Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan - a running discussion/review thread with a rather longish title, but it seems I've found the character limit for these

[Angry_Panda]

SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
With that out of the way, you should have seen this coming, and if you didn't, . I'm watching in the US on Crunchyroll. Manga can be found here.

Episode 1: Girl Meets Deer - brief review with no spoilers (at least if you've seen literally anything else about this series)

Two things are apparent right away: anything is likely going to go for this series (the introduction dispenses with the fourth wall, for instance), and CR didn't proofread the subtitles... at all, in any way. (On that latter point, FUCK YOU CRUNCHYROLL. I am about to go get an ADV series box set and insert it up your corporate ass sideways.)

Opening is banger of the season, fight me. Learn the dance or turn in your weeb card. (It's only two bars and pretty simple.)

The episode follows Chapters 1, 2, and 5 of the manga with a few additional visual gags that the animation allows for. Animation is uneven both in quality and style, as I would expect with a gag series, but I have hopes the animators use the opportunities that present themselves to push the envelope in that regard. Voice acting seems typical at this point - I'll be interested to see how they stretch themselves as the series progresses.

The uncanny valley deer are amazing, and a nice addition to the surrealism, IMO.

All in all, about what I expected - solid take, but not yet exceptional. Looking forward to the next few episodes, and hoping the production staff hits their stride quickly.

 

[Manko-sensei]

Well, it has rhythm, but I prefer pandas such as... Akiba Maid Sensou. But they are spluring in the animation, so it deserves a chance.

 

[Angry_Panda]

Episode 2: Deer Meets Darkness Girl. Covering - hold that thought.

HEY YOU LAZY FUCKS AT SLACKERROLL - SUBTITLE ALL THE JAPANESE TEXT, NOT JUST ONE SIGN HALFWAY THROUGH THE EPISODE. Assclowns.

Ahem. Covering chapters 7, 8, and 9. Spoilers for those who haven't read along are, uh, spoilered in-line.

The animators are getting a chance to stretch out some style-wise - nothing too fancy or intricate, but they're enjoying riffing on the styles the mangaka uses. The intimidation/horror notes on Koshitan's little sister Koshian when she shows up really come through well.

Nokotan's voice actor seems up to the manic challenge at a level comparable to Excel from Excel Saga; Koshitan and Koshian are a bit less convincing. Here's hoping they work their way into it as the season progresses.

One note on the incidental music - a number of the cues seem to be seeing heavy reuse even this early in the season, which is... not entirely promising. The use of the hymn 'Nearer, My God To Thee' (the US tune, not the one from the UK) for Nokotan's near death experience is amusing to me, since I recognized and placed the tune, but the first line of that has shown up at least twice prior to that scene, and a couple of the other stings are already going a bit stale, like last week's deer crackers. A broader selection would help stretch those some.

Oh - before I forget:
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN

With a large chunk of the core cast in place, and based on the manga, next week should get into the seriously mind-bending weirdness. Buckle up.

 

[Nyanyan444]

So, how many character limit in those?

 

[Angry_Panda]

So, how many character limit in those?

150, by my count.

 

[Angry_Panda]

Episode 3: Bashame Enrolls.

In which Shikanoko announces she will not seek the Democratic nomination for -- wait, that was... uh...

SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN
SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN

Covering chapters 17, 18, and 19. (We seem to be skipping ahead some to get the Deer Club introduced - I'm hopeful the series goes back to cover some of the missing material.) Given the big 'plot point' is in the title of the episode, I'm not going to worry about spoiler-masking that one.

The use of the uncanny valley CGI deer in the first section is nothing short of brilliant. I have been impressed with the way the animators have been able to casually incorporate those into the more traditional cel-style art without feeling like a stretch (though, to be fair, the surrealism helps a lot in that regard). Also note a reference to the upcoming episode 10 during the third part; I'm guessing that's in a yet-to-be-released chapter (at least as far as @prussianbluehedgehog has posted to this site - kudos to them for picking the manga up). Bashame is... well, everything you'd expect if you read the manga. There is a great deal of rice in her bowl in part three, and the animators added a nice touch with how it goes back down over one series of shots.

No major vocal histrionics this episode, though Nokotan does get a couple of one-off 'alternative character' lines and Koshitan is generally wound up as usual. The musical cues are a bit more tailored, which is a nice change. In addition, Koshitan's song is presented without backing or pitch correction or anything else - it's just a high school girl singing a silly song, and it works so much better that way than making it a big production number would have.

Also at the end, a brief first in-episode look at the rest of the student council. And the fourth wall being permeable makes a return in one or two brief spots - I'm glad this is getting used sparingly, rather than either being completely forgotten about or leaned on too heavily, as I think it helps provide a certain framing befitting the series.

