My Deer Friend Nokotan
Japanese manga series
| Manga | |
| Written by | Oshioshio |
|---|---|
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher |
|
| Imprint |
|
| Magazine |
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| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | November 15, 2019 – present |
| Volumes | 6 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Masahiko Ohta |
| Written by | Takashi Aoshima |
| Music by | Yasuhiro Misawa |
| Studio | Wit Studio |
| Licensed by | Remow |
| Original network | Tokyo MX, BS Nippon, KFB, TV Aichi, SBS Shizuoka, HBC, AT-X |
| Original run | July 7, 2024 – present |
| Episodes | 4 |
 Anime and manga portal | |
My Deer Friend Nokotan (Japanese: しかのこのこのここしたんたん, Hepburn: Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan, lit. 'deer child, brazen, waiting for a chance') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Oshioshio. It began serialization in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Shōnen Magazine Edge in November 2019. After the magazine's discontinuation in October 2023, it was transferred to Kodansha's Magazine Pocket manga website in December the same year. An anime television series adaptation produced by Wit Studio premiered in July 2024.
Plot
Torako Koshi is a popular and beautiful high school girl who tries to keep up appearances as a prim and proper beauty. However, one day, she rescues a strange deer-girl hanging from some power lines on the way to school. The girl then soon transfers into her school, introduces herself as Noko Shikanoko, and begins dragging Torako into her bizarre antics, threatening to expose her hidden past as a violent Yankee delinquent, all while Torako seems to be the only one who notices anything wrong with Noko as she begins to lose her mind with every passing day.
Characters
- Torako Koshi (虎視 虎子, Koshi Torako) / Koshitan (こしたん)
- Voiced by: Saki Fujita[3] (Japanese); Roo Ryder[4] (English)
- The main protagonist and the school's Student Council President. A former Yankee (delinquent) student nicknamed the 'Tiger of Hino' at her junior high school. Torako tries to put on the image of a dignified, ideal honor student, but dealing with Noko drags her back into old habits as she tries to handle the new insanity of her daily life. She later reluctantly becomes the President of the school's Deer Club, started by Noko, where she and her other deer friends meet after school.
- Noko Shikanoko (鹿乃子 のこ, Shikanoko Noko) / Nokotan (のこたん)
- Voiced by: Megumi Han[3] (Japanese); Trina Deuhart[4] (English)
- The titular protagonist, who is a mysterious and eccentric deer-girl hybrid who appeared before Torako one day.
- She seems to be able to read people's minds by scent (indicated when her antlers flash red), claiming she could 'smell' her Yankee past, and refuses to leave her side after being rescued from some power lines. Later, she transferred to Torako's class, sitting next to Torako.
- Similar to a deer, Noko has a love of deer crackers and has antlers sprouting from her head, but hers are detachable and are highly durable, and can be anything from explosives, to food storage, to tentacle-like appendages, to glowing brightly, or even used as a lever to open the top of her head, which contains grass and her savings. Her antlers are also edible, but plain in taste and hard to eat. They also grow habitually and are automatically cast when they are too long.
- She also starts the Deer Club at school, where club members are supposed to take care of deers like Noko. She is also a skilled fighter, can heal any injuries to her body no matter how fatal it is, and can communicate with normal deer. She also appears to have the power to influence others around her, as her classmates and teachers as well as the visitors from Hino Zoo are not bothered by her appearance or her antics and are very supportive of her.
- She is also a part-time worker at Hino Zoo as a deer, as well as at Deer Shrine of Hino as the Deer God.
- Anko Koshi (虎視 餡子, Koshi Anko) / Koshian (こしあん)
- Voiced by: Rui Tanabe[3] (Japanese); Sarah Ruth Thomas (English)
- Torako's little sister, who is obsessed with her, to the point that Anko tries to kill Noko after accusing her of stealing Torako's attention.
- After fighting Noko to a draw in a Torako trivia competition and later a fight that almost costs Noko's life, Anko reaches an understanding with her, and becomes her friend.
- She later joins Hino Minami High School as a freshman, and joins the Deer Club, in where she installs CCTVs and have concealed active traps within its vicinity.
- She wears a sweater in winter.
- Meme Bashame (馬車芽 めめ, Bashame Meme)
- Voiced by: Fūka Izumi[3] (Japanese); Bay Doxey[4] (English)
- A freshman student who claims she wants to become a deer after being given a deer cracker from Noko before the opening ceremony of school.
