Binbougami Ga and the Gadget of Misfortune

Binbougami Ga may be part parody using slapstick comedy and other humour to create a light-hearted story, but at the very centre of it we have a character that is deeply flawed and very lonely. The central relationship of the series between Ichiko and Momiji is one of mutual distrust and general spite. Neither character hates the other, but their petulant natures coupled with the ridiculous situations that they both find themselves in helps to create an atmosphere that is almost preposterous. Binbougami Ga therefore does what Medaka Box failed to do (and arguably the manga continues to fail in this respect) by managing to parody and lampoon other anime and manga genres, while also maintaining a relatively serious story and character relationships.