Ep 17. A Chick Hatches
- January 26, 2009
Natsume Yujincho is a Japanese supernatural anime that follows the life of Takashi Natsume, a boy who has the ability to see and communicate with spirits. In season 1 episode 17, "A Chick Hatches," Takashi encounters a spirit possessing a chicken, and he must help the spirit move on to the next world.
The episode begins with Takashi and his cat-spirit companion, Nyanko-sensei, walking through the forest when they come across a chicken that seems to be acting strangely. As they approach the chicken, they realize that it is actually being possessed by a spirit. The spirit is a young girl who is afraid to move on to the next world because she is worried about leaving behind her family and the life she once knew.
Takashi empathizes with the spirit, as he too has experienced the pain of being separated from loved ones. He decides to help her by finding a way for her to communicate with her family one last time before moving on. To do this, Takashi must first locate the spirit's nest and hatch an egg.
The next day, Takashi and Nyanko-sensei set out to find the nest. After a long search, they finally come across it and are able to hatch the egg. As they wait for the chick to hatch, Takashi reflects on his own experiences with family and loss.
When the chick finally hatches, Takashi discovers that it has inherited some of the spirit's memories and emotions. He realizes that he has the power to ease the spirit's pain by sharing these memories with her family. Takashi and Nyanko-sensei take the chick back to the spirit's home and release it in front of her family.
The episode concludes with the spirit finally able to move on to the next world, reassured that her family will always love and remember her.
Overall, "A Chick Hatches" is a heartwarming episode that explores themes of family, loss, and the afterlife. The animation and soundtrack are beautiful, and the storytelling is expertly crafted. It is a standout episode in Natsume Yujincho's first season and a perfect example of the show's ability to blend elements of traditional folklore with modern storytelling.