Iyashikei Anime Research Paper

In Japan, the industry of animation is one of the major electronic industries that represent modern Japanese pop-culture. “Iyashikei Anime”, in Japanese, 癒し系アニメ, is one of the term that is created from Japanese Anime culture as same as the word like Otaku, in Japanese, オタク, and Moe, in Japanese, 萌え(日本アニメから見る癒し系文化――『夏目友人帳』を中心に, http://www.lag-8.com). In this essay, I will go to examine what is Iyashikei Anime and what is the piece of element that makes the anime “Iyashikei” by using one of the famous Iyashikei anime and manga, “Natsume’s Book of Friends”.

First of all, according to the sources, “Iyashikei”, in Japanese, 癒し系, means “healing” Japanese, is “a term used for anime and manga created with the specific purpose of having a healing or

It is first serialized in Japanese manga comic magazine, “LaLaDX”, before it changes to “LaLa” in 2008 and still continuing until now. It was one of the finalist works for the selection of first Mangataishou award in Japan. (Natsume’s Book of Friends, http://www.wikipedia.com). The story of Natsume’s Book of Friend is about one young youth call Takashi Natsume, in Japanese, 夏目貴志、who doesn’t have a parents and moving around his relative’s house for long time, came to live in one rural city to live with his far-relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Fujiwara. From when he was small, Natsume had an special ability to see the spirit, in Japanese, Youkai, 妖怪 and often suffered from this abnormal ability. One day, he found the book call the “Book of Friends” from the left item of his passed away grandmother, Reiko, in Japanese, レイコ. This was the book that his grandmother, Reiko, who had same ability to see the spirit, collected the name of the spirits that she beaten up severely and gave her their true name to obey her. This was a highly pleased item in the world of spirit that can give a strong power for the one who hold. Therefore, after Natsume get and know about the secret of this Friend Book, he began to chase by the spirits who come for various reasons. With the mysterious Youkai cat, Nyanko-sensei, in

I believe that “the setting and formation of story”, “the formation of character”, “The relaxing back ground music” and “The depiction of the growth of character” are the major four elements that helps comprises the image of “Iyashikei Anime” for Natsume’s Book of