My Deer Friend Nokotan

is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Oshioshio. It began serialization in Kodansha's 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 aired from July to September 2024.

Plot

Torako Koshi, a second-year at Hino Minami High School, maintains a perfect student image to hide her delinquent past. Her life turns chaotic when she meets Noko Shikanoko, a transfer student who is actually a reindeer in human form. Reluctantly, Torako becomes Noko's guide to human life and leads the newly-formed Deer Club. Nicknamed "Koshi-tan" by Noko, Torako struggles to balance her model student façade with the club's bizarre and psychotic activities. This unlikely friendship challenges Torako's carefully constructed identity and cripples her sanity, which often leads to comical situations as she navigates school life with a deer-girl in tow.

Characters

Deer Club

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: The titular character of the story. A deer-girl hybrid and transfer student who starts the school's Deer Club. She possesses unusual abilities, such as being able to remove her antlers and use them in various ways. She seems to have the power to influence others around her (except for Torako), as they do not appear to be bothered by her antics. In the final episode of the anime, it is revealed that she came from an organization called the Deer Hole.
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: The story's main protagonist, Torako is the school's Student Council President at her high school and a former delinquent. She tries to put on the image of a dignified, ideal honor student. She later becomes the president of the school's Deer Club, started by Noko, where she and her other friends meet after school. Noko's antics prove to be a serious annoyance to Torako on most occasions, almost to the point of driving her insane.
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: Torako's psychotic little sister, who is obsessed with her. Torako is often terrified of Anko, but forces herself to pretend as though Anko's behavior does not affect her.
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: A freshman who claims she wants to become a deer after being given deer crackers from Noko before the opening ceremony of school. Bashame is obsessed with rice and is always seen eating some or planting rice fields. She has illeism, referring to herself as "Bashame".

Student Council

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: The Vice-President of the school's Student Council. She sees Torako as her arch rival, and attempts to abolish the Deer Club and depose Torako from the Student Council but is never successful. She is very short and frequently carries a step stool.
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: The secretary of the Student Council, who tends to overthink and overreact to issues that affect her.
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: The treasurer of the Student Council who seems quiet and aloof, but is secretly a big fan of Noko.

Deer Hole

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:A Hokkaido tourism mascot from the Deer Hole. He comes to Hino Minami High School to challenge Noko, but loses to Torako.
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:Two Deer Hole mascots from Ojika, Nagasaki. They come to Hino Minami High School to challenge Noko, but loses to Neko.
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:The Deer Hole's strongest mascot. He is from Nara City. He is the last mascot to challenge Noko and although he wins, both he and Noko are deemed winners.
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:A researcher who works for the Deer Hole and serves as the host of the final match between Noko and Sento-kun.

Other characters

;Narrator
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: An unseen narrator who often breaks the fourth wall.
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: A deer from the Hino Zoo who sometimes appears in the Deer Club's room.
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: Chiharu's big brother and the owner and sole barista of the Swallow Cafe. He goes to great extents to try and satisfy his customers.
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: Torako and Noko's homeroom teacher, as well as the consultant teacher of the Deer Club. She is very supportive of Noko's antics, much to Torako's frustration and annoyance.
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: An elderly shrine maiden who hides a demonic side. She is also supportive of Noko.
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: A creature that resembles a ball wrapped in flexible antlers, and acts like a domesticated pet to Neko. It was given its name by Chiharu, and is the pet of the Deer Club.
;Sōichirō Kumatori
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: An old-fashioned hunter who comes to the school to hunt down Noko, but leaves following a phone call from his wife and is arrested for illegally carrying a gun. He escapes arrest, but finds himself face to face with one of the Murdeerers from the Deer Hole.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Oshioshio, ''My Deer Friend Nokotan'' began serialization in Kodansha's manga magazine ''Shōnen Magazine Edge'' on November 15, 2019. 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. The series' chapters have been collected in seven volumes as of March 2025. The series is licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment.

Volumes

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced in March 2024. It 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. The series aired from July 7 to September 22, 2024, on Tokyo MX and . The opening theme is performed by Megumi Han, Saki Fujita, Rui Tanabe, and Fūka Izumi as their respective characters in the Deer Club, while the ending theme is performed by Han and Fujita as their respective characters. Remow licensed the series and announced worldwide streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Anime Onegai, ADN, Crunchyroll, and Tubi.

Episodes

Reception

Anime

Notes

References

External links

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{{Masahiko Ohta

2024 anime television series debuts
Anime and manga set in schools
Anime series based on manga
Comedy anime and manga
Crunchyroll anime
Kemonomimi
Kodansha manga
Remow anime
Seven Seas Entertainment titles
Shōnen manga
Slice of life anime and manga
Surreal comedy anime and manga
Television series about deer and moose
Tokyo MX original programming
Wit Studio
Yankī anime and manga