I thought really hard what anime I should review this week. I even went to my myanimelist account to see if I should give preference to any of the anime I have watched previously and rated highly.
Then I was thinking of recommending “My Roommate is a Cat” airing this season. But as much as I would love to review that one, I usually don’t like reviewing on-going series, just in case I might have to change my rating. *Cough* The Golden Eyes *Cough*
Natsume Yuujinchou, by far, is one of the best anime I have ever watched. I eagerly wait for its new seasons and movies every year. (Thank God people actually pick it up for making next seasons rather than just letting it be (Skip Beat, I see you). I guess, it’s rather popular in Japan.
Everyone needs magic in their lives, and this one is the magic which can melt away all your worries and disappointments of the day and make you count your blessings in life. All you need is a hot chocolate, your warm bed and your laptop with this anime playing. What you’re going to read further is a rather long plot followed by a rave review, but it’s worth it, trust me.
So, the anime is about this orphan boi Natsume Takashi who has power to see ayakashi and youkai (Japanese spirits and demons). He inherited it from his grandmother, Reiko Takashi. First season lays down his background and tells how he has to move from relatives to relatives because of his weird behavior as a kid. He would tell his foster families that there was an additional person in the house or would daze off into the space, much to the frustration of people around him. They would call him weird or creepy and sometimes, even question his sanity.
Finally, Natsume settles down with Fujiwara family who’re a childless couple and treat Natsume as his own. Initially, Natsume is distant from them, just in case they come to know of his ability and shun him as in the past. But he comes to realize that he truly cares for them and is hiding his abilities because he doesn’t want the youkai to hurt them.
He inherits a powerful tool to control youkai called Book of Friends from his grandmother Reiko. Reiko was a lonely soul, ostracized by humans because of her ability, and hence, sought solace with youkai. She would challenge them in some kind of game and being powerful, ask them to give her their names on losing the game, thus obtaining absolute power over them.
Now Natsume takes upon him to return these names, because it’s a dangerous artifact, if it falls into the hands of any dangerous youkai or human alike. He has the aid of extremely powerful youkai called Madara (named as Nyanko-sensei by Natsume) who has promise from Natsume that he will get the book once Natsume dies.
The story revolves around Natsume’s interaction with humans and youkai, him trying to find a balance between helping youkai and letting them be destroyed by humans since he had a rough childhood because of them. In the end, he realizes that he cannot really choose one and there are both good and bad youkai as well as humans.
Oh man, that plot took up so much space. And the anime spans 6 seasons and a few specials and movies as well. While it seems an arduous task to follow this anime, trust me, as soon as you get into it, you’ll experience the ultimate peace. From the OSTs to the soft coloring in the animation, everything is just mellow and peaceful and happy and just, life. The OSTs have been one of my favorite playlists and I listen to it whenever I am feeling down.
Ah, I am melting away just thinking about it. But anyway, I only have praises for this anime. People whom I have recommended this anime had two extremely opposite reaction, either they really like it and felt really good after watching it, just like me, or they just couldn’t get into it. Some said it was too long, some said it couldn’t compare to Mushishi and hence, they dropped it.
I’ll urge everyone who wants to drop it or already has dropped it, to just give the whole first season try. If that doesn’t work, you really don’t have appreciation for slice of life anime T_T. Also, character development is too strong in this one. Not only Natsume evolves as the anime progresses, the characters around him do too, both humans and youkai. And their bonds too. At the end of the season, if you see all the youkai friends of Natsume gathered around him, you cannot help but cheer for him, and yourself for some reason lol.
The only con I can think about it is the anime being too slow for some people. But that’s also the beauty of the anime. It’s made to make the audience slow down and reflect on life. That’s what slice of life is all about and this anime is the very definition of the genre.
Conclusion: As you can see from the review, I love the anime. There was a time I was watching it at least monthly to get through the tough times. Nyanko sensei is the most adorable character out there and you’ll fall in love with the oldie. The fur ball is also the comic element, so it’s not all serious or light-hearted. Don’t let the enormous number of seasons deter you. They all contain 13 episodes each, so it’s not that long. This marvelous piece of work needs more attention!
Final feelings: (o˘◡˘o)
Watch here: Crunchy roll has all the seasons. Start with first three here: Watch on Crunchyroll.
Personal front: I am late again today but I finally got my learner’s permit. Went to the same place. Good thing I went coz I was eyeing visiting this Payless Shoesource store. Sad that they’re closing down since I loved their collection. I went ahead and bought 4 pairs today. Guess I splurged too much but no regrets. I wanted to do my due, bidding goodbye to the chain. If I find some store not closing soon enough, I might buy more.
Anyway, time to learn driving soon and get that driver’s license. Been too long now.
In other news, I finally got a new module to work on at my company and have to start working with Arduino. Sounds exciting and I am waiting for my kit to arrive so that I can get into circuit building and stuff. I don’t have anything else to talk about tbh.
Since next Saturday is 5th Saturday of the month, it will be a full personal post. If you guys have any questions, comment below or send them to easasianlover@gmail.com. See you guys next week!
Today’s Song: Since this is Natsume Yuujinchou we’re talking about, time to post some cute OSTs. You will also get a feel of this anime through them:
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