Natsume's Book of Friends Season 2

~~Show completed as of March 30, 2009. Story - 8.8/10 (B+) At first glance, i thought the whole "defeating spirits" element was overused, but the way Natsume Yuujinchou does it is much different. Natsume's grandmother, Reiko collected the names of spirits she defeated in battles until the day she died, and Natsume wants to return all the names, even though he could risk his life in the process. It really flows well, especially how Natsume punches the spirits like it's no big deal, kinda funny there. Then we have Madara, or as we know him as Nyanko-sensei, the spirit who seeks the Book of Friends only tobe told by Natsume that he will get it when Natsume dies. I'm surprised that Nyanko-sensei hasn't came up with a plan to kill Natsume, but then again, the pacing of this show is different. When i watched the first episode, i felt like it was Winter, and i was warm from a fireplace (weird, i know), but this show really makes you feel calm, collected and just mellow. Perhaps all the mecha animes and the shounen animes took a toll on me, and Natsume Yuujinchou is the cure to my pain. Animation - 10/10 (A+!) The art is spectacular! I can't believe it's so well animated, just blew me away. From the opening sequence, to the ending sequence, and all in between, i really am fond of this show even more. It's so simple that it's perfect, in every way. Sound -10/10 (A+) i love the OP, and the ED is the most soft, teary, and beautiful song i've ever heard. The voice acting is really tremendous, with Kamiya Hiroshi as Natsume Takashi (Who also voices Tieria Erde in Gundam 00 btw). The voice actors all do a really marvelous job, it makes you feel like you're a part of this as well. Characters - 10/10 (A+) Many people think of people like Natsume as the "gay-ish", femine person. Well, it's better than hearing macho, tough, know-it-all's (Naruto, Ichigo, Black Star) say the same s**t all the time. Natsume is the kind of anime guy i really like, not too femine and not too masculine. Then we have Nyanko-sensei, the lovable kitten who's real form is somewhat dragon-like. Reminds me of Yoruichi's cat form from Bleach, only more enjoyable. Nyanko-sensei always has to say something smart, or pick at Natsume for being weak or too much of a pushover. I can just have these two characters and no other characters appear, and i'd still love this show. Enjoyment - 10/10 (A+) Something so excellent as Natsume Yuujinchou is easily overlooked by redundant shounen anime, or money-wasting ecchi. Everyone needs to watch this show, whether you're feeling down, feeling stressed or just plain you. This show will not disappoint. Some might view this as too boring, but those people are the ones who survive off of (redundant) animes such as Naruto and Bleach and Soul Eater. As a former Bleach fan, this show really got me off the shounen animes, and i'm thankful. Give this show a try, because you'll be glad you did. ----------------------------------------- The Good: Animation, Characters, OP/ED, Basically Everything The Bad: Use of spirits (not so much a big deal) as a plot element. Sometimes it can get too boring.

Ahahaha~ I rated everything a ten. No. I'm not some mindless idiot who thought this series was the best thing since sliced bread. I'm a fellow reviewer who KNOWS this series is the best thing since sliced bread. Anyway, on with the review! Story: 10/10 If you loved Natsume Yuujinchou's storyline, then you'll love Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou just the same. I honestly have a thing for 'characters who are shunned by others because of their special abilities' when it comes to anime. And I loved how they developed the story throughout the series. Makes it more enjoyable to watch. Art: 10/10 The art . . . The art's amazing.It fitted every single moment perfectly. Plus, what I loved about this anime? No awkward animation. At all. Even with creepy Youkai. Sound: 10/10 The same goes with the sound. They chose the best music for each situation: A battle against the Youkai, times when it's peaceful, the episode breaks . . . Well, you get the point. ;P I especially loved the theme song, which, again, sets the mood for the series Character: 10/10 There was not one character whom I detested/hated/was disgusted with at all. And even if I was, I got over it quickly. I'm not saying you have to like all the characters, though. What I'm trying to get at is that this anime's characters didn't undergo any moment where they weren't acting like themselves. Each and every character kept with their personalities straight through and didn't alter it because of what somebody said, like many anime characters tend to do. Enjoyment: 10/10 Geez. If I didn't have so many anime on my planned to watch list, I would re-watch this over and over and over again. I enjoyed each and every episode thoroughly. I never laughed so hard at an anime like this either. Overall: 10/10 Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou. Simply the best of its kind. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes anime with the ghostly aspect with splashes of humor thrown into it.

