Short Synopsis: Natsume’s foster father tells him about Reiko.
Episode Rating: 8,5/10 (Awesome)
Okay, so I’ve had my share of problems with the second season so far, but this episode was without a doubt the best episode of Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, and not just because of the strange change in animation style (which did help, though). This episode really was everything that makes this such a good series, and FINALLY we get some more background on Reiko!
I think that one of the reasons why we’ve seen so little of Natsume’s friends and family is that he hardly ever hangs out with them. This episode felt like the first time he spent some quality time with his foster father (or however that’s called, I think his name was Shigire), and after all this time, he’s still having trouble to fit in. When at the end of the episode, he destroys his own room, seeing Shigire accept everything that happened, including Natsume’s very bad attempt at lying, it felt like Natsume had grown much, much closer to his family.
And I’m not sure who exactly was responsible for the animation in this episode, but it looked really good. At the expense of a bit of detail, there was lots of movement, and this worked especially well with the Youkai that appeared in this episode, especially when it tried to eat Natsume. That one would have failed completely if it was just handled with the regular animation of this series.
It also was very interesting to see Reiko from the perspective of someone who can’t see Youkai. When Shigire met her, she really looked like a strange girl who talked to trees, instead of the manipulative yet good-hearted girl that we’ve come to know her as. The choice for the boy’s voice actor also was a strange one: he nearly continuously screaming, but I guess that that’s where the realism comes in: real boys his age also tend to scream and yell when they get worked up.
Natsume’s foster father’s name is Shigeru, and I THINK his child form’s voice actor is the same one who did Miki in Shugo Chara! I KNOW IT! But this was a cute episode.
Well I always did look forward to this chapter being animated and I was right, it really chokes you up just how Natsume is fitting in. More importantly its Reiko again, I think I mentioned this before its quite a shame the latter chapters don’t focus much on her. Its a real shame since she’s so interesting… Anyways Reiko’s smile is the best~
A beautiful episode it was indeed especially if Reiko is involved. ^^
I love how Reiko’s past was interpreted into Natsume’s current situation. From her vagabond lifestyle and indifferent personality, Natsume somehow inherited those traits. The exception was how he used them.
I was laughing at how young Shigire screamed. It was adorable and awkward, but it showed how he was just a simple kid.
Only a few more episodes left. I hope we can have a happy ending, but a melancholic one in which Natsume feels more comfortable around his family and friends is also nice.
Woah! This episode was incrediply good. It was all in all perfectly done and told.
We finally get the longest conversation with Takashi’s foster father. Up until now we have seen and heard him only a little. This was perfect.
I loved the art style used here and story was really good. I love all the characters in Natsume Yuujin-Chou. This series just became my favorite with Mushishi. /^_^/
This episode really made me want to draw again with my whole might…
I totally love this episode! There was so much movement and the art was more fluid than before. It had more movement and action than any other episode. We finally see Natsume interacting more with his foster father and see his acceptance of Natsume. Definitely a heart warming episode!