Koshi Torako has everyone fooled. Her classmates see her as the perfect honor student, unaware of her
secret delinquent past. But her new picturesque school life is thrown into chaos when she bumps into
Shikanoko Noko, a girl with antlers! Mayhem seems to follow this strange doe-eyed girl. Who, or what,
is she?
(Source: Crunchyroll)
Note: Each episode streamed 4 days early on some streaming services. The original TV broadcast
started on July 7th, 2024.
~~~╔════════════ ≪ °❈° ≫ ════════════╗~~~ # ~~~__REVIEW [My Deer Friend Nokotan ](https://anilist.co/anime/175977/My-Deer-Friend-Nokotan/)__~~~ ~~~╚════════════ ≪ °❈° ≫ ════════════╝~~~ ~~~__img(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/222/222748.gif)__~~~ ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/pzxqRuI.gif)~~~ # ~~~｡･ﾟﾟ･__Characters/Story : __~~~ *My Deer Friend Nokotan is a mainly humorous anime with an extremely eccentric side. The series is mainly based on gages that revolve around the main characters and especially around “Noko Shikanoko”. Story-wise, there's not much to say: there's no main thread, no goal for the characters to pursue.* - *The character of “Torako Koshi” initially wants to hide her delinquent past, but the further the anime progresses, the more she lets it show, eventually becoming something normal. The character doesn't make me laugh, but he's still the most realistic character in this series.* As for the second main character, “Noko Shikanoko” will be the joke character, and all the jokes will revolve around her, or end up going her way in any case.* - *I'd have to say that this duo is the main lifeblood of the anime, because when it comes to the more secondary characters, they don't really add much to the plot or the humor of the series. Speaking of “Torako Koshi's” little sister, “Anko Koshi” is a character with a personality that unfortunately doesn't make many people laugh these days, the addictive, lecherous, crazy little sister is something of a cheesy sense of humor, and unfortunately exploited a little too much in the past, making the joke less and less funny. As for the character of “Meme Bashame”, who is undoubtedly the character I like the most, her presence in the anime is unfortunately more than weak, and she will be quite invisible as a member of the group, despite her simply hilarious way of speaking. She's the only character who puts me in a good mood just by hearing her speak x)* - *As for the members of the BDE, they're generally nice but nothing more, they're based on a personality and won't do anything other than represent it.* ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/pzxqRuI.gif)~~~ # ~~~｡･ﾟﾟ･__Humorous :__~~~ *I mainly find the anime funny, but it also tends to be limited by its deer humor, which becomes rather redundant. I think the secondary characters could have enriched the humor even more, but they don't really manage to do so. The anime lacks renewal in its jokes over the 12 episodes, despite the fact that it tries to make jokes from every conceivable angle. But in the end, all the jokes come back to the same conclusion. For a 12-episode series, this isn't particularly annoying, but if this one were to get a sequel, I'd find it hard to develop the series' limited humor any further.* *(I reiterate that humor is purely subjective here, My Deer Friend Nokotan is carried primarily by its humor, if it makes you die laughing the series is probably perfectly adapted for you)* *In terms of animation, the anime is really very pretty and colorful, the jokes are really well illustrated and do perfect justice to the grotesque aspect of the anime. The opening is really great, with good music and editing.* ~~~img(https://media1.tenor.com/m/wSm8bMhFf28AAAAC/noko-kanoko-anime.gif)~~~ ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/pzxqRuI.gif)~~~ # ~~~__｡･ﾟﾟ･Conclusion : __~~~ *In conclusion, My Deer Friend Nokotan remains a mainly humorous series, and everyone's appreciation of the anime will differ according to whether or not they are receptive to this type of humor throughout the 12 episodes. I laughed at the anime several times, but I also got bored several times as I neared the end. My Deer Friend Nokotan remains a very well-realized anime, with characters who can give you a good time (depending on who you are).* ~~~img(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/222/222746.gif)~~~ ~~~__*Thank you for reading this review to the end :)*__~~~ ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/pzxqRuI.gif)~~~
>#####___This review is spoiler-free.___ ~~~
At this point, I am sick and tired of repeating the same thing I have been saying for the past couple of years, but it goes without saying that we all have our own unique sense of humour. **What might have person A rolling on the floor laughing could leave person B completely stone-faced and unfazed, and the reverse is just as true.** No single style or type of comedy stands head and horns above the others, and anything, no matter how bizarre it seems conceptually, can tickle someone's funny bone.
