A good start to the new year: Natsume Yuujinchou Shi 1, Chihayafuru 13

For several days, between the fall and winter season I ran out of things to watch. I marathoned Bakemonogatari, but after that–nothing. I was surprised at how restless I got. Finally, some fresh episodes have arrived. Not much. The new show floodgates haven’t opened yet. But I got to watch two quality episodes, one from an older franchise that makes a welcome return, and the other from one of the best ongoing shows. Here we go with 2012!

Natsume yuujinchou didn’t take long to bring us another season. We were just saying goodbye to him and Nyanko back in September, and that was the third season. Now we get season shi, and maybe because there was so little time between seasons we start with a slam-bang two-parter involving some dangerous enemies, though we’re not sure who the enemies actually are.

They look like bad guys, but they're not, well, actually they're not really good, either.

Natsume helps out a youkai and is immediately waylaid by others, seeking the book of friends. Nothing new there. In many episodes that’s what drives the plot. But this pack of giant owls are different from the other youkai Natsume has met. They attack in a group, for one. Also, they see absolutely nothing wrong with marching into Natsume’s high school and trying to snatch the book right there, in front of one of Natsume’s friends (who can’t see it of course, but if a buddy of yours suddenly started twisting in convulsions it would freak you out a little. Natsume’s going to have some explaining to do when this this is over, but he’s probably used to that. And we’re all by now used to Nyanko appearing out of nowhere for no reason to save the day; he manages to do it twice this episode. I think they ought to work on that. It’s at the point where I can’t see Natsume cornered anymore without thinking “It’s okay, Nyanko’ll show up any second.” No tension at all.

As usual, she can't see them at all.

A little more realistic are the other kids in on Natsume’s secret. One of the show’s little charms is that Natsume started off alone but, slowly, has been developing a group of helpers. We see them early in the episode in a “let’s see how everyone’s doing since we last saw them” way. We also see two of them (forget the names) witness Natsume’s attack. In the past that would have meant little, but these days it’s practically a call to the cavalry. These kids don’t have Natsume’s ability, at least not to the extent he does, but they know the danger he puts himself in (pointed out by Tanuma early on). They’ll no doubt have a role in this first story arc.

They don't look so threatening when they're in a cute bottle shape.

As for the arc itself, I hope it’s not an indication of how the current season will go. The series is at its strongest when it doesn’t bother with larger forces battlig youkai and all the politics and violence that causes. Give me the simple stories where something is wrong, but it’s because of a misunderstanding, or a grudge or love held a long time which must be let go of. So to begin the episode with Matoba, the most feared of the bad guys, is a bad sign for the rest of the series. Not that it matters. Even stories like these are a a lot better than most of the anime we get nowadays, and we’re already seeing that even this story will fall along lines that emphasize the show’s strengths. The youkai who attacked Natsume are actually the victims. Matoba is their their assailant. Natsume and his book are stuck in the middle. Peace will be made, one way of the other. Welcome back, Natsume and Nyanko!

For a while I thought Chihayafuru 12 might have been the end of its season. There was a week or two where it didn’t run, it ended on a perfect note for a break, with Chihaya gazing at the omi Jingu, and the show never runs previews anyway. But now we’re back with episode 13 and the first day of the national tournament, and the show demonstrates again that it’s not a run-of-the-mill competition anime.

Focus ... focus ... focus ...(plunk).

It starts straightforwardly enough. They settle in. Porky gives a rundown of their first opponent. Other teams look at them as the team that’s been together three months and yet beat the fearsome Hokuo team. They pray at a shrine and Chihaya wishes only to prevent accidents. Then that dark-haired girl passes by … and is forgotten. The show is planting seeds. When the team match begins Chihaya inexplicably falls sick (if this were some other show, based on the heartbeat effect they toss in, I’d say the dark-haired girl is responsible). She gets dizzy while shouting at herself to concentrate and … we leave her.

Hey, ah, what about the match? What about Chihaya?

The next ten minutes belongs to Arata, heading for the venue, lost, and thinking back to his grandfather. We learn a lot more about his grandfather’s wavering dementia, which goes away the moment he realizes it’s a day for Arata’s big match, so why isn’t he there? With hindsight it’s a tragic predicament for Arata. We know already that the old man dies while Arata was at that match, when he was supposed to be at home taking care of him. But it was his grandfather who ordered him to go! That’s enough of a clash between duties to make anyone freeze up and not play for a while. And what an odd place to put it: in the middle of an important match where Chihaya is falling ill.

Now the two stories merge. Chihaya faints just as Arata (who’s found his way to the venue) spots her. There’s a fascinating moment where Taichi, carrying her out, sees Arata and has him take her. After all, they can still win the match. You wonder what his feelings are that Arata’s there, but realize that those feelings aren’t iimportant right now. Which leads to the touching reunion scene, followed by, happily, after all the drama, a lighter touch (I loved Sudo’s lecture). What also worked: the team won the match without her, but were eliminated later. That’s a positive but realistic way for the team tournament to end. Expect more drama next week when the individual matches begin.