Natsume Yujin-cho

[Andrew Cunningham]

Natsume's Scroll of Friends.

http://www.natsume-anime.jp/

Based on a shojo manga. Spiffy wolf. I like youkai projects.
More importantly, same director as Baccano!.
Anyone read the manga?

[Lego]

Natsume's Scroll of Friends.

http://www.natsume-anime.jp/

Based on a shojo manga. Spiffy wolf. I like youkai projects.
More importantly, same director as Baccano!.
Anyone read the manga?

The sites been up for what seems like forever as I can remember it even before the spring season. The first thing that came to mind when looking at the picture is FMA, but with the Baccano director I'll give it a shot. Lots of wolf and fox related shows now.

[Westlo]

After Baccano! and Kure-nai I'll watch anything Brains Base do at this point *pretends that the guilttri.. I mean Haruka pandering KGNE OVAs doesn't exist*. Only 4 chapters have been scanlated, I'll check them out and see how this is.

[Andrew Cunningham]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-QmbBFZQDw

Preview.
Only two minutes long, but still put me to sleep.
I don't think boring the shit out of people is a good way to get them to watch your show. This just dropped right the fuck off my radar.

[Busaiku]

That preview's been up on the main site forever now.
It's a brief summary of the first chapter, which I actually found pretty fun.
I too found the preview boring initially (and still do), but with the added dialogue and greater depth, it's far more enjoyable.

[muhootsaver]

first episode was pretty good. Animation quality solid. I liked BGM/OP/ED. I'm into these Yokai setting and all, so I really enjoyed it.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Hey, this is really good.
Fairly low key, but that worked to its advantage, underplaying some comedy rather nicely. Definitely a different take on the standard youkai stories; neatly inverts the genre.

[Busaiku]

Yeah, this was definitely really good.

Since I paid more attention to the anime, it made me really feel for Takashi. Poor guy had a tought life with this. His grandmother did too.
Also, Hishigaki at the end was definitely pretty touching.
Seems like everyone in the series has been lonely somehow.

Nyanko is definitely a great character, absolutely love how Kazuhiko Inoue handles the changes of tones.

I rather liked the music myself, thought it was definitely a nice touch.
I especially love the track that's been on the site forever now.

[something]

Episode 1:

- Kamiya Hiroshi voiced male lead = off to a good start. And I might not constantly hear Itoshiki Nozomu in his voice this time :sd:
- Itou Miki for Touko. I now mainly associate her with the sexy sexy Kamiazuma Yumiko from Touka Gettan, but I love her voice regardless.
- Nyanko-chan should be annoying, but for some reason isn't. Anyway the premise is interesting. Natsume's grandma seemed like she was awesome, so while I'm usually not big on flashbacks I hope we get at least one. And now Natume has a very dangerous, and interesting, book in his possession.
- That didn't take long! Reiko! Kobayashi Sanae! She wacks youkai with a baseball bat XD!!

The end of the episode was pretty damn awesome. Reiko is great, Takashi is pretty good (and has a great seiyuu), even Nyanko is decent. Animation is pretty good too. Definitely sticking with this show.

[something]

Episode 2:

- Sawashiro Miyuki again! It seems like I'm hearing her everywhere nowadays, and that makes me really, really happy.
- Takashi is busy giving spirits their names back, and nyanko worries there wont be a book left to inherit when Takashi finally dies.
- And I finished the episode without having anything else to say other than that it was really sweet. I thought it was going to be about the trial of courage at first, but maybe that's for later. I also wonder if the girl, Sasada Jun, will be a major character? I hope so.

Next episode looks like it'll introduce an important new character - someone else that can see spirits. Also, need more Reiko!

[roastedpekingduck]

Episode 3 was really good, the perfect compliment to a sunny, breezy afternoon. I'm really enjoying this show. Each episode makes me feel really damn sleepy...in a good, lazy, halcyon sort of way. Looks like this show is sticking on my to-watch list. This type of stuff is excellent for rewatching.

The next-episode previews are utterly inaccurate. They focus on the one psuedo-action-y scene that happens in each episode over the course of about several seconds, when Natsume Yuujin-cho is simply lackadaisical fun. Another thing I like so far is that all of the "I AM ALONE! NOO!!" stuff is being limited to childhood flashbacks for the most part. I find the appeal of the show to be in its lack "drama" and hope the tranquility isN'T ruined by any melodramatic shit.

Tempted to try the manga as well. Anyone have any experience of it?

Edit: Typos kill me.

