Natsume Yuujinchou Go
Short Synopsis: A boy with a book of youkai names has adventures with a youkai cat.
I said my piece on this series in the preview so I will leave this to the others.
afgm: After a long hiatus, we can finally say hello to our old friend, the bearer of the Book of Friends, Natsume once again, and this opening episode definitely did not disappoint. The mystery, the intrigue, the humor, and the characterization that we would expect from Natsume Yuujinchou is here and it is here in spades. In this episode, Natsume is pursued by a vengeful Youkai in a pot, the Kayatsubo, that threatens to take what is most important from him if he does not return the doll that Reiko stole from her. I will not go further so as to spoil the story; however what I will say is that the episode touches on the dimensions of loneliness, of yearning, of the existence of evil as a facet of purity expressed in the whims and joy of the Youkai and Reiko herself. All of these have been recurring themes throughout the series, and this season seems to promise a resolution in the questions that surround them, such as who Natsume’s family is and the motivation behind his grandmother’s actions.. The world of Natsume is as muted as the colors that paint it, illuminated by the bright characters that inhabit it, and this episode proves that the show will most likely continue to stay its course as having among the best composed settings in recent memory. As such, it is definitely worth watching.
Potential: 100%
Mario: Is there anything else that needed to talk about Natsume? All I can say for new viewers is that if you watch one episode of Natsume, you’ve seen all the rest. Like Kino’s Journey or Mushishi, each episode is self-contained story that revolve around Natsume, youkai and his Books of Friends. What we’re guaranteed to get is its deeply personal stories, sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, always touching. This first episode of season 5 follows that same path, as we get to the story of the rolling pot, her doll and the big kind-hearted youkai. It’s sometimes scary for sure, Kayatsubo the vertical rolling pot is something taken right from our nightmare, charming and creepy all the same. Natsume, on the other hands, has opened himself up more to his friends and he begins to trust them. We get to see more about his grandmother Reiko as well, and she’s for me still hold up as the most interesting character in this universe. Natsume is a just-sit-down-and-relax anime of this season (last season we had Amanchu!) and I could never say no to more Natsume.
Potential: 90%
Nanbaka
Short Synopsis: A group of prison inmates have wacky comedy adventures.
While not quite as painful as reading the manga this show does annoy me. I hate the characters and the comedy is a weak straight man vs funny man double act with the prisoners interchanging between the two. What really was strange was that throughout this entire episode there was some sparkle effect on the screen at all times. Considering that this is a prison this effect is so out of place and it never stops no matter what is on screen. A guard is watching security camera’s talking to his boss and I see around the edges of the screen these sparkling lights and wonder “Why? Just why is that there?” If you find the banter charming and the comedy to your taste this may be for you. However if like me you find it all rather banal then I certainly say give this one a pass.
Potential: 10%
Mario: One thing about Nanbaka that really impressed me is they know their tones really well. Unlike Matoi which has tonal inconsistencies, the creators of this show know exactly what make this show appealing; and they turn it up to 11. Wacky, fast-paced, over the top and a bit of slapstick nature make this show entertainment and a joy to watch. The jokes are short and fast enough to not stay out its welcome. All the characters are your typical anime characters: overdesigned, full of quirks and nothing deep, but they are perfect characters for this kind of show. The four guys in particular have great chemistry together. When it comes to mindless popcorn everything-comes-everything-goes like this one, the more ridiculous things get the more awesome this becomes, that is why the last moments when things get a bit seriously doesn’t do well for me. Nanbaka is the kind of show that knows exactly what they’re doing, for that judging it is rather easy: if you enjoy this first episode, you’ll enjoy the rest of the show. If you find it silly and contrived, the rest will wear out its welcome very quickly. Actually, writing this and listening to Meat Loaf songs make them a perfect combo. Fancy trying it out?
Potential: 30%
Yuri!!! On Ice
Short Synopsis: A young Ice Skater is given an opportunity to be coached by his idol after a video of him ice skating goes viral.
This is probably the most promising candidate for one of the hits of the season but it is a shame that it’s really not the kind of show I can get into. I like the portrayal of the main character Yuri’s struggles and the animation is top notch throughout. However there does seem to be fujoshi pandering in the future and there is a rather weird tone with the humor. While a majority of this episode is relatively down to earth and serious, the comedy tends to veer towards the type I particularly despise in shoujo manga. Where the character designs get distorted and simplified for emphasizing the joke. It’s also strange to hear Yuri jokily talk about his complete failures and then have him crying in a toilet stall right after. I don’t think these two sides mesh well but it’s likely the comedic tone is going to become more prevalent in later episodes. The comedy is a miss for me but I do find Yuri’s struggles to be compelling so if it can avoid putting in too much fujoshi pandering and focus on the Ice Skating then we could have an interesting anime on our hand. Sadly though, even if that does happen this really isn’t my thing so I won’t be blogging it.
Potential: 65%
Mario: Welcome to the very first great premiere episode of this Fall season. Seriously, there’s a lot to love in this episode. Top-notch productions, reliable music and sound designs. The character designs are mostly great and, dare I say, sexy. There are many little details to the settings (the skating stadium, his hometown, his hot bath house) that already feel live-in and vivid. The animation certainly is smooth, and that speaks a lot for a show about figure skating. More impressively, it’s not strictly scenes that involving ice-skating that showcase the fluid animation, but the way each character moves feel like they’re dancing in the own beats too. Our main character Yuri’s sadly unimpressive, but his struggles are well-defined. The feeling that after all the hard training that you spend for many years while being far away from home, you realize that you’re just not good enough for the sports is something I feel really resonate to. At the same time, I feel the comedy don’t mix well with the tone of the show, especially whenever his chibi version pops up to provide us some info, and many exaggerated reactions that make it feel more awkward than funny. It’s Sayo Yamamoto’s show so Victor’s naked pose will eventually make its way there so I have no comment on that one. The ending provides an interesting twist to the story (feel a bit out of the blue though), and there are real potentials going forward. Yuri!!! On Ice, like this guy Victor, is the most confidence and good-looking show this season.
Potential: 80%
