There’s a long review coming………….
About the STORY
Japanese Folklore is one of the commonly used elements in supernatural series. Well, that’s granted because manga and anime are JAPANESE. However, only very few can really showcase the greatness of this type of genre. Some would be too scary and some would be too boring. The plot can be considered as cliché but how it’s reinvented is no doubt amazingly done. It is somewhat episodic so every new episode comes with so much excitement and anticipation. The supernatural element is done nicely so it is not scary to the point of being over the top because if it’s too much, the mysteriousness will lose its greatness and would be just SCARY alone. Much like how Mushishi was done. The scary and creepy part is not overwhelming the mystery part which I think is very important because supernatural should not always be necessarily horror. It’s more on the mystery of it which makes it very interesting. The drama is not overly done and can be really touching. You could say every element of the story is well-balanced so the result is one amazing story. But more than being exciting, every story is heart-warming, touching, and inspiring.
About the CHARACTERS
The characters are very interesting; be it humans or supernatural beings. The assortment of supernatural creatures whether they are bad or good are very interesting which make the story very exciting. I really love the character of Natsume’s Grandmother, Reiko, who started all and the one responsible why there is a story in the first place. Instead of hating herself, she finds a way to help the creatures which make her much stronger than Natsume. And even though she acts like she’s putting a fight with the creatures and collects their names, the truth is, she’s actually helping them that shows how much she treasures the beings in that world. While Natsume’s is gradually accepting the supernatural beings, they are also gradually learning that not all humans are bad.
About MADARA/NYANKO-SENSEI
Nyanko-sensei is one of the best characters in my list and of course, one of the cutest. He is so hilarious with all of his antics. Though, he started with motives on why he approaches Natsume, he also gradually gets fond of him. Throughout the series, he would often say that he’s just using Natsume but deep down, he already cares a lot for him. I just love their unique yet complicated relationship. Because of their relationship, Natsume learns to love the other world and Nyanko-sensei gets fond of the human beings as well.
About NATSUME TAKASHI
Natsume’s character is probably one of the most cliché types. However, this type of character is always a sure hit because it is always inspiring to see characters that started off with hating themselves because of their difference from others but throughout the series learns to accept it. He is weak at the beginning and very alone because of his abilities but improves a lot as the story progresses. Instead of considering his abilities as a curse, I am so glad that he learns to consider it as a gift. Because hating ones true self is like denying who you really are. He finally finds joy in the world different from most people and truly treasures it which I think the very reason why his character gradually improves and so he gets stronger and stronger as the episodes goes by. And that’s not just physically but more importantly his whole being as well.
About the ANIMATION and SOUNDS
The animation is nice and the illustration of the supernatural beings might be somewhat common but it still made as original as possible and very nice. The landscapes are also great. Hiroshi Kamiya is perfect for the character’s voice. He is so amazing when it comes to monologues and delivering very nice lines. The great sounds make the series even more amazing. It becomes a lot more heart-warming and touching, most especially the ending theme.
Now, who said serious supernatural series can’t be fun at the same time? You will have mix emotions watching this series. You will laugh, cry, be scared, get excited, touch, inspired, and amazed. This is a very good example of an amazing series which resulted from the combination of episodic and supernatural. It doesn’t have a heavy and spectacular plot like those of famous animes but it is no doubt an amazing series which will make you want for more.
