Tonari no Yōkai-san

Episode 4

I was able to stand strong for the first few weeks, but there is only so much one meager man can do. I think we have to start asking ourselves if Tonari no Yōkai-san is actually too goddamned cute. I mean it. I'm starting to wonder if I need to report this cartoon as a threat to domestic and international security on account of how irresponsibly adorable it is. What are we supposed to do with scenes like the one where Buchio tearfully recounts to his family that his reason for reincarnating was to protect them all in the same way they protected him as a kitten? And did you see Buchio wipe his little paw on his little freaking triangle nose when he was talking on a cell phone like a little person!? My friends, this is the kind of targeted, merciless cuteness that starts wars. Forget Helen, man. Buchio's is the face that could launch a thousand ships because anyone who would dare to make him feel even the slightest bit sad would surely deserve to have the force of a thousand Hoplite spears bear down upon their wretched heads.

(In all seriousness, if any of you have begun to get tired of my spending hundreds of words to heap praise upon Buchio's perfect, fluffy head, then all I can say is "Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here." Every passing week only gives me an even more diverse and precision-honed arsenal of elaborate and shamelessly indulgent methods with which to reiterate that Buchio the Cat is, in fact, The Goodest Boy).

After last week's intense climax to Mutsumi and Jiro's run-in with the misbegotten water spirit, it is a lovely treat to spend nearly a whole episode with Buchio as he continues his quest to find his place in the world as a reborn nekomata. As always, what makes this seemingly sweet and simple story so striking are the layers of depth and even danger that the show continues to weave into its world-building. Having the Demon King take on the form of a beloved TV star and entrepreneur is already a fun choice, and it would have been easy just to have him serve as an interesting side character with a bit of a tricksy side. Then, the episode takes time to have a dragon god visit Buchio, who warns our feline friend of the dangers of trusting even the friendliest of demons. On top of that, we have the story from Sakaki, Buchio's new nekomata friend, that makes the Demon King an even more complicated figure again, reminding us that this ageless and unknowable being is capable of great empathy and curiosity, even if his motives aren't always to be trusted at face value.

What makes the village of Fuchimagori such an excellent place to visit each week isn't just the fact that it's a literal fantasia filled with some of the most delightful characters this side of Sesame Street; it's the way that the pitch-perfect balance between low-key character beats and subtle conflict makes Fuchimagori feel so real, so alive. You bet I'm interested in seeing what comes of creatures like the raiju falling out of random holes in the sky to terrorize the poor school kids. Props to the badass spider teacher, though.

It's also what ensures that watching Buchio go to the laundromat or study for his driver's license doesn't just feel like breezy entertainment. It is mundane stuff like this that makes the tiny, nervous cat into a fully three-dimensional figure in our minds because we know that the one thing that makes this world just like ours is how something could come creeping out of the dark (or a hole in reality, I guess) that will disrupt that cozy status quo at any time.

How about the new tsukumogami character, Wagen? His name is hilarious, and the way he talks about his lifelong commitment to his human "partner" makes it sound like he's meant to be coded as a sweet, middle-aged gay man. I guess that could just be how living objects refer to the people who make use of them, but then again, I've already cast David Hyde-Pierce as Wagen in my head, and I've imagined him and his "partner" going on long romantic drives along the coast for their dates, so you know what? I am going to continue enjoying my little daydreams about Wagen's love life, at least until Tonari no Yōkai-san confirms or denies its support of human/yokai canoodling ("car-noodling"?).

I don't know if my heart can handle this series. It is too good. Too pure. Our pathetic, yokai-less reality does not deserve its blessings. All we can do to repay Tonari no Yōkai-san its infinite graciousness is to be incredibly persistent and obnoxious about telling everyone we know to watch it immediately. If you can, go knocking door-to-door in completely strange neighborhoods, dressed in your Sunday finest. Ask the lost, ignorant people you meet if they have heard the Good News about Buchio the Cat and His Pal the (Maybe?) Gay Volkswagen Monster.

What kind of person would possibly turn you away after hearing that?

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Tonari no Yōkai-san is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.