Overall, this episode did a good job with the source material, while making small beneficial additions to that, and three episodes in, the production team seems like they have a clear plan.

 

[Manko-sensei]

I think all the strength was put into the first episode, I thought with more imouto content I'd get hooked but... I'm not laughing.

 

[Angry_Panda]

I think all the strength was put into the first episode, I thought with more imouto content I'd get hooked but... I'm not laughing.

I can understand that. I'm hoping they get all the way through introductions shortly. It doesn't help that some of the characters are very trope-y (and even in the manga this is the case) - maybe that changes once the manga gets a bit further along.

 

[TestAddress]

I think all the strength was put into the first episode, I thought with more imouto content I'd get hooked but... I'm not laughing.

You can't feel anything after the first shot is out. Only in manga do they shoot like a belt-loaded machine gun.

 

[Manko-sensei]

Well, they simply went their way skipping entire chapters and made them fit as they wanted, that's easy to break the narrative. Though I'm simply skimming the manga, if they decided to do it differently it wouldn't had been such a letdown, so basically it's like feeling betrayed. I can imagine the next episode with how they left it, but if it doesn't pack a punch it'll lose even more viewers.

 

[Angry_Panda]

Episode 4's review (from me, at least) will be delayed to mid-week due to travel.

Spoiler: Meanwhile, have some absurdity.

 

[Manko-sensei]

Episode 4's review (from me, at least) will be delayed to mid-week due to travel.

Spoiler: Meanwhile, have some absurdity.

Oh no, the first one led me to watch some other crossovers, you don't know how addictive are those parodies!

 

[Angry_Panda]

Episode 4: Deer Club Under Siege. In which we meet three more JKs, all of whom are NUCKING FUTS. Covering chapters 20, 22, and 23.

SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN

Skipping a number of story chapters to get through introductions causes an issue for several callbacks in the material here. However, the production team does a good job adjusting, and even manages to work in a few additional references, including a pair of well timed fourth wall breaks. Also, we now have a name for chapter 17's/episode 3's senpai deer. (It's Tsunoda-san.)

SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN

Sadly, one of the three new characters is a trope I greatly dislike (Tanukikoji is an incompetent with no self esteem), but even with that the flow is good. The animation during some of the throwaway gags is the best yet for this series.

SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN

[Not spoilering the following, since it's been on YouTube for a week or so now.] The high point of the episode is Noko-tan's original song, which is done just as well as Koshi-tan's from last week, but in a very different style (fully accompanied, and with a video to boot). The music team continues to delight. (And the sound effect when Noko-tan finds Tanukikoji in the vaulting box is a nice touch.)

SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN

All together, another solid episode, but as someone who has been enjoying the manga, it's high time for some story episodes to balance out the introductions.

 

[DavidianMillerian]

say, what are you gonna do with this thread when the anime ends?

 

[Angry_Panda]

say, what are you gonna do with this thread when the anime ends?

Probably let it gradually slip down the list in the Anime sub-forum. That seems to be the life cycle of title-specific threads (and threads in general). Did you have something else in mind? Cremation? Composting? Conversion into an electric lawnmower?

 

[DavidianMillerian]

Probably let it gradually slip down the list in the Anime sub-forum. That seems to be the life cycle of title-specific threads (and threads in general). Did you have something else in mind? Cremation? Composting? Conversion into an electric lawnmower?

I was thinking we could convert it into a holy site of deer, but hey, you do you

 

[BakedBanana]

Probably let it gradually slip down the list in the Anime sub-forum. That seems to be the life cycle of title-specific threads (and threads in general). Did you have something else in mind? Cremation? Composting? Conversion into an electric lawnmower?

Could always evolve it into a discussion about the manga volumes or somethin'.

 

[Angry_Panda]

I was thinking we could convert it into a holy site of deer, but hey, you do you

SOMEONE CONTACT ROME.

Could always evolve it into a discussion about the manga volumes or somethin'.

Kinda figured that's what the title thread for the manga was for, but not above having some discussion about that here.

 

[Manko-sensei]

I already pointed it out but all the changes from the original material has led to bland humour. The 132cm portable loli is perfect for that purpose, I guess the best they could do is starting doing flashbacks for the missing material but I don't see it coming. And imouto best imouto.

 

[Angry_Panda]

Slight delay again this week - Cubs/Cardinals is the Sunday Night Baseball game, so I'm a bit preoccupied. Episode 5 review will be up sometime tomorrow. Have a react by @5hijima for your trouble.