Well, friends, we have finally arrived at the end. It feels like just yesterday that I picked this series up, so it is hard to believe that some months have already passed me by. Time has flown; and true to the adage, dare I say -- it has been a lot of fun. This will mark the completion of my first full series at THAT. Modest as it may be, I'd like to thank the NYC fans for their comments and continual support. I am definitely looking forward to the fall season's pickings, and hope to blog two new series that will engage our readership's interest even more. You can expect some very different shows; among my choices are Tytania, Shikabane, possibly Chaos;Head (if I can vanquish the rabid Impz and claim it for myself), or Ef. At any rate, on with it!

Episode 13, as the title of this post implies, is basically a curtain call for the significant (intelligible and anthropomorphic...?) characters in the series, many of which appear in the OP. It's a great feeling to finally recognize all of the characters in the opening sequence, isn't it! As far as plot is concerned, this episode is about as devoid of direction as it could possibly be. It is more like a reflective montage of character appearances that coincide at the local akimatsuri (Japanese fall festival). Thus, #13 falls somewhere between the dreaded recap and the usual short story format, but it is nonetheless festive because for a few precious hours, the gap between the human and youkai worlds is metaphorically bridged. Takashi, finding himself surrounded by familiar faces (both youkai and human), is finally able to savor the peace and satisfaction of belonging...

At least he has fashion sense enough to wear the fanny pack in the back.

If I could have left Takashi with one piece of advice, it would have been to stay out of wooded areas. You may have noticed that the worst youkai always come from the forest when he's taking a shortcut or somesuch. After his run-in with Master Belch the previous episode's giant blob of evil, I can't even watch him walk through the woods without a flutter of apprehension. (If he can't stay out of the woods, he should at least keep Nyanko close by or work on that right hook.) Naturally, at this point in the ep, I couldn't help but wonder if there was one more evil awaiting Takashi in the darkness.

He should be dead. Dead!

But, no. No more evil demons stalking Takashi in the darkness, and no Alice-a'tumbling-down-the-rabbit-hole business; just a fat cat slipping down a hill on a collision course with a unlucky passerby and the eventual promise of fall festivities are all that await. It's strange how a gentle series like NYC can be far from peaceful, but if you look back on all the trouble that Takashi has had to go through (not counting returning names in the middle of the night), he's had hardly a moment's rest. Am I the only one feeling some relief?

The sequence above is a bit of an anomaly; it's the first time Nyanko speaks to another human besides Takashi. Basically he starts mouthing off at Kaname after cannonballing into him and knocking himself out, but what I find interesting here is that he does so under the assumption that Takashi had already told Kaname about his true identity... Is this a plot hole covered in the manga, or does it allude to something else?

Sasada: OMG you can like see them amirite?!

Maybe all of Takashi-kun's trouble's aren't over yet. As long as he lives, breathes and talks to spirits, Sasada will continue to stalk him. Unfortunately for her, luck never seems to be on her side, at least when Kaname is around. Run away!

"Fox's Rain"

Clearly, it just wouldn't be a proper curtain call if everyone's favorite androgynous furry didn't make his appearance. As usual, he's getting picked on and getting in trouble T_T Youkai are reputed to be attracted to lively congregations of people such as fall festivals, so it naturally follows that Madara, the fox-boy, and many other unmentionables (I don't want to spoil them yet) will be drawn in like moths to a flame. All of Takashi's favorite 'people' in the same place...!

Shuuichi: How could I ignore a shota in distress?!

Not quite the savior he was hoping for but a savior nonetheless, Shuuichi pops out of nowhere and comes to the rescue. I'm surprised that Red & Blue got off easily as they did, considering the utterly spiteful force they were up against. Then again, I'm also surprised that Shuuichi took the time to save a youkai. Does this portend a change of heart? Or does he have a thing for furries too? More than those, however, there are bigger questions to be asked:

WTH, a secret society!

What exactly is ShuuIchi-the-(youkai)killer doing at a place (i.e. the festival) where hundreds of ayakashi have gathered? What is this darkly lit room full of strangely-dressed figures, some human and some perhaps not? Was the previous scene just a farce? Are they planning a mass-exorcism? There is also the business of Hiiragi shadowing the fox -- why did he order her to do that? These are some of the questions that popped to mind over the few seconds it took for this scene to play out, which ultimately (if neither disappointingly nor thankfully, then at least misleadingly) proves to be Shuuichi's final appearance in the episode. NYC stays true to its mostly-benign plot designs.

Ninja skillz.

Hiiragi decides to help him recover a lost item, rather than simply tailing him. At that point (when Shuuichi first ordered her to follow him), there was still a possibility for mayhem, still a chance for something to run awry and destroy the delicate mood that is gradually building as the magic hours near. But when she finally agrees to help him, one can safely assume that there just isn't enough time left for the episode to consolidate its plot-tatters into a sinister side story. You can count on a lighthearted remainder and a succinct denouement.

Where the hell is she going?

Sasada goes to extreme measures to get Takashi to return. She ties the cat up. That's right, she takes Nyanko hostage as insurance that Takashi will stick around when he sees her next. She *ties* the cat up. Nyanko could have transformed to escape, obviously, but Tamiko-chan (another cameo appearance) cuts him loose before the need arises. Why she decides to drag him up a hill, I have no clue. At least they are even now. But man, that is one naughty little girl!

LOL, this is what we call "the look" (refer to top two images.)

Hinoe is here to join in the fun as well, to watch Takashi and enjoy herself. Takashi is too busy searching for his fat cat to give his boneheaded friends the time of day so they get blown off and don't receive a second of screentime beyond what they are due. The merchant gives them the "I've been here all damn day and I'll rip you a new one if you screw with me" look after the dark-haired (no, I don't care to remember his name) one complains about not having received his kaitenyaki, which had been craftily pilfered by Hinoe. The search for buta-neko continues.

