Natsume Yūjin-Chō Go

Episode 11

Natsume Yūjin-Chō Go might be the only anime airing that could get away with a wishy-washy episode like this one so well. When the plot is powered purely by feelings, it doesn't matter if the episode is a series of tenuously connected vignettes and fever dreams so long as the intended result—a mighty blow to the viewer's emotions—is executed flawlessly. This episode's torrent of differing perspectives culminated into one sweet revelation to close out the season.

The end of winter means it's test season for Natsume and his school friends. But in the yokai world, it's also prime time to view a particular type of flower, made all the more beautiful for its short blooming window. The mid-ranks don't care that their favorite entertainment source (as they refer to Natsume) isn't wearing a jacket; they just want him to see these flowers pronto. Of course Natsume does what he does best and immediately comes down with a nasty cold, worrying his foster parents, his friends, and the yokai who were to blame.

Even before Natsume comes down with the fever he has for most of this episode, the pacing is dreamlike. Through abrupt transitions from his secular school life to the spiritual yokai world, from outdoors to indoors, from the firm present to his shifting memories of the past, this half-hour feels more like a series of vignettes than one single story. It's mostly about Natsume reacting to the environments he's suddenly placed in, with the whiplash we get from switching back and forth between Natsume's friends and family and the yokai.

The most interesting part of the episode comes from the way that Natsume's conscious mind puts his yokai concerns in one box and his social life in another—because his subconscious certainly doesn't. Natsume has a fever dream in which some of his yokai friends wear school uniforms and attend class with him, and to top it all off, Nyanko-sensei is literally the teacher! For Natsume, this is nothing less than a nightmare, given the painstaking effort he makes to keep these parts of his life separate and not worry anyone. That's the advice Reiko gives him in the dream too: “If you're alone, you don't have to protect anyone.” It's simple advice that Natsume has been following for most of his life, but in an unexpected move, he decides to tell Tanuma about it. Telling a friend about your grandmother would be a small step for anybody else, but for Natsume, it's positively monumental.

This episode takes us down a winding road with stop-offs that don't always make sense. It's not until the end that all these pieces are tied together into one message. Natsume has the willpower to keep things from his friends and avoid hurting them, but perhaps he needs to let loose and open up more. Meanwhile, the yokai are too childish to restrain themselves from sweeping Natsume up into their diversions, but they do it out of affection for him. They're two sides of the same coin—both savoring this ephemeral time they share together.

And there you have it—another season of Natsume Yūjin-Chō on the books. The title's use of "ephemeral" certainly fits the bill; I didn't even realize this was the final episode at first! The latest volume of Natsume's story exited our screens as abruptly as it came. Fleeting as the yokai blossoms, we're left with nothing but fallen petals and bittersweet memories.

Rating: A

Natsume Yūjin-Chō Go is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist