The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Is It Worth Watching in 2026?
Our verdict — 8/10, worth watching
In short: Yes, if you want one of the fastest, funniest comedy anime. Kusuo Saiki has every psychic power imaginable and just wants a normal, quiet life, which his ridiculous classmates make impossible. Two seasons (2016, 2018), a two-episode finale, then Netflix's Saiki K.: Reawakened (2019). Episodes are made of short skits, so it's easy to dip in and out of.
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Worth it for pure comedy. The jokes come at machine-gun speed, mostly through Saiki's exasperated inner monologue. There's no real plot and no drama, which is exactly why it works as comfort viewing.
The premise
Kusuo Saiki was born with telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, X-ray vision and more. Life is boring when you can read everyone's mind and nothing surprises you, so all he wants is to go unnoticed. Unfortunately he's surrounded by a dim-witted delinquent, a self-styled dark hero, a perfect girl who expects everyone to adore her, and a psychic fraud.
Watch order
- Season 1 (2016). Originally broadcast as 120 five-minute shorts, usually streamed as 24 episodes.
- Season 2 (2018, 24 episodes).
- Final Arc (2018, 2 episodes).
- Saiki K.: Reawakened (Netflix, 2019, 6 episodes). Adapts the end of the manga.
Who it suits
If you like Gintama, Nichijou or Daily Lives of High School Boys, Saiki K. is a must. If rapid-fire narration and wall-to-wall gags tire you out, watch a few episodes at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Is Saiki K. finished? Yes. Shūichi Asō's manga ended in 2018, and the anime, including Reawakened, covers its ending.
Is Saiki K. good for people who don't usually watch anime? Very. It's a sketch comedy with almost no plot to follow, and the English dub is widely praised.
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