Saving My Stupid Youth has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix. Across 1 season, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. Its 8/10 TMDB score, built from 28 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Ryo Nishikido sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

Saving My Stupid Youth is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Saving My Stupid Youth gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Heisuke teaches at his alma mater, an all-boy’s Buddhist high school and leads a very ordinary life, except for the fact that he is still tortured by the memory of an unfortunate incident that took place there involving him and his school 14 years ago. In hopes of closure, he strikes upon a plan to jointly hold this year’s Culture Festival with a nearby girl’s school, with which there are chilly relations. Determined at all costs to make the event a success, Heisuke finds himself dealing with a constant stream of problems along the way. The chemistry Ryo Nishikido and Hikari Mitsushima bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It was aired in 2014. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Saving My Stupid Youth holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Saving My Stupid Youth is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. If you have already watched Life & Beth, Saving My Stupid Youth is a natural next step. Short enough to finish in a weekend, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Ryo Nishikido's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.

Saving My Stupid Youth wrapped up in 2014 — and 1 season is available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro's free voice app makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just say the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.