That said, as much as I love absurdist comedy and tend to laugh at the dumbest stuff possible, *Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan*—much like both seasons of [Pop Team Epic](https://anilist.co/anime/98549/Poputepipikku/), which I have reviewed before—is not entertaining in the slightest no matter how you decide to slice it. As harsh as it may sound, **this fresh-from-the-oven seasonal is nothing more than yet another flavour-of-the-month, gimmick-riddled fad that will soon fade into utter obscurity, leaving barely a hoofprint behind.**
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/1xP1XjW.jpeg)~~~So, what is really wrong with the show? Why am I, along with so many other people, so hellbent on voicing our disappointment and frustration with its content? **Well, it may come off as a complete shock to some, but the series, despite all its supposed quirkiness and uniqueness, has no clue how to create and maintain a genuinely funny moment.** Most if not all of the jokes are inherently and extremely disorganised, nonsensical and haphazard. While that randomness and abnormality are what should make them interesting and compelling, in reality, they lack the timing, delivery and flow needed to pull it off and land effectively. Just because the comedy is meant to be absurd does not mean that the jokes themselves ought to be absurdly wishy-washy. **They are simply too lukewarm, scatterbrained and stag-nant to really pack a punch.** Naturally, the quality of each of these gags varies from one to another, but they always follow and fall back on the same predictable formula: the punchline is either about the protagonist being a deer, having antlers, or the characters yelling some gibberish at the top of their lungs. Now, you might argue that is exactly what an anime about animated deer should have to offer, and I would agree with you if not for a small yet very crucial fact: there is no deviation from this formula at any point, and the jokes themselves are neither set up properly nor conclude in a satisfying manner. They come and go without affecting you in any way, shape or form. **As a result, once a gag concludes, you are left feeling like a deer in the headlights, unsure of what the hell you have just witnessed or how you are supposed to react to it.**
But it is not just the writing that bears the blame for the stag-gering lack of humour and hilarity. The central gimmick and other adjacent quirks are equally responsible for completely screwing the show over and burying it alive before it even had the chance to spread its antlers. **Turning a generic, cutesy anime girl into our favourite car-loving animal might seem novel or even hilarious at first, yet there is no universe in which this silly premise can carry the entirety of the anime's humour on its back.** There is only so much you can do with such an idea, and it quickly becomes apparent how little wit the show possesses. The running gags are overused to the point of inducing nausea, and any and all deer-related skits are not amusing in the slightest. The few scenes that have some comedic potential are the ones that do not rely on Shikanoko's appearance, supernatural "powers" or woodland heritage to do the trick. But, as you might have already guessed, they are too scarce and undercooked to be entertaining.
