Oh my god, I’ve found it: after years of waiting, I’ve found the episode to rival the Hotaru episode of the first season. This episode was the single best episode of the third and second season combined, and very likely also the first. This also was the single most emotional episode I have watched in the entire summer season. It really got deep to me.
The story of when Natsume met Touko was incredibly bittersweet. This episode was incredibly powerful to me, especially because it showed how different Natsume has become throughout the series. Out of all the episodes of the series, this one did it best, by going so far into the past, and using an actual youkai that he himself met, rather than who ran into his grandmother (very clever by the way: when that youkai first came, I really thought that it was another youkai who Reiko messed with in the past). To think that he actually nearly was turned into the pet of that thing.
And seriously, after so many hints, it was amazing to actually see the point where Natsume got saved from his life style. And it’s not like the families who took him in were all evil. The son of the family he was in was actually quite nice, and his foster parents were mostly cold to him because they didn’t know him well (because he just kept hopping homes), his strange behavior, and that he was a burden on them to have to also look after.
This episode was perfect, and really came at the perfect moment. It made the entire third season for me.
Rating: **** (Fantastic)
I’m so happy they choose to adapt the encounter of Touko-san! It was really touching! Natsume San is really really good, many characters development!
I agree with you,great episode. I love Touko-san’s personality. Two thumbs up!!
Fantastic, indeed! I cried, it was just so touching and wonderful.
I almost didn’t hate the current family he was living with, but in that scene at the hospital, when Natsume was crying his eyes out…the coldness and laziness of peoples hearts makes me bitter.
this episode was just AWESOME. >
Beautiful episode! Oh, I love Touko-san and her husband! They’re sooo nice!
2 fav scenes: the hospital, when Natsume cried, saying he wanted to go with them, and when Nyanko-sensei (in full form) comforts Natsume and Natsume “pets” him.
Too bad it’s almost over !!
Season 4 please !
Natsume Yuujin-Chou is for gays
@gsgs: Why do you bother comment this? If you hate it, just stay away from it, there are people who love it, so you are mostly like the one who is gay. People like you really annoy me.
@kurini: Don’t pay attention to the troll. Also, using “gay” to describe him is insensitive (not to mention an insult to gay people).
@Thomas: That’s true, I feel bad, I was just to mad at him. And NATSUME SEASON 4 CONFIRMED!!!! 😀
http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=329379
FOURTH SEASON!!! Now this is just insane!!!
For me season 3 surpassed season 1.
The stories are just as good and while it doesn’t have the … “freshness” feeling that the 1st season had, it is using what came before it wonderfully and is focusing on development, which is what good sequels should do.
Excited for season 4!
Are you gay, psgels?
@gsgs Um, if you followed psgels on some of his blogging on Antique Bakery and his review of Junjou Romantica, you’d know he doesn’t care if a series is about homosexuality or contains elements of it if the actual series is well done.
You’re allowed to have an opinion against Natsume Yuujin-Chou for your own personal reasons, but your statment pigeon-holes gay people and makes it seem taboo for straight people to watch this series otherwise they’ll be assumed gay when that’s not true.
You know, those making these kind of gay remarks are the ones who aren’t completely sure about their sexual orientation and for some reason have a problem with it. 🙂
I agree, this was a fantastic episode!
Just wanted to add that they apparently made Takashi looking more feminine in this season… LOL
@sugnorRossi Is that true? I was planning to take up this series because of Natsume in this episode XDDD
Wow… that WAS amazing. I usually only watch the episodes that psgels said was good (like the firefly episode) because I’m not sure episodic series is something fun to marathon. But… this episode makes me curious about how Natsume’s changed.
Animation, music = wonderful complement to the story. If they’re consistently good, then I must be missing out on a lot.