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This is the obligatory second season of "Nyarko-san: Her panties drop as fast as your sanity". This isn't the actual title of the show, but it might just as well be.
It's a borderline hentai, harem comedy show centered around a group of the most horny anthropomorphised lovecraftian deities of various species and genders stalking a possibly asexual teenage boy to have themselves, or, in some cases, the boy, impregnated.
It sounds cruel and horrific, and it is. What it also is, is stunningly captivating and hilarious in its lack of dignity. The show is highly self-aware and takes advantage of not taking itself seriously in every ... way possible.
This is the most "anime" show you could possibly find. Example:
[MC enters room, main love interest kneeling on bed in maid costume, trying to be seductive just like literally every fucking evening]
MC: "It's kind of stupid to ask this at this point, but why are you here?"
NY: "My nightly service to you, Mahiro-san!"
If this kind of humour makes you gauge your eyes out, you can delete all your cringe comps and watch this show.

A) What I expected when going into this show: (backstory, expectations, predisposition)
...Sigh. So they turned the second season into an actual cliché harem show?
The first season was already enough to make it to my trash top tier, so I expect a more coherent plot this time.
At this point I am convinced that Mahiro is actually a lovecraftian deity with the power of being irresistable, and this show is just a Mahiro dating sim.
Also, I expect this show to be at least 50% more about gaming than Gamers!.

B) What the viewing experience is like:
WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON
WHY IS KUUKO INTO MAHIRO NOW?! WHY IS [Redacted] INTO HASUTA?!?!?!?! WHY THE FUCK IS THERE AN EPISODE FOR SHANTA AND ITS THE WORST FUCKING THING
Jokes aside, this is a continuation of the first season, spot on. It's more of the same, but a bit more balanced, and with more focus on the characters.
But hey, it's at least 50% more about gaming than Gamers!.

C) What I think this show excels at:
Providing enough mental food to keep you scarred for all eternity. God, where is the bleach. *cough* episode eight *cough*
Enough fanservice to make everyone uncomfortable, but enough decency to stop when it starts getting unbearable.
Also, there's foreshadowing of the worst kind everywhere. Cyclone is a keyword. Trust me.


D) What I think it fails at:
Actually exploring the romances it poses as possible - understandable, given that there are approximately 10 possible ships in this show, all involving the MC.

E) What the show surprised me with: (in a positive or neutral way)
The second season was way more proficient at giving the interactions some more nuance, if that makes any sense in the clusterfuck that is this show's lineup.
Many of the issues I had before, like Mahiro never getting a reason for Nyarlko's affection, and some more, at least were lampshaded or even addressed in some form.
Compared to season 1:
Making Mahiro more likeable, apart from him still being a dick to Nyarko MORE than to others, which is unacceptable.
Making Nyarlko waaaaay more understandable and even -gulp- more human?
Making Hasuta fucking irrelevant.

F) What I wish the anime had done, but didn't:
Sadly, there was little opportunity for the characters to explore the setting, yet again.
If they had a longer runtime for this show, which I frankly actually wish it did, they might have wanted to make more out of this whole lovecraft-satire thing.
As it stands, this is more of a harem show that's a bit on the creative side.
Also, as much as they invested time in all the characters, I can't help but feel that it still wasn't enough. (Yes, I want a third season. I know, I am crazy.)
Also, actually finishing the relationship story after two seasons. This was the ONE thing I expected it to do, but alas, as most harem shows to this day go, it ends with the most mediocre achievement for Nyarko, so we can only dream about Mahiro finally making up his mind.
[Dreaming about Nyarko-san is not recommended.]

G) Should you watch it? (whom is it for)
Only watch if you saw season 1, survived, and can't stop watching. Don't take a break before watching season 2, you can go right ahead as it continues the same way.
It's definitely entertaining, if you are at least mildly masochistic or have a sick, dirty mind. Or both. Does the latter imply the former? What? Sometimes? Huh.

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SCORING:
1) Proficiency in execution
9/10 - This show knows what it's doing, and is great at pulling the audience's triggers for cringe, laughs or both through its confidence to meet the expectations of cliché and go even lower.

2) Depth of concepts and characterisation
5/10 - It felt like the characterisation went deep enough to make the show at least okay by the end. Considering its short runtime, it used its buildup well, which is applaudable.

3) Entertainment value
9/10 - Ridiculous bullshit never fails to deliver. Not quite as juicy as actual hentai, but there's a reason it's PG-16 in the US.

4) Memorability (expected, needed for long-term investment)
6/10 - Much more memorable for some reason. I guess it's the stockholm syndrome.

Quality Score: (average of PROF and DPT )
7/10

Fun score: (Product of ENT and MEM divided by 10, long-term)
5/10

Total: (decided on a whim or vodka)
6/10 - Good.

Now, on to the OVA-
[cereal spitting guy]
WHY IS THAT A PURE FANSERVICE HOT SPRINGS EPISODE
As if this show didn't have enough fanservice already, golly gosh. I'm not watching it. This time for real. Never.
I'm serious. There's another OVA that's actually good, so why waste time on pseudo-hentai?
I've heard it actually has character development.

