Episode 12 –
Once again, Natsume Yuujinchou shows us something that we’ve rarely seen in the series; a glimpse into Natsume’s childhood and, more specifically, a brief look at some of the people who raised him (and the resentments that built up as a result). We’ve rarely met the people whom raised Natsume as a child, and seeing how their presence affect Natsume’s growth is rather interesting. On a slightly different note, I do believe that this is the first 3-episode arc we’ve seen out of this series, and it looks like it will be quite the nostalgia-driven one.
Considering that this is supposedly the final season of Natsume Yuujinchou (saddenning, I know), I can see why the creators have decided to tackle Natsume’s past. His past has always lingered over him like a shadowy figure, and was the root to his insecurities with regards to youkai. Thus, it’s only fitting that the series wraps up by detailing what he lived through, and how he matured through his experiences. It’s quite noticeable from all of the flashbacks in this episode, where we see Natsume as an innocent child whom slowly comes to a realization that he is a bit different, and that he was disliked for his “strange” tendencies. The trend of being ostracized by peers is something he would experience for years, but revisiting the time period when it first began was a great way to develop Natsume’s character.
In comparison to before, when Natsume would adamantly deny his past and try to forget it, Natsume has matured to the point where he has come to accept his past, and understands why everything around him unfolded the way it did. As a child he may have found things unfair, but he’s come to accept everything now that he’s much older; his decision to visit his long forgotten old home is indicative of such. Having to once again face the people and experiences that traumatized your past is a brave but difficult thing to do, and it’s this final confrontation with his own past that this arc is covering.
In that sense, this arc is fitting way to wrap up this series. While I would’ve preferred to see much more of Reiko and her past (and how she ended up having children), in the end Natsume is the central character. This arc gives off the feeling that everything has run in full circle; Natsume went through tough times as a child, grew up to accept youkai and humans, made some fun friends, and now is revisiting his past for one last time. It’s a fitting way to show the fruition of Natsume’s growth as a character, all the way from the frightened youkai-fearing Natsume from season 1, to the current Natsume who has grown to accept everything about himself.
Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5
Screenshots are later in the post.
Distant Paradise 