And I was really not expecting Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou this fast, I should have known better. Anyway, Natsume and the cute Nyanko-sensei is back, and they continue to bring us a good luck at not just humanity but also emotions, relationships, and of course, the ever subtle hint of yaoi. Here is the first episode and my impressions. Again, I only watched the raw and did not understand everything, and spoilers are sure to follow.

First, the show starts with its OP, the new one is “Ano hi Time Machine” by LONG SHOT PARTY, I must say, more vibrant than the last, but somehow, it does not strike as good a chord as Issei no Sei did. Nevertheless, it remains a pretty good song that is a sure-pick for me this season. I also like how the animation repeated itself, starting with no youkai, and ending with the same pictures with the youkai in (like above). Very nice. The OP animation also shows a new character, and of course, Natsume’s classmates and other old ones. Another shot from the OP below of Natsume Takashi, our protagonist.
 

The story begins when Takashi recounts how he is able to see spirits, but is interrupted almost immediately by a soccer ball that hits him in the face and he drops down on the other side of the wall. While trying to retrieve the ball, a spirit attacks him to try and gain possession of the Yuujinchou. Running away, Takashi breaks a rope that he recalls is the same kind of seal that he broke in releasing Nyanko, and soon trips, and is caught by the youkai. Nyanko then wakes up out of his bag from this time, but refuses to help Takashi, and proceeds to do something very cattish in nature - chasing after a butterfly, one of the cute points as well in the first season.
 

Chou (butterfly)! Chou~! Chou chou!

Takashi then finally gets pissed off and punches both the youkai and Nyanko. In the course of the small conversation that follows, Nyanko says that he is not a guardian but merely someone who is helping Takashi until the Yuujinchou falls into his possession. They then go separate ways after the argument.
 

Oh man this cracked me up quite a bit with Nyanko’s “Tch tch tch” and his paw-waving.

Takashi returns home to his aunt and uncle, where he recounts that in order not to cause them trouble, he keeps his ability to see spirits secret from them. His aunt also makes the observation that Nyankichi (Nyanko’s name by the aunt) is not yet back. After dinner Takashi returns to his room and Nyanko is still not back. It is then that a face appears at the window, and Takashi is shocked for an instant until he recognizes Nyanko. Opening the window however, in jumps a black Nyanko. Takashi instantly breaks out into laughter…until he sees the black Nyanko leaving footprints all over the floor. A wash still proves futile to clean off the black dirt.
 

Black Nyanko is lol. There are probably those who know point to Natsume Yuujinchou as being subtly discriminative as well now. :\

Then the real Nyanko returns, this makes for another scene of laughter as Nyanko sees his black imposter. After the moment of shock, Nyanko sits beside the black cat, who still does not speak, and sniffs at him and determines he is also a spirit.
 

Awesome comparison shot.

Takashi then believes that the black cat is an imposter for some reason, and instantly Nyanko reminds him of the Yuujinchou. Takashi declares it is safe, takes it out, and gets it instantly snatched out of his hand by the black cat. What follows is a moment of awesome expression by both Takashi and Nyanko, especially the latter, that made me break out in huge laughter.
 

Priceless expression by Nyanko is priceless.

Both of them then chase after the black cat, and at this point I wonder why Natsume shut his own room window when he could have just let Nyanko go ahead and chase the cat while he followed. In any case they run for some time and of course fail to know where the black cat went, and Nyanko advises Takashi to stop the chase and continue tomorrow. It was bad for a human to be out at night, and when Takashi objects, informs him that it would be better to keep the loss of the Yuujinchou a secret. For one, the news that the Yuujinchou was lost would cause yet more powerful spirits to attack him, while for another, Nyanko sensed no hostility from the black cat.

It is just then that Takashi spots a trail of lights in the distance, which Nyanko confirms to be a kitsunebi (I have no idea what that is, maybe a banquet, going by what happens later), and they inch closer for a look.
 

They happen to be close enough to hear what some of the spirits are saying, and one of them stops and mentions that he smells a human. Nyanko immediately transforms into Madara to camouflage Takashi’s smell, crushing him under one paw in the process. He is successful, but more hilarity ensues when the spirit mentions it must be his own imagination because he only picks up the smell of animals. Madara gets pissed at this and Takashi tries calms him down.
 

When even in his true form Madara gets owned, you know this is a good show.

After the procession passes, an old acquaintance of Madara appears, a butterfly spirit named Benio. Spotting Takashi, she comes down and asks if he is Madara’s next meal and wants to share in the spoils, until she sees that his face looks familiar. The old “OMG IT’S NATSUME REIKO!” reaction returns and before she finishes her sentence Madara owns her with a paw.
 

Before: They do good jobs on female spirits in this show.

After: Until the name “Reiko” appears that is, most of the time.