Praises to the one who can identify this book for me.

I was going to hop back some seconds to point out that Touko-san was home worrying about Takashi (and include a relevant still), but I found this image of a book too interesting to pass up. Marketing ploy? Oddly unsolicited and meticulous detail? A real book? Can anyone translate the title?

Another beautiful shot.

This was another screen capture that I found far too visually appealing to leave out. Such a lovely contrast of reds and blues. The lanterns almost make you feel like you are there...

Mmm, corn.

The fox-youkai is really the star of the show in this episode. He finally locates his aniki and the medicine that he had lost (which will enable him to transform into a human for a single night), and then returns hand-in-hand with Takashi to the festival. Only then does Takashi actually participate in the festival (note that he forgets about searching for Madara around this time), perhaps because he feels a certain sense of satisfaction in knowing that youkai and humans alike have gathered together to celebrate, or that he can be of some use to the little fox.

This can't be the end! I had hardly any screen time! What about my big finish!

So, at the end of it all, my entry on the final episode turned out to be more of a massive image dump than a set of literary reflections. I'll admit that there isn't much to be said here, although there is without a doubt much to be experienced. For one thing, it leaves behind such a subtle set of impressions than attempting to discuss it in words is a more or less futile effort. It should simply be watched.

As the culmination of an episodic series, #13 affects an emotional response by perusing the character relationships that were explored in previous episodes, as well as establishing a few new relationships in order to tighten the social network (of both human and ayakashi) accumulating in Takashi's hometown. Character by character, word by word, piece by piece, a generalized, composite impression of peace and festivity is established (at least for a single night) and NYC takes a final bow.

I'll reserve my overall assessments of the series for a review editorial, which I plan to post shortly, so please look forward to it! Also, fans of NYC be on the lookout for season two!

Pretty dank contrast to the usual festivity of THAT's front page, wouldn't you say? Episode 12 is finally here (don't blame me, blame the subbers if you must), and for a penultimate episode, it most certainly doesn't disappoint. Perhaps the writers were very insightful, and realized that they had mixed in enough lightheartedness and sensitivity to warrant a few drops of bitter business to keep things interesting. Apparently, they had an ace of their sleeves.

We, the viewer-collective, finally get to experience another run-in with the dark side of youkai purported by Mr. Maerimashita and his cousin's appearances. A bloodthirsty demon casts "Doom" on (a.k.a. 'curses') Takashi-kun with a five-day countdown. So, of course, Takashi struggles to break free from the curse with the help of his youkai pals. There may or may not be a moral here, I'm not sure, but there are definitely some edge-of-your-seat moments that play to an entirely different set of tastes, strangely, without losing that gentle NYC touch. This episode is a very satisfying climactic point for the series and was definitely worth the wait. As usual, count on Nyanko for the lulz.

Impressions:

Ah, puberty.

It's very odd that we haven't been exposed much to Takashi's romantic inclinations, other than a few blushes here and there. Never has Takashi seemed more refined and adult-like in contrast to his pals. If not that, he's running behind a few years, or he's too "fabulous" for that sort of thing :-> More importantly though, I guess I should point out that this is another rinse-and-repeat intro with Takashi's two friends. The evils of a limited time slot have demoted them from significant side characters to background noise.

Can anyone figure out what's wrong with this picture?

Correct me if I'm wrong (no, really), but since when do frogs get caught in spiderwebs? Seems a fairly strong indication that something is amiss (more on this later). But Takashi, being the openhearted, unassuming person that he is, doesn't make a big deal out of it and releases the frog.

FEE FI FO FUM!

Yes, that is a youkai in its mouth. The boss of this week's dungeon is an inky blob of pure evil, so nefarious that whoever managed to seal it was in such a rush that s/he/it didn't even bother to enshrine it; the captor simply tied it to a tree and left... or so it would seem. Takashi knows instinctively not to right cross it, but to run like hell instead. (Good thing those fight-or-flight instincts are still working.) But the big question on my mind is -- where was Madara???

Very nice 'shot.'

This was a really nice shot. I love nicely composed scenes like this one, especially since NYC spends an inordinate amount of time showing close-ups of the characters' eyes. While they may not be at all central to the plot, such scenes are equally important. They require a fair amount of time to produce and as such are usually found only sparsely in an anime that doesn't have a gold mine budget on hand to satisfy its every whim. That's what I love about studios like Production IG, who (in my experience) are easily recognized by their attention to visual perspective.

You know what they say about curiosity and cats...

But back to the story, Takashi made the unfortunate mistake of gawking a split-second too long at the black blob's cannibalistic glee and allowed himself to be touched by one of its tendrils. The demon left a curse on Takashi that slowly whittles away at the victim's energy until weak enough to be devoured (allusions to a spider, perhaps?) As for Nyanko-sensei...

The mark of evil muahahahaha!

...Nyanko adds to the error by touching the curse, which instantly screws up his ability to control the size of his restrained form. If just touching the youkai's curse was enough to damage the great Madara, I dare say he has finally met his match. My advice: sit this one out and have someone else take care of it.

Tantalize us with backstory hints, will you!

If it was not clear before that Madara shared a fairly significant relationship with Reiko, this little line drives the point home. Madara recommends using the yuujin-chou to summon one of the youkai for protection and assistance, as he lounges lazily in a... fried squid ring? Dreading as I was episodes with big flashbacks, I really have to admit that I'm very curious about Reiko's life; too bad we probably won't get to explore her past, at least not before the first season is complete. Which reminds me -- for anyone who hasn't heard the news, a second season of NYC has been announced!

Youkai transmutation is forbidden by law!

Whoever is behind this little scene is seriously lacking in scruples or, much less credibly, has NEVER seen Hagaren! Not only do we get a transmutation circle, but it comes complete with a hand-clap and an equivalently-exchanged mirror/drop of blood! At least they left out Takashi's maroon cloak from the promo pic. That would have been a bit much.

