Short Synopsis: Natori returns and invites Natsume to… a hot spring?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10 (Excellent)
Best episode of the second season so far! This most likely is because it involves a recurring character again: Natori, and indeed confirmed my suspicion that the best part of the second season is going to be the stories that evolve around him and the recurring characters, rather than the standalone stories which hit their height with the firefly episode (I think I mentioned this a few too many times by now…).
And was it me, or was Natori much kinder this time to Natsume? He needed a genuine favour from the guy and his book of friends, and instead of straightforwardly asking him to cooperate, he made up a story of going to a hot spring resort in order to relax a bit. This episode also showed that he isn’t perfect: if Natsume didn’t help that big youkai at the beginning of the episode, the two of them would be screwed right now.
But my favourite moments of this episode were the quiet ones, where the pacing was really slow to show the different characters together. I was especially touched by the dream Natsume had, where it appears that he’s still really troubled by his past and hated how he showed that weak side of his to Natori. Speaking of which, I wonder how Natori spent his childhood, with his ability and all. It’s going to be interesting to see how this guy grew up.
I believe Natori also hard a tough childhood. He must also have had a lot of bad experiences with the youki, shaping his view of them.
Unfortunately, I think he didn’t get a chance to be surrounding by loving and caring parents and friends. This could be why he gave Natsume the option of being under his care.
Well no real info on Natori’s childhood, my guess is that his was similar to Natsume but at a certain point he meets his sensei who will also be a recurring character (the old man seen at episode 13 with that place Natori visited).
I also personally enjoyed this episode. Natsume commented that his kindness is his big weakness, but in some cases, it becomes his greatest asset when that big youkai suddenly appeared to return the favor before the two and the “cat” were goners.
Natori definitely showed another side to him by not mentioning that he was on a special agenda. Before, in the first series, he said aloud that he will exorcise the youkai, but this time, he had a different demeanor.
With Natsume’s dream, he was surely tired of being called a “liar”, so it was a stepping stone to admit to Natori that he actually did hear something from behind the closet.
Anyways, this series has become a favorite of mine for 2009. I look forward to the next one.
wow one of my favorite episodes of my of my favorite ongoing series. One a side note did anyone else notice a slight yaoi element during this episode? And was the fact that natori and natsume look so similar done on purpose?
Squeee~ Natsume’s baby is the next episode, one of my fave chapters definitely can’t wait.
Yay.
Very nice episode.
I like how Natsume’s feelings are coming more and more in to play. Wonder what the following episodes will bring for us. Hopefully we will get to know more about Natori and Madara/Nyanko-sensei.
haha, yeah, jako. all the crying and blushing and embarassment.. totally felt it. at the hot springs too..
For me, this series requires the right mood to fully appreciate. I gotta say that given a chance, almost all the stories are well conceived and emotional in some way. This was another good episode and showed the range of emotions for Natsumi. As Jako mentioned, this episode definately had a Yaoi feeling to it. For the most part, Natumi hasn’t shown any interest to either gender.
Definitely my favourite episode of the new season. Part of it was just seeing the issue of lying. Both Natsume and Natori have lived in such a way that lying is a habit.
Can believe both had tough childhoods and learned not to tell people what they could see so they wouldn’t be branded as strange. I’m sure Natsume wants to trust his guardians and friends. But it’s a tough thing to do.
Think overall the episode was good for strengthening the bond between them. Could have a good friendship there.