Summer 2008 anime wrapup
I picked up three shows this season, one of which is still ongoing and will be discussed at a later date. The other two were more like consolation picks, that is, picked since there’s nothing else really going on. I was pleasantly surprised by both shows, which turned out to be quite enjoyable, despite being slower than what I’m used to.
Natsume Yuujinchou
Natusme Yuujinchou follows Natsume Takashi, a guy in high school who can see spirits. One day, he’s going through his stuff and finds a book. It turns out this book is his grandmother’s and she wrote down a bunch of the spirits’ names down, which bound them to her service. Now he’s inherited it and along with a cat deity, goes off to return the names to the various spirits while trying to avoid getting killed for the book.
It’s actually a lot less action-oriented than the concept might seem. In fact, as the series goes on, there’s a lot less emphasis on the book, and more on Natsume’s interactions and dealings with the spirits and his relationships with other people. Since he’s usually the only one who can see spirits, he’s been an outcast since his childhood and has been shoved from relative to relative. There’s a lot of talk and exploration about loneliness and the differences and similarities between humans and spirits. The show is very episodic in nature and the various stories about the spirits are very well written.
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto – Natsu no Sora
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto is apparently a manga that’s had an anime adaptation before. This particular anime focusses on Sora, who goes off to Tokyo to train to become a mage. The nice thing about this anime’s setting is that it’s modern day Japan with the addition of magic. However, this isn’t the tacky magic that we’re used to like what we usually find in RPGs. This world’s magic is a lot like Harry Potter, but much more subtle and subdued, more for utility than combat.
The thing that people immediately notice about Natsu no Sora is that the backgrounds are ridiculously stunning. This is because the artwork is based off of photographs. Other than that, the story seems very slice of life. Keep in mind that this isn’t a slice of life comedy, so the first half of the series is really, really slow. The second half promises to be more coherent and full of dramas, but only as much as normal people usually do.
Wrapup
Both of these shows are thirteen episodes long, which is the perfect length for series like these that are slow and refreshing. They’re certainly not the superstars of the medium, but they’re worth a look at if you ever run out of material to watch.
Tags: Anime