Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!
If you have read H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos and liked it, you will become a die-hard fan of Nyaruko: Crawling with Love, which Lovecraft inspires. Some people say it makes no sense, but why would you want to believe rumors and not watch this satirical otaku-oriented anime yourself!
If you didn’t know, Nyaruko: Crawling with Love has a manga and a video game, which explains that fans want more despite its reviews. With this review, let’s help you catch a glimpse of this popular series and see if it’s worth your time.
The story of this anime centers around Nyaruko, a Lovecraftian deity of chaos who takes the shape of a cute silver-haired girl; She is tasked with saving Mahiro Yasaka, an average high school boy being chased by a black alien. Or at least that's Nyaruko's bizarrely adorable self's justification for occupying Yasaka's apartment and trying to get him into her pants all the time. Yes, you have got it right; it’s a sci-fi romance, to some extent.
Let’s further dig into the plot. Nyaruko believes the creatures from H. P. Lovecraft's novels are alien races and that she was sent to Earth by the Space Defense Agency to protect the boy. Aliens are drawn to Mahiro and the Earth for amusement, auction, or resources. They are called the Great Old Ones, and they sneak into Earth one by one. Nyaruko, along with two other Lovecraftian creatures, Cthugha and Hastur, become freeloaders at Mahiro's house. The boy’s boring life becomes exciting thanks to his protectors.
The first season of Nyaruko: Crawling with Love is a lot of fun. There is a lot of humor and clumsiness sprinkled throughout the series. The fast tempo, excellent voice acting, and high production standards will keep you glued to your screen. The characters exclusively support the anime; thus, whether you like them or not will determine if you can stick around.
As we move into the show’s second season, things take a different turn when Kuko's envious cousin arrives to fulfill Kuko's pledge to marry her as a child. Kuko, her friends, and Nyanko do not want to leave Earth. So, to stop the union, they plan to plot an idea. Also, threats to Earth aren't over yet, as alien plans to exploit the planet's resources.
Caution: **Spoilers ahead**
Mahiro is the most sensible one in the group. Nyaruko is a force of nature, boisterous, continuously over-the-top, and utterly committed to Mahiro in every way possible. Kuuko appears to be a more restrained and reserved character, yet she is just as twisted (if not more so) as Nyaruko and is into Nyaruko. Hasuta does not look like it is; he’s gay. He's just as smitten with Mahiro as Nyaruko is and keeps trying everything he can to get Mahiro’s attention. You can pretty much guess how chaotic things must have been romance-wise. Let’s dive deep into the main characters of the show......
Nyaruko, the girl with long silver hair and bright green eyes, is the show’s main protagonist. The Space Defense Agency sends her to Earth to protect Mahiro. She falls in love with him right away, describing it as "love at first sight." She takes the identity of Nyaruko Yasaka, Mahiro's cousin, and even stays at his house to blend in. Although she has already graduated, she begins to attend his school to get closer to him.
Mahiro is the kindest soul who is prepared to help strangers. He is logical and prefers to keep things more thorough. He is the most ordinary character in the series. He is intelligent and confident but a bit shy around Nyaruko or romance.
She’s an ancient alien who falls in love with Nyaruko. She appears clingy but is quite stoic. She is an angry Cthughan who warns Mahiro to stay away from Nyaruko at the show's very beginning for obvious reasons. But she becomes friendly with him as the story unfolds. She also enrolls at Mahiro's school and takes Nyaruko's "wife" name, Kko Yasaka. She is also a massive fan of video games and otaku culture.
Hasuta is one of the key characters. He is the son of the CEO of Carcosa Computer Entertainment company, which is a famous video game company. He’s an alien, too and Nyaruko and Kuuko are his space elementary school classmates. He has strong feelings for Mahiro, so he enrolls himself at Mahiro's school. He was initially assigned to obtain information on Earth's entertainment from Yoriko. Still, he failed and was elected to stay on Earth, where he was later hired as a Space Defense Agency agent.
When it comes to the show’s animation, it seemed pretty much the kind we usually see in most anime movies and series. However, one thing that’s worth mentioning is the character design. No two characters are the same; everyone has their own individual appearance to match their unique characteristics. They can be annoying to watch at times, though.
One thing that deserves mention is that the characters change their outfit from episode to episode. This is unique, and I kind of like it. Another commendable thing is the voice acting. The show's creators spent ample time finding the right voice for the roles. They all effectively convey the characters' personalities, especially that of Nyaruko.
Things get better as we move into season 2. This time, the team had a larger budget for animation. The colors are brighter, but the characters are also given a wider variety of costumes throughout the series. This time, their facial emotions get better too. Either it was a budget issue, or the show’s creators took the audience’s criticism seriously when creating season 2.
The opening sequence was fantastic, and it effectively explains the anime. The opening music, "Taiyou Iwaku Moeyo Chaos" by Ushirokara Haiyoritai G, was sweet and entertaining, just like the series. The ending song has the same energy as the opening song and is just as lively. The songs were fantastic, and they bound the entire anime together.
Is Nyaruko: Crawling with Love Worth Watching? Watching the several love triangles is fun and exhausting simultaneously, but as the story progresses, it gets better. If you wonder if this anime is worth watching, let me tell you one thing. In my opinion, there is something for everyone. It features slice-of-life, comedy, parody, action, harem, horror (kind of), mystery, etc. As mentioned earlier, this anime isn't supposed to have a plot, so it doesn't.
This is why if you’re searching for a show that is light and doesn’t require much brain work, you are looking right at it, my friend! It is a mindless, fun show to watch if you have loads of free time at your hand. But, let me warn you, it’s full of romances and the desire to have babies. This is not a joke! The characters keep on saying that to one another.
There's also a lot of foreshadowing sneaked in so subtly that neither the characters nor the audience notices it, creating a scavenger hunt that makes this anime stand out from the rest. If you get obsessed with Nyaruko: Crawling with Love after watching season 1, I am sure you will notice a handful of foreshadowing as you watch season 2. This might even intrigue you to rewatch season 1.
Nyaruko: Crawling with Love! is a lighthearted, uncomplicated show. The show's infectiously catchy opening tune repeatedly will drive you insane, but in a good way. You'll need to understand Japanese culture to see and comprehend some things. But if anyone out there is looking for something mindless, I would strongly advise them to watch it since there is nothing better than a smile on your face.
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