Natsume Yuujinchou - A Brief Review

That moment, when you finished a very good Anime with tears on your face.

“I called his name again and again. And I learned that each time, nothing called back. I learned that no matter how much you want something, how many times you scream for it, sometimes it’s out of your reach. I decided to stop calling out for someone who would never call back.” (Takashi Natsume - Calling out his deceased father)

A brief review about Natsume Yuujinchou, an Anime which I happen to stumble on while wild-surfing on anime-related web, and then decided to buy the series after watching the first episode online.

It’s about a teenage boy that have a rare ability to see Youkai – or in other word, Demons/Ghost.

Yep. Some people might scared. Some people might curious. Some people accept, but some people reject. And that’s what happened to Takashi Natsume. Being able to see youkai since he was a child makes him being bullied by other people. He’s used to being called a liar, since no one able to see what he sees.

Some Youkai are bad, but some are nice. But, what would you do when you’re just a child and able to see those things? Well, Takashi Natsume did scared.

Takashi Natsume’s mother died shortly after giving birth to him. His dad was mentioned once, but no other information can be gathered instead of his dad is ‘really, really nice.’

Takashi Natsume mostly forgot about his childhood because everytime he remembered it, it hurts and he’d start crying. Being a boy without parents, He moved in many places, from one relatives to another, even an orphanage, because no one wants to have him stayed with their family. Especially if someone found out about his ability. They’d called him a liar and ended up giving him to another relatives.

But then he was taken by Fujiwara’s Couple. The very kind (yasashii) couple who didn’t have a kid on their own.

Takashi Natsume finally begun to accepting his ability, but still, he keep it to himself. He once said to Takuma – his first friend who knew about his ability, that he wanted them (Fujiwara’s Couple) to keep smiling. That time, Takuma realized that Takashi Natsume never wants to make other people worried about him. So he keeps everything to himself. But when others- be it Youkai or human- needs his help, he always struggle for the best.

There’s only one time the teenage-Takashi Natsume cried. That’s when he visited his soon-be-sold-old-home, while remembering his dad. He cried when no one around except his guardian, a powerful Youkai, Nyanko Sensei.

And that’s also the time, when he finally said goodbye to his dad and his old home,, and get back to his home, where he and the Fujiwara’s couple lived.

What I remembered the most from the series is not how uniquely strange and weird the Youkai shown, or the main plot, where Takashi Natsume found his grandmother’s Yuujinchou (Book of friends), consist of Youkai's name whose fell under his grandmother’s control, and now in his.

But what impressed me the most is Takashi Natsume’s struggle, where he ended up loving even human and Youkai. Where he always do the best for others while struggling by himself not to worried other people. Or where his friend get tired of his selfish way of thinking (keeping all the pain for himself), and finally said, ‘you don’t have to lie if you don’t want to.’

 

“They are a part of what makes me who I am. No matter how much they hurt, they’re important to me.” (Takashi Natsume)

The series give me a warm kind of feeling,, where the viewer can see clearly that people and youkai does have a bad and good side, some like to betrayed others and some like to repay help.

And so,, there are good times and bad times, there are troublesome days and fun days,, But all that Takashi Natsume wants to do, is treasuring and keeping the warm life he lived.

Fujiwara Couple with Takashi Natsume and Nyanko Sensei

“There were sad days, and painful ones, and there may be more. Even so… treasured days, that I’ll never forget.” (Takashi Natsume)

Speaking about a good Slice of Life Anime,, well, this one is surely One hell Slice of Life.