- She loves cooking and eating rice, and has a dream of planting her own rice field outside the venue of the Deer Club for the sake of self-sufficiency. She also joins the Deer Club, and aspires to be a deer like Noko. She is currently mentally close to a deer, but is still a human.
- She wears a sweater jacket in winter, and a slipover in summer.
- Neko Nekoyamada (猫山田 根子, Nekoyamada Neko) / Nekochan (ねこちゃん)
- Voiced by: Yurika Kubo[5] (Japanese); Meagan Johnson[4] (English)
- The cat-like Vice-President of the school's Student Council under Torako. She sees Torako as her archrival, and attempts to abolish the Deer Club and depose Torako from the President of the Student Council as well as the school babe. Yet, she always fails in doing so. At one point, she accidentally becomes an honorary member of the Deer Club, much to her own chagrin.
- She often carries a stepstool around with her to appear taller.
- She always wears an oversized long-sleeved sailor-fuku.
- Kinu Tanukikōji (狸小路 絹, Tanukikōji Kinu) / Tanuki (たぬき)
- Voiced by: Rio Tsuchiya[5]
- Secretary of the Student Council. She tends to overthink and overreact to issues that affect her. She lied about cooking being her hobby during her class introduction, stating how she could not even prepare Tamago kake gohan without leaving in the eggshells.
- Chiharu Tsubameya (燕谷 千春, Tsubameya Chiharu) / Tsubame (つばめ)
- Voiced by: Chinatsu Akasaki[5] (Japanese); Abby Pasion[4] (English)
- Treasurer of the Student Council who seems quiet and aloof, secretly a big fan of Noko-tan, and is the younger sister of Yoshiharu.
- Yoshiharu Tsubameya (燕谷 善治, Tsubameya Yoshiharu)
- Voiced by: Takuya Eguchi[6]
- Big brother of Chiharu, and the owner and sole barista of the Swallow Cafe.
- He insists in providing top-quality service to customers of his café, but he is shocked when Noko is unsurprised at his service.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Oshioshio, My Deer Friend Nokotan began serialization in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Shōnen Magazine Edge on November 15, 2019.[1] After the final issue of the Shōnen Magazine Edge was published on October 17, 2023, the series was transferred to the Magazine Pocket website on December 20 the same year.[7] The series' chapters have been collected in six tankōbon volumes as of July 2024.[8] The series is licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment.[9]
Volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | North American release date | North American ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 17, 2020[10] | 978-4-06-520245-6 | March 15, 2022[11] | 978-1-64827-886-0 | ||
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| 2 | February 17, 2021[12] | 978-4-06-522330-7 | July 12, 2022[13] | 978-1-63858-318-9 | ||
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| 3 | February 17, 2022[14] | 978-4-06-526851-3 | February 28, 2023[15] | 978-1-63858-784-2 | ||
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| 4 | February 16, 2023[16] | 978-4-06-530787-8 | October 17, 2023[17] | 978-1-68579-520-7 | ||
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| 5 | May 9, 2024[18] | 978-4-06-535574-9 | December 31, 2024[19] | 979-8-89160-645-6 | ||
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| 6 | July 9, 2024[8] | 978-4-06-536165-8 | — | — | ||
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Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.