[Busaiku]

I just got around to watching this episode.
It was a lot more touching than the previous one.
I really felt for the Dew God, and it made me really sad to see him go, but at least he'll be happy in the next life.

Though it's just the 2nd episode, I do like how it improved, and hope it continues to do so in the future.
It's a very nice series indeed.

[something]

Episode 3:

- I like the bit with Natsume's past and the nice onee-san who presumably can see things too. I hope they develop that some more.
- Finally another human character thrown into the mix. This could be interesting.
- Oh, ouch, that's cruel. Cruel and incredibly well done. "What are you doing there all alone?" I got some shivers at that. Well played.
- Huh, so Tanuma wasn't the one purifying, it was his dad. And Tanuma can only see shadows/feel presences, not outright see spirits. I'm quite interested in seeing how they get along. It's a bit odd that Tanuma was being so sneaky earlier in the episode though. Some of those smiles were a bit devious looking. But on the other hand the scene at the end seemed totally genuine, so I'm inclined to believe he's not hiding anything.

At any rate, damn this is relaxing. It's like watching something along the line of Sketchbook ~full color'S~ in a way, but with boys and youkai instead of girls and cats. Just... a similar feeling. I dunno why.

Next episode has more Jun, so I'm REALLY looking forward to that!

[something]

Episode 4:

- Kappa. But more importantly, Jun sees Natsume pour water on its head. Or rather sees water suddenly stop and run off the sides of an invisible object six inches from the ground... And she doesn't look surprised either.
- At school, she insists that he come to the kimodameshi. Nyanko tags along too, which annoys Natsume but will save his life by the end of the episode, I'm sure.
- Jun makes a point of telling Natsume the story of a god who apparently still haunts this building. She's definitely scheming something but I have no idea if it's benign or not.
- Things go awry quickly. Natsume and his friend run into a youkai of some sort, and Jun shows up before the youkai can attack Natsume but his friend is nowhere to be found. Same with Jun's partner.
- Haha, oh wow. Jun starts asking if he sees things, more seeking confirmation of what she already knows than genuinely inquiring. But Nyanko totally knocks her unconscious thinking she's an ayakashi. :sd:
- Nyanko in human girl form = win! Thought it was Reiko's form for a second but it's not.
- The backstory is pretty simple: Jun lost an important charm in this building once, and the god/ayakashi Shigure-sama helped her find it. Ever since then she's tried to find and thank him but he his from her, hesitating to touch her or to get too close, fearing his "impurity" would defile her.
- But Natsume returns his name, and he's finally able to touch Jun before he fades away.

That was really, really sweet, as usual. Jun playing a part made it even better, and now that she more or less knows Natsume is "special", hopefully she'll get to play a role in more episodes after this...

[Sicondera]

It looks like the light-hearted -> drama -> light-hearted episode trend is continuing, with this one being a light-hearted episode.

Going through some of his grandmother's old things, Natsume comes across an old train ticket and decides to go check into it. It takes him to a long-unused station, where he meets the fuzzy, friendly and somewhat slow youkai named Santo. I think Nyanko-sensei hits the nail on the head when he says people will find Santo either unbearable or adorable. Personally, I thought he was adorable. :catgirl: Anyway, Natsume and Santo decide to walk up the tracks to the next station to see Santo's one friend, and the story goes from there.

The episode definitely emphasizes the idea of friendship, and is pretty sly about showing that Natsume is indeed managing to make human friends, even though he doesn't quite realize it yet.

Oh, and the scene at the bus-stop was awesome. :)

[roastedpekingduck]

They're picking and choosing the best chapters from the manga. I'm secretly hoping this goes for more than just 13 episodes, though there might not be enough material. I could do well with having weekly cathartic material like this for a while.

Now, about the episode itself--
Awww jeez, I hate the blushy-blush innocent love interests. I'm glad that Takashi is completely oblivious to the chick's interest and chooses to completely disregard her. Odd, I thought she transferred out of the school in the manga.

The hairy beaver-looking youkai is somewhat adorable.

Except for the parts featuring the girl, it was a decent episode. Next episode involves a story I didn't like so much. The writers are grabbing episodes from all over the place. This was the third story in the manga.

I absolutely love the transitions to the ED sequence, and the ED sequence itself is so relaxing.

[JINROH]

Ep 5 was great,as were the rest,and I love the ED.

[Suwako Moriya]

The premise for the series set up in this episode certainly has potential. I guess a lot of it depends on how the interaction with each youkai goes. Still Natsume is a decent male lead so far and he's got an awesome grandma. Thus the more Reiko flashbacks the better. This makes yet another series where I find out there's an awesome character and she's dead. Not sure if this is the type of series I'll comment on, but I think I'll check out a bit more over time.

