I’ve never been able to get into anime. I’ve tried multiple times. Twice, even. It just doesn’t do it for me. I feel like anime’s a bit like pro wrestling, in that if you aren’t hooked at a young enough age you’re just never going to get it. And although some Japanese animation did air in America when I was young—Robotech, Voltron—it just didn’t click with me. Maybe I was too busy getting hooked on pro wrestling to give that stuff a chance? Who knows.
Still, despite being deeply ambivalent towards anime, I do agree with comedian and video artist Kyle Vorbach on one thing: Saturday Night Live would probably be a lot better if it was an animated show from Japan. Or at least if it was shot and edited to look like one.
Earlier today Vorbach uploaded this pop culture mash-up to the internet. It’s what SNL’s opening credits would look like if it was an anime, and it’s a sight to behold.
It’s hard to tell what the best thing about this video is. Is it the music? Aidy Bryant transforming from a purple electricity dragon into her televangelist character? Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd’s fraught face-off? Cecily Strong bursting in at the last second, as the hands of a clock furiously spin around her? Let’s just say it’s the entire package, and leave it at that. Vorbach did a good job. He helped satiate the internet for at least 41 seconds. That might not sound like much but these days every bit helps.
If you like the video, consider following Vorbach on YouTube and on Twitter. Content needs an audience if it’s gonna get created.