Kara Dennison
May 25, 2024 
On the surface, this season’s Tonari no Yokai-san looks like a laid-back show about humans and mythical beasties living a slow, Ghibli-esque life together. And, to a certain degree, it is. Where else will you get to see a nekomata study for his driver’s license? But there’s much more to the show than that—sometimes right on the surface, sometimes woven through the day-to-day exploits of the residents of Fuchigamori.
As we wade further into the season, here are just a few of the topics that have floated to the surface. If you haven’t seen this show yet, this is your sign to give it a try!
Finding Yourself
The events of Tonari no Yokai-san kick off when Buchio, the Oishi family cat, is reborn as a nekomata. He’s not sure how or why at first; he just knows he’s a member of society now. There’s paperwork to fill in, sure. But there’s also an opportunity to play a greater role in the family he loves so much. Not only that, he can start exploring newfound powers of transformation!
Whether it’s figuring out how to present himself in public or sussing out why he’s still here, Buchio spends a lot of his time figuring out who he really is. And for a lot of yokai, that’s a major point. Do they present as human in public or embrace what they are? Do they seek jobs that align with their essence or pursue their passions. Buchio’s road to self-discovery has its share of speedbumps, but it’s a journey he’s excited to take.
Loss and Separation
As cute and fun as the first episode of Tonari no Yokai-san seems, we quickly learn that there’s a darkness under the surface. And not just because mysterious creatures occasionally intrude on the town. There’s also people who have been lost—like young Mu-chan’s father, who many suspect has vanished into the imaginary realm between worlds.
While life may go on in a series of school days and part-time jobs interspersed with the occasional paranormal occurrences, that mystery is always present under the surface. It colors the lives of the townspeople, especially the Oishi family, of course. But it’s a cold case like no other… though finding out what’s really going on may be closer than anyone thinks.
Parallel Worlds
In the world of Tonari no Yokai-san, the presence of mythical beings isn’t just limited to one small town. Yokai are in Tokyo, on the evening news, and even on the ISS! And that’s not the only thing that’s different from the real world. There’s also been heavy study into space-time phenomena, including parallel worlds and the rifts that open up between them. The aforementioned imaginary world that may house Mu-chan’s father is mixed in there somewhere.
But it would seem that, somewhere out there in the anime’s multiverse, our world also exists: a world that, weirdly (to the characters), has no yokai in it. But it does have parallel versions of many characters we know and love. What could this mean for the plot going forward?
Join us in another strange universe: discover the freakiest fates in Train to the End of the World!
