Ed Potton of "The Times" wrote: "The writers offer black humour by the bucketload, but the grim reality of Homer's fate is never in doubt; his eventual collapse is deeply affecting. A great example of show's fierce satire being offset by a potent emotional core." Doug Pratt, a DVD reviewer and "Rolling Stone" contributor, said the first half of the episode has "fun skewering Japanese restaurants and such, while the second half is reasonably successful at emphasizing character while sustaining the comedy." In a review of the second season, Bryce Wilson of Cinema Blend commented: "The worst moments of this season are merely uninspired, never truly horrible. Slight misses like 'Dancin' Homer', 'One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish', 'Bart's Dog Gets an F', and 'The War of the Simpsons' are a bit flat. But even in their lowest points, humor is easy to find."