But hey, at least the references the show is very fond of throwing in are silly and savvy, right? Pfft, as if. **I firmly believe that references are not funny on their own.** Simply showing, mentioning or alluding to a well-known property is not going to make everyone laugh. For references to be truly laughter-worthy, you have to be innovative and playful. You need to forge them into a ridiculous though respectful mockery of the source material that can and will stand on its own even if the addressee does not recognise the thing that is being satirised. Instead of merely slapping them onto the screen and expecting the viewers to giggle out loud because they "get it," the series should have utilised them to create meaningful, well-thought-out skits. As it stands, all of those references peppered throughout do not enhance the jokes at all. **Take them away, and nothing of value is lost.** The only reference that really stands out to me is the one poking fun at Disney's extreme strictness for copyright violations. It is snappy, out-of-nowhere, and brilliantly introduced in the conversation. **Other than that, the references are a whole bunch of tedious drivel and add absolutely nothing to the scenes in which they appear.**
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/P8hQKZS.gif)~~~What really doomed the show, in retrospect, was its runtime. **_Shikanoko's_ twelve standard-length episodes are painfully uneventful and boring to an excruciating degree.** While it is not unheard of for a comedy show to work wonderfully as a fully-fledged one-cour show or even a two-cour one, in the case of this daring darling, cutting the episode duration in half would have been a far more efficient but also more logical decision. Though it would not have fixed some of the more inherent issues it suffers from, such a procedure would, at the very least, have made it less monotonous to watch. **Being unfunny is one thing, but being boring on top of that should be classified as a health hazard and come with a warning label.**
With all of this in mind, it is not difficult to see how and why my enjoyment of the show was flat-out non-existent. **Again and again, I was forced to sit through each episode, watching whatever the hell it had in store for me with utter apathy.** None of the jokes really landed, none of the references were en-deer-ing or creative enough for me to appreciate them, none of the gimmicks had any staying power, and none of the episodes felt like they actually deserved and needed the 20 or so minutes of run time. Nonetheless, despite my extreme negativity, I would not say that _Shikanoko_ is among the worst things I have seen. **In fact, I do not even feel particularly strongly about it as a whole.** To put it more bluntly, it is so lukewarm and indifference-engendering that it does not even warrant intense disdain or a SUPER harsh rating. In a few months, I will probably forget about this show's existence—and that might be the most damning and destructive piece of criticism I can direct towards it.
Still, before I leave you with the closing remarks, I have to acknowledge a few positives. **Mind you, there are not many of those in here, but I would look like a doe-eyed goober if I did not mention them: the memes, the marketing, and the voice acting.** It is easy to see how impactful the anime's marketing was to its initial success and popularity—without the fawn-tastic opening, it would have never taken off the way it did. The same applies to the memes it spawned (and will continue to spawn for the foreseeable future) since they are a hundred times funnier than anything in the actual show. Finally, you can really tell the seiyuu had a blast voicing the characters, doing their best to bring life to the lines they had been given, even though, the final product leaves much to be desired. **They, the opening, the gifs and the goddamn brain-rot memes infuse this sorry shitpost of a product with way too much longevity and liveliness for what it is worth, and it is impressive to a depressing degree how deer-ivative and drab it would be without their presence.**
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/brqWaGV.gif)~~~**Oh, deer.**
To cut to the chase and stop beating around the bush like an unruly beast, _Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan_ is undeniably a strange show, both on paper and in practice. Even if you go in with minimal or even zero expectations, the series will still find a way to let you down and bore you to tears. **It is supposed to be one of those turn-off-your-brain-and-let-it-rot kind of shows, but by the time you get to episode three, there is nothing left to keep you interested in its antics.** "Haha, she is a deer with antlers sticking out of her empty head! Haha, they are so loud! Haha, there are so many crackers everywhere! Hilarious!"—this shtick can only take you so far, and man, do those gimmicks run out of steam fast.
*But hey, at least it is over, right?*
***
Comedy is always synonymous with the anime scene. From the megahits of Shounen battle
shows to the brush giggles of Shounen romance shows, there will always be a hint of comedy in the
in-betweens of shows. Comedies are always there to provide a relief of entertainment that serves
either as a resting point or a building punchline of the show. Comedy is mostly used as a supplement
to an already well-established genre of the show, but let's not forget that comedy is still a fully
fledged genre in and of itself. There are notable shows such as Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, The Daily
Lives of High School Boys, Asobi Asobase, and many more that provide a fully fledged comedy series
with surreal moments that give you the biggest laughs.
In 2024, My Deer Friend Notokan appears in the anime scene by hooking fans in with its ingenious marketing that's tailored to target audiences who are in the internet scene, leading to a series with an immediate popup of a dedicated fanbase that you couldn't look away from and be curious about what the show is. ***
There are many types of comedy available in the story space. The first one is the
original comedy, where they make a punchline from a fresh scenario. The second one is subversion
comedy, where you expect something to happen but the punchline is the opposite of what you have
expected, resulting in a funnier scene. And the last one, which My Deer Friend Notokan used for the
majority of its runtime, is referential comedy, or the type of comedy where it's reliant on a
preview's knowledge the viewer has and trusts the audience to get the reference and laugh with it.