Misuzu! I choose you!

It should come as no great surprise that Misuzu made it onto Nyanko's first draft. Don't get me wrong, I am completely in love with Nyanko, but I have to admit that aside from him, Misuzu is the COOLEST youkai in the series, not only for size, strength, and speed, but also his even temperament. Misuzu has the air of a very respectable and wise elder.

Tantalize us with tales of yuri long past, will ye!

Misuzu calls upon Hinoe, a buxom, passionate lady youkai that used to be in Reiko's... service (I'll leave that open to interpretation.) Of course she goes through the same initial incredulous response when she finds out that Reiko is long deceased and that Takashi, a boy, is rightful heir to the yuujin-chou. I really enjoyed seeing what the yuujin-chou could do when put to proper use. It's a shame that Takashi-kun cannot find other excuses to thumb through it and call various youkai to his service. Then again, he probably lacks the strength to do anything but return the names. As we will come to find out, simply having the name of a youkai in the yuujin-chou does not prevent them entirely from acting on their own...

I'm gettin' the Silent Hill vibes, what with the new PS3 title coming out tomorrow.

Shame on Madara for making light of the shadow (no pun intended.) Actually, it's all the more reason that he needs to sit this battle out. He was unable to sense that this figure was actually a shadow-version of the demon encountered earlier, a puppet whose agility will increase proportionate to the amount of energy that he curse has drained from its victim . When the time is right, it will be able to strike at its leisure.

Details, details...!

This was a bit of an unexpected insertion (I'm referring to the pages, not the green tea.) It's fascinating what a few insignificant frames can do for character development. If nothing more, we are left with a vaguely and infinitesimally increased sense of Touko-san's character, or rather a heightened sense of mystery as to her true nature. I don't exactly know what the page reads, and I could be wrong, but I am fairly certain that the last katakana word translates to 'raifu', or 'life'. So -- something-life? The katakana below read 'furniture', 'chair', 'garden chair', etc. Maybe it's a catalog. Anyway, at least we know she *has* a life. Don't ask me what the kanji mean.

Lavi: Oubuta kobuta! Man! MAN!

From last week's previews, I expected this to be one of those "oh look I'm small now, what do I do!" episodes, but NYC has continued to evade some of the most explicit cliches. And it is as it should be. A second to last episode ought to be focused on the main character, not filler. When the shadow demon finally makes it inside Takashi's home, he decides that he needs to leave the house (under the pretense of staying over a friend's for three days) in order to protect his family. I'm not sure if this situation was the show's way of flirting with Takashi's earlier thoughts about leaving home permanently, but it definitely forced him to confront his desire to stay with Touko and her husband. And now, a haiku:

Will Takashi leave?

Or will he best the demon
And then return home?

{BEGIN RANT} Apparently one acclaimed anime wasn't enough, they had to rip off TWO before they would be sated at Brains Base! What am I referring to? Of course, the striking resemblance between the evil youkai and some of Miyazaki-sensei's supernatural creatures, that's what! Go watch Spirited Away if you don't believe me. I'm not implying that Miyazaki has a patent on youkai design, but still...! Even down to the big, flat hippo-teeth and purple tongue, they look soooo similar! {END RANT}

Goldeen Goldeen!

Having weakened significantly from the rapidly spreading curse, and with Madara incapable of interfering on his behalf, Takashi's last defense against the demon was a shiki. As ridiculous-looking as it was, the shiki that he managed to summon was heavily symbolic. I'll curtail the analysis and simply say that it was a very accurate representation and manifestation of his character -- a gentle, delicate, pure creature whose true strength lay far beyond the physical and visible.

You've been had!

Surprise, surprise! It was all a test. Misuzu led Takashi onto the path leading toward the evil youkai. For all we know, he might have sealed the youkai in the first place. Who can say. Did Takashi pass the test? No. But the youkai like him anyway, which says a lot. Veneration is not always achieved through brute strength.

Next Episode:

The final episode will be a curtain call cleverly disguised as a seasonal festival. I'm looking forward to it!

Since Nyanko-sensei is responsible for like ninety percent of the lulz in NYC, it should come as no surprise that an episode *about* Nyanko-sensei would turn out to be MEGA-LULFEST. Prepare to laugh your ass off. The fat cat commits one too many atrocities (namely, eating all the shrimp in the fridge) and Takashi finally loses his cool and kicks him to the curb. The prideful ayakashi skulks away in a huff and goes on an alcoholic, gluttonous rampage around town. Oh yea, I forgot to mention that there's a little girl in there somewhere too, but she's just a cleverly disguised plot device used to usher in a heartwarming ending. Stupid androids. Anyway, look forward to it!

(Note: Please forgive me for the late post. I have been tied up all day doing panel reports at Anime Weekend Atlanta 2008. I am surrounded by kyaaing fanboys and fangirls, and I am nearly at my wit's end with exhaustion after having written for a nearly 12 solid hours. Give me a shout if you were here!)

Drunk goggles.

Another long night, eh Nyanko? Nyanko with a hangover trying to catch "three little birds" is pretty entertaining despite being rather Garfieldesque. These two fat cats may need to duke it out to decide who gets the dibs on the jokes. And if you think you know whose side I'm on, think again. I actually love Garfield, at least the Garfield that reigned before Jim Davis put down the ink pen. Anyway, this joke is a pretty standard opener; it doesn't betray a bit of the awesomeness that lies in wait.

SHROI KOBUTA!

Nyanko-sensei's attempt at a live breakfast fails miserably and he falls into a random ditch. Enter the cute little plot device (see image above), who happened to have fallen in there herself. From last week's preview, I was anticipating a cheap knockoff of Alice in Wonderland (what with the whole 'falling into the hole' business - call me crazy), but thankfully, the writers didn't take it in that direction. Little missy will appear two more times before this ep concludes.