- Chapters 38-43
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced in March 2024. The series is produced by 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. It premiered on July 7, 2024, on Tokyo MX and BS Nippon.[3] The opening theme is "Shikairo Days" (シカ色デイズ, lit. Deer-Colored Days) performed by Megumi Han, Saki Fujita, Rui Tanabe, and Fūka Izumi as their respective characters in the Deer Club, while the ending theme is "Shika-senbei no Uta" (シカせんべいのうた, lit. The Deer Food Song) performed by Han and Fujita as their respective characters.[5] Remow licensed the series[20] and announced worldwide streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Anime Onegai, ADN, and Crunchyroll.[21]
Episodes
| No. | Title [22][23] | Directed by [a] | Written by [a] | Storyboarded by [a] | Original air date [b] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Girl Meets Deer" Transliteration: "Gāru Mītsu Shika" (Japanese: ガール・ミーツ・シカ) | Masahiko Ohta | Takashi Aoshima | Masahiko Ohta | July 7, 2024 (2024-07-07) | |
| Torako Koshi is established as an ideal student and overall good person. On her way to school, pondering on her past in juvenile delinquency, she runs into a girl with the antlers of a deer hanging from the power lines. The girl guilts Torako into rescuing her, and claims to be able to smell Torako's delinquent past. Later that morning, the same girl bursts into Torako's class as a new transfer student, breaking down the door and adjacent parts of the wall in the process; hurting other students who laud her entry. She introduces herself as Noko Shikanoko and takes a seat next to Torako. When Noko teases Torako about being a delinquent and a virgin to the unwanted audience of their classmates, Torako threatens her into silence. Before going home, Torako checks out a dilapidated shed on the school's grounds. There she finds Noko, unphased and bleeding profusely, having fallen while trying to clean. Torako convinces herself to assist Noko, and the two clear out the shed. When the girls' teacher stops by, Noko reveals that she had gotten permission to use the premises for an extracurricular Deer Club whereof Torako is made to be president. In the evening, while brushing Noko, another girl stares bitterly from the school's front gate. | ||||||
| 2 | "Deer Meets Dark Girl" Transliteration: "Shika Mītsu Kura Gāru" (Japanese: シカ・ミーツ・暗ガール) | Masahito Otani | Kenji Sugihara | Masahiko Ohta | July 14, 2024 (2024-07-14) | |
| Torako heads to school early in the morning to decorate the new club room. Although she isn't very enthused with being the Deer Club's president, she is overjoyed with the club rooms renovations. After attending class, she heads to the club room only to find it vandalized and with Noko as the only witness, assuming she was the vandal. Noko corrects her and airs that another person may be responsible, who is targeting her. Noko is lured into a trap, and the culprit reveals herself to be Torako's sister Anko. Anko takes offense on Noko stealing Torako's attention and challenges her to a fight where Noko has to leave the school if Anko wins, but if Noko wins, she will receive lots of deer crackers. Noko agrees, and the two later participate in a game show-styled trivia competition with intimate details about Torako in question, much to her embarrassment. Frustrated with the close match, Anko launches numerous kunai towards Noko, but Noko dodges them with ease. Anko throws another kunai towards her, but she trips and it heads in the direction of Torako. Noko jumps in its way and is hit. After a scene in deer-heaven that creates the illusion she has died, Noko gets up and reveals that she was saved by a deer cracker in her pocket. Impressed with Noko saving her beloved sister, Anko yields and the two become friends. | ||||||
| 3 | "Bashame the New Student" Transliteration: "Bashame Nyūgaku" (Japanese: ばしゃめ入学) | Shōgo Arai | Takamitsu Kono | Shōgo Arai | July 21, 2024 (2024-07-21) | |
| Torako finds a deer in the Deer Club and assumes that it is Noko in deer form. She tries many attempts to turn her back, to no avail. However, when Noko suddenly arrives, she realizes that the deer is an ordinary deer that escaped from Hino Zoo as it wanted some of the deer crackers. Afterwards, the deer returns to the zoo. When spring arrives, new students enroll in the school, including Anko. Torako and Noko later find a girl sleeping in front of the Deer Club, who introduces herself as Meme Bashame and wants to be a deer like Noko after she saved her life earlier when she was suffering from starvation. As a result, Bashame joins the club. Anko also joins the club much later and begins expressing jealously towards Bashame, but the misunderstanding is soon cleared up. After seeing how lazy the club members are, Torako tries to lay down some rules, which at one point leads Noko to threaten to leave and ruin Torako's reputation if she does not treat them with more respect. As a result, Torako ends up brushing all three of them while a group of girls are spying on them. | ||||||
| 4 | "The Deer Club in the Crosshairs" Transliteration: "Nerawareta Shikabu" (Japanese: 狙われたシカ部) | Ken Sanuma | Yasutoshi Yamada | Akira Oguro | July 28, 2024 (2024-07-28) | |
