Comical Psychosomatic Medicine
Original creator: So, Yu Yuki
Directed by: Hirofumi Ogura
Character Design by: Miki Ishino
Produced by: PONY CANYON Inc.
Voice cast: Shinichiro Miki, Yurika Endo, Kenichi Ogata, Maaya Uchida, Yoko Hikasa
Air dates: Thursdays at 4pm CDT on Crunchyroll

Educational. Informative. Funny as hell. What? Yes, you read that correctly. Educational television was never like this. Comical Psychosomatic Medicine, or Anime de Wakaru Shinryonaika, is a joyous romp through the world of mental disorders, from erectile dysfunction and voyeurism to panic attacks and anxiety disorder. At the Yuu Mental Clinic, psychologist Ryou Shinnai and staff nurse Asuna Kangoshi tackle a variety of mental disorders. Asuna generally plays comic foil to Dr. Shinnai’s attempts to explain the various maladies, and of course, things get out of hand with puns on terms such as “cognitive impairment” (Asuna pictures her grandfather surrounded by girls trying to get him to admit he’s the father of their children) and “rem sleep” (Asuna imagines “harem sleep” with her granddad dreaming about being surrounded by a harem of girls).

Ryou bravely tries to keep the show’s premise on track, but is constantly derailed by Asuna, and later her sisters Iyashi and Himeru, who mysteriously show up to work at the clinic. Even more hilarity ensues, doubtless contributing to Dr. Shinnai’s own level of anxiety. Asuna’s elder sister Iyashi is particularly messed up, attaching a sexual connotation to every term the good doctor tries to explain. The episode on panic disorder goes completely off the rails thanks in no small part to Iyashi. Himeru, the youngest, introduces herself into the series covered in sea cucumbers in yet another take on ED. The gags fly fast and furious in this short series, which clocks in at just under 5:30 per episode.

Comical Psychosomatic Medicine offers bucket loads of laughter, probably the best medicine of all. Currently streaming on Crunchyroll every Thursday, the show is informative, fun, and well written. Despite the heavy-handed sexual innuendo, its underlying intent is helpful and kindly. This series doesn’t preach or judge. Watch with no fear, and be prepared to laugh at yourself at some point, or maybe even a few times. If there’s any truth to that old saying that laughter is the best medicine, this show is on the mark. Forget Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz. Those guys’ve got nothing on this clinic.