Natsume Yuujin-chou, Episode #08 – “…Better to have loved and lost…”
Takashi-kun's latest adventure moved me nearly to tears. He meets another masked lady-youkai (a firefly, this time) hunched tightly against a man sitting at a lake. She is stunned that a human boy is able to see her and follows him (Madara as well) back to his home. The three crack open a bottle of sake and share drinks while she explains her past connections to the man at the lake. Apparently, the man was also once able to see youkai and the two of them had fallen deeply in love. However, as he matured, he lost his ability to sense her. Since then, all she has been able to do is remain silently by his side and hope against all odds that he finds happiness. She invites Takashi to guess her name...
Maybe the mist and balm of the grey morning air, coupled with episode eight's gentle melodic accompaniment and pockets of breathtaking stillness were the precise ingredients needed to concoct a touching experience. Maybe it was the fact that I had just risen from a fantastic night's sleep after the best beach vacation anyone could have wished for, marking the end of a three-year employment stint and heralding coming days of change and other exciting unknowns. Or maybe episode eight is simply an exquisite work of art that encapsulates all the beauty and melancholy that Natsume Yuujin-chou has promised. I am not so concerned with causation here. All I can say is that this is a stunningly beautiful episode that needs to be watched without delay.
Impressions:
maipeisu: so did you see the episode?
shokkeru: ah not yet i'm afraid
maipeisu: haha not a problem
shokkeru: i was just curious as to what you thought
maipeisu: dude, it was like, MUSHISHI-heavy
maipeisu: and i had just woken up, and the morning air felt so nice
maipeisu: in my head, i was like 'whooooooooooa O_O'
shokkeru: haha
Natsume Yuujin-chou's selection of youkai X human relationship has intensified once again. This relationship has developed to the greatest extent possible, within obvious gender-constraints (here I use "gender" in its most correct definition). A human and a youkai have not only fallen in love, but they have expressed it physically. It makes you wonder if it's possible to dance any more freely back and forth across the boundaries of "human" and "ayakashi". The lines continue to blur...
Unfortunately, it seems that even the most fated meeting of hearts between a human and youkai is also fated for an early demise. Humans may lose their six-sense ability to "see" youkai. Humans may wither and die long before a youkai's lifespan is exhausted. Youkai may lose their ability to retain an anthropomorphic shape. And as Takashi soberly notes towards the end of the episode, humans and ayakashi do indeed have some irreconcilable differences. There are many, many material conditions that must be satisfied in order for this kind of meeting to take place. Both gifted humans (like Takashi) and youkai must grapple with the harsh reality that such a love is an anomaly, and that nature's design is not conducive for its happenstance.
Yet what about the joyful memories, the delicate, impassioned moments, the pains of separation -- do the aforesaid difficulties make these things any less real or any less worth the expense?
Takashi's knee-jerk reaction to the idea of losing his ability to see youkai is one of extreme aversion -- so instinctive that it comes as a surprise even to him. The same youkai that were once the bane of his existence have found a special place in his heart and occupy a void he may never be able to fill.
Has anyone else noticed how at some point, *every* episode of Natsume Yuujin-chou features a giant youkai (kind of like the boss of a dungeon?) Anyway, this week's boss mega-ayakashi is a benign, lake-dwelling firefly eater. Why do some of the largest creatures feast on the smallest things? I mean, seriously, what point is there to having teeth as big as wrecking balls? This big doofus will play a significant role later in the episode, as expected. I can't decide whether the design of this youkai is intentionally goofy or just half-assed. An aside: If I remember correctly, there was a light jazz-suite (piano, brushes, and the like) that played shortly after this part, which took me by surprise. The remaining music comprises the same tunes we have heard before, but the musical arrangement in this episode was so intricate and masterful that it really engraved the melancholy of each scene into my psyche.
Kiyo (that's the name that Takashi gave to the firefly after he had a dream) tries to make the point that her relationship was much like Takashi's relationship with Madara. I dont think so, though. And now, another haiku (read the lines):
Hotaru (the Japanese word for 'firefly' and the firefly youkai's true name) is able rest easy knowing that her beloved has found happiness with another human, and that he is ready to move on. She transforms into a firefly one last time to light his night and bid him farewell. Unattainable love has been a common theme for the past three or four episodes. Still, despite being a recurring situation, it has not lost its twinge of poignancy. It also does not cease to amaze me that these youkai have enough wisdom to accept their fates and to fade into the ethers without protest. A glance, a final look, another caress is all they need to be fulfilled in the end. Perhaps the years that they spend in existence, which far outweigh the human lifespan, impart a formidable wisdom...
Madara was as mysterious as ever in this episode. He was less of a Garfield and more of a Cheshire Cat this time around. I am still not completely certain about how he feels about Takashi, but then again, that kind of tactful speech/action is to be expected of an ages-old demon.
Next Fabulous Episode:
Seems like we can expect another character from the OP. That's usually a good sign that things are about to get moving, but then again, that's what I said before about the dark-haired dude ::knock on wood::.
Shokkeru's Humble Opinions
Takashi is such a pimp.
