Nokemono-tachi no Yoru

A lazy, spoiler free review:

Too much drama, way too much drama but hard to tell if it's good or bad. Cliche characters and events, nothing suprising. Feels like reading a very mid drama book but with some boring fantasy elements. The most interesting thing about this anime is the fact that I liked it for no real reason. MC is cute, I mean her personality is also just a stereotype but probably my favorite type of stereotype, it's the same with other characters. I don't cry easily but this one somehow managed to bring tears to my eyes only in 3 episodes.

Story: 7/10
Originality: 1/10
Characters: ... 5/10
Music-Animations: 5/10
Drama: 9/10 (SukaSuka is the only 10/10)
Overall: 6/10 but I feel like an 8/10 (For now)

I don't understand how this show just went so overlooked, especially since there were furry elements alright, but it is more than what you will expect.

The obvious case of comparison being that of Mahoutsukai no Yome a.k.a The Ancient Magus Bride, mangaka Makoto Hoshino's lone work that is Nokemono-tachi no Yoru a.k.a The Tale of the Outcasts, is a fantasy story that features furries no doubt, but the storytelling makes light of that comparison to try not to be said series but it's very own element, which I think makes it stand out in its own right. No doubt that this was kinda of a ... complete but rushed adaptation of the total 8 volumes and 56 chapters that were released from late 2019 to mid 2021, and what the anime did to sully this expectation, I think it came out alright to get its main points across, which is a good thing.

The supernatural, historical fantastical world of humans and anthropomorphic demons living together but with the always-obvious hatred lingering at the back of the minds of humans, while those in need or want of communion, driving the perception that demons are not as bad as they generally are, who just needs acknowledgement and understanding from their human counterparts. This concept is nothing new, and most certainly had source materials that did this formula a whole lot better. Case in point, the aforementioned Mahoutsukai no Yome. Though with this show, Makoto Hoshino has chosen to go simple with just the coincidental meeting of the "Little White Riding Hood" with its main characters: Wisteria Langley and Marbas. The former, who is treated like a slave, is said to have the ability to see demons, and the latter, being all the more obfuscated that lesser and lesser people have that exact ability, which piques at his boredom to even attempt showing himself to the general public. The uncommon partnership of both human and demon, to find a place where both can live together in peace, strikes the balance of a world that is very traditionalist with the moral values of drawing a line between the two beings, now threatened because of the usual "humans and demons will not think alike" mentality to beset war to prove its point. Honestly, the show's weakest point is in its story plot, being very predictable, but still wholly engaging in this journey to see both Wisteria and Marbas find their Nirvana when all is said and done.

The character side of things is also an area where the manga can actually be improved upon, though the anime replicated that from the original source, so it goes hand-in-hand that there isn't actually much to be found here. Starting off with Wisteria, she has had quite the orphan life after being separated from her older brother Snow, who loves her very deeply. Without him, she has to settle for the unkempt Marbas, and forms a contract with him on the caveat that she loses her sense of sight to be able to harness the fraction of his demonic powers as one of the Thirteen Calamities. At times, both Wisteria and Marbas's relationship grows from mundaneness to the creation of bonds, where demons weren't supposed to feel their masters' feelings, which Marbas did and honoured her wishes as his next source of what he's fighting for. This is the same for Snow, which he joined the Sword Cross Knights in order to make a living for himself, in the hopes that he would be able to see Wisteria again, which he did with Marbas beside her. The usual bickering ensues between sibling and demon, though overtime he grew to entrust her life with Marbas, even if it means sacrificing his life for her since their bonds weren't that deep to begin with. This is the same for the next accompaniment of characters: Diana Blackbell and her demon Naberius (which is based on the Cerberus Greek mythology being). Unlike Wisteria, Diana has her family's reputation to uphold, but like her, the demon contract was the final nail in the coffin that sealed the demise of her family on the stake, and Diana has to work obsessively hard just for that matter. Naberius can be quite the delinquent demon, but like Marbas, is also one of the Thirteen Calamities.

As usual, this "Angels vs. Demons" approach has some naysayers on the side as well. You have people like the Sword Cross Commander being sceptical about the whole human-demon contract relationship, not to mention demons like the lion-based Dantalion and the pterodactyl-snake fusion Sitri that emphasize the imbalance of the world at large, where one race reigns superior, that's made worse with the contract that the human masters are able to control their contracted demons of limitless power to exact war, just for the fun of it. Once again, this feels predictable just like the story, and it's unfortunate that this is another flaw of the original source material, of it trying not to be too deep. But in this case, I can take it or leave it that the story elements are weaved as such, and it's just a decent "red thread of fate" plot from start to finish.