Forget shrimp, Takashi should praise the heavens that Nyanko didn't eat his entire family instead!

Takashi returns home and discovers that Buta-neko has pilfered the shrimp from the fridge. To add insult to injury, Nyanko denies the allegation and accidentally cracks the plastic case of a CD that Takashi is borrowing from one of his friends. This all sends him over the top and he tells Nyanko to GTFO.

Madara: You punked out, baldy, white asparagus!

I think Takashi blew everything out of proportion. How easy it is to forget that Nyanko is not really his pet cat, but probably the baddest youkai around (how many other youkai has he seen sealed away by a keikai?) And Madara has saved his life, like, how many times now? Furthermore, had he actually stopped to think about it he would have realized that those CD cases are extremely easy to replace (they can be disassembled and reassembled within minutes, by hand.) But angry people will be angry people and do the things that angry people do, brashly, in the heat of the moment.

Conspiring against Madara has its consequences...

Apparently the local ayakashi were none too happy with Nyanko's ravenous appetite, drinking habits and off-key singing. Too bad he's about to stomp them for talking trash. They should know their place.

This is what we call "adding insult to injury".

Maybe "beating a dead horse" is a better expression. Madara's meddlings in the human world force him to take don his schoolgirl disguise. Here, he asks the local priest (the father of Takashi's classmate) to exterminate those "ungrateful ayakashi" out of spite. Onto the next event, as the rampage continues!

Oh look, Fresh meat Takashi's friends!

Since Takashi's best buddies have between them little more intelligence than an amoeba, She-Nyanko convinces them to take her out on a date (what better way to get back at your ex than dating the best friend???) Nyanko enjoys long walks in the park, sake, and...

Revenge is a dish best served hot, and in copious quantities.

...All-you-can-eat buffets! Suspiciously similar to Garfield, wouldn't you say? If I were that poor waitress, I would have called the police and had her detained for examination in a military research facility.

Just like a laid-off sarariman...

Next stop: the arcade! Nyanko has little trouble coercing Takashi's friends into treating her to a few games. Maybe they thought they were going to *score* muahahahaha (yes, horrible pun intended.)

*Sigh* it's just not the same without Nyanko's fat buttprint...!

Meanwhile, back at the house, Takashi's host parents wonder aloud at how they haven't either of them seen Nyanko in a good long while. Now, if there's only three people living in that house, I wonder who they thought was responsible for stealing the shrimp from the fridge. If Takashi had said "it was the cat", they might have been inclined to ask what manner of cat Nyanko would have to be in order to manipulate the fridge door open. But that's assuming they would take it that far. The reality is that out of necessity, all side-characters hover around in a mundane haze, oblivious to more things that just the hidden world of ayakashi. All eyes on the protagonist.

Oh, loli plot androids, what would we do without you!

I swear I could do an entire editorial on loli plot androids, the most obscene and sophisticated example being, perhaps, an actual android -- Pino, the Auto-Reiv from Ergo Proxy. But I digress. Takashi makes a deft escape after his stalker gets distracted by the Tamiko-chan. Along with the bus-stop escape from an earlier episode, that makes two for two. Run away!

If looks could kill.

Remember that machine from The Fly? If you took Noah's Ark and chopped it in half and stuffed one half in each side of the machine, you *might* produce something as ugly as this week's youkai. Forget about chimeras and Chinese dragons (tail of a carp, mane of a lion, etc.), this dude is just an inglorious trainwreck of Neopolitan ugly.

PWNAGE \m/

But my, how news travels. It took little more than a day for Enkou (ugly) to find out that Madara had quit his job as protector of the Yuujin-chou, so he figures it would be a good time to snatch it. Notice, however, that he approaches Madara first, just to make sure that it was true and that he wouldn't encounter any resistance when he took the book. Basically, he knew from the get-go that Madara would be a tough nut to crack. Nice try, ugly. This was actually a pivotal moment in the episode, because Madara encounters the final and most important sliver of his ties to Takashi, his agreement to protect him and the Book of Friends. Protective fury wells up out of nowhere before he has a chance to comprehend his actions, not in response to Enkou's threats to steal the book, but at his taunts that Madara has begun to "care" about humans. It is a truth that Madara has not fully accepted and is only beginning to acknowledge.

The replacement (read: Nermal)!

Blasphemy! How dare a presumptuous kitten sully Nyanko-sama's royal food dish!? Off with its head! We'll show no mercy! Throw the parents in the pit! ::Ahem:: and now, a haiku:

Between love and hate

He befriends a little girl

And he makes a choice

The plot device makes her third appearance. She has snuck out of her parents' sight to embark on a forbidden picnic and manages to fall in the same ginormous (new dictionary word; check Webster) hole a second time. A for effort, Tamiko! Shortly after, Nyanko wakes with a hangover and pulls the same stunt with the three birds that he did at the beginning of the episode and, predictably, joins Tamko-chan in her 'secret hiding spot.' Edit: The plot device actually only appears twice, chronologically speaking. The final scene is a flashback to where the beginning of the episode had left off, with Nyanko and Tamiko-chan stuck in the hole. When it starts to rain (goodness knows she might have caught pneumonia if she had been alone!), Tamiko panics because her mother told her that rabbits will die if exposed to rain, thinking that the rain may also be detrimental to buta-nekos. She throws an adorable little fit and eventually cries herself to sleep. Something in him shifts, and he makes an interesting choice...

LASSIE!

The minute it begins to rain, Takashi goes searching for Nyanko. He was thinking about him the entire time! Considering NYC's delicate sense of symmetry, I'm tempted to say that Madara has now come full circle (similar to Takashi-kun) in that he appreciates human beings, just as Takashi-kun has learned to appreciate youkai. But that may be a bit of a hasty conclusion. After all, Madara was never socially-isolated or shunned because he could see humans. As far as I can tell, ALL youkai have that ability. Also, I'm willing to bet that it was a human that shut him up in the keikai. But I thought it was worth mentioning nonetheless.

