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(All episodes watched): I would say that Natsume Yuujinchou was the single show of the Summer '08 season which most surprised me with exceptional quality. Going in, I neither knew nor expected much, but was delighted with what I got. My final conclusion, based on the number of "hits" this webpage has gotten, and the lack of reviews besides my own, is that this is a seriously underappreciated series, at least in the West. At first, this was one of those shows which I was reluctant to enter a review of at all, because the first episode has left no particularly strong impressions with me. That is, I noticed nothing outstandingly good nor terribly bad about it. After three episodes I was starting to get a handle on this show. I realized that I kind of liked it--it's a moving, touching sort of show rather than the usual battle against evil demons. Demons aren't all bad, I was surprised to learn, and that made this interesting. I decided to watch 'til the end. Afterwards, my appraisal of Natsume Yuujinchou rose steadily. In some series you can practically predict the plot ahead of time, but this one has a good deal of originality to it. Conflicts between Natsume and demons tend to be resolved by as much negotiating and compromising as out-and-out fighting. Natsume has absolutely no combat skills anyhow, and relies on "Master Kitty" (Nyanko Sensei), a demon who can take the form of a terrifying gigantic wolf, but usually appears as a silly fat cat shaped like the good luck statues that are common in Japan. He often steals the show. The way the two get along is amusing and the series as a whole has a laid-back feel to it. This is one classy show. each time I watch another episode my respect for it is reinforced. The plots have a bittersweet flavor to them, being infinitely more about love and tragedy than fighting. You can even feel sorry for the Youkai (spirits) at times--in fact, how couldn't anyone with half a heart feel that way, given how emotionally intense it sometimes gets? One interesting twist came when Natsume encountered an amateur exorcist who was carelessly injuring harmless spirits. Whereas I'm glad to move on as many, if not most, shows near their ends, I'd have been delighted if this one had turned out to be a 26-er. At one point my thinking was that being as thoroughly Japanese as it is, Natsume Yuujinchou is unlikely to be R1 licensed, but seeing the exceptional quality it features makes me think that perhaps it will be after all. My favorite line: "Technically, yes (I'm a spirit), but I'm much more refined and noble. Don't lump me in with the rest of them" --Nyanko Last updated Sunday, October 05 2008. Created Thursday, July 17 2008. | ||||||||
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Other Sites
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| Official (Japanese) Series Web Site | http://www.natsume-anime.jp/ |
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