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. ***