Following a few daring plunges into a sea of pathos we are back to the familiar, peculiar kaleidescope of musings and sentiments that make NYC (Natsume Yuujin-chou) a decidedly relaxing experience. That is to say, the latest episode is nothing out of the ordinary (as far as NYC goes), but it is not boring either. It has lulz and a fair share of cute moments too.

If you guessed that intimate relationships were to remain the common point of origin for the next sidestory, you guessed correctly. Number ten turns its gaze back on a more plausible, commonplace affair between two youkai - a lovely koto player with blue-hair and eyes, and her grizzled umbrella-holder yojimbo. Story has it that her body lost its shape due to a strange, irreversible ailment. The umbrella-dude has since gone searching for a suitable human host that she can possess, so she can feel 'her' fingers glide across the koto strings just one last time. Guess who they choose?

O RLY?!?

You know, a lot of people have praised NYC because they find it "relaxing", or they feel that it's a good anime watch "when you want to chill out". Well, now that I think about it, they are right. Watching anime is not always relaxing. For instance, Death Note was actually a very stressful experience (marathoning till 4 AM for five contiguous worknights = not relaxing.) Reading Doubt by myself in the dead of the night at a vacant house (house-sitting) is NOT relaxing. Screaming blue-faced at Sunrise (AND CLAMP, mind you) every weekend after getting trolled half to death by their evil lovechild Geass is NOT relaxing! So yes, thank you Natsume, for calming my nerves.

{insert facepalm here}

I got the strong impression that the studio was in a mad rush to get to the meat of the episode. Aside from taking Takashi's obnoxious proclivity for narrating the obvious over the edge (refer to the second image), they also take a few liberties too many with the token friends. Seriously -- a pair of cardboard cutouts would have made more realistic buddies. Especially the dude (look~they are so indistinct, I can't even remember their names!) on the left. Totally brainless! This scene was a rather pitiful segue, so much so that I wonder whether or not it an intentional move. In either case it does not bode well.

You had it coming, buddy.

Seems Takashi has only been approached by anthropomorphic youkai as of late. The furries, okay maybe not the furries but the *hideous* ones are often pegged as the dangerous ones, as though a human appearance is indicative of a benign or reasonable disposition. But I don't know. I would probably run like hell if I this freak approached me.

(OMG ENTIRELY too cute.)

Madara has the dirt on the latest youkai as expected. It would be interesting to run into some ayakashi that know about him, for a change. We must learn about this fat badger's past....

Someone call Piccolo!

Heads up, here's another common characteristic of animu: disproportionately large moons. I think the only situation in which anyone realized that we would all die if the moon actually got that close was Majora's Mask.

~ドン！~ When Animals Attack, Part 15!

Here we go again with the untransformed attacks. He must be strong enough that he doesn't need to transform. A well-placed surprise blow from fat, tanuki-looking cat can work wonders.

Things that go, "I WANT YOUR BODY!" in the night.

And where was Nyanko-sensei?? While Takashi was being possessed, Nyanko was out getting smashed and simultaneously stuffing his fat gopher cheeks full of steamed buns. As I see it, he has abandoned his midnight vigils for one of three reasons: 1) Takashi gets visited mostly by youkai seeking to have their names returned in the middle of the night and Madara is sick of false alarms, 2) Takashi no longer allows himself to become unsuitably vulnerable while asleep, or 3) Madara is hoping Takashi will get his head handed to him one of these nights. I wonder about the third option.

That's the same expression I made when I saw the Drill Bra for the first time.

At first, I thought maybe he had been out too long, or that someone slipped something funky into his drink. Then I realized what the problem was...

Ever a slave to fashion, aren't you Ta-kun!

The blue hair and eyes are a side effect of being possessed by the koto player. The umbrella dude ("Bullseye", as Takashi decides to call him) had visit Takashi in the middle of the night and allowed his friend to possess his body. Conveniently (or inconveniently, depending on whose perspective we are speaking from) she will not be able to leave until she has fulfilled a material wish that will put her to rest and allow her spirit to float free... Sounds like bullshit to me. I would have called the shotacon and tried an exorcism first.

Good FABULOUS morning!

Looks like some of Shuuichi's 'charm' rubbed off on Takashi when he grabbed him those fifteen or so times last week. Don't worry; it will wash off. Be sure to bathe twice a day in Gundam machine oil.
Another side effect of being possessed is that the blue-haired beauty's persona will occassionally commandeer Takashi's bodily functions, similar to how Birdy can push Tsutomu's psyche to the backseat when she feels the need. The bad part is that Takashi will begin to strongly exude her ambiance, so strongly that it overrides his physical appearance. Let's just hope Bullseye's remaining eye works very, very, very well.

A-fishing we will go.

When Takashi learns that he has no way out except to grant their wishes, he begrudgingly concedes. At least that's his story. We know the truth though -- deep down, he's just a big softie with a little bit more compassion than he would like to admit. Oh yea, so he's fishing because Bullseye said that they needed to construct a new koto. The strings are made from a special youkai carp called a senbiki, I think. I could be wrong.

Flashbacks to time spent in Mibu's forest.

Mibu was a god that all the little ayakashi (nymphos) gathered 'round to play sweet melodies and to pacify the environment. Foremost among them was the blue-haired Asagi.

(That's his current caretaker/mother-figure, by the way.)

This was cute also. Poor Takashi must have been so lonely as a child... but wait! Is it really that bad? From time to time I succumb to the notion that NYC overdramatizes his situation. Consider Kimihiro Watanuki from xxxHOLiC. He lost both of his parents when he was young and learned to live alone at an early age. You don't see him running around and whining about how he's the only one that can see ayakashi.