When watching the anime, you will be bombarded with a lot of references from the anime scene, such as
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, to general pop culture references, such as using Titanic’s Official
Soundtrack with their spin for a certain scene and Bully Maguire.
Now, you would have noticed that I have put in the review summary saying that it's a
“Normie’s Guide,” so to speak. One notable reason I'd say that is that the series sits in this
position where it's a great entryway for normal people to enter the full-blown comedy genre of anime,
just from how the show mainly revolves around memes. Memes are undoubtedly in a common space right now
that has reached billions of people and has a subculture of its own, and when an anime that is
tailored to take parts from that culture and incorporate it from the show will definitely bring people
who might not be familiar with the other references, they will now seek to understand the context,
thus hooking them in.
That is just one side of the coin, but the other side of the coin might also drag the series down. Primarily, the overreliance on reference comedy can be so detrimental to the series, especially when you have a certain type of audience that is bombarded so much with constant references that they might get overwhelmed to the point where they just don't find the show appealing and would decide to drop it entirely. In addition to that, referential comedy doesn't usually last long in comparison to other comedy shows that rely on the original and subversion types, such as Nichijou. Another example I can provide is Lucky Star, which is a funny show for a specific type of audience that understands the references, but it can be less funny as time goes by as that comedic reference becomes irrelevant.
Another thing to add is that the show tries too hard to have a plot. There's nothing
wrong with it per se, as it serves to fill in the gaps from all of the laughter, but the gaps that the
show tried to fill with these empty or inconsequential moments can be a bit dragging for audiences.
The show isn't really that quick and snappy, such as Nichijou, but it has an identity of its own to
take its time and build up with its comedy, but it can also be a double-edged show for the series with
a genre that's designed to be quick and snappy.
As of right now, if you come from the meme culture and would love to have a chuckle or two with some of your favorite memes and pop culture references all in one show, then My Deer Friend Notokan is definitely a perfect show for you. As for the rest of us, it's an above-average show that delivers funny moments as long as the references stay relevant. ***
A short blunt review from me. Before the anime released, I was super hyped for it. The boisterous and chaotic trailers made it seem like it would be packed with life and adventure - I had hoped it would compete with masterpieces like Nichijou or Bocchi. That was not the case at all. This series is exactly like those overhyped food you see on Youtube Shorts, that looks so good and the influencer is about to sh*t himself describing it - but when you try it, it's an actual Nothing Burger. The anime has a promising hook - An enigmatic deergirl who defies all common sense comes to a normal highschool. Her duo is with a Miss Perfect girl who is actually a delinquent. There's tons of jokes to play on this, but the anime milks the hell out of the bokke-tsukkomi routine that you just get tired of it. The production quality looked good too, but they used all their kind-of-funny jokes and skits on the trailers. Everything else just felt so _empty_. I usually enjoy tropey characters but none of the characters in this anime were actually new. No cool and funny twists, no new funny character type, nothing. The side characters included, by the way. The show has a total of seven prominent characters - all introduced with a trope that you can identify with. I'll give them props for having easily distinguishable characters, it just didn't really surprise me. Oh yeah, the nonchalant silent blue type is actually a fanatic type. Yeah never seen that before. The pastel one who is so socially anxious that it's more pathetic than cute. Yep, original. Also the competitive self-centered red one who no one takes seriously because of her cute appearance. Daring today, aren't we? I just can't describe it well, it just didn't have life. Compared to Nichijou which only had three (four when you include Nano) main characters, with plain designs, this series somehow still couldn't flesh out their characters and slice of life genres don't even need much fleshing out - if at all. You just need your characters to have original jokes and twists. The animation is quite good, nothing special either. The 3D bits are cool and maybe can get you to giggle like once or twice. The art style is great and flexible. I quite like the white blob that Nokotan transforms into sometimes. In the end, I was just really disappointed. I will say though, humour is definitely subjective. There are probably people who found this series hilarious and served as a great show to watch to just get some lightheartedness and I respect that. I can somewhat see the appeal this show could have. The character designs are great and the voice acting was enjoyable.