| Torako has a meeting in the student council room with its members: the scheming Neko Nekoyamada who plans to disband the Deer Club and overthrow Torako as the council's president; the anxious Kinu Tanukikōji; and the stoic Chiharu Tsubameya. Neko has Chiharu talk to Torako in hopes of exposing her weakness, but at the end of the day, Neko forgets to deal with the Deer Club. Torako finds Chiharu in the Deer Club and desperately tries to hide her past from Chiharu, but Noko ends up getting Chiharu's attention as Torako unsuccessfully tries to regain it. After Chiharu returns home, it is revealed that she is secretly a big fan of Noko. While Torako is doing an errand with Kinu, they accidentally get locked in the storage room. Torako sees Noko through the window but cannot get her attention as she breaks into a musical number. Fearing that they will never be rescued, Kinu hides in the vaulting box. Miraculously, Noko then opens the door, revealing that she has been secretly growing mushrooms in the vaulting box, but at first accuses Kinu of trying to steal then after finding her inside. The Deer Club later have a meal alongside Kinu and Chiharu, who had joined the club. Meanwhile, Neko is left all alone in the student council room, wondering why the others didn't come. | ||||||
| 5 | "Find Out Her Weakness!!" Transliteration: "Aitsu no Yowami o Nigire!!" (Japanese: アイツの弱みをにぎれ!!) | Naoki Horiuchi | Kenji Sugihara | Hidetoshi Namura | August 4, 2024 (2024-08-04) | |
| Torako finds a letter in her locker. Noko then appears behind her; it turns out she sleeps while rolling. Noko also claims that she has been fighting a hunting society, though Torako doesn't believe her. The letter is believed to be a love letter, though Noko herself is upset that she didn't get one; however, it is really a note demanding a challenge. Torako confronts a group of delinquent girls who sent the letter, with Noko accompanying her. During the fight, Torako is overwhelmed, but Noko hands her one of her antlers, which Torako throws onto the gym's roof after deeming it useless, but the antler explodes, destroying the gym and sending everyone flying. Torako then decides to spy on Noko to see if she has a weakness, but only witnesses her doing nothing and eating bananas that she hides inside her antlers. Following her to the zoo, she discovers that Noko lives in the deer exhibit and observes her strange antics with the deer and the visitors. After she notices Torako, they spend the day with each other before parting ways. The next day, Neko makes an attempt to destroy the Deer Club, but is caught by Noko, who tries to make her to join the club, but she declines. However, she quickly changes her mind just so she can figure out who is in charge of the club. After spending the day at the club, she is unable to find any weaknesses. | ||||||
See also
Anime and manga portal
- Sakura Maimai, another manga series by Oshioshio
Notes
References
- ^ a b 元ヤン女子高生×頭にツノが生えてる謎の少女、新連載「しかのこのこのここしたんたん」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 15, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "Series: My Deer Friend Nokotan". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 13, 2024). "Wit Studio Unveils TV Anime of My Deer Friend Nokotan Manga for July". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "My Deer Friend Nokotan (2024)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 28, 2024). "My Deer Friend Nokotan Anime's New Video Unveils More Cast, Theme Songs". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (July 24, 2024). "My Deer Friend Nokotan Anime Casts Takuya Eguchi". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ Cayanan, Joanna (October 18, 2023). "Shonen Magazine Edge Publishes Final Issue, Reveals Fates of Serialized Titles". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ a b しかのこのこのここしたんたん（6） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 1, 2021). "Seven Seas Licenses DARLING in the FRANXX, My Deer Friend Nokotan, Monologue Woven For You Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ しかのこのこのここしたんたん（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "My Deer Friend Nokotan Vol. 1". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ しかのこのこのここしたんたん（２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "My Deer Friend Nokotan Vol. 2". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ しかのこのこのここしたんたん（３） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "My Deer Friend Nokotan Vol. 3". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ しかのこのこのここしたんたん（４） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "My Deer Friend Nokotan Vol. 4". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ しかのこのこのここしたんたん（５） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "My Deer Friend Nokotan Vol. 5". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ My Deer Friend Nokotan | Official Trailer | ENG SUB | It's Anime. March 29, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 21, 2024). "My Deer Friend Nokotan Streams on Crunchyroll, Prime Video, ADN, Anime Onegai, More". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ "Sutōrī | Anime "Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan" Kōshiki Saito" Story｜アニメ「しかのこのこのここしたんたん」公式サイト [Story | TV Anime "My Deer Friend Nokotan" Official Site]. anime-shikanoko.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ "Watch My Deer Friend Nokotan - Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "On Air | Anime "Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan" Kōshiki Saito" On Air｜アニメ「しかのこのこのここしたんたん」公式サイト [On Air | TV Anime "My Deer Friend Nokotan" Official Site]. anime-shikanoko.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
External links
- Official manga website at Shōnen Magazine Edge (in Japanese)
- Official manga website at Magazine Pocket (in Japanese)
- Official anime website (in Japanese)
- My Deer Friend Nokotan (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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