Somali and the Forest Spirit

Somali to Mori no Kamisama is a bittersweet tale, it is a record of two very different creatures' travels together in a world that is persecuting them, and with time being relentlessly against them. SonGokussj is right in that the world it is set in is interesting and there are some unique characters, where the concept of different species, cultures, and customs is beautifully varied, it is all very colorful and at times incredibly beautiful. However, I strongly disagree with him that the central duo is somehow weak, or that the whole thing is uninteresting or boring. Also, comparing it to Mushishi or Natsume's Book of Friends did not seem quite right to me. Sure, perhaps there is an attempt to evoke a similar atmosphere, and a partial stand-alone episode vibe although that is kind of all I could come up with in terms of what they have in common... Likewise, I cannot understand what surprises my colleague about the fact that the Golem, who may have been living for 999.9999 years (or whatever the show actually says), and has never left his magical forest, and his only interaction with the other species out there has been, at most, to chase them away from his "garden", is surprised by normal and ordinary things. The fact that my esteemed colleague does not know that African bushmen sometimes live their whole lives in their forest, meeting a European at most once in their lifetime, would also politely stare at things out there in the world they are not able to understand - well, he should watch The Gods Must Be Crazy! Besides, the character is a Golem who was only kept company by his animals in the forest, and the only knowledge he has was what he got from his creator... I really do not see what is so hard to understand about this… However, back to my review. The main two characters were great, I certainly liked them more than the ones in If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord. Somali is a beautiful example of a human child, on the one hand, she is inquisitive, naively honest, and adorable, on the other hand, she is stubborn, just will not listen, is naughty - just a pretty normal kid, much less idealized than Latina from the aforementioned If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord. Of course, she occasionally imparts some profound wisdom, like "Love is never a lie", although this is something that any genuine and naive childish mind will have no trouble figuring out, so even in those moments I find Somali believable. The Golem is the ideal guardian, acting responsibly, stoically, not overreacting, sometimes too rational - because he is a Golem after all, and he can sometimes be amusing or a bit weird, and in my opinion, he contrasts perfectly with the vivaciousness of the main female protagonist. I also found most of the supporting characters to be quite interesting and likable. The atmosphere of the show is really good too, as I said the narrative is bittersweet, where on the one hand you can enjoy their adventures, explore an interesting and colorful world, and, on the other hand, you are constantly reminded that Somali does not stand much of a chance in this world and that the Golem is quickly running out of time, so even the best scenes are still kind of sad! So, is it quite predictable with no real concern for what happens to the main protagonists? Well, I do not know because the last two episodes had the opposite effect on me, and the whole ending is still as bittersweet as the whole of this anime series, only more intense, so I was really deeply moved at the end. In conclusion, I really enjoyed Somali and the Forest Spirit, and therefore I cannot award less than four stars. Otherwise, it is worth mentioning the great opening song, which definitely impressed me when I first heard it, both with the strong opening melodies and the nice mix of different moods (= how the song’s vibe keeps shifting). 7.7/10. (29/03/2020) (less) (more)