[Suwako Moriya]

The stuff with Hana and the Dew God was kind of touching in certain regards. Also wow Reiko was quite uh competitive wasn't she? As for Jun, I am curious about her even though I didn't get to see much of her.

[something]

Episode 5:

- Rummaging through Reiko's stuff, Natsume finds an old ticket, and decides to go to the station it mentions. Jun tries to tag along, but unfortunately Tanuma tricks her and Natsume gets away. ::shakes fist::
- So instead he runs into Santo, a big furry goofy youkai. And yet another youkai to whom Reiko made a promise she couldn't keep. She did that a lot, didn't she? :sd: This promise was to go with him to the next station and help him make up with Mikuri, a friend he argued with.
- Natsume of course decides he'll fulfill the promise for Reiko, and off they go, walking to the next station because no buses go there and the train line is long since decommissioned.
- On the way they're attacked by the power of a grudge that overtook Mikuri. Nyanko saves them, fights with the evil spirit, and Santo is able to make up with Mikuri, sorta. Santo kind of gets on my nerves. >_>

Decent episode I guess, but needs more Jun.

[Suwako Moriya]

Natsume's childhood was "fun" wasn't it? I should have figured from that start the lady in the flashbacks would turn out to be one of them as well. Also I shall nickname those two "Cheerleaders"...:sweat:

[Suwako Moriya]

Nyanko has a rather interesting looking human female form. Kind of cool actually. Also Jun is rather awesome and I hope to see more of her. Yeah I definitely like her.

[Suwako Moriya]

Don't get me wrong, I still rather like Reiko. However the more I learn about her, the more I feel sorry for Natsume. Makes you wonder how much clean up work the guy will have over time. Santo and Mikuri were both well strange. That being said one of those best moments of the episode was when Jun whacked the two and stated "It doesn't matter which".

[Suwako Moriya]

Tsubame is quite well cute and wears an interesting mask. Apparently she used to be a swallow. Also I have to thank that yukata for allowing me to see her without the mask on. Even if it was just a quick picture.

[something]

Episode 6:

- Oooh, old village submerged when a dam was created. Very interesting setting.
- Nyanko's method of exorcism is awesome. Headbutt! Natsume is amusing as well. PUNCH.
- Tsubame (easiest way to refer to her I suppose) is pretty fun so far. She's not related to the Book, which is a first I think. I like watching her follow Natsume everywhere he goes, and I like that weird mask/cloth thing.
- Every time Jun talks I twitch with happiness. Sawashiro Miyuki <3
- Aww, they're so cute holding hands. Tsubame is easily my favorite of the spirits so far. An evil sparrow... Night sparrow? MYSTIA LORELEI!
- Hmm so why did Natsume assume the guy would be able to see her? And why is he surprised he can see her?
- Natsume gets attached, Fubata Festival, human form yukata...

Etc and so on. God I loved this episode. Definitely the best of the series so far, because Natsume was able to develop a personal bond with the spirit this time, far beyond anything before. A lot probably had to do with this not just being a name return, but Natsume helping the spirit because he genuinely grew emotionally attached to her.

Awesome, awesome stuff. Definitely one of the better episodes of the Summer '08 season so far.

Next episode looks like it might be really cute... ooooh.

[something]

Episode 7:

- Woo, onsen episode!! ...Wait, forgot what kind of show I was watching. Well, there's always Jun, hopefully?
- Shigeru-san. Why do I not remember this guy at all. Have we seen him yet? Is he Touko's husband? o_O Natsume seems to be an interesting mix of nervous and excited around him. I think he feels like a burden, but jumps at the chance to help Shigeru out with a request.
- Ah, darn, the "cute little kitsune girl" seems to actually be a "cute little kitsune boy" but I guess that's okay. ++ to Natsume for beating up the spirits that were bullying it. Kitsune also... thought so! Same voice as Asumi from Futatsu no Spica, Yajima Akiko.
- <3 Jun. She becomes collateral damage from projectile chalk.
- Kitsune wants badly to be needed by someone (what a coincidence, that's what Natsume was just feeling =P) and when he sees Natsume is the owner of the book, he offers to make himself a servant. It's kinda sweet, but of course Natsume doesn't want a servant - just friends.
- But Natsume is gone, and kitsune misses him. A mean spirit tricks the kitsune into feeding it fish, but then feels bad and gives him a drug to turn into a human for a day.
- And wait, the kitsune IS a girl? As a human she is definitely dressed in female clothes. I mean it looks like one and is definitely cute enough to be, but it talks about growing up to be a strong man. Well, gender with spirits can be ambiguous so I shouldn't think about it too much. :sd:
- It takes a train to Natsume's town, wanders around, and finally finds him. It's happy to see that Natsume is, in fact, not alone... but it's a bit sad because now it really knows that Natsume doesn't need it.
- But Natsume is there to catch up to it as it runs away, and take it home... and promise to come visit it again later. A promise he'll probably be able to keep, unlike Reiko.