Desperate to find something to describe how I feel about My Deer Friend Nokotan, I searched up something that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. All you need to know is I discovered a psychological term dubbed “Cognitive Dissonance.” Now, if you know what it is, you can skip this paragraph. If you don’t, it’s the phenomenon of your thoughts and actions both contradicting each other. It isn’t a perfect term to describe my feelings for this show, but it’s most likely the closest I’ll ever get to describing how I feel. Talking about psychology in a Nokotan review was the last thing I expected This show is meant to be a comedy. When you do a comedy anime, the jokes are meant to be funny(Wow, no shit). There’s recurring gags in Nokotan, but you also need to add some spice to them. If it’s the same gags constantly for 12 episodes straight, it wouldn’t be the most entertaining anime, would it? My Deer Friend Nokotan has fallen into this rabbit hole. The comedy in this show is obnoxiously repetitive, and Nokotan is the only one who’s funny in the slightest. Have you ever laughed at any of the other characters? It’s hard to laugh at any other character besides Nokotan, because, even if she’s the main focus of the anime, giving every funny joke to her makes every other character feel worthless. Well, on the topic of worthless characters, we have everyone. Nobody really gets any significant screen time except for Nokotan and Torako. Anko has an episode focused on her, and that’s it. Bashame on the other hand is a damn waste. She’s the only character in the show who manages to have the same repeated jokes over and over while still managing to be somewhat entertaining. Maybe I’m a sucker for stupid characters like Bashame, but if I had to look at it critically, it’s that she also doesn’t get screen time, if at all some episodes. Every other character besides Nokotan, Anko, Bashame, and Torako get zero genuine gags. Not every character needs to be funny to me. Some characters can be a dud, it’s a given. You sometimes won’t land a character and their comedy, and that’s completely okay. However, when every single one of your supporting characters aren’t funny in the least, you’re just waiting for them to focus on the Deer Club. Yes, this is directed towards the other Student Council members. None of them are memorable for me besides Nekoyamada Neko, and that’s because her name is the funniest thing about her. If you tried showing me a picture of Tanukikoji, I’d probably respond with something along the lines of “Oh, I remember that character! Can’t remember her name though.” Hell, I had to search her name up while writing this to find an example. Back to the Deer Club, I want to rag each of them one by one. Each of them have their own positives and negatives(Except for Bashame.), but for most of them, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Nokotan is the funniest character to watch, and that’s only because, as I mentioned before, she’s the main funny man almost every time. She’s the one you’re meant to primarily laugh at, and that would usually be okay. However, she takes it away from all the other members, and is therefore the only one I have ever even chuckled at during this entire show. She’s the brightest star in a show where everyone else has already died out. If she was funny throughout the entire show, I’d be semi-okay with this change. However, after 3-4 episodes, her jokes are mostly repeated. All that you really need to know after a certain point is that she’s a deer with antlers that are really weird, and they do weird things. She can also open up her head. Her jokes aren’t laughable in the least at a certain point. Torako would be the least funny out of all of the Deer Club members, and she isn’t only because Anko exists. Torako is, at least to me, an example of how overusing a joke can make it unfunny REALLY fast. Nokotan is already a victim of this, but Torako is the easiest example to point at. Her only jokes are that she was a delinquent and she’s practically living a double life, and to look at Nokotan and say “How the fuck does that work? That’s not supposed to happen!! OH, NOW THERE’S MORE STUFF GOING ON! WHAAAT?! I give up.” I wish I was exaggerating how this goes, and to a certain extent, I am. However, it’s pretty close to how she generally acts, and is not an interesting character. I don’t expect characters in this show to have the funniest of