But realistically, it's like comparing apples to oranges. Personally I doubt I would have been so tough as to weather the death of my parents and learn to live in solitude. NYC with all of its melancholy is a more convincing portrayal of a boy who can see the supernatural and is isolated by his eccentric worldview. Pausing every once and again to probe Takashi's feelings adds dimension and depth.

A horrifying dream of Asagi's disease.

Asagi knew no greater joy than to play at the feet of her cherished Mibu. But her body is stricken by a bizarre disease where it dries out like dirt and crumbles into dust. She loses her capacity to play the koto. Mibu, who had generously taken her in, abandons her. All that remained was her cherished friend, Akagane (Bullseye.)

I'm not sure that a one-shot sob story like this was very effective for eliciting an emotional response. It didn't do it for me the same way past episodes have, probably because the animators simply couldn't spend enough time on developing Asagi's backstory. The disease is atrocious, no doubt, but somehow my mind was brimming with afterimages of the goofy antics that happened towards the beginning and couldn't drink in the gravity of he situation. This is a downside of squeezing too many dramatic feels into one episode. It softens the peaks and valleys.

Fucking creepy, pt. 2.

Youkai-of-the-week. Expect it to return later for a dinner date. Kind of reminds me of the "maerimashita" (sp?) dude from the second or third episode, if the caption didn't tip you off. And now, a haiku:

She will play once more -

Koto in hand and in heart,

Akagane's love.

Production budget was on the downswing this time. Guess what they decided to use for the lovely, divine, exquisite koto melody rendered by Asagi? NOTHING!

The cute meter has been broken!

Next Episode:

SHIROI KOBUTA!

A much-anticipated Nyanko-sensei episode!! (Japanese lesson: 'Shiroi' means 'white'. Ko' means 'child', or 'little'. 'Buta' means 'pig'. Put them together, and you get 'shiroi kobuta', or 'white piglet'!)

Well I must say the good folks at Brains Base (ブレインズ･ベース) have really raised the bar on this series. This week's ep was every bit as entertaining as the last, but in a different, lulzy, furikuri sort of way. Takashi finally meets (or more like, "is molested by") another person who possesses the same gift of sight that he does... only to discover that Shuuichi Natori is a capricious shotacon who won't hesitate to stab a youkai in the eye if properly provoked. This encounter is just dripping with irony, and Takashi learns at length that even the most striking similarities in life experience cannot guarantee intimacy, empathy, relationship; solidarity. Whose side are you on now, Takashi?

Nyanko-sensei is starting to enjoy being a 'cat' a little too much. This time he scares the daylights out of some poor dog.

Looking more like Garfield today, Nyanko!

*RUMBLE**RUMBLE* Is that an earthquake!? (Diet time, Garfield.)

So Takashi has to take the fat-ass cat on a walk haha. Walking cats on a leash never seems to work, though!

Let's play a game. I call this: "Let's Count The Number Of Times Shuuichi *Grabs* Takashi." I HAVE to rant and rave about Shuuichi in this post. Not because he dumps yaoi vibes on you in the first minute or so of screentime, but because he is a pushy bastard and needs to leave Takashi alone. (I have no problem with yaoi, but I DO have a problem with STALKERS.) As if the poor kid isn't being harassed enough by Reiko's victims! I'm certain Nyanko-sensei agrees with me.

"1"

"2", because he didn't need to maneuver himself *behind* Takashi. The game shall continue.

A brief summary of events is in order: Takashi accidentally trips over someone napping in the middle of a grassy field while walking his fat cat. That someone turns out to be mega-famous actor Shuuichi Natori (why the HELL are you napping in the middle of a shoot?), who promptly executes a physically-impossible Matrix move and stops Takashi's fall in the most provocative way possible. Takashi notices a lizard-tattoo on his neck. They exchange pleasantries; Shuuichi returns to the set. The two will meet again shortly.

Ugh, it's that hat again!

On his way home, Takashi spots a new masked youkai walking with a rope around her neck and bandages on her hand. He tries talking to her, but she rudely refuses his company. Nyanko-sensei remarks that he needs to NOT talk to youkai without thinking it over beforehand, reminding Takashi that he is not in a position to readily engage them (and with good reason -- it will just be more trouble for Madara if he gets himself in a pickle again.) "Right," he thinks to himself, "Why do I reach out to youkai so easily?" The episode jumps to a brief dream/flashback of people condemning Takashi for "making up creepy lies" and other bitter memories. He wakes with a start in the middle of the night.

*Sigh* You know, the Yuujin-chou would REALLY come in handy at times like this.

Takashi's next encounter with Shuuichi has little to do with chance. Shuuichi has stalked Takashi home and sent one of his two youkai hench(wo)men after him in paper form to "test" his abilities. A vaguely anthropomorphic scrap of paper glides into his room, expands in size and chases Takashi out into the night, eventually wrapping itself tightly around his body and binding his movements.

Do I detect a similar taste in fashion? (I'm talking about the hat >_< !)

Takashi rips free, and notices Shuuchi standing a few feet ahead of him. (NOTE: Now, how exactly did he figure out where Takashi lived? More than that, what would he have done if Takashi *hadn't* broken free!?) Shuuichi confesses that he is interested in Takashi because (as he suspected) Takashi can also see youkai; the purpose of his "paper test" was to confirm this suspicion.

Here comes the interesting part: Shuuchi admits that he has another job in addition to being a star actor. He also works part-time as a youkai exorcist! And it just so happens that he is looking for an office bitch boyslave assistant to help him with his duties. Right. We believe you. (NOTE: If people with the ability to see youkai are so rare, to the point where Shuuichi might be the only one out there, how could he possibly be looking for another one? I smell a rat.) Takashi refuses the offer, but Shuuichi persists...

"3", on a 'date-by-force.'

