English Dub Season Review: My Deer Friend Nokotan Season One

Based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Oshioshio. The story follows an Ex-Delinquent turned honor student named Koshi Torako who prefers not to make her past public. However her new picturesque school life turns chaotic when she meets the mysterious deer girl Noko Shikanoko, Torako’s hidden shame is constantly on the precipice of being exposed due to Shikanoko’s rather weird antics. To maintain the reputation she worked so hard for, Torako must go along with Shikanoko’s whims, even going so far as to become president of the newly established Deer Club. All her efforts will be rewarded if she can prevent the menacing doe from accidentally blurting out damaging details about her personal history, which will undoubtedly unleash Torako’s greatest nightmare…

On the technical side, this anime adaptation was produced by Studio Massket & Wit Studio and directed by Masahiko Ohta, with Takashi Aoshima writing and supervising scripts, Ayumu Tsujimura designing the characters, and Yasuhiro Misawa composing the music. The opening theme is “Shikairo Days/Deer-Colored Days” performed by the Japanese voice cast of Megumi Han, Saki Fujita, Rui Tanabe, and Fūka Izumi as their respective characters in the Deer Club, while the ending theme is “The Deer Cracker Song” performed by Han and Fujita as their respective characters.

People might say humor is subjective, and while the anime itself thrives on absurd humor and randomness, appealing to fans who enjoy quirky, over-the-top antics rather than a strong narrative. The show seems tailor-made for meme culture, with its most amusing moments standing out on their own while the surrounding events feel like filler. The humor is very situational, relying heavily on the unpredictable nature of the characters, which can be entertaining at times but may leave you waiting for the next punchline to land.

The character dynamics are key to the show’s humor, particularly the relationship between Koshi and Shikanoko. Koshi is often the voice of reason in a world where everyone else embraces the bizarre nonsense of her school, mirroring the dynamic of Dib and Zim from Invader Zim. While Shikanoko engages in strange and nonsensical behavior, Koshi stands out as the only one who seems to recognize how absurd everything around her truly is. This contrast creates a fun push-and-pull in the humor, where Koshi’s reactions ground the otherwise chaotic plot.

However, the biggest elephant in the room worth addressing would also have to be the show’s significant backlash following its Summer 2024 premiere, particularly due to the controversial use of AI in its translations. Across X/Twitter and multiple articles, fans have expressed widespread disappointment with the quality of the English, French, and German translations. You can make the argument that A.I. is putting translators and Voice actors out of jobs, but consequently, this is what happens when the very same voice actors and translators they hire turn out to be condescending, emotionally immature, activists who not only alienate and talk down to their audiences in such an unprofessional manner but also openly admit to deliberately ruining accurate translations with Woke/DEI nonsense to the point that Crunchyroll themselves ended up removing all the comment sections within their website to avoid any backlash over their decision to use A.I. But as they say “play stupid games, win stupid prizes” right?

Visually, the animation is serviceable but not particularly memorable. While the opening sequence shows off some energetic, colorful, and wacky animation, the rest of the series feels more standard. The art style is simple, lacking the kind of visual impact one might expect from a studio with the talent behind it and yet randomly there’s CGI Deer spotted in the background sometimes making random appearances or sometimes becoming the focus of the plot when the episode calls for it, even if it doesn’t always leave a lasting impression. And the music, on the other hand, is one of the highlights. Both the opening and ending themes are catchy and upbeat, sticking in your mind long after the episode ends, helping to enhance its whimsical and unpredictable atmosphere. The ending theme, in particular, pairs well with the show’s strange humor, making the experience feel cohesive despite its randomness, with at least one post-credits scene in episode 11 that hilariously doesn’t lead anywhere…

Overall, My Deer Friend Nokotan is a light and fun watch that doesn’t take itself seriously. Aside from the AI controversy, the humor is silly, and the dynamic between Koshi and Shikanoko adds an interesting layer to the chaos. While it might not be for everyone, especially those looking for a deeper plot or character development, it’s a fun escape for those who enjoy humor that leans into “Pop Team Epic” levels of absurd dumb fun.