Nyaruko: Crawling with Love, also known as Nyaruko-san: Another Crawling Chaos, is a Japanese light novel series written by Manta Aisora and illustrated by Koin. It was inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. The series' twelve volumes were published by Soft Bank Creative under their GA Bunkoimprint between April 2009 and March 2014. A flash-animatedoriginal video animation by DLE titled Haiyore! Nyaruko was published in between October 2009 and March 2010, followed by a television series, Haiyore! Nyaruko: Remember My Mr. Lovecraft, which aired in Japan between December 2010 and February 2011. An anime television series by Xebec aired in Japan between April and June 2012 and a second season aired between April and June 2013. An OVA was released in 2015. Two manga adaptations have been produced. A video game adaptation, developed by 5pb. for PlayStation Vita was released in Japan on May 30, 2013.
Plot
The story of Haiyore! Nyaruko-san centers around Nyaruko, a Lovecraftian deity of chaos who can take on the shape of a seemingly cute silver-haired girl. Mahiro Yasaka is a normal high school boy who is being chased by a fearsome black alien one night, until Nyaruko saves him. She explains that the creatures from H. P. Lovecraft's works are actually races of aliens, and that she has been sent to Earth by the Space Defense Agency to protect him from being kidnapped by an alien trafficker. Aliens find Mahiro and the Earth strangely attractive, for entertainment, auction or resources. One by one, the Great Old Ones enter Earth illegally. Eventually, Nyaruko and two other Lovecraftian creatures, Cthugha and Hastur, end up being freeloaders at Mahiro's place. Mahiro has become accustomed to his protection detail of Nyarlathotep, Cthugha, and Hastur making his life fascinating.
Media
Light novels
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san began as a light novel series written by Manta Aisora with illustrations by Koin. The series, spanning twelve volumes, was published by Soft Bank Creative under their GA Bunko imprint between April 15, 2009, and March 17, 2014. Short stories have been published in Soft Bank Creative's GA Magazine.
Anime
A Flashoriginal video animation titled Haiyoru! Nyaruani was produced by DLE and directed by Azuma Tani. The first episode was streamed on October 23, 2009. Further episodes were published on December 19, 2010 on DVD as part of the GA Magazine Vol. 3. All 9 episodes were released on March 15, 2010 as part of the Haiyore! Nyaruko-san 4: Special Box. The first eight episodes are about one to two minutes in length, while the final episode is about six minutes long. Another anime series titled Haiyoru! Nyaruani: Remember My Mr. Lovecraft, also produced by DLE and directed by Azuma Tani, aired 11 episodes on BS11 Digital between December 11, 2010, and February 26, 2011. Each episode is about four minutes in length. The twelfth episode was released as an original video animation included with the Haiyoru! Nyaruani 1&2 Perfect Box, a DVD compilation containing both Flash anime series. An anime television series produced by Xebec aired in Japan between April 10 and June 26, 2012. Crunchyroll streamed the series with English subtitles outside Asia, along with the two Flash series, under the name Nyarko-san: Another Crawling Chaos. A DVD containing a short original video animation based on the short story "Easy Way to Kill Enemies" was offered to those who purchased all the BD/DVD volumes of the first season. NIS America licensed the series in North America and released on subtitled Blu-ray Disc on April 15, 2014. A second season called Haiyore! Nyaruko-san W aired in Japan between April 8 and July 1, 2013, and was also simulcast by Crunchyroll. An OVA episode on DVD was released for buying all of the second season's Blu-ray Disc or DVD volumes. An OVA Haiyore! Nyaruko-san F was released on June 19, 2015.
Music
;Opening themes
"Taiyō Iwaku Moeyo Chaos" by Ushiro kara Haiyori-tai G
"Koi wa Chaos no Shimobenari" by Ushiro kara Haiyori-tai G
"Haiyore Once Nyagain" by Ushiro kara Haiyori-tai G
"Zutto Be With You" by RAMM ni Haiyoru Nyaruko-san
"Magamagashiku mo Seinaru kana" by Ushiro kara Haiyori-tai
"Yotte S.O.S." by RAMM ni Haiyoru Nyaruko-san
"Wonder Nanda? Kataomoi" by RAMM ni Haiyoru Jashin-san
"Kirai na Wake Lychee" by RAMM ni Haiyoru Tamao-san
"Sister, Friend, Lover" by RAMM ni Haiyoru Kūko-san to Kūne-san
"Ai Crusader's†Striver" by RAMM ni Haiyoru Mahiro-san to Yoichi-san
"Kimi no Tonari de" by RAMM ni Haiyoru Nyaruko-san
"Kitto Engage" by RAMM ni Haiyoru Nyaruko-san
Manga
A manga adaptation titled Haiyore! Nyaruko-san illustrated by Kei Okazaki was serialized in Shueisha's Miracle Jump magazine from May 6, 2011 to April 10, 2013 and was compiled in two volumes. A four-panelcomic strip manga titled Haiyore! Super Nyaruko-chan Time illustrated by Sōichirō Hoshino was serialized in Flex Comix's Flex Comix Blood from October 5, 2011 to November 12, 2014 and was compiled in five volumes. An anthology was published by Holp Shuppan on November 11, 2012.
Video game
In December 2012 5pb. announced the development of a visual novel, titled Haiyore! Nyaruko-san Meijōshigatai Game no Yōna Mono in which the player assumes the role of Mahiro Yasaka. The game's story is based on the first season of the anime television series, with some additional content. The game was released on PlayStation Vita on May 30, 2013, in both regular and limited editions.
Reception
The series has received mixed reviews. Aiden Foote from THEM Anime reviews gave the first season a 3/5 star rating. In his review, Foote says that the anime "should have been a whole better and could well have been" citing the over-pandering as an issue. He went on to say that a character as well-liked as Nyaruko deserved more when it came to a love interest.