©Oshio·Kodansha/Hinominami High School Shikabe
With its horned protagonist, disturbingly realistic deer, and bizarre absurdist humor, My deer friend Nokotan has been one of the most popular shows of the 2024 summer anime season both in Japan and abroad. To find out why, ANN visited Wit StudioIn the Tokyo office and spoke with the supervisor Ohta Masahiko In person and as a producer Naoto Fujiyama and promotional producers Okano Aya Via email. We soon discovered that they were as surprised as anyone by their global success.
Director Ohta is an industry veteran. “I’ve been in the industry since I was 18 and now I’m 57, it’s been a long time,” he joked. “I’ve seen similar things Space Battleship Yamato and Invincible Iron King Kong I loved them as a kid so I wanted to make something like that. That’s how I got into this industry… I was an animator until I was about 35, and then I started feeling like I wanted to try my hand at directing, so I started doing that.
Since then, he has directed many animations, including the comedy Yuruyuri, Shimoto!and Gabriel dropped out of school– All of which explains why he was appointed chairman of the board of directors My deer friend Nokotan. “I wasn’t familiar with the original work until someone contacted me,” Ota explains, “but Wit Studio Give it to me and ask me if I’d like to direct the animated version of the manga. I read it and decided to do it.
Producer Fujiyama, on the other hand, is known for serious works such as psychological pass. “I started working in animation Fuji TVofas a witch‘Add the animation block before twin engine April 2015,” he began. “I’ve been a producer ever since Scumbag’s wish, Legends of Vinland, The ancient magician’s bride Season 2, and My deer friend Nokotan”.
Likewise, promotional producer Okano’s biggest anime project to date is far from a comedy: hell heaven. “Most of my previous works have heavy plots, with character deaths, bloody fights and chaotic love stories,” she explains. “This is the first time I’ve created a comedy like this My deer friend Nokotan. This is challenging in every way.
For Ohta and Fujiyama, watching this absurdist comedy was a big part of the appeal of making anime. “The manga revolves around Nokotan’s crazy antics, and I found it appealing to be able to show that through animation because that’s something that manga can’t do,” Fujimiya told me. “After all, comics don’t move,” Ohta said of the same subject. “But in anime you can have all kinds of movements, so you can depict everything more exaggerated – and you can also add sounds and music. By including these aspects – by making it more exaggerated – I Think you can make connecting easier.
Despite its surreal premise, it was crucial for the team to keep the comedy accessible. “The charm of this story is that the normal life of a cute girl is drastically changed by the appearance of a mysterious girl with antlers… This is a setting that is difficult to imagine,” Okano explained.
Ohta had the same idea and tried to use the humor surrounding Nokotan to grab the audience’s attention. “Nokotan is an enigmatic character, but I think the way she makes people laugh is standard. I tried not to make it too confusing.
Of course, ensuring the comedy is a hit isn’t the only challenge the team faces. Ohta faced numerous common problems that arise when directing animation. “Something always happens when you’re making animation: sometimes things don’t quite fit into the schedule, or the animation process is a little difficult. There’s always something you have to steadily overcome – or rather, you just keep thinking there’s nothing you can do about it, Then move on.
While Ohta handles day-to-day production, Fujiyama creates the theme song, or as he puts it, “the face of the work.” There is only one problem: “Our company does not have the expertise to create “character songs” (i.e. songs sung by actors), so we first choose a music label to cooperate with. I personally think it is best to cooperate with animation Lantiswho wrote character songs that I liked, so I contacted them. Fujiyama continued, “After listening to the director’s vision, we were able to create a theme song that everyone would enjoy more than we originally imagined.”
Okano faces his own challenges when it comes to promotions. “Since the original was full of laughs, the challenge was how to eliminate this confusion in the promotion. I was thinking about how to convey the message: ‘If you think about it, you lose! This is a chaotic deer animation. ! Since I decided to take charge [this aspect of] Work. We even spent hours discussing what a ‘deer’ was,” she recalls fondly. “But one thing that remains consistent is that we want to have as much fun as possible […] and My deer friend Nokotan In its own unique way.
Luckily, the showrunners aren’t the only ones translating comics from page to screen. original author, Oshitideis also here to help, from finding the perfect cast to filling out the story. “Through cooperation Oshitidewe added new comedy elements that weren’t in the original. Fujiyama explained. “This way, people who have already seen the original work can enjoy the animation even more.”
In fact, Fujiyama’s favorite joke in the show is one of the extended comedy bits. “I personally like it [musical] The prank “Move on, former delinquent boy Dan!” first appeared in the 17th chapter of the manga and appeared in the 3rd episode of the anime. In the original, this was a relatively short joke that was over quickly, but in the anime, its length was extended. I also think there is Fujita Saki [Koshi’s voice actress] Singing this song, which she improvised live, highlights her inner charm.
Ohta’s favorite joke is a visual joke from episode 5: “I thought the idea of Nokotan having a banana in her horn—like the banana was neatly embedded in the curve of the horn—was really cute.” Meanwhile, There’s a running joke from the series that Okano likes. “I particularly liked the scene that showed a very realistic 3D deer among the cute girls. The deer had no facial expressions, which just added to the chaos. It made me realize that cuteness and chaos are compatible.
But while the staff undoubtedly found their animation hilarious, none of them expected such a positive response outside of Japan—or as Fujiyama puts it, “the ‘deer’ and the ‘funny’ in this anime Elements have spread overseas, crossing languages.
Ohta expressed the same sentiment, “To be honest, I was a little surprised by the success of the trailer overseas. My deer friend Nokotan It’s an unusual anime, or maybe a weird anime, I think it has a slightly different vibe than an American comedy. I wonder if people overseas can understand it – since Japanese is a bit difficult, I imagine it might be difficult to translate – so I’m not sure how much they can understand. But they seemed happier than I thought, which made me happy!
As a publicity producer, Okano knows best My deer friend Nokotanpopularity abroad. “I think it’s mainly because deer are so universally recognized around the world. They’re a comedy gold mine. With their beautiful appearance and incomprehensible expressions, I find it endlessly entertaining. I’m sure everyone feels that ‘deer and beauty’ Girls’ combination is fun and crazy.
But the sets aren’t the only aspect of the show that crosses borders. “There are a lot of visual laughs in it My deer friend Nokotanso I think people of all countries and all ages can enjoy it. There are not many works in which the girl with antlers is beheaded! Okano smiled. “I think there are actually a lot of jokes that can be seen and understood […] This is something foreign audiences can enjoy.
My deer friend Nokotan Available for crunchyPrime Video and Amazon Freevee, Tubi, ADN, Anime Onegai and many more streaming services in over 140 countries and territories.
