While "School Rumble" is generally recognised as a shōnen title targeting the young male market, Katherine Luther, staff reviewer for About.com, refers to it as a shōjo title aimed at girls and young women. Lisa Marie, reviewer for RightStuf's "Anime Today" podcast, agrees that others, notably males, might see the series as shōjo. Luther calls the first DVD "the perfect back-to-school accessory", while Marie characterizes "School Rumble" as "insane", asserting it appears on the surface more laid back than other titles like "Excel Saga" and "Haré + Guu". However, it uses its "cast to break...every rule of reality, but it plays everything so straight it takes you a moment to realize what just happened doesn't make any sense." A fan of the subgenre, she praises the anime it for its surreal humour, and for being "anime newbie friendly" in that its jokes work on multiple levels. Not all are of Japanese origin—such as a reference to the long triangular resolution of Star Wars '"Return of the Jedi"—giving the series broad appeal.