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?
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.
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.
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.
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....
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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!
Next Episode:
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'!)
13 Comments
Damn it that’s it, I’ll have to pick this series back up. I feel like this episodic series has too much good stuff behind it too waste, and it warrants re-watching.
For me, the lack of music used during that scene made it even more moving than if there had been some sort of synthesised koto played instead. At times, it’s good for the show to leave things to the imagination of the viewer.
@lelangir: Glad to see your interest has been sparked again! Join me…
@Omisyth: I actually agree with you 100%. In anticipation of the koto scene, I was mentally rummaging through memories of the horrid, slapdash tunes used in other shows during key scenes like this one. Needless to say many a key moment have been ruined cruelly by bad vocals or awkward keyboard ditties (the worst is when they force the seiyuu, who completely lacks musical talent, to sing). So, yea, they probably erred on the side of caution in this episode.
But still, I was getting “low-budget” vibes all throughout this episode, so I had to give Natsume some shit :->
Actually the anime has cut off a lot of Natsume’s bad dreams and memories of his childhood, the manga usually opens with Natsume waking up from a bad experience from the past. Basically none of his relatives wanted him and he was passed around for the longest time. Not really sure how he ended up with the Fujiwara’s all I know is that Natsume’s dad was a friend of theirs and Mr. Fujiwara knew Reiko. I’m also guessing some of them mistreated him since there are times when he’s shown to have injuries, that’s why he was pretty emo when he thinks back as to how long he’ll be staying with the old couple who aren’t even blood relatives, oh and of course everybody ostracized him for claiming to see things. The manga has a far less cheerful and more short tempered Natsume, who punches the Youkai’s out cold instead of Nyanko-sensei coming to his aid LOLZ. Guess they wanted a less sulky and more gentle main character.
“The manga has a far less cheerful and more short tempered Natsume, who punches the Youkai’s out cold instead of Nyanko-sensei coming to his aid LOLZ.”
@Machi: Are you serious?? It’s time I read the manga, for realz.
Wah I don’t want Natsume to be like that. I’m sticking to the anime Natsume.
All I can say is…
Now that’s what you call a hot blue-haired bishoujo XD
Those moments where Takashi was mistaken with Asagi’s presence were priceless.
the manga is nicer, i’d say. The pace is a lot slower, as compared to all that rushing-along in the anime. And natsume has silver/grey-white hair in manga, which I think is nicer than the anime…
And I agree that the lack of music is a very good decision on their part.
couldn’t help but think “trap” during certain parts of this episode…
@Cherubium: I will admit that Takashi’s gentleness makes for a good contrast to Reiko’s rambunctious personality.
@Vin-nii: Icy-hot!
@Shokkeru: Kimochi warui!!!
@reika: Breakneck pace is a common problem with anime. The earlier episodes seemed to capture a sort of slowness, which I haven’t really detected in the more recent episodes. Makes me think that they are rushing to squeeze things in that they decided not to explore earlier. Or it could be that the arcs are swelling progressively as is often prone to happen in later manga volumes (I’m not making this up, right?)
@Ben: If the shoe fits… Takashi wears it well! Muahahaha!
After watching this…
the trap parts were hilarious, the comical music went really well with it.
but I kind of hated how we didn’t actually hear blue-haired-lady play. I think silence can be used effectively, but it doesn’t work (at least for me) when there’s supposed to be music. Remember the scene in H&C when Morita plays that thing from Mongolia? If I remember, there’s koto playing in Shigurui (or maybe not…), but I know I’ve seen and heard it “done well” (since I don’t know how it’s to be played anyway, apart from catering, theatrical performances) in anime elsewhere. Having a “silent performance” makes it seem convenient, or, as you put it, low budget – it’s just a cliched dramatic device, not an actual recital and doesn’t do any justice to the act itself (an injustice perhaps); at least to me a musical performance is much more about the music than the performance, which is superfluous. Though I guess the “musical” element in NYC wasn’t about the music to begin with (well that certainly reiterates my point…) but just a conduit to stir pathos.
On a random note, if Ken Muramatsu composed for this I’d effectively shit myself silly.
Ok. This time, I’m late to write up some comments. LOL
My fav scene is the “good morning” stuffs where various peoples go “ah sorry. I tot u r a girl” LOL.
Natsume suddenly swing tat way~ LOL gentle Natsume~
PS: Last time Natsume got “harass”. Tis time Natsume got “ownage”!! LOL
Really funny~ My stomach is hurting that i remember it now….