Please note that this is a preliminary review. My Deer Friend Nokotan is a gag comedy series with slice of life elements. The plot revolves around Koshi Torako and her deer friend Shikanoko. Throughout the series they get up to all sorts of mischief with their friends in the deer club and the student council. Many of the jokes and references rely on at least some Japanese cultural knowledge and as a result the humour tends to be polarizing. Its best to start reading this manga with the idea that humour is subjective in mind. Story: 4/10 The best way to describe the story is by saying that there is no story. This is not surprising given its a slice of life comedy series. What little plot we do get acts solely as context for why the events of the manga are unfolding. As soon as it explains how Torako and Shikanoko meet there stops being a story. Characters: 9/10 As with most slice of life shows the characters are what matter most. My Deer Freind Nokotan features a large roster of characters all of which get plenty of time in the spotlight. Every character has something unique to them from Bashames farming to Nekoyamadas craftiness. The only divisive character seems to be Anko who acts as a parody of the little sister trope in anime and manga. Art: 10/10 I know this rating might seem like a stretch but hear me out. Within the context of being a comedy series My Deer Friend Nokotans art style is perfect. Sometimes during sillier moments the characters will display a more chibi or lineart look. But overall every panel is drawn with extraordinary attention to detail like any other Oshioshio artwork. There are times where you can probably count the individual strands of hair on Torakos head because shes drawn with so much detail. Overall Preliminary Score: 8/10 My Deer Friend Nokotan seems to be a very misunderstood and divisive series. The humour comes off dry to most people and a lot of readers seem to go in with the impression that comedy is the only thing this manga has to offer. My Deer Friend Nokotan should be read with an open mind. After all slice of life is an important part of this manga. If you dont like slice of life or cute girls doing cute things you will be less likely to enjoy reading it. There isnt much of a story or narrative but there shouldnt have to be in a genre like this. While Id rate the story or lackthereof fairly low the beautiful artwork and bountiful cast of characters are what truly matter here. The manga is still publishing and I cant say for sure how long it will take to finish. What I can say is that whether it ends tomorrow or in 10 years its absolutely worth your time to at least give it a shot.