jokes, and if a character is unfunny, then they’re unfunny. If you try to shove that unfunny joke down my face though, it’s going to be annoying. Because of that, Torako herself is annoying and not fun to see when she’s on screen. Hoo boy, now I can rip Anko apart, thank goodness. Anko is the worst character in this show, and absolutely nothing would change if she was completely removed from the story entirely. She’s the most pointless character I think I’ve ever seen in a comedy show. Her entire joke is that she loves her sister a little too much, oh scary! It’s not funny in the least, and the only thing she accomplishes in doing is making me appreciate the other three more. Their jokes were unfunny and then shoved down my throat, but Anko’s gag consistently shows up, and it annoys the absolute hell out of me every time she even utters a single word. Everything she does isn’t funny, it’s just borderline creepy and makes me want to close the tab and stop watching altogether. She only has one good moment in the show, which I’ll also get to later. Also, I know Anko is meant to be Torako’s sister, but she really just feels like a purple version of her in terms of design. She looks like an alternate costume in Smash Bros. Ultimate. img220(https://i.imgur.com/ZcRswTd.jpeg) Bashame is probably my favorite of the four, and that’s because I’m into characters like her. Her jokes aren’t funny, but she’s so stupid that she’s still giving me a smile every time she’s on screen. If you don’t find her funny, then I’d perfectly understand you. Her jokes are pretty repetitive, and she might not be charming to anyone else. To me, she’s dumb, and I just simply like dumb. She doesn’t need to be anything else. I don’t really have too many comments on her, because there isn’t anything negative I have to say about her. I’m a sucker for slice of life shows, and I am a huge sucker for moments where characters are simply living their lives. Why am I bringing this up now? It leads me to a moment in Episode 10. It’s the segment of Bashame and that stupid little ball thing planting rice and having a competition over it, while Anko refuses. At the end of everything, Anko comes out making Onigiri and eats it with Bashame. It’s such a soothing moment for me, and probably my favorite moment in the series. Anko even suggests something else for Bashame to plant and she happily agrees. It’s a small moment that I really love. It’s not something that fits Nokotan, it’s practically the opposite of what the show embodies: Chaos. Which brings me to my main point: How can the show be better at doing the exact opposite of what it is? A show being better at doing the exact opposite than their actual premise is not a good show to me. …And after all that I’ve described, I can’t hate it. I genuinely can’t. I have all these criticisms for this show. I have everything in the book. I would be perfectly valid in hating this show. Hell, even a 2/10 would perfectly close this review. I can make a conclusion like “Nokotan sucks, and it’s an awful anime” and leave it at that. But I won’t hate this show. I can’t find it in me to hate it. Trying to hate the show is impossible for me. After ripping and tearing this show apart, it’s still charming. It still has its own odd but endearing identity. It’s where the first paragraph comes into play. I find myself hating it, but my actions don’t show it. It’s because I can’t find it in me to truly hate Nokotan. The show has managed to make itself have its own distinction, and a way to make itself stand out. Even after everything I’ve hated about it for, I won’t give the show a severely bad rating. It wouldn’t feel right to place it so low. It’s a weirdly respectable show that manages to perfectly stick with itself until the end. It never really strayed from what it wanted, and it gave me exactly what I expected. [In my thread for it,](https://anilist.co/activity/787579157) even though it’s 5 replies, if you showed this to someone, you’d expect them to like the series. Hell, you’d maybe expect them to give it an extremely high rating. But for me, that’s not the case. I can find the show garbage, and I don’t find it to be a good comedy, but it’s still a show that is entirely unique to itself. It fits the comedy type that’s completely absurd and balls-to-the-walls ridiculous, but even with that, it makes itself known. And even with all its flaws, I can respect it for that alone. Thanks for reading.
