![]() ![]() ‘Natsu Yuuzora’ by Atari Kousuke is a single which easily continues the restful mood left at the end of each episode so much so, in fact, that I listened to it all thirteen times (often on repeat). Be they comic reliefs or frightening foes, their intonations are so spot-on that they remain emotionally engaging throughout.Īnother highlight soundtrack-wise is in regards to the ending theme in stead of some sickly J-pop ballad, Natsume Yuujinchou soothes the ear with a traditional haunting vocal performance accompanied by a simple yet catchy guitar melody. ![]() ![]() Granted, the human characters are well acted and always suitable, but the best performances belong to the spirits. ![]() The most disturbing of these is the silent shadow man set loose to devour Natsume an amorphous black blob, his body distorts and appears and disappears at random.SoundAs a whole, the voice acting is fantastic. Some of them are just objects of comedy and are thus brilliantly wacky – however, in keeping with the great tradition of Japanese horror, a select few of the spirits look borderline nightmarish. Another disappointment would be in regards to the Book of Friends, which turns out to be nothing more than an initial plot device even symbolically it seems to have very little relevance to the plot and Natsume Yuujinchou could easily have done without it.AnimationAlthough the character designs are simplistic, the spirits still look highly effective. Once or twice I got the impression that I’d been here before. There is of course the problem of events getting somewhat repetitive through the middle as some spirits even end up having the same female design and rather similar kinds of tragedies. As such, what makes the viewing experience so worthwhile is the subtle touch of delicate dilemmas and enchanting atmospheres. However, there remains a strong undercurrent of Natsume’s character development throughout as he grows from being a lonely orphan to a self-assured young man. Consider this: Natsume Yuujinchou’s presentation style is distinctly episodic, meaning that the external conflicts in themselves don’t add up to much. My initial expectation was of a typical ‘catch ’em all’ series involving an onslaught of bright colours and loud transformation sequences in stead, I find a slow-burning tale of a boy and his unconscious quest for a sense of belonging. StoryFans of Haibane Renmei and Mushishi rejoice! Natsume Yuujinchou has finally arrived, and what better way to explore the theme of loneliness than through the eyes of a boy who can see things nobody else can? Packed at every turn with great humour, intense tragedy and snippets of poetic dialogue, Natsume Yuujinchou is designed to evoke subtle emotion and leave you smiling sappily at the rest of the world. ![]()
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