A daaaaaaaaaamn sweeet episode. Really, really nice, yet again.

As a side note, try as I might I just cannot train myself to refer to Natsume as Takashi. :sd: Which I really should, because just using the family name Natsume doesn't distinguish from Reiko. And it's even a specific plot point in a number of episodes, with the spirits hearing "Natsume" and immediately assuming it's Reiko.

[Aiia]

I just watched all the episodes out so far, but I'll probably comment on them one by one. This anime really struck a not with me. It's leasurely pace and the mood, music, designs etc are exactly what I needed to watch right now. It's interesting to hear that it's being animated out of order, but since every story so far has been really good it didn't bother me.

Natsume seems like a character that's both interesting and sympathetic. I love Nyanko-sensei as well. When he showed up I was surprised that he looked the way he did, but I love both his shapes now.

[Aiia]

This was the funniest episode so far. I loved how the yokai followed/stalked Natsume even to school and how they cheered him on all the time. I liked the new boy as well. I hope he'll show up a little bit more from now on.

[Aiia]

Episode 5 was the most touching episode so far. I really liked the whole story with the train station and the two yokai friends. It felt a bit like watching a scene from Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. I could definitely rewatch all the episodes of Natsume Yuujinchou so far.

[Aiia]

Also one of my favourite episodes so far. I loved the fox boy/girl or whatever it was. Adorable voice! This episode was really heart warming, and I liked it better than the previous one. Natsume dealt with the situation nicely and made the fox yokai happy.

By the way, was I the only one who thought the bully yokai looked like the ones in episode 3? I wonder if this is yokai that usually shows up in pair or something or if it's the same ones (considering the manga is animated out of order)? *confused*

[something]

By the way, was I the only one who thought the bully yokai looked like the ones in episode 3? I wonder if this is yokai that usually shows up in pair or something or if it's the same ones (considering the manga is animated out of order)? *confused*
::checks:: Definitely two of the same kind of youkai pair. Different skin colors, however.

[something]

Episode 8:

- Natsume goes to a riverbank to watch for fireflies, but is told by a man there that he's too early. Natsume notices the man has a spirit hanging around him, and when she follows Natsume he goes running. Right off a cliff. o_O
- The ayakashi (no name yet, though Nyanko suggests "curly noodles" or something) explains her situation and says she'll be with Natsume until the man at the riverbank has his upcoming wedding ceremony.
- Heh, she's splayed out on his futon the next morning like she fell asleep dead drunk. Also, Kuwashima Houko!
- There's a really enjoyable sprinkling of comedy in this episode. I'm rather liking it, especially when Kiyo chases down the man (Akifumi or whatever) and winds up smacking her mask into his head. :sd:
- The take home lesson this time is that one day Natsume might not be able to see youkai, just like what happened to Akifumi. Honestly, it's something Natsume hasn't really stopped to consider lately and his first reaction is "that'd be terrible". But he's amazed at the words coming out of his mouth - his whole life until recently had been constant torment and isolation because of these youkai. And now he's worried about what might happen if he can't see them anymore? Something for him to think about, certainly.

What a beautiful episode, yet again. Hotaru's story was especially sad, though the payoff in the end was gorgeous. I particularly like these episodes with more human-looking youkai, as I find it much easier to relate. It's no surprise that Kiyo/Hotaru and Tsubame are probably my favorites so far. Granted, one could complain that their stories are exceptionally similar, but so what? It's an absolute joy to watch and I admit I teared up in both episodes. If they do something similar later on, I'll probably tear up again. I'm totally ok with that.

Next week looks really interesting - one of the OP characters shows up and it looks like we're in for a bit of action.

[Suwako Moriya]

Regardless of whether you can consider the kistune a he or a she, it was still rather cute and thanks to it we got a rather sweet episode. So in other words what truly matters here was a complete success.

