My Deer Friend Nokotan

Episode 7

(Drifty music begins)

You would not believe your ears
If 10 million Nara deers
Told some jokes that put me to sleep
But sometimes that's just the rub
When you're watching the Deer Club
You think me rude but I feel it's cheap

I'd like to make myself believe
That Shinanoko screws with Koshi
It's hard to say that I really think this show is one to keep
'Cause occasionally there's a joke that makes me scream

'Cause I got a solid laugh
From this episode's first half
About Noko going to the deer show
Fun in a messed-up way
Coaxes Koshi into pet play
A decent bit with some solid flow

I'd like to make myself believe
That Shinanoko screws with Koshi
It's hard to say that I really think this show is one to keep
'Cause occasionally there's a joke that makes me scream

Give the show credit for that streaming crack
(Please take me away from deer)
And Koshi's absurd antler attack
(Please take me away from deer)
But I tire of the way they don't trust folks
(Please take me away from deer)
When Koshi just keeps yelling all the jokes

To 10 million Nara deers
They don't really grind my gears
I'll probably miss this show when I say farewell
But I think you can go more effectively far
Wish this show would get real bizarre
'Cause right now it's only just a little bit ajar

I'd like to make myself believe
That Shinanoko screws with Koshi
It's hard to say that I really think this show is one to keep
'Cause its jokes are hardly bursting at the seams

Speaking of music, have I mentioned I actually rather like a lot of the background music in this show? It's a simple thing, but the choral "shiiiiika" over ominous instrumentals sounds cool and works with the tone of the series. It helps to dress up some of the reactions and punchlines in this episode's streaming segment and is at least a little bit of what made that work. Meanwhile, the opening bit about "DeerColle" was probably the funniest part, and it didn't utilize a ton of the soundtrack, but it did have Shikanoko singing her little number which worked out way funnier than Koshi's cringe song from that one episode. And hey the simuldub actually dubbed Shikanoko's song this time. It's about balance.

Conversely, the stretch at the end about the cafe, I felt, could have used more intrusion by the soundtrack to zazz it up some. Even if it was kinda neat to find out that Chiharu had an older brother and this is what he got up to. This is another segment that understands the value of screwing with characters besides Koshi. The fact that it ends with the dude getting advised that he was "trying too hard" feels like an unintentional commentary on the anime itself.

Also bold of this show to go for a bit about YouTube streaming when there are two other anime just this season making that their entire raison d'être and running circles around Nokotan here in the laughs department. But A for effort, I suppose. Like I said in the song, that part was generally pretty good.

Overall this episode was so aggressively fine that I had to compose a whole parody song to come up with something to do to review it. Is that a compliment? It's something.

Rating: Doe, a deer, a female deer

My Deer Friend Nokotan is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Chris doesn't want to burn any decent deer puns in the footer here, lest he need to use them in the reviews over the coming weeks. If you're really craving any extra aside goofiness, why not check out his Twitter or his blog? I think I saw some jokes on there the other day.