Reviews for Haiyoru! Nyaruani: Remember My Mr. Lovecraft

“Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane.” -- H.P. Lovecraft Remember My Lovecraft-sensei, like its predecessor, is an Adobe Flash-animated omake work; this time, it is on TV. The show currently sports a bizarre cast of the Great Old Ones: Nyarlko (Nyarlathothep), Cthuko (Cthugha), Atoko (Atlach-Nacha), and Nyarue (another Nyarlathothep). Also, an ordinary high school student boy. So far, the Nyaruani series have not actually made an anime adaptation; though, this may change with the upcoming Haiyoru! Nyaruko-san. This show, again like its predecessor, is dedicated to people who have read the light novels; the huge attention to this niche is disconcerting for otherviewers, aka us. We are pushed into this already developed world with no idea what to expect; sudden randomness and sexual references proliferate throughout the work and we are stuck in an eternal R’lyeh, confused by its Cyclopean plot structure which will decrease your SAN.

Thus, we have to ask, “How do we watch this show?”

We need to learn to accept and turn off our brains; a huge suspension of disbelief is required for this show. The work follows a Lovecraftian code to newbies: Never Explain Anything. Although this adage usually explains the conventions of horror works, this is also suitable to explain comedy. Watch it for the pointless sexual surreal comedy which can be funny to a group of people, like me. Think of it as a standup comedy routine.

And that’s how I enjoyed it.

The work pokes fun on light novels adapted into anime and breaks the fourth wall numerous times. It imagines the Great Old Ones as perverted bisexual females in a slice-of-life setting -- two of them hopelessly in love with the male protagonist. Atoko, with even a perversion Freud can’t stand, has some great lines of comedy; Nyarlko has some good ones too. The seiyuus, especially the one voicing Nyarlko, do a fantastic job at rendering their personalities. Asumi Kana basically plays Nyarlko like Tachibana Miya from Amagami SS and that choice for acting style is perfect.

Its weakest factor is the art and even the animator agrees. There are better Adobe Flash animators (Egoraptor, anyone?) that work for free; having a work done in Adobe Flash is not a good excuse. It is better than its predecessor, but that isn’t saying much. Yet, there are some great pictures, obviously stolen from Google Images and later changed in Adobe Illustrator through the live feature, that complements the humor. You have to at least laugh at the random Borg cube appearing at all the episodes. The OP is the only one that is animated, but it involves the characters moving their heads; the budget shows its toll a lot.

This is a work that is hard to recommend to most. If you know anyone who has a good dose of Lovecraft insanity and a good sense of Pythonesque humor, this might work; hence, my Lovecraft quote. Everyone else may have trouble watching it. Nevertheless, it does not hurt anyone to try watching it. I suggest watching the previous work; its running time as a show is only about 18 minutes. Remember My Lovecraft-sensei is just that, except with funnier sexual jokes.

Until an actual anime adaptation of this work exist, Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.

After watching the first couple of episodes, it's fair to say that Haiyoru! Nyaru-ani is the best anime of the winter season. With what might possibly be the most entertaining shows of the last few years, and, to be honest, very little time to ruin the atmosphere built in such a short episode, one will find that they are left begging for more each week. While the flash animation may be somewhat off-putting, the dialogue and character interaction compensates with such a natural flow that the viewer is able to ignore it without much thought. While there may be very little of what constitutes aplot in the anime, certainly it will be ever present in the upcoming weeks as earth grows closer to its impending demise. Overall, Haiyoru! Nyaru-ani is a rare gem amidst a pile of garbage this winter season.

Upon watching the 3rd episode of this 2D 4 minute omake, I'm a bit disappointed that the info provided by MAL doesn't seem to match that of the actual omake. Because the author has decided to just jump ahead it kinda makes this anime have a premature start as to how boy met deity or vice versa. Ok, so how did I rate this anime/omake? Here's how: Story: Decent number 6. Well, even if this anime has a premature start, the slapstick comedy and romance involving Nyarlko and Yasaka Mahiro was able suffice the omake's short comings. Also, I can't understand the authors mind as tothe heck did he include an alien ship coming to earth.

Art: Good number 7.

I got to hand it to the artist, he really makes a good 2D anime, however, it is still the slap sticks that does the rest.

Sound: very good number 8.

I'm referring to the closing theme, I like the song and the one who sings it.

Characters: Poor number3.

For the entire 3 omake's that I've watched, only Nyarlko, Yasaka and the lady in a black yukata have speaking lines and identifiable roles, the weird girl with a fiery hair, Cthuko doesn't, so there is no telling as to what the heck is she doing in Yasaka's household, there is also a small dragon whose role you can only guess. And, there is some new deity with a flying baseball bat whose role is yet to be determined in later episodes.

Enjoyment and Overall: a good number 7.

This 2D omake may not be much, but listening to the ending theme, the slap sticks and the romance between Nyarlko and Yasaka is enough for me to rate it as so.

I've only seen the 7th episode of this omake, and there seem to be no manga availible for this one - or maybe not just yet, but I do know that it was a kind of console game. MY RATING: Story: 6 Ok so the omake is all about a diety who live with a muchaho, together with 2 other chicas and there is a dragon who I can't say as to who's pet it is. Bueno, there is not much of a story in it because every episode is more like a slap stick comedy in 2D. Art: 4 Characters are drawn in 2D, so it decent enoughto be given a 4.

Sound: 10

What can I say amigos I like the ending theme.

Characters: 4

For a slap stick omake, the characters in it suits it well.

Nyarlko- it is aid that she's a formless diety, well since I have not played the game version of this omake, I'd probabaly say that she doesn't look like one. But she's really well suited to be the love interest of the lead chico.

Yasaka Mahiro - I like the way he's made for the role inculding his personality and his relationship with Nyarlko.

Cthuko - Ok, so this chica's charater is what we say in Mexico "Muy Caliente!" .......literally, beacuse her pelo is always on fire and she goes KABOOM when she's underpressue, a good comic of this omake. Oh, and she's very much of a guapita and may be well suited to be Nyarlko's rival for the lead muchacho......which is not.

There is also this guapita chica in a black kimono, whose role is I don't know except that she like surfing adult site in the web and another diety with a flying baseball bat who's such a kluzt, but adding them adds to the omake's comic side.

Even if their actions are in 2D, I guess there clumsy roles are decent enough to have a gigle.

Enjoyment and Overall : 4

This is probably the best 2D omake I've seen so far, but I wonder what's the countdown for and an apporching alien ship has to do in this omake anyway?