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This will be the first review I actually write for a movie that I didn't enjoy.

Story:

Okay so the story has a pretty good plot line with a lot of potential, plenty of time to develop it well, some good turns and twists, and overall some good writing. It had enough of a story going that I wanted to know what happened and kept me watching throughout the entire 2 hour film.

However with all the potential that it posessed to keep a viewer interested, I was so bored. I wanted to know how it ended and I wanted to see where the story went, but ... I was counting down the minutes to the end by halfway through. I give the writers props for coming up with a plot that's unique in it's own way and with the potential and the synopsis to get the viewers that it gets, but I couldn't sit through this movie again.


Animation:

The art style in this movie is reminiscent of the style put into more realistically drawn Ghibli films such as Grave of the Fireflies. Its pretty and the movements are smooth and it doesn't fall into the common style of "just change the hair and you have a new character" that a lot of anime in the past 10 years especially fall into.

The backgrounds especially are extremely detailed in mostly a good way. Considering it's movie about an artist you have to expect some of the art to live up to the character's standards and it does. My major problem with the animation would probably be that the real life backgrounds and cut scenes always seemed out of place. That and the opening scene with the terrible CG had me praying that it didn't carry out through the show and luckily it didn't.


Sound:

Music played barely any role in this movie. I could hear the background music but it didn't really dominate a scene which is both good and bad. I don't think that I could remember this movie by any special song and the music is normally something that sticks with a person even if they don't realize it.
There isn't too much that I can say about it either though, it was so slow paced with the same loop of music that I can't complain or comment so that's all I really have to say on the subject.


Characters

Makoto Kobayashi. Okay so here is our protagonist. Yes he's pretty dynamic. He goes from soft spoken, to confused, to nice, to total douche then back to being nice. He doesn't change enough for me to say that the plot really progressed his character though. It more seems like instead of the plot changing him to a different person it's bringing him back to who he was. And he was a very boring guy.

Mother. She has the potential to really carry the storyline to a wonderful climax but instead she just sits there and cries. She doesn't change in any way to help or hender the storyline.

Father. He's the peacekeeper of the show but considering that absolutely noone besides Makoto makes any conflict, and you're really on his side? Nothing you do matters. You're just kind of there to take up space.

Mitsuru. Another character that has the potential to drive the plot, and in certain instances he really does and I like him for that. I wish that the writers had given him more because he only got really 2 good scenes that gave him the depth I feel his character deserved.

Sano. She is extremely static. She is insecure and awkward and even makes the main feel awkward. Sure I feel sorry for her in one scene but if she didn't exist I feel like the plot would have really been almost exactly the same.

Hiroka. This character has such a deep story going for her that should be made into something just for her, but instead the main character gives her some truly beautiful words and then she's gone from the story and nothing more is said.

Purapura. He is one more character that has the potential to be his own story. I want to know more about him! And I never will!

Saotome. I don't know anything about him. He's poor and smiley. Woo.

Overall none of these characters were developed. They are all just there as background art with words. They have maybe one or two scenes where they push Makoto into something but for the most part Makoto pushes the story on his own and they are all useless characters.


Overall

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone really. I see the wonderful reviews of this movie and I can't see why it deserves it. I was bored, I learned a lot about a character I disliked and nothing about the characters I liked. The music I couldn't even comment on and the art style was the only good thing going for it.

I wish I could put more detail into my review but as long and slow paced as this story was, I barely got anything from it.

I got finished watching the first season of Natsume Yuujinchou and immediately went to the second. I have been looking at this show for months contemplating watching it and finally I did and I’m so happy. Even though the general idea of the anime (guy who can see something nobody else can see) has been done time and time and TIME again (Moyashimon, Yuyu Hakusho, Eerie Queerie, Legal Drug) however this one is done well and with a degree of originality.

Story:

Let me start by saying if you look at this and see a bishounen and hope for a lovey dovey romance to ensue ... with some other special human or a youkai then you should probably just walk away right now because you are going to be very disappointed. Though there are moments that Natsume gets a sort of crush on a youkai in the show, it’s not the point of the show and it’s not a major issue that is addressed later on in the show.

The series (for the main part) is pretty episodic, which in most cases I hate. But every once in a while a good anime comes through and makes me love it and its episodic-ness. This is one of them. Sometimes theres a few “IN THE LAST EPISODE” moments, and some characters, such as the 5 acre youkai, cross over into other episodes, but for the most part the series remains episodic.

I really enjoyed the details put into the series. Not many anime actually explain how the character knows what to do in those magical moments. It just happens. They just know to scream an attack and it happens. End of discussion. However in Natsume Yuujinchou, it shows every explaination of how he randomly learns to do something.

Another thing I like is that it doesn’t make all the youkai act just like humans but look funny. I like that youkai don’t pay attention to gender. Creatures are just creatures. Period. And that to me is a detail that makes the story a lot better in some scenes.

So finally what makes it stand out. Of course it’s the title object. The book. A book full of demon names that for some reason Reiko never gave back. Learning the back stories to all of these ayakashi is what makes this series worth every single moment you spend watching it. I can’t say anymore about it without spoiling an episode or two, but the more stories you go through the more you want to watch.

