Every season, there’s always that anime, the one with a weird title, wild concept, and a “what did I just watch” energy that’s either a total mess or a secret masterpiece. Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show is exactly that. I went in expecting cosmic horror meets meme-tier chaos, and somehow it delivered… and then some. Streamers, shoggoths, and sanity checks? Yeah, this one needed the full five-episode test.
I couldn’t tell after episode one if this was brilliant or broken. But now that I’ve sat through five full rounds of blood-splattered VTuber madness, I have thoughts. Lots of them. So, here’s the breakdown, no full spoilers, just vibes, verdicts, and whether I think Necronomico is worth keeping on your watchlist, and mine.
Why 5 Episodes?
When it comes to trying out new anime, I live by the “five-episode test.” Not one, not three, five. Why? Because cosmic horror wrapped in VTuber chaos needs more than a single outing to show its hand. The first episode of Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show is pure sensory overload, streamers, game devs, chibi death traps, and a healthy dose of eldritch weirdness. But can it maintain that energy, deepen its themes, and make me care about the cast beyond their avatars? That’s what the next four episodes are for.
This rule protects my watchlist (and my sanity). If I’m not hooked by episode five, I drop it guilt-free. But if Necronomico pulls it off, if it turns its neon-drenched madness into something meaningful, then I know I’ve found something binge-worthy. After all, I don’t mind a little narrative chaos… as long as there’s method to the madness.
- Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show airs on Tuesdays.
- It streams on:
- Airing 2025
Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show is about:
- Full Genre list: Death‑game, cosmic horror, sci‑fi, fantasy, action, comedy
- Demographic: seinen
- Expected number of episodes: 12
- Age restriction: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older
- Trigger warnings: death‑game challenges, depictions of cosmic horror, psychological tension
- Animation Studio: Studio Gokumi
- English Dub: No
- Source: Original
- Kanji: ネクロノミ子のコズミックホラーショウ
- Alternative Title: Necronomico no Cosmic Horror Show
- Official Website
- Follow their official accounts: X: @Necronomico_PR
- Social hashtags: #ネクロノミ子
Miko Kurono, streaming alias “Necronomico”, is a junior high graduate struggling as a livestreamer when her roommate and childhood friend Mayu Mayusaka falls into a mysterious coma during a broadcast. To break the spiral, Miko joins the beta test of a new VR game titled “KADATH”, only to discover it’s a cosmic‑horror themed death game orchestrated by ancient eldritch gods like Cthulhu, Hastur, and others. Alongside childhood friend Mayu and rival streamer Kanna Kagurazaka, Miko must survive deadly challenges in this virtual world that blur reality and risk humanity itself.
Watch the Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show official trailer here:
My Impressions on the first 5 episodes of Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show
Across these first five episodes, Necronomico has gone from sensory overload to something… strangely compelling. It hasn’t perfected its tone; it’s still juggling absurd comedy, shaky pacing, and messy exposition, but the world-building is rich, the stakes are rising, and the show is starting to peel back layers. The theme of identity (both human and cosmic) is creeping in alongside fractured trust and shifting power dynamics.
Episode One: [No Spoilers!] Let’s Play the Old Ones’ Demo [Cthulhu]
Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show kicks off with a chaotic energy that’s part VTuber clout-chase, part Wipeout-on-eldritch-acid, and part existential dread waiting to spiral. We meet Miko Kurono, aka Necronomico, a mid-tier streamer swept into a no-NDA beta test with the promise of viral fame and fast cash. Alongside rival Kanna Kagurazaka and other gamer types like pro player Eita, she enters “Super Rumbleland,” a saccharine-bright game world that quickly reveals something far darker. The way the episode pivots from bouncy chaos to bone-chilling cosmic horror in the last few minutes? Chef’s kiss. And when a familiar face shows up with alien overlord vibes, you realise this game’s about to rewrite reality.
Visually, it’s loud, jarring, and wildly unique, think neon-pink hellscape meets chibi-doom, and I kinda dig it? The animation is smoother and more expressive than I expected, and the implication that each episode will change visual style to match its “game” is super intriguing. Thematically, the show sets up livestream culture vs. divine manipulation, the thirst for attention vs. survival instinct, with cosmic horror just starting to creep in. Miko’s over-the-top personality might be a bit much for some (yes, she yells a lot), but her desperation and snark already hint at emotional depth to come. Between the cursed commentary crew, Mayu’s unsettling presence, and the fact that Crunchyroll fumbled the subtitles so badly I had to jump ship, this show is already messy, but maybe gloriously so. It’s giving me Apocalypse Hotel levels of unhinged potential. I’m strapped in, just not on Crunchyroll.
Episode Score: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Episode Two: [SAN Check] Small Streamers Collab! [Great Old Ones]
Now we’re cooking with cursed VR headsets! Episode two pulls back the curtain just enough to show us the scale of the chaos we’ve stepped into. The plot thickens with Kei’s ominous info dump, turns out the entire beta test was a Great Old One scheme from the jump, with Megalox building the game as a sacrificial playground. Miko and Kanna aren’t just players anymore; they’re pawns on a sanity-shattering chessboard. And speaking of Miko, we get our first real glimpse into her past, dropping out, living with Mayu, and forming a bond so strong it might just fracture the fabric of this eldritch livestream nightmare. Her emotional stakes hit harder here, especially when Mayu resurfaces… but not as herself.
