Today is a big day for 20-year-old housecat Buchio, but he’s not too happy. Our little bro is going through a big change. His tail is starting to split, signifying his transition from a typical cat into a walking, talking nekomata. However, he’s a bit shy about this new transition as nekomata don’t have the best of reputations, and he just wants to live a normal life. However, after some reassurance from his family, he accepts his new transition…though there are a few problems. First, the paperwork. Newly reborn yokai must register and sign up for health insurance. A daunting task for humans, much less cats. (Don’t get me started about signing up for insurance.) Second, Buchio wants to discover what hidden powers his new form has. After getting some advice from other local yokai, he finds himself under the tutelage of Tachibana, a bakegitsune who attempts to teach him the art of transforming into a human form. It’s slow going, but with some encouragement from his family, Buchio gets on the right path. Meanwhile, Mutsumi, a young girl who lives in the village with her mom and grandmom awaits the return of her father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. While everyone is holding out hope that he’ll show up one day, a mysterious phone call that she overhears seemingly confirms the worst. But what exactly happened to him? This is just one of the many mysteries in a typical day in Fuchigamori, a town where the supernatural is the standard.
You know, I’ve seen my share of “My Neighbor” shows and movies: My Neighbor Totoro, My Neighbors the Yamadas, My Neighbor Seki, and all of them, truth be told, I’ve held in a very high regard. This one is no exception. As you know, I’m a big sucker for slice-of-life series, especially shows that take place in small villages nestled away like this one; there’s something quaint and wholesome about them. While the show at first gave me pause about what direction it was going in, I was pleasantly surprised that it handled the concept of gods and demons walking among us very well. I also like how there’s a bit of a mystery to this one concerning Mutsumi’s father. And the last few minutes before the episode ended…What is that about?! From a production standpoint, this show looks and sounds gorgeous. Studio Lidenfilms (Yamada-Kun and the 7 Witches, Tokyo Revengers, Insomniacs After School) did their usual awesome work, and the OP/ED “Obake Himawari” and “Iro no Naka” set the tone prodigiously.
So where does that leave us with Tonari no Yokai-San? Hands down, this is a follow for me. This first episode has a lot of charm and warmth to it while not being overly sappy. The characters seem like a group that I would love to follow for an entire series, and as I stated before, I’m a sucker for a good old-fashioned slice-of-life series. Also, this show has an adorable talking cat, so you KNOW that’s going to be an automatic follow for me. I can’t wait to immerse myself further into this world for at least 11 more episodes.
Tonari no Yokai-San is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
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Oh, I wasn’t sure what this series was about. This sounds really nice! I will definitely put it on my seasonal watch list.
[…] It’s cute kitties doing cute things. It’s a lighter version of last season’s Tonari no Yokai-san. Apparently, everyone in this town is cool with a bunch of walking and talking cats serving them […]