[something]

Episode 9:

- Natsume is taking Nyanko out for a walk because he's too fat =P He runs into Natori Shuichi, a popular actor, and a character from the OP.
- He turns out to be an exorcist, and he's taken a liking to Natsume. After "testing" him with a paper doll familiar youkai thing, Shuichi finds Natsume the next day and asks him to help with his exorcist job.
- Shuichi has a pretty testy little youkai servant who starts strangling Natsume in the middle of a restaurant. But in pops Nyanko to save him, though this gets Natsume in trouble for bringing a "cat" in =P
- Oh god, the eyecatch. It's Nyanko trying to mimic Shuichi's "bishie sparkle". XD!
- We get names for Shuichi's two servant spirits - the one who attacked Natsume is Urihime, the one who rumbled with Nyanko is Sasago.
- Shuichi tells Natsume about the job he's on now, and something about this guy irks me. He's too... confident, to the point of arrogance I guess. And he has a decidedly less tolerant attitude (more like outright hatred) toward spirits than Natsume. Natsume wonders why, after meeting someone who must have experienced the same pain he did, he's so unable to understand and connect with them.
- He then meets a spirit from earlier in the ep that's tied to a rope. Clearly this is the spirit Shuichi is tasked with exorcising, but the reality is that she's tied to the warehouse completely against her will. And the person who gave her the bandage around her arm was Shuichi, when he was a boy.
- Natsume wants to stop the exorcism but is held back, and the spirit walks into the exorcism circle. Natsume manages to run in but it caught in the spell, Nyanko helps save him, spirit girl survives, Shuichi realizes who she is, etc etc.
- On he goes to the next town, with the spirit girl taking the name Hiiragi and becoming his third servant, of her own accord.

I assume that's not the last of him, though we are running quite short on eps now. Anyway, this is the most relaxing feel good show of the season, easily. Even when there's some action. Ahhhhhh~ So good.

[Suwako Moriya]

This episode really hits home just how cruel and in some ways depressing the idea of being able to see other worldly things (for lack of a better generic term) and then losing the ability can be. Kiyo aka Hotaru certainly made for an interesting character.

[Suwako Moriya]

Well the exorcist guy was certainly curious. Especially with that birthmark. I'm just glad "Hiiragi" as she came to be known no longer has that rope on her. Hmm so she becomes the third servant of the guy. So is the exorcist guy really just trying to make a Youkai harem? *Runs*

[something]

Episode 10:

- Well this one has an amusing premise. Natsume meets two youkai, a man and a woman, the latter encountered as a voice in a gourd. The man tries to steal Natsume's body but Natsume decks him. :sd:
- But that night, it seems he got possessed anyway. He wakes up with blue hair and blue eyes, though it goes back to normal quickly. But then throughout the day he starts showing feminine mannerisms and characteristics and... damnit Natsume is a hot trap.
- Hey, Asagi is... yes! Noto Mamiko! I'd let her possess my body any time.
- In order to get Asagi out of his body, he needs to grant her wish. And that is to play the koto, some sort of Japanese harp type instrument thing. But before he can play it he has to manufacture one from scratch, using various special materials.
- Awwww, Touko is always so sweet and cute. <3

This show is so... nice. Janome thought that it was Asagi's wish to play once again for Lord Mibu, but in reality she only wanted to play for him. More sweetness and the episode is over. Great as always.

[something]

Episode 11:

- Nyanko gets drunk and falls in a deep hole already occupied by an incredibly adorable little girl who is glad to have company. Awww she's so cute.
- So flash back to how it happened: Nyanko is making a nuisance of himself at home and gets in a fight with Natsume, after which they part ways. Pissed, he takes it out on the local youkai and then turns into his human female form. Yay!
- Heh he meets up with Natsume's friends and has them pay his way out of depression. :sd:
- Jun! She's so underused. I really need more Sawashiro Miyuki now that Strike Witches is over.
- We also meet the little girl, and find her name is Tamiko. She lives near Jun and calls her onee-chan. Awwwww. She's supposed to go on a picnic with her family.
- After realizing that youkai will try to get the book of friends from Natsume now that he's not there, Nyanko decides to go home, only to see... he's been replaced! There's another cat! He leaves before finding out that it's just the pet of a family friend being watched over for a few days.
- And we're back to the beginning. A hung over Nyanko stalking birds, then jumping and landing in the hole.
- Awww ;_; Tamiko's parents couldn't go on a picnic with her after all so she went alone, but that's why she fell in the hole. When it starts to rain she holds Nyanko tight, thinking that if the old wives' tale about rabbits dying when in the rain is true, it might be true for cats. Of course in trying to keep him safe and warm, she gets herself sick from the rain.
- After sighing over the weakness and sentimentality of human beings, Nyanko nevertheless transforms and takes the little girl to a police box while she sleeps. Awww.

