My Deer Friend Nokotan Episode 6 - A Short Review (Supposedly)

My Deer Friend Nokotan episode 6 is out, and what did it give us? Well, it gave us a bunch of mini-episodes and some cryptozoological speculation. And how does one review a show like that? Quickly mentioning key points, of course!

1. Antlers; they are handy. In fact, it’s safe to say they’re the Swiss Army knives of appendages.
2. Slice of life comedy isn’t for everyone.
3. Koshitan can suck an antler like it’s her God-given purpose.

Summer Lasts but a Moment

For the past few episodes, I’ve noticed that Koshitan’s once vibrant eyes have fallen to the wayside. Slowly they’ve been replaced by a lackluster version of their former selves. Life gets the best of all of us, that much is true. It happens to everyone, including Koshitan, but I would be lying if I said that didn’t hit the feels. Poor Koshitan, her joy has withered like leaves when summer leaves the world.

Now, since we’re already metaphorically speaking of summer, it’s summer in My Deer Friend Nokotan episode 6, and Nokotan is diseased. Well, not really; Nokotan is just molting. Now, initially, I accepted that with little issue, until I realized that her uniform was part of her coat. But before I could take a moment to let that fact bury itself in my soul, Bashame wore Nokotan’s discarded coat like a bodysuit. For a brief moment, smaller than a blink, I completely understood the appeal of a fur coat. Because wearing a waifu like a bodysuit sounds like a lot of fun.

Bocchi the Tsuchinoko

I adore cryptozoology, for at its core it’s the study of aberrations, where accepted science needs replicable results to prove something, cryptozoologists only need to capture something once. Something about that blatant disrespect to time-honored traditions makes me happy. Think of it this way, scientific discoveries seldom make front-page news. A new species was discovered? Ain’t no one got time for that. But the day someone shoots and kills a chupacabra (not the mangy American kind), that’s going to be front-page news around the world.

Or maybe not? We do live in a timeline in which Congress said there are aliens out there and no one batted an eye. But that’s that, and this is this. In My Deer Friend Nokotan episode 6, we see an appropriate response to a cryptozoological discovery: anger, skepticism, and emotionally damaged people thinking it’s cute. As Nokotan waltzs into the student council club room, she halts everything around her by presenting the discovery of the century, a Tsuchinoko.

But is it really? Nekoyamada doesn’t think so. Things that look like something else are quite common in nature; convergent evolution is a daily thing. For example, Euphorbias look like cactuses but aren’t. So, if you’ve never seen a tsuchinoko, how would you know you’re seeing one? What if you’re instead seeing a tsuchinoko-like thing? That’s an answer I can’t give you, and one that the show didn’t either, so try again next time, I suppose. But at least you can find comfort in all the cute Nekoyamada moments; just remember, never trust anyone with bushy eyebrows.

My Deer Friend Nokotan episode 6 – Comments

To say this show dropped hard in Anime Corner’s weekly ranking is an understatement, but it’s not even remotely unexpected. The thing about hype is that very few people even bother to check the basic minimum associated with the experience.

For example, I love remote inland tarpon fishing. When I show people the videos and photos, they jump head-first into the experience thinking they’ll get a sweet Instagram picture and bragging rights. The reality is that there’s a 95% chance that not only will they fail to catch a tarpon, but they probably won’t even see one. In addition, the trips are far from enjoyable. They’re long and tedious, and you’re lucky if the worst you get is mild heat stroke, malaria, or dengue. Yet, the hype brings people from far and wide. Word to the wise: never trust the hype. But for a SoL enjoyer like myself, the show steadies on with all the excitement of the first episode. And I still find myself eagerly awaiting every episode.

Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Oshioshio, Kodansha / Hino Minami High School Deer Club