|
|
|
Natsume's Book of Friends Natsume Yuujinchou (夏目友人帳) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rose Faerie's Review Violence: Violence is usually kept to a minimum. Natsume gets chased far more than he gets attacked. I think blood was only present once for a brief moment. There is also some light slapstick. Sex and Nudity: None. Theological Themes: Well, this is all about yokai. Natsume can see them, but most others can't. Reiko is said to have great spiritual power, which allowed her to take the names of all the yokai. Some of the yokai are benevolent, others not so much. In one of the stories, a yokai was mistaken for a god and was revered, Spoiler: however without worshipers, it could not stay alive. Problematic Themes: There is some mild swearing, though its' super infrequent to the point where I could count it on one hand. Nyanko-sensei also gets drunk a few times. Overall: Natsume's Book of Friends is one of the most wholesome and refreshing shows that I've seen in a while. It really makes me feel at peace. Even the stories with more bittersweet endings feel right. It never made me feel sad, only that things are going the way they should. I honestly feel safe and hopeful whenever I watch it. This is an episodic anime, where Natsume deals with a few different yokai each episode, though a few look like they will be recurring characters. Some of them are friendly and just want help or their names back. Others aren't and seek to harm people or take the Book of Friends. Natsume is an interesting protagonist. He is very kind and gentle, always hoping to take the path that helps people. However, he is also very sad and reluctant to open up. He's been through a lot, and he does not want to put that burden on other people. He sometimes comes off as disinterested in people, even though he truly does care about them. One of my favorite things about it is watching him grow to care about other people and yokai, and slowly working towards forming relationships with others. I love him. He's my son. The other characters have a lot of potential too. Nyanko-sensei, our other lead, is rather vain and troublesome, but he grows to care about others, particularly Natsume. I look forward to seeing what they do with the rest of the cast, particularly since the last episode tied in a lot of the more important side characters in a very engaging way. The art and color scheme is very atmospheric, adding to the soothing nature of the show. The character designs aren't my favorite, but they are very fitting. I'd say preteens and up for this one, mainly due to the slower nature of the show, and some of the yokai being a bit creepy for younger audiences. I do think older children could give it a shot if they could handle that. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Added: May, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
