"Wit Studio-? They're gonna have TWO shows this season? What is this?"
You click on the trailer.
And everything changed.
You'd feel your pain subside as if the images on your screen and sounds from your headphones had cured you of all your ailments like a holy water baptizing you, and the world fades away into a pale, ghostly white. Everything else was background noise compared to what you were seeing. The absurd energy this trailer gave off was different than anything else you'd ever seen before. You could practically feel you brain melting in your skull as you observed the heavenly sight in front of you. It was brilliant. It left you dumbstruck. Not another word or thought would escape you. You HAD to watch this show. This was Wit Studio's next masterpiece. This was what the medium of animation had been building up to. You knew nothing was going to be the same ever again. The world was soon to be struck with an inescapable, catastrophic event. The soil crumbling under humanity's feet and the oceans pouring across the land, all we would be able to do is gaze upwards at the ultimate creation of humanity and bow down to our new deer overlord. We no longer were the artists and controllers of this planet. We are the pawns, the ink and lead spread across pages, the splashes of color poured across a canvas. We were no longer in control of our own fates or even our very existence. All we could now was let our minds melt from the unnatural sight above us and chant the last phrase of humankind in unison.
!!! SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN !!!
!!!!! SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN !!!!!
!!!!!!! SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN !!!!!!!
...
So yeah, this show was alright. :)
The advertising we got was absolutely perfect, and seeing people losing their minds over how stupid this looked and seeing the cult following form around it in real time was a wonderful thing to see!! This is one of those shows where you can tell that everyone involved had a ton of fun making it, and it was absolutely a big highlight of Summer 2024. Now, is this ACTUALLY the next coming of Christ and one of the best comedy animes alongside Nichijou, Lucky Star, and Azumanga Daioh? Absolutely not- I haven't even seen any of those 3 shows yet (well I did watch a few episodes of Lucky Star at a friend's house once-) but I already know this is NOT competing with them. Is it a good show? Yeah, I'd say so! Although, it is a bit of an acquired taste. Let me explain.
This anime is very reliant on a mix of random/subversive humor, physical comedy, and a ton of fourth wall breaking, making it hard to predict what's going to happen next on an episode by episode basis. It also has a lot of references to other media, and especially meme culture. Whereas some other comedy shows (that I haven't seen) have got ways to elevate the comedy through clever writing and fun bits, pretty much all the humor in this show is just straight up stupid. So, if your coming in with a more critical lense and expecting this show to have really good jokes, you might not enjoy it as much. But, if you decide to just leave your brain out to rot as you watch it and just enjoy the sheer absurd moments on display, you'll definitely get alot out of it.
The characters, whilst VERY simplistic, can be quite entertaining and likable!! Obviously, the highlight definitely goes to the 2 main leads, as Nokotan and Koshitan have great chemistry both in terms of comedy and also producing a ton of cute moments!! This show is honestly adorable with how cute the characters and artstyle is, and there's a bunch of wholesome moments spread throughout the series that I enjoyed alot!! Plus, there's CGI deers. I like the CGI deers.
The animation in general was also pretty well done, showing off some fun visual gags very well and having a variety of artstyles used throughout the show for certain gags and characters!! I also really like the use of real life footage of deers used throughout the show along with the cutaway pictures showcasing Koshitan and Nokotan placed in real life places, very charming stuff!! I also liked that for the ending song they straight up just showed how people make deer crackers. It was cute and educational!!
And of course, we can't talk about the ED without mentioning the Opening- that song has been permanently implanted into my memories with how catchy it is and how many people made covers and memes with it. The music in general for this show was a big highlight, whether it be the random music videos that pop up in the middle of an episode, or that iconic "Shiiiikaaaaa" whenever something shocking or tragic happens.
In conclusion, while this show definitely isn't one of the comedy anime greats, it was still a super fun experience to be a part of as it came out, and overall the show, while not amazing or super well written, is a pretty fun, wholesome watch!! I highly recommend you give it a try!!
