UlasanAnime.com – The transition of Lovecraft’s creation, Nyarlathotep, into the anime and light novel property Haiyore! Nyaruko-san appears to have been facilitated through the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game. It’s noted that the original novels may not have featured “SAN” points, a common mechanic in the RPG.
The author first learned about Japanese tabletop RPGs around the same time they discovered 2ch, realizing it was a long-established hobby in Japan. Like many other forms of media, tabletop RPGs have both popular exported games and domestic ones. Queen’s Blade is cited as a prime example of an anime derived from a tabletop game. The Nyaruko-san anime itself is based on a light novel, which in turn is presumed to have drawn inspiration from Call of Cthulhu.
The history of the Call of Cthulhu game is rooted in its adaptation of source material. Tabletop RPGs are well-suited for fantasy settings due to the extensive world-building required to create engaging games for a specific audience. Many intellectual properties can be adapted into existing game systems, with various RPG frameworks allowing for role-playing and fan interaction with the IP.
What makes Nyarlathotep’s case particularly interesting is its capacity for both player interaction and localization. Localizing game systems is generally straightforward. The author draws a parallel to playing games like New Love Plus, where the pace of text is manageable and consistent with similar genres. The user interface and prior gaming experience also aid in understanding new games, whether it’s playing Dominion and then transitioning to Tanto Cuore or a Nitro+ version of Dominion. However, this is still considered a form of lateral translation of experiences.
The author’s personal connection to Nyaruko-san is framed as someone who enjoys tabletop games and anime in general, rather than a direct engagement with the specific anime adaptation. This anime is described as a regurgitation of a localized-for-foreign IP (Call of Cthulhu game and books, Japanese version), which was based on a local IP (Call of Cthulhu game), itself an adaptation of another local IP (the Call of Cthulhu novel). The complexity of this lineage is emphasized.
The author then uses the analogy of sausage making to describe this cultural phenomenon. The RPG system is likened to the sausage grinder, while the anime and database elements form the sausage skin. The filling, it’s suggested, might “drain you of your sanity points,” referencing the Lovecraftian theme. The amusing aspect highlighted is that Nyaruko-san retains significant references to Lovecraft’s work, starting with the tagline “Crawling Chaos,” indicating that a substantial portion of the original essence survives in this “special sausage.”
PS. The author humorously notes that when they game, it’s usually a “sausage party.”
PPS. After writing this post, they washed their hands with soap.
PPPS. A series of emoticons are included: (｣･?･)｣??!(/･?･)/に??!
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