So the story is wonderful. Cons that took off two points? It is a concept that is done very often, and the concept doesn’t have a huge arch to keep with. It’s enough to keep a viewer watching, enjoying, and entertained, but not jumping out of your seat and excited like a 10 would do.

Animation:

I gave the animation an 8 out of 10. Why? It’s beautiful! And every youkai looks so different! And the backgrounds are so detailed! Yes this is all true, however there were a few cons. In the more action-y scenes, you’ll see a little bit of unnatural movement with the human characters. With the youkai you can shrug it off with “they don’t really exist so they don’t have to look natural” but that doesn’t work with the people.

Also the backgrounds as detailed as they may be at times, are unmoving. If there are a group of people in the background, the people are at a stand still. And unfortunately the show falls into the “I can see the different cell” trap. If there’s a box that’s about to burst open, it’s probably the one that you see that is a slightly different color scheme than the rest of the cell.

But there are a lot of good things about the animation as well. The details put into the show make things beautiful. And the animation during the “magic” scenes is so flowy and serene it really changes the atmosphere from an action to a spiritual feel.

Sound:

The soundtrack to this series is absolutely beautiful. I would give it a 10 if not for one thing. THE SOUND OF NATORI’S TATTOO. Ugh…I hate that sound. And it happens at times that are completely unnecessary. I understand that the point is to add the detail in there, but please…during those moments can it slither quietly? Please?

Although the music to this series isn’t as good as in the second season, I still could sit through the entire OP and EP each episode I watched (which takes a lot for some anime). And the background music is really good at fitting into the scheme of things. So I almost..aaaalllmost gave it a 10.

Characters:

Okay first the big guy. The protagonist. Natsume Takashi. He’s one of those guys with one of those skills that not many others posess and make him look crazy. So in reaction to that he keeps it a secret and is very much to himself. However he’s different than most other protagonist in these situations. He doesn’t completely shut himself off from the world on purpose. He zones out a lot and falls asleep a lot, but he welcomes friends and newcomers gladly, even if he doesn’t want them all knowing his secrets. He has an outlook all his own and he won’t change it.

And he knows himself, which is a quality that very few main characters posess. Most main characters spend half a series finding out what their weakness is and coming to terms with is. But he will bluntly say things like “If I feel like it’s important I just jump in even though I know it’s a bad idea. I don’t think about it.” Which he knows is a flaw to most people. Natsume’s values aren’t stupid either. He isn’t super insecure about his family that he has, his foster parents, but he respects them and tries his best just because of what he’s been though. And the more you get to know him the more you get to know how human he is. Not human in the sense of the show, but how like a human, you and me, he is. And that’s probably what makes it so easy to get attached to him.

Nyan-ko Sensei, aka Madara. He’s both our comedic relief and our secondary hero. There are moments where he runs off and you think “What the crap…get back over here” but that just ads to his degree of imperfection necessary to make a good character. He comes to the house drunk, eats a lot, gets on natsume’s nerves, and yet everyone else seems to love him. He’s old and wise, though he tries not to show the old part unless he wants to scare someone, but sometimes he can just be a douche. Eh they’re tiny, doesn’t matter you can’t fight for beans they aren’t worth my time so you can deal with them, Natsume. Nyan-ko also has that “Only I can kill you” complex. Though lets face it, he’s not gonna kill him. But there are some points where you see in the beginning he really didn’t care if he died as long as he inherited the book, but as time goes on he goes from intrigued to entertained by the events.

Sasada. She is goofy. She has her respectable “class rep” moments and her “I’m a mischeivous little turd” moments that make her stand out. I love that she isn’t just a stick in the mud and has a story of her own, unlike the other two classmates. She is really what gives depth to the other background characters, and was the topic of one episode, but all together, I can see where she could possibly a fan favorite, though mine comes as a pair up next.

Kitamoto and Nishimura. They have to be listed as a pair. This isn’t just one of those cases where the two background characters come around and make everything funny and that’s their whole point. I love the fact that they force Natsume to be their friend. Natsume never stood a chance at being a loner with these two around. And they provide some pretty good details to the story. Their whole point is to drag Natsume to numerous other side characters, but at least they aren’t boring and at least they get screen time. They bring a smile to my face almost every time they are on screen.

Tanuma. He is awesome. I love how he and Natsume just click from the beginning. He can be a bit of a bore sometimes because he can be brought on just to pick on sasada during her crazy moments, but other times he’s just a nice guy that you can’t stand to hate.

Touko and Shigeru. I love these two more than real parents in anime. Touko is such a sweet woman but not perfect, which makes her amazing. And Shigeru is so chill with everything. If these two have to have a flaw it would probably be that they don’t really exist as people. I just wish I knew a little more about them. Why dont’ they have kids? Why did they live alone before? That’s possibly to be revealed in a sequel so we’ll see I suppose.

And side characters. Because this show is episodic there are a LOT of recurring and not recurring side characters. Some of my favorites would probably be the 5 acre youkai, like I said. They are just so goofy. But I love how each one has their own story and each one is either loveable or hateable.