The production for this show is also decent as well. Formerly known as Production Reed (which produced Isekai Smartphone back in 2017 and the "nobody cares for the nth time of its anime adaptation" Cutie Honey Universe in 2018), with the studio changing back to its original name, Ashi Productions was a powerhouse studio of the 20th Century that with the invent of modern anime, has not seen its fair share of being involved with the modern age, that is until now with this show. A clear 5-year gap from Cutie Honey Universe, this show is clearly animated a touch above average and given more than ample time in its production, so regardless of any minor issues, the whole anime came out on a rather fine effort overall.

The music is rather nice though. For Wisteria's VA Ayana Taketatsu to come back to the Anisong portion of her career, the last notable show being Gotoubun no Hanayome of the last few years, her return is a satisfactory one with the OP song. Habuki's "Rewrite" for the ED marks a good debut for the fledgling group, though with a melancholic soothing song that's nothing special, but still, it's emotional as heck.

For what this show is, Nokemono-tachi no Yoru a.k.a The Tale of the Outcasts may be but a footnote in the oversaturated fantasy genre that does nothing unique to stand out, but for what this is during these 3 months on simulcast, I had a relatively good time, though it'll be quickly forgotten once the season is over.

You will be missed, human and furry demon. May you both be able to live a life in peace and away from the conflict that deem your relationship unnecessary and a boon.

Let’s not mince words here, this is a kemono/furry anime. As I’ve said in my video, furry fans probably know already if they wanna watch it. However, I also think, it’s a pleasant enough series to boot, that changes things up in several ways that I think will make it a breath of fresh air for those who give the series a shot. I think this series’ greatest strengths lie in how it defies preconceptions and expectations: Unlike a series such as Magus Bride (which it is constantly compared to), Nokemono Tachi No Yoru does not feature any romantic relationships of any kind, between the ... beast and main girl, nor any between the side beasts and their human side characters.
Of course, that is not to say that other girl and beast anime are bad, or “problematic” for featuring romantic elements. I’m not a stick in the mud, those elements absolutely are justified and make sense in series like Magus Bride. However I think the different trajectory and intent of a series like Nokemono is something worth noting, that is overlooked by people who are comparing it to other series. Nokemono is simply uninterested in forcing those elements and I think it manages to stand out in that regard. And no, I don’t think revealing that it’s not a romance is a spoiler, although the opening does somewhat emphasize the bond of the two leads, probably because it’s one of the things that gives the series it’s heart.

Plot and Characters
The plot of the series is enjoyable enough, and on the surface, seems in line with this trend of anthropomorphic beast / girl stories: our protagonist is an orphan girl named Wisteria, who is swept off her feet and out of her terrible living situation, and brought into an entirely new life by her demon friend, Marbas: a cat-like demon capable of taking human form and whose long lifespan has left him bored and listless.
The side characters are similarly familiar for this specific type of anime: Diana, a rich and kindhearted girl who Wisteria meets by chance at the start of her new life, who acts sort of like a surrogate sister. And Diana’s own demon partner Naberius, a sort of anthro-take on the classic Cerberus of Greek myth, and whose general IDGAF attitude stands out as one of the best of the series in my opinion. Other side characters include fellow orphan, Harriet and her adorable demon Molly, who are ancillary characters who have about an episode’s worth of focus but were pleasant enough during their appearance. Mentioning my thoughts on other, later characters would require spoilers and I’m seeking to keep this review spoiler free as to not ruin it for you: they are all generally good.

Art and Animation Quality
This being a series that got my attention via a YouTube upload of its OP, as the character designs immediately struck me as gorgeous, and likely to appeal to furry/kemono fans with the anthro beasts being given particular love and attention to detail. Unlike other series with anthro protagonists, this one seems particularly interested in making them as beautiful as possible: the beasts all have a unique wardrobe of period appropriate outfits (did I not already mention this is a British period peice?)
However all this effort put into the character designs and art, does expectedly, affect the animation in some regards. While it’s not nearly as inconsistent as other series I’ve seen. It is in fact more well animated than I had expected, given my preconceptions being it was a niche title, and I had wrongly assumed they were given little budget to work with as a result.
Granted, my praise for the art direction and the show’s general look and feel could in some ways be coloring my perception. It’s clearly not working with Wit Studio or Mappa levels of animation fidelity. BUT, I’d say give it a chance: I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, as it holds up well.