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san - A Review as dry as the gin I drink while watching this.
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Phew, so this is my first review. And I picked Nyarko-san of all shows to start? Why?
The reason is simple - among all shows I have watched so far, this one has stood out to me for its remarkable intensity.
Intensity in what? Brutal comedy! Lack of dignity! Shameless reference-hogging! Self-awareness! But most of all, confidence.
The people behind this show probably knew what they were creating here, and had way too much fun making it.
I won't repeat the plot and setting here, MAL got you covered.

As an aside, the OP ... of this show is so immensely anime that I would show it to anyone who needs a lesson on what this medium can come down to.


A) What I expected when going into this show: (backstory, expectations, predisposition)

I first stumbled upon this gem of a show when doing my routine stroll through crunchyroll's sidebar list of anime to find something extraordinary.
Upon first sight, a heartfelt laugh escaped by chest - All my alarm bells for "Gimmicky show" were ringing at full volume.
An anthropo-comedy show, I was sure of it. But with a lovecraftian god (and Nyarlathotep of all!) as the main chick? I was BEYOND sceptical about the quality of this idea.
Apart from that basic info (which made the show seem painfully generic and at the same time highly interesting), I had no ideas as to what i should expect.
The pictures on MAL and CR were too incongruous with my idea of a show featuring old-school horror.

As an aside, I watched Blend S before this show (I did NOT like it), and had a predisposition to thinking that nothing could possibly have less dignity than that show.
If you can't tell yet, I'm not a fan of useless fanservice.

B) What the viewing experience is like:

It's like nothing I've seen so far. There are lots of shows which people recommend you to "turn your brain off" to;
This notion always struck me as odd, but now I understand it all too well.
You cannot watch Nyarko-san without sacrificing some sanity. In that sense, it is quite a subtle application of lovecraftian psychology/horror.
Sure, it doesn't SCARE you to insanity, but it sure drives up a wall! The show constantly fulfills every cliché expectations you might have, and goes even beyond.
It indulges in its craziness, grabs you by the hand and doesn't let it go until you have lost either your virginity, your temper or your sanity.
The only way you can enjoy the show is to accept it as what it is, and not question the premise, the execution, or...basically anything.

How does this craziness manifest itself?
Hyperactivity of the plot; Nothing stands still for even a second.
References to anime and gaming culture as well as Lovecraft's works that bear no impact on the plot 50% of the time and are clearly there to entertain the knowledgeable viewers.
Shameless fanservice and harem tropes. Yes. This is a harem.(As if there were a way to avoid this nowadays >.>) I have to admit, this show is as close to an ecchi as you can possibly go without it being categorised as such.
Prepare yourself for the most thirsty aliens you have seen in media, as well as a mother that loves her son maybe a bit too much.


C) What I think this show excels at:

Nyarko-san is a rare case of "Terrible concept - brilliant execution". The creators of this show knew that there was nothing serious they could make of this setting,
and thus they went for the complete opposite - total, utter absurdity.

The pacing of the show leaves no gaps to be bored. Every shot shows something interesting or relevant to the plot, and rarely is there a moment where you are let off the hook.
Even though the humour might not be of your taste, its comedic timing is spot on. This is a rare sight nowadays, and really makes this show enjoyable when you find value in its brand of wish-fulfillment, absurd humour.
Its references range from everything in between Pokemon and obscure shows you probably haven't heard about. (Pop team epic, anyone?)
As an interesting aside: The show seems to give off a strong vibe that the video game obsession most of the characters have is reflective of the creators. I think it's telling that this show has more actual gamers in it than Gamers!.

Another facette of this execution is the way the plot is constructed long-term: There is no real overarching structure to it, but a (very predictable) and elaborate plan to increase the shenanigan density overall.
As soon as the dynamics between the current characters could start getting out of hand or stale, the show introduces a twist to make up for it. Be it a new character that breaks the symmetry of the love triangle (rectangle? pentagram?)
or just a plain ol' body swap - Nyarko-san never fails to deliver the kind of entertainment that keeps you on your toes, whether you like it or not.
There is also (for this kind of show seemingly out-of-place) foreshadowing and adherence to Chekov's gun. In particular, a certain gimmicky charm comes to mind as being useful again and again in vital moments of the show.

On that note, an honourable mention is the *perfection* with which the main chick, Nyarko-san, is executed. She is possibly the most annoying, hyperactive, clingy, perverted love interest that a teenage boy could dream of, and as such fills her role spot on.
She reacts to everything, forces the main character into the most embarrassing situations and literally wants his babies more than anything. The show pulls no breaks in characterising her as the most inhumanly obsessive lover you could imagine.
Which...sounds annoying and unrealistic at first...until you realise it.
This is genius. She's a lovecraftian god. OF COURSE she's inhuman! Of course she is destroying the sanity of both the main character and the viewer! Of course the stunts of absurd, meta comedy she pulls are seemingly out-of-the-blue.
The seemingly pointless idiocy of the characters and plot shit actually serves to provide a lovecraftian horror that is not scary, but endearing (in a way).

Beyond this, the show mainly focuses on turning the lovecraftian mythos into a source of humour, which further supports this thesis. However, not much about it stands out as much as the main cast.