Lovely as always. Next ep looks like one of the more serious ones. Should be good!

Only two episodes left! ;_; I need something to satisfy my soothing/relaxing/iyashikei needs, something like this or Aria, but I don't think any of the fall series will be that kind of show. Damnit~

[Suwako Moriya]

So thanks to Bullseye and Asagi we get a rather nice episode. Asagi possessing Natsume was certainly fun to watch. Plus I approve of Asagi's voice.

[Suwako Moriya]

Tamiko was certainly cute and it was nice seeing the way Nyanko interacted with her. Rather sweet what he decided to for her near the end. An over all nice episode and how ironic that a male cat makes for an awesome human female.

Only two episodes left! ;_; I need something to satisfy my soothing/relaxing/iyashikei needs, something like this or Aria, but I don't think any of the fall series will be that kind of show. Damnit~

Ah well if worse comes to worse there's always the occasional re-watch of certain episodes of past series. Still maybe one of the autumn series will surprise us.

[leongsh]

There will be a second season of Natsume Yujin-cho (source: ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-22/2nd-natsume-yujin-cho-season-to-premiere-in-january)). It will première in January 2009.

Only two episodes left! ;_; I need something to satisfy my soothing/relaxing/iyashikei needs, something like this or Aria, but I don't think any of the fall series will be that kind of show. Damnit~
Your (and my) wish has been answered :)

[Suwako Moriya]

There will be a second season of Natsume Yujin-cho (source: ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-22/2nd-natsume-yujin-cho-season-to-premiere-in-january)). It will première in January 2009.

Ah that's definitely positive news and it's only one gap between seasons too.

[something]

There will be a second season of Natsume Yujin-cho (source: ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-22/2nd-natsume-yujin-cho-season-to-premiere-in-january)). It will première in January 2009.
Only two episodes left! ;_; I need something to satisfy my soothing/relaxing/iyashikei needs, something like this or Aria, but I don't think any of the fall series will be that kind of show. Damnit~
Your (and my) wish has been answered :)
Oh hell yes. That means I only have to get through one cour without delicious relaxing goodness before Natsume returns <3 And who knows, maybe something I'm not aware of will fill that need from the fall shows too.

[Suwako Moriya]

And who knows, maybe something I'm not aware of will fill that need from the fall shows too.

That's definitely possible and come to think of it I wasn't aware Natsume Yujin-cho was the type of show it was until after it started airing. Sometimes what's needed is someone to test out a series.

[fishsticks]

"Hmm? No breasts..."
Thought sections of this episode felt a bit...trite, maybe? But I quite liked Hinoe. She sort of made the episode.

Although it would preclude her from returning next season (and I hope she does), I was sort of curious what would happen if Natsume had released her...Reiko's memories could flesh out the "interesting" dynamic between the two.

[something]

Episode 12:

- So how exactly does a frog get stuck in a spiderweb? And hanging from one strand? I guess it's a magical youkai spiderweb. And there's some creepy youkai eating another youkai >_>
- Creepy youkai places a curse on Natsume, and when Nyanko touches it... MINI-NYANKO!!
- And so with Nyanko in that state, Natsume has to use the book to summon a temporary guardian.
- He summons Misuzu, who recommends someone better suited to dealing with curses... Hinoe. What a character she is... "Huh... no breasts!"
- She's obsessed with Reiko, and is none too happy to find out that the "Natsume" she's been called to help is Takashi, not Reiko. Mor reason why I need to break my habit of calling him Natsume. I blame the title.
- I love Touko so much. She's absolutely adorable in every way~
- Things get a bit complicated. An unmoving shadow sent by the curse youkai appears closer and closer to Natsume each day. Hinoe says that if Natsume touches it, he'll die, and the curse youkai will be released. He needs to avoid the thing for four days, while also dealing with a mini Nyanko who is now dekkai Nyanko and having to sleep outside at night to avoid burdening Touko and whatshisname with the dangers of the shadow.
- But it gets worse and worse, and eventually Hinoe suggests Natsume summon a shiki to dispel the shadow. After nearly getting eaten, he does.

Turns out this was all a test by Misuzu to see if Natsume was worthy of commanding his name. Seems Natsume passed, and both he and Hinoe are happy to leave their names in Natsume's care.

