Episodes: 24
How: Netflix
Rating: 3 out of 5
Summary: {From MAL} Watanuki Kimihiro can see spirits and other assorted supernatural creatures, which is quite a bothersome ability he strongly dislikes. On the way home one day, while plagued by some spirits, he is inexplicably compelled to enter a strange house. There, he encounters Yuuko, a mysterious woman who claims to be able to rid him of the ability to see and attract the troublesome creatures – for a price. She demands that he work at her “store” that grants wishes to people, and thus begins Watanuki's adventures through weird and wonderful events.
Thoughts: They have really long legs and arms, Very deformed. Okay, Got that out of the way. I can see why it took me so long to watch this show.. it's visually intimidating. It's unique that all the unimportant people in the show are kind of just blurred out silhouettes.
The fact I watched this on Netflix means, It was dubbed. I can't really say the dub was "bad" since I've not heard it in it's original form but the guy who voices Watanuki... Uhg. I just wanna die during his hysterical moments.
As for the good, The character interaction was great certainly Watanuki and Doumeki. The way they "argue" was good for a laugh certainly in somewhat serious situations. Most of the people who came to the shop for their wishes to be granted were just sad. I'll admit some of them really touched base with me.. Certainly the episode with the twins when one girl had no self esteem, always thinking the worse was going to happen...
Who we have....
Kimihiro Watanuki; Watanuki is the sweet yumyum of the spirits. Well, Sort of.
He's a high school boy who can see spirits, both of his parents are dead and he has no/very few friends. In the beginning he happens by Yuuko's shop and enters a "contract" with her that if he works for her, She will grant his wish to not be able to see spirits.
Throughout the season Watanuki grows, Though I don't really think he even notices it. Always trying to help the people who come to Yuuko's shop, Even when they are beyond helping.
Yuuko Ichihara; The owner of the shop, She's a witch of sorts...maybe.. She grants "wishes" with an equal exchange price. With Watanuki she really seems to have become a mentor or almost motherly figure, Which is a little creepy. She drinks a lot and is quite often drunk, Always using Watanuki as a butler of sorts or even a go-getter it's obvious that she never really plants to make his wish of not being able to see spirits come true.
It's like she is grooming him. She cares about him though, Pushes Doumeki on him since she knows that he can keep the smaller spirits at bay and seems to know what exactly is up with Himawari {although she never really mentions what it is.}
Anyways, She's basically the only adult figure in the whole show so yea...
Shizuka Doumeki; Spirit Repellent! Watanuki's classmate/rival/best friend, He can't see spirits but he certainly can keep most of them away. He's in the schools Archery Club and can use his bow to shoot spirits without a "physical" arrow.
He seems a bit on the slow side, quiet most the time and not easily excitable. His grandfather use to tell him stories about spirits and what not, giving him at least some insight into what's going on. He currently lives in his grandfathers temple and you never really see his parents during the season.
In episode 7, He digs in the rain for hours and hours trying to save Watanuki who had disappeared under a Hydrangea bush. In 23; He makes the choice to "kill" the spirit that Watanuki had been visiting in the park so that Watanuki would not disappear. Stating that he made the choice to do it and now Watanuki had the choice to be angry with {hate} him for it.
So, There is definitely some Bromance going on here. Even if Watanuki would never admit to it.
Himawari Kunogi; The most positive girl in the world. She's Watanuki's love interest though, Nothing ever really happens. She really seems to see the bright side of everything, Even when Doumeki and Watanuki are "fighting" she sees it more as them being playful with one another.
I know there has to be something more to her, she can't possibly be that happy and positive all the time. Though really during the season there wasn't a lot given on her.
Maru & Moro; Two Little Girls. Not a lot is said about them, They work in the shop and are cute. Yep, That's basically it... Other then they can't leave the shop. Ever.
Mokona; Nothing like the White Mokona, This guy is loud and loves to drink and eat. He's always getting into little fights with Watanuki and really seems to like Himawari. He can see spirits, He can even eat them! I don't remember which episode it was but he just sucked down a whole bunch of them...
Strange Little Critter.
Zashiki-warashi; An innocent, sweet, slightly ditzy spirit girl who has a crush on Watanuki, When she first shows up in Episode 11 she accidentally takes Doumeki's soul while trying to find a good V-Day gift for Watanuki. She shows up in a few episodes, Watanuki even gives her hair pins in one of them.
She lives on a Sacred Mountain with strange little Tengu Guardians that like to attack Watanuki anytime she cries {which is a lot} or they think he's hurt her.
Ame-warashi; A water spirit/sprite that first shows up in Episode 7, After days and days of rain she asks for Yuuko's help to apparently rid a large hydrangea plant of a dead body that had been buried under it. The decaying body was poisoning the plant.
She doesn't really like humans much, Due to them having no care for nature. She really seems to care for Zashiki-warashi since she's normally seen escorting her around while in the human world.
She also makes an amazing Snowman.
The End: I want more!! I want more! There is more, I just had to download it. Season 2, Yey! It's sitting on the hard drive waiting to be watched. Anyways.
The final episode is mainly a flashback to when Watanuki was younger, He meets a boy who can also see spirits while he's being chased by this strange hand monster thing. They become best friends but, On Watanuki's birthday the boy reveals to him that he too is a spirit.
The spirit of a boy who had been taken away by the hand spirit thingys a year or more before, They promised they'd always be best friends even though the boy had to leave. Under the same cherry blossom trees on his birthday... Yuuko, Himawari, Doumeki and Mokona show up with a surprise picnic of sorts.
Of course, Even on his birthday they make him do most the work but... He seems to enjoy it. Even though he's still loud and over-reacts to everything, He's grown a lot through the season...
Favorite Character{s}: Doumeki ~ I'm not sure why. He's just...quiet..and actually kind of amusing.
The Pipe Fox ~ I love that little guy, I'd love to have one for a pet myself.
Least Favorite Character{s}: I really don't dislike any of the characters but, the dub voice for Watanuki makes him more annoying then he actually is.
Favorite Episode{s}: 14 and 15; The twins, One with lots of self confidence and the other practically none. In the end the older sister is helped by Yuuko to break her negative way of thinking and the younger twin learns to not put the older one down all the time. Of course, Both of them get shot down by Doumeki in the end.. He really seems to have zero interest in girls.
Least Favorite Episode{s}: None
