my favorites when it comes to anime. A definite recommended watch!
As a side note, there is a new series from 2017, which I have heard mixed things about it, as well as a 1999 live action series which seems to be, with the exception of episode 8, lost. Stay tuned for a review on the 2017 series!
As another side note, this is on one of the only mature Shin-Ei animation productions, most of their works trend towards children. I have started watching one of them (Ninja Hattori [697 episodes, averaging about 10 minutes per episode for the original series]) soon. Stay tuned!