End summary. So what has happened here? At last, Takashi has met the very person he has been longing to meet -- another human who can share in his experiences, empathize with him, and possibly fill the periodically vacant role of 'guardian' in his life.

I cannot account for the character design in the manga, but the animators go to great lengths to draw (no pun intended) parallels between Takashi and Shuuichi. For starters, they look very similar, if not almost exactly the same. They both have strangely-colored eyes. They are both capable of seeing youkai and they both endured difficult childhoods because of this unusual sensitivity. They even both like to wear funny hats. So, amorous notions aside, why is he not a perfect match for Takashi?

"4", because this youkai (one of Shuuichi's cohorts) pisses me off. She reminds me of that hairy bastard from Basilisk.

Sensei doesn't approve of shotacons.

Bring the pain!

Ready for war!

Takashi concedes to a meeting, after much stress and distress.

A match made in heaven? Hardly. Unfortunately, a glaring, irreconcilable difference stands between them -- their respective attitudes towards youkai. That's right, the very thing that attracts them repels them. Shuuichi calls himself a youkai exorcist, but 'exorcist' is really a euphemism for 'hunter' as far as Takashi is concerned. Shuuichi kills youkai. He is willing to hurt them without remorse. This is something that Takashi simply cannot accept, as he prefers to 'live and let live', even putting himself in harm's way to ensure that youkai do not become the victims of violence. He will again valiantly struggle for his ideals in this episode, this time to save the masked-youkai from Shuuichi, as she just so happens to his next target.

"5"

Youkai: NATSUME! NATSUMEEE! HAND OVER TEH BOOK OF FR~ *STAB* AUUUUUUGH!

ROFL! "Two can play this game." I think Shuuichi is enjoying it a bit too much, though -_-;

We can't leave out the boss youkai-of-the-week, can we! Our blue behemoth snares roughly ten seconds of screen time before he is stabbed in the eye and sent on his merry way. ...No, it wasn't cool. It is fun to watch the Natsumes throw blows with youkai, but Shuuichi's stick action was mildly disturbing because Reiko may have been violent, even brash, but never cruel.

Shuuichi's blow is the malicious, congealed expression of numerous difficult childhood experiences and negative impressions involving ayakashi. In that respect, Shuuichi kind of strikes me as a sci-fi duplicate of Takashi, sort of like an evil doppelgänger from a parallel dimension or perhaps the not-so-distant future. If Takashi had begun to hate youkai, he may well have developed similar streaks of spite. But Takashi is a gentle soul with a good heart. And now, a haiku:

Another masked one

Trapped in a maze of despair

Can he save her life?

The episode concludes without any indication that the two will ever be able to reconcile their differences. Yet they both learn an important lesson. According to Shuuichi: "Understanding others is a difficult thing. For everyone, you see." Still feeling lonely, Takashi? Start back at square one, and try first to understand the people around you. Who knows, maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.

Next Episode:

Makoto Shishio comes back from Hell to play the koto?

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...

LOLCATS 2099! Btw, does anyone know if a Madara plushie has been manufactured yet? I will make it mine...

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...

Another mask. No wonder they thought she was possessing him. Takashi is bound to be wary of youkai bearing masks at this point.

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.

A fated encounter.
Strange, how a firefly can be entertained by fireworks.

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?

Yea dude, hw sux!

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.

Oh, the irony! Takashi, I think he needs to be more worried about getting tackled by you.

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.

LOL. The question is, which is which, amirite??

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):

Inevitable,

The pain of separation.

Time to say goodbye.

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...

Try this when you are drunk. It'll look like Lumine Hall. You might even see your thoughts.
I repeat: don't let the cuteness fool you. Nyanko-sensei is a repository of untold 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

After watching episodes four and five, I was almost certain that episode six would crystallize my tentative decision to sweep Nastume Yuujin-chou into THAT’s ‘Dropped’ section and close the lid. Anxiously certain. Freedom was so close, I could almost taste it. I probably would have done so much sooner if the choice to drop another anime series hadn’t been such a tough call. After all, I’m a relatively new addition to THAT and I would like not to peg myself as some rambling, fly-by-night otaku with a short attention span and a troubling fondness for commas. On the other hand, I was getting bored to tears watching Takashi shuffling around returning names like a temp worker.

Episode six squelched the evil little whispers in my head nudging me to kick this anime aside. It is easily the most exceptional yet, another story of a heartfelt reunion that spans captivating visuals, a colorful episodic plot and a few patches of sentimentality in just the right places. I’ll even admit that I shared a tear or two with Natsume-dono toward the end of his brief adventure with the swallow-youkai. It really felt like something deep inside his soul had defrosted, watching Takashi’s eyes glisten as he raised his head to the sky with potent and touching sincerity. Also amazing was the fact that his catharsis was initiated by a demon—more proof that feelings are capable of transcending the descriptive boundaries of “ayakashi” and “human.”

"Amazing look", indeed. While the quality of each episode has steadily increased, that's more than I can say for Takashi's sense of fashion. Take that silly hat off! >_<

Episode seven was slightly weaker than its forerunner thanks to a patent drop in animation quality. If you ask me, all the artsy-fartsy stills are nothing more than a lurid attempt to build budget, either in anticipation of something superb or in the wake of episode six’s smashing impact; as I have stated before, stills are the standard fare of the past and no longer capable of eluding scrutiny amidst the modern anime studio's usual panoply of animation techniques... But that’s okay because I enjoyed it anyway! I am sensing a general increase in charisma.

So, seeing as my faith/interest/patience has been phoenix-downed it looks like I’m back on the Natsume-wagon… for the time being. Episode six is really the highlight here. I would at least like to praise this series for its mercurial goodness before signing off on it completely. Join me now, but don’t expect it to last through the Fall season’s onslaught. Fair enough?

