©Oshioshio • Kodansha/Hinominami High School Deer Club
There's a critical theory that the best jokes are the ones that are delivered to an audience. In this case, the audience is me, and I have to admit that Nokotan, My Deer Friend, did a pretty good job of serving me up at the end. After building up a backstory that was mostly affecting and a gimmick for a potential ending last week, the anime here immediately disregards that notion, calling attention to its disdain, mocking the audience for expecting it to be the end, the antler-first jumps being a different, completely unheralded notion of a rock. It's exactly the kind of irreverent, meta-adaptation whiplash I've been waiting for from this show since the season began, and it also got me the biggest laughs since.
I don't know where the anime is going to start'I don't think it really matters. Especially since, even with the set deadline of Shikanoko being expelled for driving, this episode works as effectively as it usually does for My Deer Friend Nokotan. It even involves reusing material from previous episodes, which is admittedly a little funny given the context. The escalation is how it draws everyone it can back for the finale (and calls attention to that fact, natch). It gives the anime some of the manic energy it could otherwise use, which adds a bit of a kick. Plus, I'm so excited about this series that I can't even say that anyone cares about Bashame's bullshit anymore. Why does this character exist?
However, as explained, all of those cameos really just show up on the dictates of the story—and are narrated as such! That basically applies to the entirety of this episode. The detail of Shikanoko escaping from a group of local mascots is an interesting idea that allows for a troupe of cameos (including the very endearing Sento-kun), but it's clearly a basic bonus that doesn't serve any purpose in terms of character or advancement. There's a moment where Koshi and Nekoyamada almost realize how similar they are, but that's just that—dropped. Even the notion of Koshi's true criminal nature that was teased a few episodes ago now doesn't amount to much more than a single line here. I'm not saying a show like this has to have continuity or acknowledge its own lore. But anime like Pop Team Epic and Dropkick on My Devil! proves how far you can go with well-constructed, well-paced stacks of material that really culminate in things. My Deer Friend Nokotan has none of that, instead ending as its main character goes through the motions of bullshit excused by its supposed genre, ending up as a silly little shaggy deer story. I'd put 50/50 odds on this anime getting a second season, but I don't know if that's fair to it or to us to see it go like this.
Everyone watch closely. This is how you kill Shikanoko.
Rating: Don't Deer the Reaper
© 1997 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, ND
My Deer Friend Nokotan is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Chris didn't want to use any decent puns in the footer here, lest he need to use them in reviews in the coming weeks. If you really want to add any more silliness, why not check out Twitter or blog? I think I saw some jokes there the other day.