Greetings, fellow otaku!
This month the Teen & Tween Anime Awesomeness group watched two very different but interesting shows.
Tsukigakirei (also known as “As the Moon, So Beautiful”) is a sweet romance story in which students Kotarō and Akane meet in their final year of middle school in the same class for the first time and inevitably fall in love. Kotarō, a member of the literature club, aspires to be a novelist but is hesitant to show his works to others. Akane is a bit timid and sometimes anxious girl who loves running and is part of the track club. Both are a little socially awkward and only interact when they accidentally bump into one another. However, when they are put in charge of managing the equipment for the school’s sports festival, they manage to form a connection that leads to them secretly dating. I really appreciated that Akane’s anxiety is shown when she fidgets with her potato plushie. As someone who has both seen others struggle with anxiety and experienced it firsthand, it was nice to see a little realistic and relatable representation. It also resonated with our teen audience that, like Kotarō, sometimes people can doubt themselves and be hesitant to share their thoughts, feelings, writing, artwork, etc., with others. Overall, a hope-inducing and sweet show.
Available in Clevnet on Bluray
Natsume Yujin-cho (“Natsume’s Book of Friends”) was well-received and unexpectedly liked. At first, one teen groaned because she thought it was another romance anime. She was pleasantly surprised to be incorrect! The show follows an orphaned teenage boy named Takashi Natsume who can see (and battle) spirits. He discovers a notebook left by his deceased grandmother (who was an exorcist) that has the names of those spirits his grandmother bound to her service. Deciding he will free the names trapped in the “Book of Friends”, Takashi teams up with a spirit who knew his grandmother prior to her passing. The spirit, named Madara, intends to take the book for its own when Takashi dies. Until then, Madara agrees to help Takashi and adventure ensues! Unfortunately, only seasons 3 and 4 are available in Clevnet, but there are lots of libraries that have the manga to check out!
Natsume’s Book of Friends manga volume 1
With summer in full swing, don’t forget that your local library branch has a selection of manga and anime to peruse while you beat the heat!
Until the next episode,
Miss Bryn