Damn, I so hope we see lots and lots of Hinoe in S2. She's fantastic. And the next episode should be great as well, with everyone gathering together again.

[fishsticks]

A cute episode to conclude this cour...
But! Could have done with more Jun & Hinoe and less Tanuma. Natsume should be more receptive to meganekko iinchou goodness.

[something]

Episode 13:

- There's a nice little twist I didn't expect - Tanuma finds out what Nyanko really is. I like that because Tanuma has been really underused (though not as much as Jun), and "getting him in the circle" would be nice.
- Oh shit, there she is! Jun!!! But they totally give her the slip again. ;_;
- The cute kitsune shows up for the festival too, but jeeze, those two goon youkai mess with him/her/it again. But that's just an excuse to get Shuichi back in the show.
- Hah, oh Jun. She ties Nyanko up so Natsume has to come back and get him. meanwhile, Shuichi is up to something... thought maybe he'd learned his lesson.
- Touko is so so very cute when she's being all worried about Natsume. Awww.
- Tamiko! She's back! This episode is bringing out all the awesome, isn't it? She frees Nyanko and ruins Jun's plans.
- Ah, I thought Hiiragi was going to do something bad to kitsune, but she seems to be helping it found the pouch it lost (that Tamiko found and handed in to Jun).
- Hinoe! I repeat, she must get a LOT of screentime in season two.
- And Jun gets cockblocked again. :sd:
- Awwwwwwwwww goddamnit kitsune is too damn cute. It takes the human form medicine again and walks around with Natsume and Tanuma.
- Hinoe spends a lot of time sittnig in trees and smoking doesn't she?

And a nice fireworks display at the end. Very nice and appropriate way to end this season.

[Suwako Moriya]

And the next episode should be great as well, with everyone gathering together again.

Definitely something for me to look forward to later. All I can say about this episode is tiny creature is really bright.

[Suwako Moriya]

Ah nothing like ending the series err season by having various characters from past episodes have a presence in the final episode and sometimes interact with each other too. It really gives us a good idea just how much has happened. Over all this series turned out to a pleasant surprise and perhaps one of the better series I finished recently. So yeah I'll be checking out season 2 as well.

[mrsparklenoodle]

I watched 3 episodes of this show when it came out, and then caught up a bit in the last few days. I think it's excellent, the animation (reminds me of Mushishi), the characters (particularly Nyanko-sensei, Natsume and Reiko), the direction, the music (I would be willing to buy the soundtrack), the sense of humor. My favourite bit so far was "we are not friends, it's an owner pet relationship!". The show is so relaxing, and is making me really want to pick up Aria on DVD and watch some more stuff that Takahiro Omori directed (namely Baccano!, Gakuen Alice and Aka-chan to Boku).

[something]

I watched 3 episodes of this show when it came out, and then caught up a bit in the last few days. I think it's excellent, the animation (reminds me of Mushishi), the characters (particularly Nyanko-sensei, Natsume and Reiko), the direction, the music (I would be willing to buy the soundtrack), the sense of humor. My favourite bit so far was "we are not friends, it's an owner pet relationship!". The show is so relaxing, and is making me really want to pick up Aria on DVD and watch some more stuff that Takahiro Omori directed (namely Baccano!, Gakuen Alice and Aka-chan to Boku).

Yay, more people realizing how awesome Natsume Yuujin-chou is. Definitely catch up with Zoku when you get the chance and weigh in in that thread. It's been so utterly dead, which is a travesty given how fantastic this franchise is!

And hell yes, get Aria, absolutely. Very different premise and setting and cast, but the two shows evoke a very similar emotional response from me. Well, except for the squeeing over how cute the Aria girls are.

Takashi is pretty moe-inducing though...

[ArcticMech]

Yay, more people realizing how awesome Natsume Yuujin-chou is. Definitely catch up with Zoku when you get the chance and weigh in in that thread. It's been so utterly dead, which is a travesty given how fantastic this franchise is!

And hell yes, get Aria, absolutely. Very different premise and setting and cast, but the two shows evoke a very similar emotional response from me. Well, except for the squeeing over how cute the Aria girls are.

Takashi is pretty moe-inducing though...

I started watching Natsume Yuujin-chou about 2 weeks ago and I couldn't agree more. It's hard not to be emotionally moved or at least smiling at the conclusion of each episode. A very heart-warming series with lots of interesting characters (human and youkai alike). Just finished watching the first episode of the Zuko and I'd really like to find out who the new girl is in the OP.

