You probably know the anime called “しかのこのこのここしたんたん (shikanokonokonokokoshitantan)”. A great “nonsense” anime that went viral. In this article, we will understand the real meaning of Shikanoko nokonoko koshitantan.
In this anime, a delinquent girl who pretends to be a saint named “Torako Koshi” ends up meeting a servant girl named “Noko Shikanoko” who is usually nicknamed “Nokotan”.
Generally, the name of the anime is translated as “My Friend Nokotan is a Deer”, but does the Japanese title really have this translation? Could there be some crazy secret or enigma behind it?
Also check the Anime Page: 1
Table of Contents
しかのこのこのここしたんたん
The first part of the anime’s name is basically the name of the protagonist “Shikanoko Noko [鹿乃子のこ]”. In this name, the first ideogram refers to “Shika” which means Deer. The second ideogram refers to the particle [の] followed by the third ideogram which means child.
Basically, the protagonist’s name means daughter of deer. Now the surname, which is basically the repetition “のこ”, can be a bit confusing. In fact, “のこのこ” is an onomatopoeia that means carefree, desperate, shameless. This reflects well the personality of the protagonist who is quite slow-witted.
“のこのこ” also means something like walking carelessly, which reflects the extreme and nonsensical events of the anime. Everything that happens in the anime is practically crazy, ignoring any problems or common sense.
Also see: Learn 200 Japanese Onomatopoeias
The Meaning of Koshitantan [虎視眈々]
虎視眈々 (koshitantan) is a Japanese idiomatic expression that literally means “to stare intently like a tiger”. However, its figurative meaning is broader and is usually used to describe someone who patiently observes, waiting for an opportunity to act or attack.
Here is a detailed explanation:
- 虎 (こ, ko) means “tiger”.
- 視 (し, shi) means “to look” or “to observe”.
- 眈々 (たんたん, tantan) means “focused, attentive” or “with fixed and vigilant eyes”.
Therefore, the expression is used to describe the character “Torako Koshi” who even has the ideogram for tiger in her name. This protagonist is always lurking, carefully observing and waiting for the right moment to act with precision or achieve her goals.
The term also refers to the hunt between the predator tiger and its prey, a deer. Fortunately, in the anime, we only encounter increasingly absurd scenes that make us rethink who had the idea for this work or simply its enigmatic name.
The Meaning of Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan
By combining the two parts, the phrase 鹿乃子のこのこのこ虎視眈々 poetically describes a fawn walking carefreely while, at the same time, a tiger is on vigilant watch. The half-deer protagonist is also not entirely innocent, and it turns out that the girl with the tiger personality is always the one who gets hurt.
The idea behind this name may be an interesting contrast between the innocence of a deer and the focused and strategic attention of a tiger, thus suggesting the friendship between the two girls.
It is interesting to highlight that all the characters in the anime have names that reference animals. I hope you enjoyed learning the meaning of [鹿乃子のこのこのこ虎視眈々]. To finish, check out this beautiful opening:
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