First Impressions: Haiyore! Nyaruko-san

Because last season I made myself depressed by reviewing shit I didn't like beforehand, I'll review shit I do like before I go into a slump. Here's a cute little story centered* around the Cthulhu Mythos monster, Nyarlathotep.




*Has nothing to do with

Exhibit 1: indescribable eldritch god from outer space

Now, had the series ACTUALLY focused around the Cthulhu Mythos, I would have been much more pleased. Again, I think I am the only avid Lovecraft reader on the blog crew, and mixing cute anime with things that go "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" in the night would have been a refreshing change.

Unfortunately, they didn't go that far.

Fortunately, cute girls.

Pictured: tsundere

Other than the fact that they use names from the Cthulhu Mythos (I don't read dictionaries on the words like some fanatics do though, so I don't recognize some of the names, but I don't think even Nisio Isin with a bottle of concentrated LSD would have been able to concoct these names from thin air) there is absolutely nothing the series has in common with the books. So before I break your poor dark hearts even more, go away and read "The Colour Our of Space" three more times.

Yes, there are monsters. No, they are not unimaginably horrific things that look like they were a mix between a clown's nightmare and a half-broken SNES game on the TV screen. They're very...normal. How boring. What are you guys trying to copy, Another?

As for plot...there is none. Think they'd try after the shit job they did trying to study Cthulhu on Sparknotes and apparently giving up after the first 10 pages? Hell no. And they send a clear message that they aren't even going for that, which is totally fine. As long as they don't try is the point here.

Japan can cater to aliens. Sadly, this would also be true in real life.

To be honest I like the series. It has decent "gently smiling"-type humor interlaced with plenty of good, non-absurd fanservice and flirting scenes. The fights are mainly used as a gag and also to prevent the series from decaying in the corner into a simple slice-of-life-with-silver-haired-girl story. They'll probably do some more jokes like that, but if I get the harem/flirting scenes that I want with good production values without completely mediocre plot shit happening in episode 8, I'll be fine.

At least the music (OP is Taiyo Iwaku Moeyo Chaos by Ushiro Kara Hai Yori Tai G [Kana Asumi & Miyu Matsuki & Yuka Ootsubo]) is decent. Yet again, it reminds me of the happy-go-lucky-in-the-midst-of-unspeakable-horror OP that was from Another. 

My eyes are twitching while listening to this video. Must be the chlorine.

Sadly, this song also reminds me of this (and for good reason if you listen):

Interesting trivia: Nyarlothotep apparently cannot do a quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combo.

I'd really like to high-five Xebec for grabbing this little jewel though - they always manage to get the good fanservice series and make them even better through great curvy graphics, nice shades, and relatively thin lines. I don't think there was a better studio to pull this series off than the maker of Kanokon and MM!. 

Also, great choices on the VAs so far. Hearing the voice of Kana Asumi (Miya Tachibana [Amagami SS], Sado Shizuka [MM!], Hyouka Kazakiri [To Aru Majutsu no Index], Poplar Taneshima [Working!!], too many younger sister characters to count [seriously]) from Nyarlko is a very interesting experience. Very...in your face. However, since Kana Asumi's voice is so damned enthusiastic and younger-sounding, when the flirting scenes start up the episode takes you on a merry trip to fanservice-ville, and Asumi is the fucking mayor. There's a reason why Miya Tachibana was so freaking popular in the Amagami franchise, and it's not because she looks plain and got a shitty OVA after 2 seasons.

See, if I had been satiated by Amagami SS+ plus from last season, I wouldn't need to squeal in delight like a hamster. Good imouto/enthusiastic fanservice should not be a novelty.

In conclusion, this seems to be a fine little series to satisfy your sweet tooth as we look towards other series this season to fulfill our wholesome needs (or just satisfy everything at once, like Medaka Box). Thank you Xebec for producing something that doesn't pretend to be a good series. By virtue of that...it has become a good series.

Status: Looking forward to watching it every week.