[Suwako Moriya]

Definitely catch up with Zoku when you get the chance and weigh in in that thread. It's been so utterly dead, which is a travesty given how fantastic this franchise is!

Heh, that reminds me. I probably should catch up on that series myself. Actually, I have multiple things to catch up on. As for my excuse, I'm going to claim "technical issues" that hopefully are solved now. I guess it's just a matter of checking where I left off and then decide when to start it back up...

[Suwako Moriya]

A very heart-warming series with lots of interesting characters (human and youkai alike).

That's probably the quickest way to describe why the series is good as it is. Although I do find some episodes to be stronger than others, but that's a given in most series.

[mrsparklenoodle]

I watched 3 episodes of this show when it came out, and then caught up a bit in the last few days. I think it's excellent, the animation (reminds me of Mushishi), the characters (particularly Nyanko-sensei, Natsume and Reiko), the direction, the music (I would be willing to buy the soundtrack), the sense of humor. My favourite bit so far was "we are not friends, it's an owner pet relationship!". The show is so relaxing, and is making me really want to pick up Aria on DVD and watch some more stuff that Takahiro Omori directed (namely Baccano!, Gakuen Alice and Aka-chan to Boku).

Yay, more people realizing how awesome Natsume Yuujin-chou is. Definitely catch up with Zoku when you get the chance and weigh in in that thread. It's been so utterly dead, which is a travesty given how fantastic this franchise is!

And hell yes, get Aria, absolutely. Very different premise and setting and cast, but the two shows evoke a very similar emotional response from me. Well, except for the squeeing over how cute the Aria girls are.

Takashi is pretty moe-inducing though...

My squealing is generally musical ecstasy induced, play me some Queens of the Stone Age/Yoko Kanno/Rufus Wainwright/Hole/Gnarls Barkley/Depeche Mode/numerous other liked musical artists and I'll make you drop your tea with my enthusiastic utterances. Potemayo did induce some squee, just out of sheer enjoyment of Potemayo's boundless happiness around Sunao.

I think I might leave Zoku for a while in case it gets licensed, as it's about $1.50 an hour at the internet cafe and my home connection can't cope with a particularly large amount of video (3 gig of download a month), so since the show is still recent and I reckon it's got a fairly good chance of getting licensed (at least compared to other slice of life series), it seems like a waste of money to rush to watch it now as I might be buying it within the next year and a half, when there's other shows I could be watching. But if there's no license in a year or two, then I'll watch it online.

I really enjoyed the last few episodes of the show, it wrapped up the first cour very well, I loved seeing plenty of Nyanko Sensei's drunken wandering and singing and just generally alternating between being endearing and being scary in episode 11. Episode 12, while it was yet another "I almost killed you but it was all a test so Forevar Frendz!" plot (I mean I've seen this in quite a few series, not several times in this one), was still engaging, Hinoe is a good addition to the cast, and seeing how Natsume dealt with the possibility of death was interesting character exploration/development, plus, it had mini-Nyanko. Episode 13 managed to be relaxed without making the "this is the END of the first cour which means that ALL the characters will be here and it will be HEARTWARMING and UPLIFTING and take place at a FESTIVAL" seem forced, it was just what happened in the show.

[TalonG4]

I just finished this show this morning and have to say it has become one of my favorites of all time. I'll be starting the 2nd season soon.
It just hooked me from the first episode when I saw that one-eyed spirit sadly waiting for Reiko, it made me so sad. It was nice to see a show that totally went in a different direction then I expected.
Fox-boy is so cute and Takashi himself may be one of the most moe male characters ever. I can't help shipping him and Tanuma. Even though I'm not really into that, they really are a perfect couple.:sdsmiley: (even though they didn't get much interaction until the last episode). I like Jun but I don't see her as anything serious.
His "parents" are also incredibly awesome and can be easily added to the "Awesome Parents" list of anime.

For the 2nd season, I hope to see more Nyanko-human female form, more Reiko and more Hinoe, and much less Shuichi.

[something]

I like Jun but I don't see her as anything serious.
Neither does the show, given the amount of focus she gets. ;_; So sad, so sad. Not that the series is particularly kind of any females when it comes to screentime. And yet I love it so much anyway. That really says something.

His "parents" are also incredibly awesome and can be easily added to the "Awesome Parents" list of anime.
Touko is still the cutest old lady ever. Loooove Touko.

I'm pretty ecstatic to see a number of people getting around to watching this show lately. It absolutely deserves every bit of attention and praise it can get, and is one of the biggest surprises of recent years for me.