I thought this was a pretty good episode for the most part, however I can't help but feel that this episode was a bit too similar to episode six with Tsubame. Of course, this episode dwells further into the human and spirit relationship deal and Takashi was able to meet someone who used to be able to see the spirits as well. This episode also opened up an interesting fact that Takashi might not be able to see the spirits anymore once he becomes older. Whether this will be a liberating event or a heart-breaking one for Takashi is anyone's guess. But despite all this, the episode wasn't anything "special" to me as it used a lot of elements from previous episodes (not that it's really a bad thing).
You're not forgiven.
I don't really have much to say about this episode, but the next episode is sure to be FABULOUS
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Definitely a highlight of the series.
Okay, I admit I skipped everything apart from the first paragraph or two because I’m still waiting for this ep to download but yeah, this is a great series. I reckon it might be a bit of a sleeper title but TBH it’s one of my current favourites.
NY is in many ways Mushishi-esque but as you said there are some moments that leave a lump in your throat – it’s literally a laugh-a-minute but the endings to the episodes are quite sweet and moving. It’s a good balance I think, and I’m really enjoying the spiritual mythology the series creates around itself.
The cat rules too.
I thinks I heard in the forums that there is a nyako-sensei plushie
I’m touched in this episode~
WELL DONE~ for the Natsume Yuujinchou
I
Maybe that’s why Reiko couldn’t contact any of her friends cos she lost the ability to see them when she grew older.
@phuz: Yea I thought so too ^^. I’m officially in love with NY again!
@Martin: Yes the spiritual mythology is quite interesting. Lately I’ve been wondering what kind of secrets characters like Madara can impart, y’know, since they’ve (apparently) been around so damn long. The melancholy is rather nicely balanced, too. In that sense, NY is a bit different than Mushishi I think. Mushishi often seemed to have happy endings, or episode endings that would just leave me amazed – neither happy nor sad, just amazed, full of wide-eyed wonder. NY, on the other hand, has a more of an emotional tint, but it never uses hard-edged sadness to elicit the tears. It’s always much more gentle. That, I like as well.
@Vin-nii: Which forums?? Take me to them!! I must have it now!! @_@
@amoeba: Quite touched here too :’-)
The aftertaste for this type of series is very unique. Unlike a lot of anime episodes, NY and Mushishi are truly “stand-alone” episodes where just watching one with just a little background of the characters will evoke a unique and distinct emotion from each story.
NY gives off a stronger emotional feel. I understand where Maipeisu is coming from when he says Mushishi leaves you amazed. Like something that you’d give an extra glance at without evoking emotion just because it’s so amazing. NY has the “wow” factor but also adds a bit of emotion, like in this episode, lost love. The audience walks out with a feeling and not just shock from outstanding writing.
Natsume Yuujin-chou is my current “emotional” joyride and not a replacement for Mushishi.
Awesome episode. More so than the others this time round.
I noticed one thing about Kiyo’s name though and I posted this on my review of the episode as well. it sounded alot like the phrase “suki yo” she was repeating to Akifumi when he could no longer see her. Those were the words that flowed in to Natsume’s dreams as well. Pretty symbolic eh? =)
I noticed that too that Kiyo’s name comes from Suki yo (I love you), which makes her story even sweeter.
Well to be fair unlike Tanuma Natori is actually more ‘regular’. Natori and Taki generally are the recurring cast, Tanuma had one chapter and thats about it XD.
Possibly madara is linked to reiko somehow. no, they must have been related in some way somehow. unless of course madara finds it interesting to pass time by going about life with a human, while the yuujinchou gets thinner and thinner.
My suspicion is that madara might have been a sort of ‘closer’ friend with reiko, or even might have been bonded to reiko somehow, given how well he seem to know reiko. His name might even be on the yuujinchou, though that is less likely.
I’m anticipating the next episode. The manga is way ahead of the anime, and none of my two fav. character from it has been introduced, though one’s appearing next episode. I wonder when’s the other going to turn up? [lol the one with her reiko-fixations, for those who read manga, and we'll finally see something not "within obvious gender-constraints"]
The “kiyo” and “suki yo” relationship was also discovered by the sub group, BSS, as well. Maipeisu and Shokkeru both use BSS from the screenshots, XD.
@Ez + anon: Nice observation ^^ How bittersweet!
@Machi: I see. (This is in reference to the manga, right?)
@reika: I’ve always thought that Madara was linked to Reiko somehow, and that he’s protecting Takashi out of sympathy or a lingering sense of responsibility. I’m sure Madara isn’t just doing this just for his amusement (haha), and nothing more. He was sealed away, after all…
Yup! Thing about recurring characters they don’t recur very often and from the looks of the OP, unless they change it by episode 13 or something,the other character may not appear. I’m actually frustrated for certain ayakashi to return, as they seemed to be recurring cast as well but like Tanuma they don’t appear at all T_T. Though considering that the manga doesn’t have much volumes yet it may be that its still in its introductory phase, volume 6 was the first real ‘arc’ chapters. And the Reiko mystery is still a black box, less names are returned and less Reiko T___T.
HAHAHA the cat’s ass looks like a pokeball in that one picture
with the caption “Time to say goodbye”
Sorry about this insensitive asshole comment, but this episode was awesome.
@Black Kat: Gotta catch ‘em all!