My Deer Friend Nokotan

My Deer Friend Nokotan (しかのこのこのここしたんたん) 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 web 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.

Characters

 * Torako Koshi (虎視 虎子) / Koshitan (こしたん)
 * 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.
 * 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) / Nokotan (のこたん)
 * A mysterious and psychotic 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. 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, or even used as a lever to open the top of her head. Noko also starts the Deer Club at school, where club members are supposed to take care of deer like Noko. She is also a skilled fighter, can heal any injuries to her body no matter how fatal it is, can communicate with normal deer, and also appears to have the power to influence others around her, as her classmates and teachers are not bothered by her appearance or her antics and are very supportive of her.
 * A mysterious and psychotic 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. 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, or even used as a lever to open the top of her head. Noko also starts the Deer Club at school, where club members are supposed to take care of deer like Noko. She is also a skilled fighter, can heal any injuries to her body no matter how fatal it is, can communicate with normal deer, and also appears to have the power to influence others around her, as her classmates and teachers are not bothered by her appearance or her antics and are very supportive of her.


 * Anko Koshi (虎視 餡子)
 * Torako's 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. During the next semester, she joins the Deer Club.
 * Torako's 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. During the next semester, she joins the Deer Club.


 * Meme Bashame (馬車芽 めめ)
 * A freshman student who claims she wants to become a deer after being given a deer cracker from Noko before school. She loves cooking rice, and has a dream of planting her own rice field. She also joins the Deer Club.
 * A freshman student who claims she wants to become a deer after being given a deer cracker from Noko before school. She loves cooking rice, and has a dream of planting her own rice field. She also joins the Deer Club.


 * Neko Nekoyamada (猫山田 根子)
 * The cat-like Vice-President of the school's student council under Torako. She sees the Deer Club and Torako as her competition, but fails in asserting dominance over both. She often carries a stepstool around with her to appear taller.
 * The cat-like Vice-President of the school's student council under Torako. She sees the Deer Club and Torako as her competition, but fails in asserting dominance over both. She often carries a stepstool around with her to appear taller.


 * Kinu Tanukikōji (狸小路 絹)
 * Secretary of the Student Council. She tends to overthink and overreact to issues that affect her.
 * Secretary of the Student Council. She tends to overthink and overreact to issues that affect her.


 * Chiharu Tsubameya (燕谷 千春)
 * Treasurer of the Student Council who seems quiet and aloof, secretly a big fan of Noko-tan.
 * Treasurer of the Student Council who seems quiet and aloof, secretly a big fan of Noko-tan.


 * Ukai
 * Torako and Noko's teacher, who is very supporting of Noko and her antics.

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. 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 six tankōbon volumes as of July 2024. The series is licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment.

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 NTV. The opening theme is "Shikairo Days" (シカ色デイズ) 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) performed by Han and Fujita as their respective characters. Remow licensed the series and announced worldwide streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Anime Onegai, ADN, and Crunchyroll.