My Deer Friend Nokotan (Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan) entered the summer 2024 anime season with significant buzz, largely fueled by its viral Deer Anime Dance meme. However, for many, including myself, this hyped series turned out to be a major letdown. Let’s be frank: Nokotan struggles to deliver a consistently engaging experience.
The core issue lies in its repetitive comedic approach. The anime relies heavily on a single joke stretched across twelve 24-minute episodes. This central gag revolves around the perceived silliness of Nokotan, a deer girl. Is it funny that she’s a deer? Is it amusing that her antlers have magical properties? Does her obsession with deer crackers elicit laughter? Is it inherently hilarious that everyone except Koshi-tan is charmed by Nokotan’s deer-like antics?
Alt text: Nokotan, a deer girl character, awkwardly enters a human classroom in a scene from the anime My Deer Friend Nokotan, highlighting the fish-out-of-water humor.
Effective comedy series usually avoid relying on a single punchline for every joke. Variety is key to maintaining interest. Unfortunately, Nokotan lacks this crucial element. Watching the first episode essentially provides a complete preview of the entire series. The comedic beats, character reactions, and overall premise remain largely unchanged throughout the season.
While the first episode might offer a fleeting sense of novelty, the humor quickly diminishes with each subsequent episode. The repetitive nature of the “deer-out-of-water” jokes wears thin, making the viewing experience increasingly monotonous. Regardless of the situations Nokotan and Koshi-tan encounter, the predictable comedic formula remains the same. Nokotan acts oblivious to her deer-like strangeness, while Koshi-tan expresses exaggerated shock at everyone else’s acceptance of it. This predictable dynamic becomes tiresome very quickly.
Is Nokotan a Brain Rot or Just Plain Boring Anime?
Some viewers have labeled Nokotan a “brain rot” anime, suggesting its humor derives from its sheer absurdity and becomes funnier the less you think about it. However, this categorization seems inaccurate. True “brain rot” anime, like Yuru Yuri, Azumanga Daioh, and Nichijou, build upon themselves. Their seemingly nonsensical gags accumulate and become increasingly hilarious as the series progresses. In contrast, Nokotan’s humor plateaus and declines as the repetition sets in.
Community feedback suggests that Nokotan’s appeal is limited. Many viewers seem to have dropped the series after a few episodes, while others primarily engaged with it through memes, without watching the full anime. Few who completed the entire series seem to find it genuinely funny or engaging.
Alt text: A chibi, or super deformed, depiction of Nokotan, the deer girl anime character, showcasing her cute design which contrasts with the anime’s repetitive humor.
Could Nokotan be considered a “brain off” anime – enjoyable if you simply switch off your critical thinking? Perhaps, but this argument could be applied to almost any form of media, even poorly executed ones. A good “brain off” anime typically allows you to overlook plot holes and inconsistencies for the sake of lighthearted entertainment. However, Nokotan’s fundamental issue isn’t plot or logic; it’s the repetitive and ultimately unfunny nature of its central joke. If you’re seeking mindless entertainment, there are far more engaging and humorous anime options available. Why settle for something that quickly becomes tedious?
The Viral Deer Dance Meme: False Advertising?
Nokotan’s initial hype stemmed largely from a viral meme featuring Koshi-tan dancing enthusiastically in front of a deer in a stadium. This deer anime dance meme became the most recognizable aspect of the series before it even aired. Ironically, this meme represents the best, and arguably the only truly entertaining, part of the entire Nokotan experience for many.
However, the meme is misleading. Koshi-tan never actually performs that specific dance to that particular song within the anime itself. The song is indeed the opening theme, but Koshi-tan’s dance in front of a deer is not part of the opening sequence.
Alt text: “Chad Nokotan,” a meme image from My Deer Friend Nokotan anime, depicting Nokotan with a confident expression, contrasting with the anime’s overall weak comedic execution.
The dance scene does appear in Episode 3, but without any music. Instead, Koshi-tan performs a lengthy, awkward dance while poorly singing a self-composed song. This scene, far from being catchy or meme-worthy, drags on for an excruciatingly long minute and a half.
It’s likely that many who enjoyed the viral deer anime dance meme never actually watched the anime and are unaware of how poorly the actual dance scene is executed. The anime version is significantly less entertaining and engaging than the meme that propelled its initial popularity. While a single dynamic shot of the deer towards the end of the scene offers a brief moment of amusement, it’s not enough to salvage the overall poorly conceived sequence.
Ultimately, if you haven’t watched Nokotan, you’re not missing out. The best way to experience “My Deer Friend Nokotan” is through the memes it spawned, particularly the deer anime dance meme, rather than enduring the full anime series.
Final Verdict
My Deer Friend Nokotan receives a 4/10 rating. It’s definitively a disappointing anime. While not the absolute worst, it’s certainly not worth prioritizing, and rewatching is out of the question. If repetitive, one-note humor centered around a deer girl is your niche, you might find some enjoyment, but for most viewers, there are far better anime options to invest your time in.
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