An anime about a nice guy doing nice things for nice people. What more can I ask for?

Minnie: I admit that I have never even heard of this anime before the Winter Preview list. But when I saw the summary, I am willing to give this anime a chance. How bad can it be? It’s only 13 episodes after all. However, I didn’t expect myself to literally fall in love with this anime. Come on. How are they able to make a story about a nice boy doing nice things for nice people so… loveable? I love this anime to death and even though I am reviewing the second season, it deserves a post of its own! Long live Natsume!

Like all my recommendations, I’m going to start off with its amazing plot. It is about a boy name Natsume who inherits the Book of Friends from his grandmother. The Book of Friends contain names of various Youkai’s. Natsume’s story revolves not only around the Youkais that want their names back but random Youkai’s that live around his area. Natsume’s plot is very similar to that of Casshern SINS. Every new episode features a new character with a situation. Some of them need Natsume’s help. Some of them do not. But Natsume helps anyways because he’s that much of a nice guy. Morever, every episode is consistently good with its plot and storytelling.

I love all the background stories, even if I do prefer some more than others. Some of the episodes even help Natsume and his cat Nyanko-sensei grow little by little. For example, Natsume starts off not liking Youkais.. now, he is starting to feel depressed at the thought of losing the ability to see the Youkai’s again. That is one heck of a character development and guess what? I didn’t even notice it half the time. The development is so subtle, yet at the same time, so powerful. Episodes never leave me hanging but it always wraps up on a light note that brings a smile to my face.

The characters are also very loveable. I love every single Youkai that appears, whether they are one-shot character or recurring characters. The two main characters Natsume and Nyanko-sensei are especially awesome. Natsume is an ordinary kid who is too nice for his own good but we all love him anyway. Nyanko-sensei is the complete opposite- selfish. But we also love him because he contrasts so well with Natsume as well as provide comic relief. Their interactions and relationship are precious to the story as whole. Without Nyanko-sensei around, I don’t think this anime will be quite as good. In any case, all characters are amazing and like I said before, the character development is even more amazing. I love this anime.

Rating for Story: 9

Rating for Characters: 10

The graphics are pretty good too. Heck, I love everything about Natsume so even if the graphics are horrible, I’ll say they’re good. Placing my biasness aside, I still believe that Natsume’s graphic is beautiful. The character designs for the Youkai’s and the background are all very soft to look at. I can’t ask for anything more. Sure, I can say I’ve seen much better graphics but this type fits the anime well and that is enough to satisfy me. My reasoning is if the animation doesn’t make me cringe, it is good enough because I am not specialized in this area in the first place. I like Natsume’s look- very ordinary yet at the same time standout-ish compared to his friends. Oh and I love Nyanko-sensei’s expressions! Haha.

Rating for Graphics: 8

This anime has one of the best soundtracks in my opinion. Actually, most of the BGM is likeable. They are perfect for every moment possible. The OP and ED are spot on too. I can’t imagine Natsume with a different OP and ED. Gosh, what can I say about Natsume’s songs? Beautiful, peaceful, soothing, and most of all, content. I can’t help but feel this sense of happiness after watching each episode, thanks to the ending and the song. It’s a hard feeling to describe. The closest I can compare it to is when you’ve done a good deed for someone without asking for anything in return. It’s a sense of satisfaction and I can clearly say I am satisfied to watch such a great anime.

Rating for Music: 10

I swear… if I can go back in time and make this blog earlier just to blog Natsume Yuujinchou, I will. This is how much I adore this anime. I haven’t loved an anime this much since Bokura ga Ita. What a gem this anime is. I can’t express how much I love it. The pacing is slow and hard to get used to but once you do, it’s one of the most rewarding animes in 2008. If you want a supernatural story with a solid story and solid characters, look no further. More than that, you always end an episode with such a powerful feeling in your chest that you wish that this anime will continue forever and ever. I need more Natsume and soon!

Overall Rating: 9.25