Somali and the Forest Spirit
How well can a Fantasy series integrate Slice of Life elements into its inner workings? A lot more than most of us thought possible. Maybe this is supported by certain supernatural or unexplained occurrences that come to pass in the real world now and then.
There are some things even science can’t explain YET, and there lies some wonder for us all to witness. Maybe the magic we all experienced as ignorant little kids can return to us unexpectedly and light up our days some more. What if I told you there are a few Anime titles out there that can do just that or come significantly close?
“Somali and the Forest Spirit,” also known as “Somali to Mori no Kamisama,” is a 12 episode TV Anime series that aired from the 10th of January until the 27th of March, in Winter 2020. It was produced by Movic, Crunchyroll, North Stars Pictures, JY Animation, CA-Cygames Anime Fund, and Mixer and brought to life by Studios Satelight and HORNETS.
The main staff behind it included Yamaoka Akira as Producer, Hamano Takatoshi as Sound Director, Yasuda Kenji as Director, and Minase Inori on Theme Song Performance and Theme Song Lyrics. This series collectively featured the genres of Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, and Slice of Life alongside the theme of Demons. It received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older.
“Somali and the Forest Spirit” was adapted from the popular Web Manga of the same title, which ran for six volumes starting from the 26th of April 2015 until the 25th of October 2019. Unfortunately, the series was officially discontinued on the 22nd of December 2020 due to the author's poor health.
It mainly featured the genres of Fantasy and Slice of Life, was serialized in Web Comic Zenyon, and spawned by the genius of Author and Artist Yako Gureishi. The Anime series even had a pre-screening event at the Anime Film Festival in Tokyo, 2019. The first episode was also made available one week before the broadcast release for Crunchyroll premium members, as the Anime was a Crunchyroll co-production.
The world of “Somali and the Forest Spirit” is inhabited by numerous demons, cyclopes, and many other fantastic creatures, but human beings tend to stand apart as outcasts. Humanity is quick and prone to anger, thus engaged in a brutal war that almost wiped them all out.
The very few humans that survived are now seen as nothing but a delicacy, serving no other purpose but to be eventually hunted down and eaten. One fateful day, a wandering protector of nature called Golem encounters a lone human child during his patrol.
Inspired and moved by her unusual enthusiasm, Golem takes this girl under his wing, naming her Somali. Together, this unlikely duo embarks on a wondrous journey to seek out Somali's parents and progressively bring her home.
The Story of Somali and the Forest Spirit is fantastic, right down to its core. Granted, it may be predictable at times, but it is sure to get its audience invested in a way they never thought possible. This can mainly be credited to the characters who make it so enjoyable.
This series is primarily about their journey, one worth watching till the very end. On the way, viewers get to meet many new characters who may not seem to be such great beings at surface value. Yet this journey leads viewers deeper into them, revealing so many things that make them ever so lovable. All of them possess legit reasoning behind all their actions, and whether those reasons are "good" or "bad" is left up to the viewers.
Their actions can be regarded as “good” because they are pretty relatable, and their hatred or love for certain things has firm backing. The story proceeds with just the right narrative rhythm, perfect pacing that isn’t too slow, and takes ample time to build up its characters, all of whom are fleshed out and deep.
As mentioned before, Somali and the Forest Spirit wouldn’t be such a masterpiece if not for the incredible characters. This cast can make viewers laugh, cry, think and care about each of them, all within the exceedingly limited span of only twelve episodes. Somali and Golem are the best characters in the series, well worthy as its protagonist.
The duo shares a genuine and beautiful daughter-father relationship, despite not being related by blood. This show does an incredible job at portraying how two beings need not be blood-related (or of the same species) to affect the other. These two are just so fantastic together, and the fact that Golem has no emotions makes it even better.
During the show’s entire run, viewers won’t hear him scream or freak out because of Somali doing something she clearly shouldn't have like most children do. Viewers see how he can comprehend many emotions but unfortunately cannot manifest them, making it difficult to understand fully. Considering who they are, this is entirely natural and even makes the relationship between them even more realistic. The supporting cast is just as lovable too.
Each episode presents a new set of unique characters with different ideologies that make them quite interesting. Their interactions with each other and with Somali are a joy to watch and prove the incredible effect a fantastic character has on a well-written cast.
The Art and Animation of Somali and the Forest Spirit are well done. There aren’t many action scenes, but the animation is fluid in the few that exist. Not the most incredible action sequences, but this isn’t a consequence considering the show’s focus.
The Art is adorable and memorable, while the atmosphere is fantastic. Overall, this department is pretty good and won’t decrease the series.
The Sounds and Music of Somali and the Forest Spirit are great too. The Opening theme is "Arigatou wa Kocchi no Kotoba" by Naotarou Moriyama. The ending theme is "Kokoro Somali" by Inori Minase, both of which are good but not as catchy or intriguing as viewers would hope they’d be.
They do possess their own unique charm and rob nothing from the series. On the other hand, the OSTs are masterpieces, especially the ones used at sad moments. They do a perfect job of enhancing each scene and bringing out the best of the series at just the right moments. The Voice Actors also deliver praiseworthy performances that make this department shine.
Somali and the Forest Spirit is an underrated gem that deserves more love and recognition. If you aren’t turned off by anything you've read about it so far, get on board this fantastic journey that will leave you asking for more!
If you love shows with a genuinely good story, incredibly lovable characters, and a heartwarming daughter-father relationship, do not hesitate to give this a watch. This isn’t to say that a few aspects might throw you off, but overall, this is a highly recommended series with so many things to offer.
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Somali and the Forest Spirit Official Trailer