~~~Picture this. Your sat in an uncomfortable school seat wearing a headset waiting for your coding class to be dismissed so you can head home and relax. Your head is pounding from an aching headache since you had stayed up the whole night before playing videogames late at night screaming at your 'friends' in a competitive game. You feel miserable, and decide to browse through AniChart to see if there's any new interesting shows come out. You already had a few shows you were planning on watching this season, but you were hoping for another one to add to the pile. Then, you notice a new anime. "Wit Studio-? They're gonna have TWO shows this season? What is this?" You click on the trailer. And everything changed. You'd feel your pain subside as if the images on your screen and sounds from your headphones had cured you of all your ailments like a holy water baptizing you, and the world fades away into a pale, ghostly white. Everything else was background noise compared to what you were seeing. The absurd energy this trailer gave off was different than anything else you'd ever seen before. You could practically feel you brain melting in your skull as you observed the heavenly sight in front of you. It was brilliant. It left you dumbstruck. Not another word or thought would escape you. You HAD to watch this show. This was Wit Studio's next masterpiece. This was what the medium of animation had been building up to. You knew nothing was going to be the same ever again. The world was soon to be struck with an inescapable, catastrophic event. The soil crumbling under humanity's feet and the oceans pouring across the land, all we would be able to do is gaze upwards at the ultimate creation of humanity and bow down to our new deer overlord. We no longer were the artists and controllers of this planet. We are the pawns, the ink and lead spread across pages, the splashes of color poured across a canvas. We were no longer in control of our own fates or even our very existence. All we could now was let our minds melt from the unnatural sight above us and chant the last phrase of humankind in unison. __!!! SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN !!!__ __!!!!! SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN !!!!!__ __!!!!!!! SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN !!!!!!!__ ... So yeah, this show was alright. :) The advertising we got was absolutely perfect, and seeing people losing their minds over how stupid this looked and seeing the cult following form around it in real time was a wonderful thing to see!! This is one of those shows where you can tell that everyone involved had a ton of fun making it, and it was absolutely a big highlight of Summer 2024. Now, is this ACTUALLY the next coming of Christ and one of the best comedy animes alongside Nichijou, Lucky Star, and Azumanga Daioh? Absolutely not- I haven't even seen any of those 3 shows yet (well I did watch a few episodes of Lucky Star at a friend's house once-) but I already know this is NOT competing with them. Is it a good show? Yeah, I'd say so! Although, it is a bit of an acquired taste. Let me explain. This anime is very reliant on a mix of random/subversive humor, physical comedy, and a ton of fourth wall breaking, making it hard to predict what's going to happen next on an episode by episode basis. It also has a lot of references to other media, and especially meme culture. Whereas some other comedy shows (that I haven't seen) have got ways to elevate the comedy through clever writing and fun bits, pretty much all the humor in this show is just straight up stupid. So, if your coming in with a more critical lense and expecting this show to have really good jokes, you might not enjoy it as much. But, if you decide to just leave your brain out to rot as you watch it and just enjoy the sheer absurd moments on display, you'll definitely get alot out of it. The characters, whilst VERY simplistic, can be quite entertaining and likable!! Obviously, the highlight definitely goes to the 2 main leads, as Nokotan and Koshitan have great chemistry both in terms of comedy and also producing a ton of cute moments!! This show is honestly adorable with how cute the characters and artstyle is, and there's a bunch of wholesome moments spread throughout the series that I enjoyed alot!! Plus, there's CGI deers. I like the CGI deers. The animation in general was also pretty well done, showing off some fun visual gags very well and having a variety of artstyles used throughout the show for certain gags and characters!! I also really like the use of real life footage of deers used throughout the show along with the cutaway pictures showcasing Koshitan and Nokotan placed in real life places, very charming stuff!! I also liked that for the ending song they straight up just showed how people make deer crackers. It was cute and educational!! And of course, we can't talk about the ED without mentioning the Opening- that song has been permanently implanted into my memories with how catchy it is and how many people made covers and memes with it. The music in general for this show was a big highlight, whether it be the random music videos that pop up in the middle of an episode, or that iconic "Shiiiikaaaaa" whenever something shocking or tragic happens. In conclusion, while this show definitely isn't one of the comedy anime greats, it was still a super fun experience to be a part of as it came out, and overall the show, while not amazing or super well written, is a pretty fun, wholesome watch!! I highly recommend you give it a try!! youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iZC69TAcfc) ~~~
An important rule is to separate expectative from the show itself. Every show must be evaluated by what it delivers and the marketing has no relation to the final quality. The comparison with Nichijou didn't originate from the studio, so why should we judge this as the new nichijou?. Instead of raising expectations, why not consider it as a new Gabriel Dropout (a good and yet modest anime from the same director)? Shikanoko could never be the next the next Nichijou. There's a considerable time gap between them and Nichijou benefits from certain advantages that Shikanoko lacks.