Forum - View topicThe Beginner's Guide to Natsume Yūjin-Chō
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AndresP
Posts: 2 |
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Natsume is one of the gems I've found after not watching anime for...well, longer than some fans have been around. The series' focus on empathy as a conflict resolution technique is refreshing. Natsume could have been written as the stereotypical anime character with no emotions and zero social skills. Instead, you get glimpses of his terrible upbringing and that past has made him a better person. He's opening up to his friends and family as the show progresses, I love the progress his character has made.
It's also nice the series has almost zero fan service. It's a show that I can easily recommend to friends with children without worrying about cringe-worthy scenes (I'm looking at you Izetta: The Last Witch [the bathing scene in ep. 3 or 4]). |
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ZetaZaku
 Posts: 137 |
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Beginners guide for Natsume: Start from episode one and watch everything because it's four 1-cour seasons, not One Piece/Detective Conan.
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Olaole
Posts: 39 |
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They could also just watch the entire anime in chronological order because it is really good, but I guess that is "too much effort"
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Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 9835 Location: Virginia |
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Watching only select episodes of Natsume is like eating the cherry off the top of a sundae. Sure it tastes good but the whipped cream and ice cream are heavenly as well. Why deprive yourself.
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Wingbeats
 Posts: 272 Location: Boise, Idaho |
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There's a few episodes I may skip on a re-watch, but I am very glad I watched it all. I discovered the show in 2015, after the previous four seasons were out, and binge-watching it was one hell of an emotional journey.
There are definitely episodes that make me tear up even on say, a third rewatch, and that is no small feat. (I'm looking at you, "Long Road Home.") It's not even sad feelings so much as "I relate to this so hard it hurts" feelings. Natsume is one of those characters in anime reminds me of myself, and it's painful in some ways. I recommend this show to anyone, even those who aren't so into slower-paced shows. Give it a chance! |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11340 |
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Whenever I re-watch Natsume, I settle in for the long haul, because there's very little stopping and no skipping.
 It totally draws me in from the first episode and I don't want any other series diluting it while I savor it all. Once this season ends, I'll be marathoning the whole series once again (which will make it 6 times through season 1, 5 for season 2, etc.). In other words, it has great re-watch value! 
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Kimiko_0
 Posts: 1796 Location: Leiden, NL, EU |
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Yah, my first reaction seeing this article was "Why do we need a 'Beginner's Guide' for Natsume Yuujinchou?" It's only 4½ seasons so far. You could watch that in one or two weeks without skipping anything. Save the Beginner's Guides for the Naruto/Dragon Ball stuff. That said, it's nice to see some attention for slice-of-life goodness like Natsume Yuujinchou
Btw, you forgot to mention the two OVAs. They're standalone episodes, so not required watching for the story, but they're there if you can't get enough of it
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Alan45
Village Elder Posts: 9835 Location: Virginia |
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@Gina Szanboti
If you like it that much, I really recommend reading the manga version. While the anime is remarkably faithful to the manga, the manga has a bit of a different feel do to the author's artwork. Also there are a number of short chapters only a couple of which have been adapted. I've reread all 19 volumes out currently and rewatched the first four seasons since the last episode was posted. It is quite an experience. |
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crosswithyou
 Posts: 2892 Location: California |
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Ahh... Natsume. My all-time favorite series. I knew there was going to be a season 5 somewhere down the line but 4 years was a long wait. (The wait between seasons 2 and 3 was equally as long, however.)
This "guide" to Natsume hits pretty much all the highlights but like others have mentioned, it doesn't take too long to just marathon the whole thing. Some episodes have better rewatch value than others but I think all the episodes are worth watching at least once since sometimes there are small callbacks to previous encounters. I love this series to pieces. It's a shame the manga went from monthly to bi-monthly publication due to the author's circumstances so the comics are now released at a snail's pace. I was fortunate to meet Midorikawa sensei a few years back at a signing event (which involved overnighting inside a parking garage in summer, but that's a story for another time...). With the 5th season on air, there's tons of collaborations going on. I look forward to going to the genga exhibit this weekend and hopefully I'll be able to hit up one of the collaboration cafes too. |
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Kougeru
 Posts: 5527 |
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I was gonna post the same thing. There's absolutely NO reason to skip any episodes, unless you're rewatching the show. And even then, I'd still say there's no good reason. I can't think of a single bad episode of this show in any season. There's no boring/unrelated "filler", there's no "Endless Eight". This article didn't need to exist. Just tell people to watch the show and that's it lol. |
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chaccide
Posts: 295 |
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I love this show, and more than that, I love Natsume. I've never understood someone loving a fictional character until I saw this show, but he's such wonderful character and he has such a good heart I can't help but adore him. I too recommend watching everything, but I can't marathon it. I hit so many emotional highs that it wears me out. My advice is to take it slowly and savor it.
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Northlander
 Posts: 901 |
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Beginners guide for Natsume Yuujinchou: Start with episode 1 of the first season and watch everything.
.....except episode 5 of season 1, which was made by people who (mistakenly) assumed Reiko was a callous asshole who didn't care about anyone and would much rather leave them crying at the train station after going ahead and egotistically dying. (Manga spoiler) spoiler[Or, as the manga has lately vaguely hinted at, possibly being killed.] And it's a filler episode, surprise surprise. |
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spoony
 Posts: 117 Location: Illinois, US |
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I confess I haven't watched anime for over a year but I am SO back for this!
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Darksorrow29
Posts: 412 Location: United States |
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Natsume is a shoujo show? ;o
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Blackiris_
 Posts: 535 |
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Yeah, the manga is running in a shoujo magazine. |
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