How does it compare to the manga?
Speaking as someone who started by watching this anime, and is currently reading the manga at the same time (basically because I liked this anime enough to want to buy the manga), I think it is a faithful and enjoyable anime in its own right, adding gravitas and a beautiful soundtrack to the manga’s story while adapting it as faithfully as it can in just 13 eps. Simply put, both versions are worth experiencing. The manga as of now has concluded, but the author has begun a sequel, which I wish them success on. If I come out of my reading of this first manga enjoying it enough, I will read that as well and share my thoughts.

Conclusions + My Further Thoughts
Hopefully you got something out of this review and if you’re curious enough about my further thoughts as said before, I make videos about these types of shows, on my YouTube, ThatOneLucarioFan

If you are a fan of Kemono (Furry) characters, I recommend this. The demon's design are very interesting. The plot is simple, the motivation of the villains/antagonist pretty basic, but it's all enjoyable. The animation is good, with the exception of the horses pulling the chariots (they have an uncanny 3D animation that you can't unsee). It's not a profound master piece (there's a lot of plot conviniences) but it's enjoyable, though, I find it character of wisteria bland, immature, uninteresting and annoying for my taste. I hope a little bit of more character development in the future. If there's a season 2, I'm interested ... on the lore of the thirteen calamities.

The story delved into unique bonds & personal growths between the characters, each true to their personas. While a wholesome plot overall there were a lot of clue's for bigger events & growths that would have added to the storyline that season 1 either rushed or didn't expand on. Storyline was slow at first yet had a very quick ending during last couple of episodes which may disappoint. Needs a season 2 in order for overall rating to rise higher and answer unfinished questions/leads they were going for.

While "furry" is in other reviews, keep in mind this is a wholesome and authentic bond between ... characters and there were no forms of inappropriateness/romance between any of the characters/children which is a nice take that allows you to really just enjoy the storyline. It was merely their demonic forms and not really a ploy to fetishize the genre. One moment may have made it seem like in the future there could be a slight crush with age but absolutely not here at all with the current timeline of the story.

If you are looking for a decent story with character growth, connections, friendships, giggles and sadness plus and a bit of action then this may be a good choice to try. Will be looking forward to a season 2 and hopefully get more into the storyline they touched base on.

I enjoyed the magic in the anime, and hope they expand more with it. It felt like the main girl with the white hair was developing some sort of power towards the end of the series; as well as exponential character growth. I would love to see that character growth be cemented in her character during season 2. A couple complaints: fursonas of course. I do not personally like it when animes use fursonas, as it can get weird really fast. And lolis. Once again, this is just a grab for attention from perverts. But none of the actual anime content is perverted, which is ... refreshing. This anime is excellent in that regard. They are capable of keeping things clean for the most part. The characters are memorable to me, and they have yet to reveal all the greater demons.

Despite what people seem to believe, this show doesn’t really feel like a furry show. They put a lot of effort into the designs but that’s mostly it. As for the rest of the show, it’s definitely one of the hidden gems of the season.

Plot: While the plot may not be super innovative or super thought through, it does make for an interesting story. It’s never a burden to watch and is really good as a show to watch for fun without thinking about what’s going on.

Art/Animation: The art is gorgeous, especially in the opening. During the main parts it using more a basic art ... style that reminds me of works by A1 Pictures, but also 2000s anime. The animation, like the art, looks great in the opening and during the rest isn’t as good. It’s still good but the opening is where the art and animation really shines.

Characters: The characters, while not being super fleshed out, don’t seem basic either. The main characters are enjoyable and many of the side characters are fun to watch. Even if the show relies on character tropes or stereotypes, it doesn’t detract from its enjoyment.

Overall it’s a fun show that not enough people know about. It’s definitely one of the hidden gems this season. It is definitely worth giving it a shot.

8/10

This was decent. It told a good, compelling story with likable characters. However, it was also a rushed adaptation apparently, which makes sense considering the great amount of plot contrivances present. The story wants you to suspend your disbelief when it suddenly jumps to a different plot point when it feels like there was supposed to be something before it to connect the dots. The pacing did not necessarily feel fast; instead it seems like some important content was cut, so the story sometimes struggles to stay coherent. On the positive side, the setting and voice acting were very nice, and the visuals were beautiful. ... The character interactions were very enjoyable and there were some great dynamics. Even so, the animation was lackluster.
In all, this complete adaptation should have definitely been two cours instead of just one. The main flaw of the show is how incoherent its story could be because of the rushed nature of the adaptation. Still, it was a nice seasonal watch, though nothing super memorable either. It is enjoyable and recommended if you like the idea of a Victorian fantasy setting with some good character drama, though there are also better shows out there. Now that the show has finished airing for a while now, it is harder to recommend, though if you have spare time it could be a nice watch regardless.