Finally Reiko, who isn’t in the series, but is flashbacked in it. I dont like her. Why? Because she’s confusing. I can’t tell if she’s a bad person or just a cocky person or if the writer of the show even knows. By the end of this series I just couldn’t figure out if she was a good person or a person who constantly has to have her screw ups fixed by her grandson.

Enjoyment:

This show is beautiful, and amazing. If there was a 5th season I'd be watching it. I can't find where taking a point away from the enjoyment of this show would be valid because it's pretty freaking amazing.

Overall:

So I guess that’s my review of Natsume Yuujinchou. Quickie review: It’s beautiful with a few jagged moments, the sound track is gorgeous with one sound I hate, the story, though done before, is original in it’s own ways which make it lovely, the characters are loveable and fun which make this an easy watch.

So I would definitely say to watch this series. Now I’m going on to the next season. Enjoy!

Alright so I write some pretty long reviews. I'll try to make it as spoiler free as possible too. So here we go:

Story.

I gave the story a 7 out of 10. That means that it's a great plot with some minor things I didn't like. I knew from the beginning that this was going to be the type of show where it pushes the limits. However I didn't know if it was going to push the limits the way that 80's rock did (wonderfully) or like Lady Gaga (wtf?).

Most of the time the story pushed the limits in a good way. Most of ... the time. There were some moments where I felt that the writers put in moments to make the viewer squirm and not in the way that keeps the storyline going. And some moments that they added those factors in just ruined the mood that the scene had.

There were also a few things I would have liked to see more progressed. However I love the ends that it tied together. Even if some of them left me going "What what?" None of my confusion was really bad in the end. I even really enjoyed the ending, but there is no way I can describe it without spoiling it, so I'll just let the future viewer decide how they feel.

Art:

I loved the art style in this show. There were a few moments with derp faces in the background or a cock eye or something, but nothing that I can really point out. I love that the mood is always there in the art style, whether it be a romantic moment or a drastic action moment.

The fact that the style changes in a way so subtle you don't notice but so deeply that it can change the entirety of the situation tells you that they have some wonderful artists working on this project. There was very little wrong I could find in the art style. Why take off one point? Mainly the derp faces in the background and the fact that the version I saw had most of the gore blurred out so I can't judge on it. Sadface.

Sound:

The soundtrack for this show (not including EDs and OPs) was pretty. In all cases. It could have me on the edge of my seat and having goosebumps with the writing, or could have me saying "Aawww!" in the very next moment. I have to say, there was a couple I was rooting for in this series.

I took off a point for the sound because the second season OP was terrible. It was such bad engrish that if not for the karaoke subs up top I wouldn't be able to understand it. The one time I did I thought I heard "Will you kee yo freh if you can foofy you dree" Wait what? Stop that. Speak japanese or GTFO. Both the endings and the first opening were pretty fantastic though. It takes a lot for a japanese song to get stuck in my head but that first opening did it for me.

Characters:

There are so many words I want to put into this section alone but I can sum it up with one. Wow. Okay maybe you need more words than that.

The characters in this show are absolutely amazing. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses, horrible backgrounds, and they don't skimp on the details at any time. I love each and every game character's story, even if I hate the story, I still love it. I love how they give so much depth to each and every person that you can love them, hate them, and love to hate them. But I can't think of a single person that I was only "eh" over.

The fact that you can get so dedicated and so interested in these characters with this show tells me that the writers put a lot of effort into making this show wonderful and it paid off. I'd give a full summary of every character but I can't spoil it. Let me just say though, Yuno is a gorgeous rounded insanely amazing character. And Yukiteru is the most dynamic character I have ever seen in an anime.

Enjoyment:

The shock factor did take some of the points off on this, and the second opening, and there were some moments that I was really wanting to skip a scene just to see what happens because I was tired of (what I though) was filler. Let me just tell you, btw, if you think it's filler? It's not. Totally necessary every single freaking time. Remember everything.

Because of the major issues with the shock factor I had to take off those points though, because I think that sometimes the writers just needed to know that some things were a little unecessary. But I only took a point and a half off for that. The other half was for that opening...uuugghh

Overall:

I gave this show a 9. Why? I averaged it up and rounded up. If I hate a show I average down, with this one I averaged up. Because I really enjoyed it. Even with the flaws it's still a show I would recommend to anyone that's looking for something after Higurashi especially. And I'm a big fan of survival game series. So I hope after reading this either you agree with me because you've already seen the show, or you decide that it sounds interesting enough and decide to watch it finally. It's pretty great, so enjoy.

Flowy artwork and enjoyable storyline along with amazing characters make this movie worth watching. I watched it when I was a toddler and grew up loving it. Nemo is a boy plagued by nightmares and when the circus comes to town, he's taken off to Slumberland. There he meets the princess, King Morpheus, and many more friends that bring this adventure to a wonderful climax. If you liked Spirited away, you'll love Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. It's based off of a 50's comic strip by the same name. Very underappreciated and underexposed, but well worth watching.