Takashi then asks Benio if she had seen the black cat, and she answers that it was going in the direction of the procession, which was headed for a banquet. Since Takashi wanted to go, the only way for him to go without being eaten was to disguise himself as a spirit, and he gladly agrees even when Benio warns him if he gets found out, she would do nothing to stop him from being eaten and would even take part in the feast herself. He agrees willingly. Nyanko also changes to his female schoolgirl form, apparently to avoid trouble as well according to Benio.
 

Madara asks about a “lovely cat” and Benio answers with a “ah that fat cat”. Obviously, Madara would be pissed. More Madara ownage is always good.

A closer look at Benio the butterfly spirit.

Madara in trap form and Benio. I find this show also subtly promotes traps.

Some big-ass spirit and the other spirits attending the banquet.

At the banquet Takashi smells of being a human, but the rest of the spirits find it fine, referring to a certain “Nushi-sama” (Lord Nushi; I am still wondering if they meant to say “Mushi”, but whatever) that was fond of human beings and smelled like one as well because he was around them so much. More talk of the Nushi-sama would have followed but when Takashi tries to ask about the black cat, a big-ass ghost appears and thunders that he had found where Nushi-sama was being imprisoned, and all the ghosts were to go attack humans or something to unseal Nushi-sama. The whole group is in approval, and Takashi wants to stop it, but Benio asks him not to bother, as does Madara, who mentions the group is too big for even him to take care of.
 

Another comparison shot. These Nyanko comparison shots are just priceless for some reason.

Takashi spots the black cat at the side at this time, and chases after him, catching him in the process. They retrieve the Yuujinchou safely, but Takashi then concludes that the cat had merely stolen it to bring them to the banquet. Madara switches back to his Nyanko form and asks Benio to find out who the black cat is. She is in shock as she finds out it is none other than the venerable Nushi-sama.
 

Hell hath no fury like a woman’s wrath. Not to self - do not piss off women. Even spirits.

While discussing a way to bring Nushi-sama back to his true self, they recall the conversation at the banquet that Nushi had once (or more times) wanted to challenge Natsume Reiko, and thus that his name might be in the Yuujinchou. Unfortunately neither Nyanko nor Benio knew his real name, and the big-ass spirit appears at this time, suspicious of their activities. He exposes Takashi’s identity as a human, and the entire group rushes for him. Nyanko gets smacked aside trying to help, and Takashi, while being clasped by the spirit’s hands, tries to listen closely to the group even as he struggles to break free, for the name of Nushi-sama. He finds out it is Riou, and returns the name to Nushi, who then appears as a winged angel…and a male.

Now this is where you realize that Natsume Yuujinchou should be renamed Natsume Gayjinchou. I swear, the whole show subtly tries to promote yaoi more than any other suppressed fetish or something, or discrimination, if you will.
 

Winged yaoi, wut?

They are about to kiss, wut?

And they kiss, wut?

Aftermath of a yaoi kiss. Look at Takashi’s expression closely.

Riou then shows him his own memories of his experiences with humans, and tells him how he continues to like them because of his fond experiences and how he believes humans to be kind still. He sort of transports Nyanko, Takashi and Benio out, disappearing in a flash of light (like a true angel).

The next day, Benio is in Takashi’s room sipping a cup of tea (or sake, no idea which), and Takashi laments that the black cat is no longer around. Nyanko gets upset at this, declaring that he was hurt because of it. Benio laughs, mentions his injury is nothing serious, and takes her leave. Before she goes, she asks Madara if he would like to leave with her, and Madara refuses. When Takashi says thanks, Nyanko gets the shivers.
 

The ED then enters, and quite frankly, the previous one, Natsu Yuuzora by Atari Kousuke, was very fitting for the first season as it aired in summer, with the tones of a lazy summer day. I suppose they also wanted to do something like that for winter, and the song (I have no idea WTF title it is or who sang it, someone who can read Japanese please tell me) speaks of a winter day that snows softly (light snow, that is). A pretty nice piece indeed, soft and lovely. Definitely picking it up.
 

The ED animation is, like the previous, in drawn style. Nothing much to it except Takashi walking through snow, gradually changing to include Nyanko and then his friends.

And that ends my impressions of the first episode of Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou. Though I understood most of it, I still think I should be catching this series subbed instead, so yeah. I hope some group picks it up soon, because Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou remains one of the best watches for this season for me, and the first episode certainly does nothing to take that away, or to take away anything from the first season and how it should continue. Unfortunately, the show continues to promote the approval, however subtle, of yaoi, and now adds to it the idea of traps, and even racism. Discrimination, or rather, the highlight of the disapproval of such discrimination, is rife in this show. Of course, Madara/Nyanko getting owned is also one of the highlights of the show for me. A must-watch this season and I will definitely finish this.