"Continuing the path that must be done" As the first series continues, Natsume Takashi learned that many youkai have different powers with different purposes. The Story... It’s a continuation of the first series as they made a slightly different way of development because it shows more involvement of youkai and his capability to use his own power. It focuses of using the same method of youkai solving as new tale to tell and to discover as it goes deeper in its arc. The drama and mystery here became more interesting and entertaining than before as they add some twist to cope up viewers on watching. Definitely a different wayof continuing the preceding series as it really goes very well. Art & Animation... Beautiful backgrounds, detailed character designs, and impressive scenery just like the preceding. Noticing the difference from before, it’s jibing better and more appropriate in its settings. The OP and ED theme is just truly wonderful… better than before. Sound... The OP and ED song is lively, dramatic, calm. Both of them matched its theme that contains such wonderful and harmonious art and BG sounds adds up the enjoyment through the show. Character… Hmmm… Natsume Takashi, he's kind of weak in physical appearance, a compassionate type among youkai, not that free spirited among human beings but reverse among youkai, and improves a lot in this series. As for Madara the other main or the best supporting character on the series that keeps the level of boredom on the bottom became sillier, and more knowledgeable in puns. And for the other characters who sometimes make an appearance in this series, they help the series to be complete and entertaining. Enjoyment… It's quite redundant in its case; it might be an anime that will keep you interested in their arcs, art & animation, sounds, but not quite in the characters. It has a plain and calm feature. Overall… Recommended for those who wants a slice of life with different style of maintaining its peaceful feature. A style where people tend to communicate in other species for resolving what must be done to solve its problem. It is a mixture of drama, supernatural, and slice of life that will give you depth in life.

What makes an anime great? Is it purely a mix of great story, well made animation and soundtrack and engaging characters? Or does an anime need something extra to be regarded as truly great? Some kind of x-factor that makes you feel like you’re watching something special? I believe that a great anime needs both; that the x-factor that separates those shows you give 9 or 10 out of 10 from the others is created by having the great story, animation and so on. I used to believe that this mix could only be obtained through complexity, with unexpected twistsin the story and flashy animation styles. Natsume Yuujinchou, and more so its sequel, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, proved that I was very wrong. Something special about the series struck me as soon as I started watching it. It was based on a very simple concept. We follow the protagonist Natsume, who has been able to see spirits since birth, as he tries to return the names of the spirits obtained by his grandmother, Reiko, to their rightful owners. Whereas this is the premise of the story, the true plot revolves around Natsume’s encounters with various spirits, and how they affect both him and the people around him. In contrast to the first season, we see Natsume slowly beginning to find his place in the world and become more accepting of both himself and his gift. He is less reserved and has more people around him to support him, but this only increases his concern that his gift will bring his friends and loved ones misfortune. Most of the episodes are self-contained, with a couple of two episode arcs. Objectively speaking each episode follows a simple formula and at times risks becoming a bit repetitive. But don’t let this assessment fool you; never once did I feel bored or uninterested. Despite the simple nature of the story there is undoubtedly a certain charm about it that draws you in. It is incredibly calming to watch, which is in contrast with many anime series around nowadays. It is essentially stripped of anything even resembling flashy or overt, leaving you with a bare but thoroughly interesting tale that you can sit back and enjoy as it plays out before your eyes. Its brilliance lies in its simplicity. The animation also continues the simple theme. Minimal lines and subtle shading are used in the character designs. The colours are also soft and subtle, using a paintbrush-like style. Where the art really shines is in the landscapes which are striking and brilliantly drawn. Whereas the action and fast moving scenes are not as well animated as many other anime, it is almost unnoticeable. Wide panning shots of the sky or an open field emphasise the laid-back, almost meditative style of the show. The soundtrack is quite superb, filled with calming melodies and interesting uses of effects. In particular there are a couple of BGM tracks that really capture that mellow feel. The opening and ending songs were also very fitting. The seiyuu do a very good job of capturing their respective characters, though only Kazuhiko Inoue (Madara a.k.a. Nyanko-sensei) and Hiroshi Kamiya (Natsume) get a chance to show their voice-acting prowess. Kamiya particularly portrays Natsume’s inner loneliness and conflict masterfully. The characters in Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou are quite limited. The spirits come and go, although some of them turn out to be very well constructed characters. There is also a cast of minor human characters, but they do not feature very heavily at all. Of course, there is also Madara who continually provides comic relief and the occasional giant spirit-fight. Despite this, each interaction these spirits and humans have with Natsume has a profound impact on him. The show itself revolves almost solely around Natsume, whose character grows before our eyes through these interactions. Through this we get a real insight into his way of thinking, and also into his own loneliness. Again the recurring theme of simplicity becomes evident again; never have I gained so much enjoyment out of watching a single character’s development, but I would have liked to see the other human characters feature more prominently. Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou is a refreshing break from the norm; a show that doesn’t try to do anything too fancy, but still makes you feel like you’re watching something truly special. Watching this anime is a calming and pensive process, and is thoroughly enjoyable. It’s almost comical how such a simple concept can capture that rare x-factor while other, much more complex anime fail. Perhaps simplicity really is the ultimate sophistication. Overall: 9.2/10 (rounded to 9).