This episode dials down the sugar rush and dials up the dread. The new streamer collab introduces more chaotic energy to the mix, but the real highlight? That Bomberman-style game with a cosmic twist that goes full shoggoth in the second half. Cthulhu pulls a slick bait-and-switch that made me cackle (yes, I’m that kind of viewer), and it’s clear now that the “sanity” stat isn’t just for show. The tone is darker, more serious, and definitely more interesting than episode one. Bonus points: no AI sub meltdown this time! There’s still a bit of awkward pacing during exposition dumps, but the lore is juicy, the mind games are intensifying, and I’m starting to think this show has way more strategy (and teeth) than its chaotic intro let on. I’m still in.
Episode Score: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Episode Three: [PvE] Just Another Day at the Old Ones’ Academy [Shoggoth]
Well, the gloves are officially off. The third episode marks a noticeable shift in tone, ramping up the tension with the show’s first full-blown player kill (PK), courtesy of pro-gamer Eita. Any illusions of fair play go up in smoke the moment he casually sacrifices Nao-Kichi, and the worst part? He seems smugly self-aware about it. The attempt to give him depth, hinting at bullying trauma or bitter resentment toward society, feels more like shallow justification than genuine complexity, but I’m curious to see whether the show leans into making him a full-blown villain or treads the redemption arc line. Either way, his chaotic presence just ignited the psychological game within the game, and now every character has to ask: how far are they willing to go to survive?
On the production side, the animation and voice acting remain solid and consistent, nothing groundbreaking, but expressive enough to sell the rising tension. The music’s doing its job, though the OP and ED still feel more like vibes than bangers. As for the plot… yeah, it’s getting messy. The game logic is starting to fray at the edges (why are they casually logging off after a murder?), and the gods behind the scenes are beginning to feel more like eccentric mascots than terrifying eldritch beings. That said, the blend of action, paranoia, and drama is holding my attention, even if the pacing sometimes trips over its own logic. Kei stepping into the game adds intrigue, especially with those hints that her role as a GM might not be entirely mortal, and I’m still here for it, even if some moments are, frankly, dumb. Call it horror camp with a side of cosmic chaos.
Episode Score: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Episode Four: [Puzzle Game] Welcome to Hotel Reversal [Escape Room]
This week’s game trades chaos for cleverness, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less deadly, just sneakier. The “Hotel Reversal” puzzle is one giant trap wrapped in symbolism, where nothing is what it seems and forward may actually mean backwards. The theme of reversal runs deeper than the puzzle mechanics: roles are shifting, alliances are cracking, and even the Great Old Ones are beginning to act strangely human. It’s subtle, but watching these cosmic beings adopt quirks and attachments tied to their human hosts? That’s a creepy twist I didn’t expect this early on. As for the eliminations, they felt rushed, two players gone with flashbacks barely cold, but at least it’s not the usual splatterfest. It’s mind games now, and I’m here for it.
Character-wise, the spotlight stays on Miko and Kanna, and their dynamic just keeps getting better, especially when Kanna lands a well-deserved punch straight into Eita’s smug face. Speaking of him… Eita continues to be the worst, abandoning others mid-puzzle and proving once again that he’s willing to sacrifice anyone for a win. But what’s fascinating is how even the show’s villains are getting shaded complexity; he’s awful, but not cartoonishly so, and there’s room to explore what broke him. The pacing had some bumps, and the escape room could’ve packed more punch, but the psychological tension is growing. Plus, with Kei now in the game and more lore creeping in about gods adapting to their avatars, this show is really starting to ask the big questions: who’s actually in control, and what happens when the monsters start acting human?
Episode Score: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Episode Five: [Up and Down] Is Humanity Quiz a Kusoge? [Stole 1 Mil]
This episode had potential, a cosmic quiz show with a sanity mechanic? I was ready. But instead, we got a clunky backstory drop, a missed opportunity for Eita’s much-deserved public takedown, and a game structure that somehow made the Humanity Test feel like filler. Kanna’s emotional reveal should have hit harder, but instead, we get her entire trauma dropped mid-broadcast like it’s just another trivia round. And yes, the quiz being live-streamed only for her backstory (not Eita’s admission or anyone else’s sins) felt… a little too convenient. There were funny, even clever moments buried in here, but the pacing was off and the dramatic beats were smothered under awkward exposition.
That said, character progression is happening. Miko’s taking a backseat this time, which is a bit of a letdown since she’s the title character, but Kanna finally steps into the spotlight, and it adds needed emotional weight to her stoic persona. Eita, on the other hand, continues to spiral into human trash territory, and now the others know it, too. You can feel the story laying the groundwork for consequences (hopefully fiery ones). Even if this episode stumbles, it’s at least moving things forward. There are still too many threads hanging in the air, but the game’s getting darker, the gods are growing eerier, and the group dynamics are breaking down in all the right (and wrong) ways. I’m still watching, if only to see Eita’s downfall and the eldritch chaos that’s bound to follow.
Episode Score: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Will I Continue Watching Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show?
Yes, but with caution tape. This show isn’t perfect, and I still have no clue if it’s leading to greatness or a narrative breakdown. But it is unique, ambitious, and just twisted enough to keep me watching. If episode six leans into its darker themes, tightens the pacing, and follows through on the seeds it’s planted, I could see it going from mid to must-watch.
Worst case? I get cosmic horror bingo and streamer drama, which is still more entertaining than half the isekai this season.
Will you watch Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show? Now it’s your turn, are you watching this wild ride? Is it scratching your horror-anime itch or just giving you whiplash?
Some Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show pan shots:
Average Rating So Far: 6/10
A creative chaos blend of cosmic horror, gaming tropes, and emotional depth, but still struggling with consistency and payoff.
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