An Anime Review of 'Somali and the Forest Spirit'

Somali and the Forest Spirit is an anime that is based on the web manga of the same name, that is still ongoing. The show is set in a fantastical world where humans and fantastical beings coexist, however there is one major difference between this world and many other fantasy shows. The human race has been driven to the brink of extinction as a result of their behaviour towards the rest of the species that inhabit the world with them. Somali is a young girl that is found by a forest spirit, a Golem, and they are on a journey to find her parents.

The show is curious in its construction as it has a mixture of both episodic and long form storytelling present. Characters are introduced throughout the show at various points, some return to feature heavily in the show, while others leave in order to pursue their own goals in the world we find ourselves in. This is largely about a little girl and her father figure trying to survive in a world that is hostile, particularly towards humans, the species the girl happens to be a part of. Admittedly I find father child type relationships in media very engaging, case and point, the amount I love Logan, The Last of Us, and Sword of the Stranger. Admittedly the amount of violence present in this show is significantly less.

This is an incredibly hopeful show that chooses to look at the positive and accepting nature of life rather than the negative aspects of it, portraying the characters as the best versions of themselves that they can be throughout a majority of the show. This is an interesting standpoint to take in the show as this is a world that has seen its fair share of horrors, much of which was in fact inflicted by the humans themselves, and yet despite that there is a hopefulness present within the show that goes to emphasis that there is in fact merit to one being altruistic, simply for the desire to be good, and to not be completely cynical in their outlook.

To compliment this statement the show is incredibly beautiful, the landscapes are incredibly picturesque, the vistas are lush, and the colour palate for the show is bright and colourful making every frame a treat for the eyes. The character designs for the various species are very imaginative, making for a rich world that has a multitude of species all inhabiting it, and this only goes on to drive the core idea hope that much more, making the mentality and the behaviour of humans all the more damning. Through the visuals alone, the show manages to show the two sides to humanity so effectively, displaying the horrors that they are capable of, while also showing the great empathy that they are able to feel. To drive the point home all the more, the various storylines and the characters that Somali and Golem come across emphasises this point all the more. The soundtrack is wonderful to listen to, as it fits in with the show and complements it so well.

Above anything else, the main focus in the show is the relationship between Somali and Golem, how the two grow together, and finds just how much they care for each other and what they are willing to do for the protection of the other. Beyond that, I was not prepared for just how emotional this show is. I found myself in tears through half the show, and having binged through it, did not help matters at all. While the narrative of the show is in fact strong, the show itself is driven by the emotion that is radiating out of it, and by how much it gets you to care about the characters.

No show show managed to get me to feel as emotional as I did while watching Violet Evergarden, till now. While I was interested in watching this show, having watched it, it is now one of my favourites of the past year, and it could very much be in my all time list as well. This is a show that I highly recommend, and it is available to watch on Crunchyroll.