My Deer Friend Nokotan – Season 1 Episode 10 Recap & Review

Blame it on the Spring

Episode 10 of My Deer Friend Nokotan begins with Koshi arriving at the Deer Club clubroom. The narrator informs the audience that Spring has arrived. When Koshi enters the clubroom, she spots Nokotan crying inside. Nokotan doesn’t know why she’s crying but Koshi realizes it’s because she has allergies. 

Nokotan argues she doesn’t have allergies but Koshi argues she does. Neko, Kinu, and Chiharu observe Koshi and Nokotan from afar. Neko wants to disband the Deer Club but the speck that gave Nokotan allergies affects Neko. Koshi and Nokotan continue arguing. Nokotan wants to disband the Deer Club because Koshi doesn’t want to admit Nokotan’s right. 

Nokotan and Koshi settle their differences. The former heads outside to wash off the pollen on her body. Nokotan and Koshi head inside. Koshi tells Nokotan she should find some glasses. She argues it’d prevent more pollen from getting on Nokotan’s eyes. Nokotan leaves and returns seconds later with goggles she borrowed from the swimming team. 

Unfortunately, Nokotan’s antlers remain itchy, and she starts sneezing. Koshi hands Nokotan a box of tissues. Nokotan feels bad for herself and cries. Tsunoda and other deers hear her cries and head to the Deer Club to comfort Nokotan. Nokotan thanks Tsunoda and the deers. She plans to destroy the Cedar Trees in the area with her deer companions. 

Neko wants to get involved and Nokotan recruits her to this regime. Before the girls initiate their plan, Koshi brings Nokotan to a dog and cat doctor. Koshi forces Neko to see the physician too. Suddenly, a piece of pollen lands on Koshi’s nose, giving her the same sickness. The hospital staff suggests Koshi see the same physician.

Some time passes. Koshi wonders why Nokotan hasn’t shown up in a while. Anko shares a similar stance on the matter. Koshi suggests she, Anko, and Bashame look for Nokotan. While Koshi walks through her school’s hallway, she overhears some commotion at the flower arrangement club. 

Koshi spots Nokotan sitting with the flower arrangement club’s members. The leader of the club asks Nokotan to demonstrate how to arrange flowers. Nokotan’s technique leaves Koshi confuzzled and the club members amazed. Although Nokotan’s technique doesn’t feature her arranging flowers, the leader asks Nokotan what her technique is called. 

Nokotan tells her it’s called “Tsuno to Shika.” After the leader and Nokotan judge one of the club members’ flower arrangement pieces, Nokotan pulls out a guitar and starts playing it. The large plants behind Nokotan come to life and attempt to devour the leader.

Later, the leader attempts to convince Nokotan to stay in their club. Nokotan refuses. Koshi and Nokotan return to the Deer Club. Nokotan tells Koshi that she loves the Deer Club more than any other club at the school. Some time passes. Bashame asks Anko to help her with her rice planting activities. Anko refuses. Tsucchi enters the Deer Club and Bashame forces Tsucchi to help her with her activities. 

Tsucchi meets Bashame’s expectations and the two engage in a rice planting competition. After Bashame and Tsucchi finish planting rice, Anko heads outside. Anko, Tsucchi, and Bashame eat lunch and Bashame and Anko chat with each other about Anko’s food prep hobby. Bashame doesn’t know what to do next. 

Anko suggests she “pickle some plums” and Bashame likes that idea. Bashame says she wants to hold a rice ball party with pickled plums soon. The episode ends with Anko asking Bashame if she can bring more food items to this future party.

The Episode Review

This chapter of My Deer Friend Nokotan was simple. Nothing about it felt too chaotic or memorable like in previous episodes. Although there were a few laughable and charming scenes wedged in this one, nothing about them feels discussion-worthy. However, that’s not to say the episode itself wasn’t great. 

For example, Anko and Bashame’s intimate moment by the Deer Club’s rice field was sincere. These two have the potential to become close friends in this series. Unfortunately, Oshioshio didn’t hone in on their relationship more as it’d do wonders for both characters, especially Anko’s. One of the folks’ biggest pet peeves with Anko is her sister complex. 

Edging her away from that concept by pairing her with Bashame would be a genius move. Hopefully, that moment between the two indicates that Oshioshio plans to have Anko embark on that character route. Also, the idea of Nokotan raging war on cedar trees, because she got sick was somewhat humorous. 

It’s disappointing that Oshioshio didn’t move forward with that scenario though. It could’ve been wild, bonkers, and utterly hysterical. But all in all, this was a fine chapter of My Deer Friend Nokotan.