Joining the list of shows that consider a single exclamation point inadequate to convey their delirious enthusiasm, Working!! is an unlikely comedy set in a restaurant staffed by an eclectic and offbeat selection of characters. Favouring wry humour over slapstick, the first three episodes of the series have a wide stable of jokes and though it wears its four-panel comic strip heritage on its sleeve, the pacing is solid and it stays away from wildly exaggerated scenarios, instead sticking with the ongoing tribulations of the cast's idiosyncrasies. All of the enthusiasm may come from the diminutive pixie Poplar, but the series has all the hallmarks of a supremely competent comedy ready to fill its entirety rather than expend its energy all at once.
Poplar works at the Wagnaria family restaurant in Hokkaido and has been tasked by her surly manager to find a new employee to help with the increasing work load. After exhausting her options, she begins soliciting strangers on the street, finally asking Souta who mistakes her for a wayward middle school student. Beguiled by her size and demeanour, he accepts the job offer and is introduced to the menagerie of characters that make up Wagnaria's staff. There is the manager, Kyouko, who does little work and subsists on a diet of parfaits, most of them served by Yachiyo who, as well as carrying a sword around, has a long history with the manager. Poplar is small but sprightly and quite the opposite of Mahiru who has a ferocious phobia of men, much to the dismay of Souta who ends up on the receiving end more often than not. Souta himself isn't bereft of his quirks and despite his initial qualms, quickly settles in to the staff's continuing misadventures.
The series' closest peer in terms of tone and delivery is the first season of Minami-ke which has a similar ensemble of dead-pan and overly-excitable characters as well as satisfying supporting roles. The comedy is altered by Working!!'s sole setting being the restaurant - only Poplar's brief sojourn to scout out a new employee ventures beyond the confines of the workplace. This means that there is no examination of the staff's lives outside their work and no texture able to be applied to them outside their working habits and varying peculiarities. This is certainly not to its detriment, however the restrictions of a single location could well see much of the humour brewing from the continuous introduction of new characters rather than a focus on existing ones.
A reluctance to go all-out in the opening is heartening but leaves the question open as to whether the simmering boil will come off later in the series, and instead of the precision humour of the first three episodes all that will be left is tepid dialogue from a group of misfits. The likelihood of the introduction of any notable drama however is slim given the four-panel source and the stoic reliance upon the restaurant as the series' only location; but as with many contemporary comedies, empathising with the character's situation is key to its enjoyment, in this case prostrating yourself before the general public and dealing with the conflicting personalities of co-workers - all part of being a member of the service industry. Perhaps due to the differing culture, customers are never belittled or made fun of - there are no anecdotes despairing of slow or obtuse patrons and most of the time the restaurant is simply a catalyst for mixing the characters together. The chemistry, although familiar, still works well and Souta's initial straight-man role to the controlled bedlam serves as a superb introduction before he is indoctrinated into the clean and inoffensive outlandishness.
Working!!'s opening trio of episodes show a self-assured and capable comedy that may not aim high or burn fast, but sticks to its strengths. A1 Pictures does not have a track record of comedies, favouring more light entertainment than raucous humour - a trait evident here - but their pedigree for competent if underwhelming shows stands this in good stead. The gradated hair may be the most identifiable aspect of the visuals, but the characters are emotive and cleanly drawn - especially the infectiously happy Poplar who produces pastel-coloured sparkles wherever she goes. The opening meanwhile, first strapped to the end of the opening episode as is currently the fashion, is chaotic but fitting, the ending forgettable but neatly segues into the final gag before the preview. It may not be the festival of chuckles intimated by the title's punctuation but the series is shaping up to be a satisfying diversion from many other shows clamouring for attention.