The thing with Noukin is that it doesn’t have a serious bone in its body. Not a single one. No matter what serious topic comes up, it’ll top it off with some comic relief and leave you feeling either uncomfortably unsatisfied, or, if you quickly came to like the characters like I did, with mixed feelings of genuine relief.
Ultimately, whether this technique works for you depends on how willing you are to accept it. It’s perfectly fair to view Noukin as having no consistent tone, and unwilling to tell a meaningful story, but I don’t really think that’s the point. If you’re looking for a serious and dramatic story about family, death, and friendship, well, this isn’t the show for you.
Noukin is a comedy through and through—and if you don’t find the first couple of episodes funny, there’s nothing more this show can offer you. If you do, however, it’s an enjoyable ride. (If you’re familiar with anime, you might recognise the director Oota Masahiko; this show is pretty similar to his other comedies.) The characters are likeable (if generally shallow and clichéd), its visuals are pretty (if not exactly beautiful), and it has most of the typical isekai trappings.