NATSUME YUUJINCHOU SHICHI

DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME DramaNatsume Yuujinchou Roku
MANGA DramaNatsume Yuujinchou
SPECIAL DramaNatsume Yuujinchou Shichi Special

REVIEWS

• 

  asphodelic

  50/100
  Consistency & Stagnation

  [There is no such thing as an objective review. Interpretations and opinions of all forms of art and expression are subjective.]

  Natsume Yuujinchou’s anime adaptation launched in July 2008. Over the course of the last sixteen years, the story has had seven full seasons and two OVAs. A lot can change for the author, the story, and the audience in that time. Yet Natsume Yuujinchou hasn’t changed much. It’s still sincere. It’s still beautiful. It’s still consistent. It’s a story so comfortable with itself that it’s completely and utterly stagnant. This latest installment rejects change, ignores character development, and barely dips its fingers into deeper emotional waters.

  Few anime are blessed enough to receive seven seasons, especially episodic stories. It's a testament to Natsume Yuujinchou's timelessness and quality of its work. But for a slice of life/supernatural narrative that’s this long running, I start to wonder: How is Natsume still in high school? He hasn’t celebrated a single birthday? How does he never get sick? Why do I feel like I know so little about him? How does the titular Book of Friends still have so many pages left, and why does it look thicker now than when the show began? Since it seems to have an infinite amount of pages, the only semblance of an overarching plot lies with the sole antagonist, Matoba. At this point, he’s the only character who challenges Natsume in any capacity. But even his story has no clear trajectory. If an episodic story doesn’t have an overarching external conflict to tie everything together, then I would hope it has a really strong internal conflict and/or character development for the protagonist. On both accounts, Natsume is left empty. More often than not, he feels like a spectator in other people's stories.

  By now, those who are still following Natsume Yuujinchou are the most devoted fans. I wouldn’t have watched this season if I didn’t have any fondness for it left, and wouldn’t have written this if I didn’t love this anime and what it has to offer. Natsume Yuujinchou is a small scale, well-intentioned story with a lot of heart—all things that have defined it since its beginning, and remain to this day. It’s reliable and easy to seek solace in because its consistency and predictability are a comfort. “Don’t fix what’s not broken,” after all. But if nothing changes, then a story and its characters are doomed to be little more than broken records.

  I find it incredibly ironic that the poster for Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi features autumnal leaves when, both in universe and figuratively, this seventh season has chosen to keep its summer skin. However, just because Natsume Yuujinchou is determined to remain evergreen, doesn’t mean it can’t at least try to grow.

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• ANIME

  DramaNatsume Yuujinchou