Impressions, Episode 6

Takashi-kun faints from being possessed at the beginning of the episode.

Takashi is a dichotomy of a character. I cannot conclude my feelings about him. Is he resilient, and worthy of hardship? Or is he delicate, and deserving of protection? Instances of physical exhaustion could be explained away as being caused by youkai (see above), yet they function to portray Takashi as alternately strong (consider when he fights back) and weak (sleeping after returning names from the Yuujin-chou, the said fainting spell, etc.) The difficulty is that it is a fairly consistent circumstance for Takashi's 'normal' social activities to be interrupted by the supernatural. This a problem for someone who is in the process of writhing free from social ineptitude. As far as character development is concerned, it is like potting a sapling in soil one day and thrusting it into gravel the next; these ever-changing situations leave little opportunity for Takashi's essence to firmly take root. I would appreciate an episode where he didn't get harassed, but that's probably just wishful thinking.

So, this is what "swallows" like to eat, hmm... Maybe mutant swallows!

It is quite intriguing how, just as with Tsuyukami (sp?), the offering of food to youkai by humans serves to nurture them in some fashion, whereas other youkai prefer to dine on humans themselves. Aside from obvious differences in the choice of cuisine, the main difference lies in presentation: humans do not offer themselves when forcibly consumed, yet it would seem human food (less favored than human flesh, I would imagine), when offered, takes on an entirely new significance and potency for youkai. Ironically, it is human offerings, not human flesh that enable them to assimilate the glories of human existence.

I chose the tagline 'blurring the lines' for this post because each progressive episode of Natsume removes a bit of the distinction between humans and youkai/ayakashi. We have seen now, multiple instances of humans falling in love with youkai, and vice versa. Though they are separated by form and the spheres that they inhabit, Takashi-kun is coming to understand that these barriers are not absolute.

Quite similar to the Hyakkiyako in xxxHOLiC.

Having succumbed to the swallow's pleas for assistance in meeting her most-precious person, Takashi once again finds himself going the extra mile to obtain a magical yukata that will transform the wearer into a human for a single night. A 'perfect fit,' I'd say...

Thus, the lines have blurred.

Impressions, Episode 7

A handsome reward to the man or woman who can tell me what gender this creature is.

Episode seven explores feelings of uselessness and the desire to feel needed by others. Takashi smiles happily when Shigeru (his host father) requests a favor of him. In contrast, the fox-child wrestles new feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy with his/her mother recently deceased. The anime's sense of symmetry once again shines through, and the cycle of give-and-take indicated by Lelangir is also propagated when Takashi is (presumably) generously reciprocated for his earnest offer of help in the previous episode. What goes around comes around; this time, it is his turn to feel needed.

SSBM, anyone?

Takashi lives up to his reputation as a "Natsume."

And now, a haiku (follow the lines):

Do notice the leaf

An offering in the rain

One cannot ignore

Much as Takashi has come to love youkai, the impressionable fox child bravely ventures past its dislike for humans (after being saved from the bullies), and even goes so far as to offer our human hero shade from the rain. It is not long before Takashi becomes the next human on a youkai's 'person I must see' list.

This was a little too cute for me to leave out. Even furries need love and affection!

It couldn't be helped.

Shokkeru's Humble Opinions

Episode 6

Oh, come on Sasada. You know you liked it... Oh gawd, what's wrong with me.

So episodes six and seven have something in common. Takashi bonding with animal spirits (although there aren't really uncommon or anything). Episode six involved Takashi meeting a female spirit who used to be a sparrow. I honestly thought this episode was a little slow and uninteresting at first. It was really more of the same stuff, the whole "Hey gimme back my name" sort of deal. But I was shocked emotionally once Tsubame first met the man she was looking for. I believe that was easily the turning point of the episode and became a heroic struggle for Takashi to allow Tsubame's emotions to reach the man. And when Tsubame finally got to meet with him, I almost cried as Takashi did in the end.

Initial reaction: Crazy spirit bitch.

Well that didn't last long. Talk about your mood swings.

Tsubame's personality was a bit of a strange one for me at first. When she had the mask on, she seemed like the stereotypical crazy spirit that's out to get Takashi, but once that said mask came off, her personality changed dramatically. I'm not sure whether it was the mask (which would explain it very conveniently) or simply a drastic mood swing... not that it matters much. I bring this up because I think it shows how even in shows based on things that have been used over and over again (spirits, supernatural beings, etc) that you can be pleasantly surprised and still find something special in episodes such as these. Tsubame's personality by the end of the show allowed for a heartwarming atmosphere and really let you connect with the characters more. The bond between Takashi and Tsubame turned out to be more interesting to watch than the relationship with Tsubame and that one guy (don't really care about his name enough to look it up again). And I'm so glad that Tsubame wasn't another one of those "I'mma get chu!" types of spirits.

Takashi you player. You already have Sasada, damn it.

Episode 7

Oh hey, you're the guys from episode three. Wait, you're not the same guys? They're your cousins? Okay, that explains it.

Episode seven has Takashi meeting with a (feminine)little fox-spirit boy. I'm not sure what to think of this episode really. It was cute, nice and overall a happy episode to watch, but I didn't really feel any depth or overwhelming emotions like I did with some of the other episodes. I guess it was a nice little story and pleasant enough to watch. The spirits with the same designs as the guys from episode three really annoyed me though. Being bigger and a different color doesn't really cut it for me.

Yes, it's a boy. Don't let the hat fool you.

So the only thing I can really take from this episode is that Takashi likes furry shota traps... okay, just kidding. But, damn do they make it really confusing. Not that it matters much since you can make the fox child either a boy or girl and nothing would change in the story, but it's really hard not to think about it. I've heard he wasn't as feminine in the manga so there should have been less confusion. The anime, however, turned this character so trap-like it's almost disturbing.

Yes. Become a man!

Atta boy!