D) What I think it fails at:
Which is a shame, really, since the main cast is terribly developed. Any development they get is limited to Mahiro (perfectly generic harem protagonist) slowly getting more accepting of his relationship with Nyarko.
Apart from this, there is no discernible change in the dynamics between the characters, which is a shame, even though the dynamics at hand are quite stable and can be exercised in various ways.
Another issue is the lack of motivation for the events at hand - mainly the romantic interest of Nyarko in Mahiro. There are only veeeery slight glimpses as to what she finds attractive about him, if there is anything at all.

He gets no proper characterisation, as is standard in harem anime, which makes it very difficult to empathise with Nyarko's infatuation with him. Similarly, but in a slightly less problematic manner, his disdain for her is rarely elaborated on.
This is, yet again, a staple of many harem shows, but it bears mentioning. There ARE some good reasons as to why the MC does not reciprocate Nyarko's feelings - from a meta perspective, the tension would drop immediately if he did, and the show would instantly devolve into hentai.
In-story, the MC simply has no interest in her. Even if he had, there would be no way to discern it - his character is so flat that it does not allow for interpretations of his preferences. Some speculation has gone into the idea that the MC is gay - however, there is probably a simpler explanation.
His life gets invaded by an obsessive alien that could kill him in an instant if she wanted to, and wants his babies. She never leaves him alone, or any choice, for that matter. Swap the sexes, and you'd call the police.
If you want to, you can think of him as a pendant to Kira from JJBA Pt4 - He just wants a quiet life. If that makes him any more redeemable as a character, my job is done. The anime, however, had to fail before I could fix it.
Furthermore, he has no idea why she likes him - he doubts the reality behind her feelings for him, as has been elaborated on in a later episode. Perhaps the MC had been tricked into a fraud relationship before, making him anxious about this whole shebang?
...No, of course not. The show doesn't even remotely care to give motivation to him and Nyarko, which is a missed opportunity in its own right, if not for the potential character development it could entail.
By the end of the season, you do have some small advances in the disposition of the MC towards Nyarko, which is nice. However, the way it was handled overall was suboptimal.

Also, it does not present a proper homage to Lovecraft with this. If that's what you came here for...I dont know what's wrong with you. Good horror? In anime? And then in a show centered around one titular cute girl character? Get out.

E) What the show surprised me with: (in a positive or neutral way)

The expertise with which it pulls off its wish-fulfillment, dirty jokes, and sets them up so nonchalantly. It is confident in being predictable and cliché. And even though I despise the crude humour it devolves to sometimes, It shifts its focus often enough to make it bearable.
There is variety - of the good kind.
Overall, it was more than I expected of a show about a...uh...you know the plot what am I talking about.
It turned a frighteningly weird premise into an enjoyable, even if dubious, ride. And with the last two episodes, it might actually have gotten to a point in quality that I can safely say was...pretty good?


F) What I wish the anime had done, but didn't:

The plot, oh my goooood. Most of the time, an arc lasts about 2 episodes, maybe 3. During these sections, the show keeps focus, but there could have been done much, MUCH more with the setting of lovecraft's creations forming an intergalactic society.
They could have traveled to the stars! Traveled in time, not even Yith-style! (props for inserting the Yith,though). However, the show doesn't bother. The characters live at the MCs house for the entirety of the plot. Bluh.

Can someone please just write fanfic about this? Wait, NO DONT PLEASE-

G) Should you watch it? (whom is it for)

If you dislike trashy shows, RUN and hope Nyarko-chan doesn't find you and steal your virginity. This is as trashy as it gets. We're talking a Yuri-BoysLove-Vanilla love pentagram that provides enough fanservice to make me question if Eromanga sensei could be like this. (I did not watch the latter, so these are only suspicions)
If you're in for something deep and engaging, you will be bored. There's no lore or intellect to be found here.
BUT, if you're in for mindless, intense humour that will rip you out of your chair, paired with some juicy fanservice here and there, in one truly weird setting, then this is the train you should hop onto.
Depending on your preferences, this might even be a very good show for you.

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SCORING:
1) Proficiency in execution
9/10 - You'd be surprised how much work goes into making a good trash harem.

2) Depth of concepts and characterisation
3/10 - There's some depth if you're willing to see it, but I couldn't write an essay about it either.

3) Entertainment value
8/10 - For how ridiculous this show is, and for how little dignity I have left, I had a blast. Almost as much as with Gamers!

4) Memorability (decided a month later)
-/10 - I predict that in a month, I will only remember the scenes of Nyarko being overly attached girlfriend. (Preemptive 5/10)

Quality Score: (average of PROF and DPT )
6/10

Fun score: (Product of ENT and MEM divided by 10, long-term)
4/10

Total: (decided on a whim or vodka)
5.5/10 - average, but nice


Whew, I can't believe this is over. 12 episodes can feel soooo long.
Wait, what did you say? There's a SEASON TWO? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S AN OVA?!?!?!?!?!
[opens emergency Vodka flask]
...Some other time. Maybe never.
Hopefully.
....
....
Okay, so what's season 2 about?