The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. inverts the usual power fantasy. Kusuo Saiki has every psychic ability worth having - telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, time travel - and uses all of them to try to be ignored. It does not work.

The comedy runs on his internal monologue against everyone else's obliviousness. He can read minds, so he knows exactly how stupid the situation is about to get, and he narrates it with the weary precision of someone who has already seen the outcome. The jokes come at an extraordinary rate; the anime's delivery is famously fast.

The supporting cast are the obstacles. Nendou is so simple-minded that Saiki cannot read him, which makes him the one person capable of ruining any plan. Kaidou has invented an entire fictional nemesis and believes in it. Teruhashi is beautiful, universally adored, and quietly furious that Saiki does not care.

None of them ever learn his secret, and the series is very funny about how much effort that costs him.

This collection covers the whole PK Academy crew. Install one telepathically, if you can.