Tag: Somali and the Forest Spirit

Somali and the Forest Spirit

Somali and the Forest Spirit

Somali and the Forest Spirit anime series cover art
Somali and the Forest Spirit

Series Overview

Somali and the Forest Spirit (Somali to Mori no Kamisama / ソマリと森の神様 ) was my favorite anime of the winter 2020 season. In fact, I expected it would be the best anime of the season long before the season began. Ever since the anime was officially announced, I had a feeling that it was going to be good.

This series is a slice of life, fantasy adventure. It follows two main characters as they adventure through a fantasy world, but it has a focus on the everyday lives of the characters rather than the adventure itself.

I guess the series I would say it’s most like is A Place Further Than The Universe, because that’s also a slice of life adventure series with some drama thrown in. But aside from that one, I can’t think of another similar series I’ve watched off the top of my head.

It’s sort of like Made in Abyss as well, but I do still think those are two very distinct series. Made in Abyss focuses much more on the adventure and replaces the slice of life elements with some horror elements instead. But if you liked the fantasy world of Made in Abyss, Somali’s world is very similar.

One of my favorite things about this series, though, was how the fantasy world it takes place in was physically portrayed. I’ll discuss the world building later on, but the background art used to actually show the world to us was probably the best art of the season. It may have even been better than anything from 2019 as well.

I think I’d have to go back to Violet Evergarden in early 2018 to find a better looking series than Somali and the Forest Spirit.

Main Characters

There are two main characters in this series: Somali and Golem. Golem is the titular “forest spirit” and serves as Somali’s guardian. Somali is a small, human child who thinks of Golem as her father.

Of course, I can’t really review this series without discussing what’s probably the main draw of the series: Somali. Somali is an extremely cute kid, and she’s voiced by Inori Minase — who’s a great voice actress and did an amazing job in this role. I think most people would agree that Somali is the single best part of the anime.

But what I think makes Somali so great is that she acts like a real kid. I know, children acting like children isn’t something that we actually see very often in anime, but Somali does. I think she’s supposed to be around seven years old, and this is illustrated through her inquisitive nature; she’s always wanting to explore the world around her.

Somali and Golem from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali and Golem

Golem, while not as much fun to watch as Somali, is an interesting character in his own right. He’s a golem — in case you couldn’t tell by his name — whose role is to watch over a forest for 1,000 years until he dies. However, upon meeting Somali he decides to use what little time he has left to return her to her people: humans.

You see, this world is filled with “monsters” known as Grotesques — a title given to them by the humans who attempted to kill them and steal their land. But the humans were beaten back by the grotesques and a genocide ensued. Now, there are barley any humans living on the continent, and those which are there are slaves.

So Golem trades in his duty of protecting the forest in order to protect Somali, a small, human child, until she can be reunited with her kind.

World Building

World building in anime is something I like a lot. And Somali and the Forest Spirit is one of the best recent examples of great world building. This shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise though, because adventure series tend to do a good job at this. After all, they need an interesting world for their characters to travel through.

There are many ways in which Somali builds up the world our characters get to explore. Just to name a few of these ways, we have locations that physically look different, different kinds of towns with their own unique cultures, a variety of races which inhabit the world, and of course, maps!

While we are told some of the world building by various characters throughout the series, the vast majority is shown to us. Not only does this exemplify the “show, don’t tell” concept of storytelling (which admittedly Somali didn’t adhere to in episode 1), but it also allows the amazing scenery art to play a major role.

A "Grotesque" town from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
A “Grotesque” town

Each town Somali and Golem visit throughout their travels is unique. They’re located within unique geographic locations, and they have unique town layouts and architecture which reflect this. One is set up like a labyrinth carved into stone, another is a wintry fortress decorated with animal bones, a third is located within the caldera of an ancient volcano.

Every location not only looks different, but feels different too. The people who live there live vastly different lives which reflect the geography which surrounds them. There are forests, caves, deserts, plains, mountains, every kind of region you can imagine — and they all fit together to make a realistic world to explore.

Conclusion

Maybe I rated it a little high, but I ended up giving Somali and the Forest Spirit an 8/10. The art, music, characters, and world building are all extremely good. But there were a few issues, such as an information dump which comes right in episode 1 and was completely unnecessary.

Also, I think I would have liked a bit more focus on the adventure side of things than the slice of life side, but that’s not something I’ll fault the series for.

If you enjoyed this review, let me know by clicking the like button ❤ down below. Also follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 12

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 12

Bonded Father and Child

I have to say, I really liked the final episode of Somali and the Forest Spirit. It wasn’t the best episode of the series, but it did include one of the best individual performances by a voice actor — potentially of all time.

Inori Minase has been one of my favorite voice actors for years at this point. She’s in a lot of anime, and does an amazing job every time (just like Kana Hanazawa, who unfortunately is not in Somali). And while I’m sure many people would say that Rem was her best character, I think she did even better with Somali.

Also, I loved Inori as Mei in Endro~! which is an anime more people should watch.

The performance by Inori when Somali is begging Golem not to leave her and telling him that he does have emotions was probably the best scene of the entire series specifically because of her voice acting.

And voice acting aside, I just think Somali is a really well written character with some well written lines. For example, when the old men in the town in this episode explain the wind-rider flower’s connection to the festival, Somali immediately asks Golem if he knew that already.

That line may not seem that important, but it’s exactly what a kid her age would do. They learn a new piece of information, and immediately want to know if their parent — who they believe knows everything — already knew it.

Harvest Festival

Unfortunately, we never actually get the name of the town visited in this episode. We can see that it’s loosely based on Chinese culture, with the dragon statues and lanterns, but other than that, this town doesn’t really seem to have any defining characteristics that we’re told of.

It’s not like Anthole City which is the gateway to the desert, Winecup Village which is an important rest stop in the desert, whatever the witch’s city was called which is the center of learning on the continent, or even Bygone City which marks the edge of civilization and the start of the frontier.

However, thanks to Bygone City, we can actually infer that this new town our characters venture to is disconnected from everywhere else they’ve been before.

Somali & the gang heading to the next town from the anime Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali & the gang heading to the next town

This new town still has recognizable customs such as harvest festivals, the townspeople are still Grotesques, and the villagers even know what golems are. But we have to remember that this town is located beyond the frontier which Bygone City marks.

We didn’t actually get to see Somali and Golem traverse the mountains in the series like we did in the opening sequence, but we can assume this town lies beyond them. That also may be why the town is loosely based on China — a similar, yet very separate culture from Japan.

And one last thing I found interesting about this town is how they connect their harvest festival to their ancestors. Another option would have been to connect it to some sort of harvest god, but I think ancestors works better here for two main reasons.

First, collectivistic cultures (which Asian cultures generally fall into) place a lot more focus on the extended family, including ancestors. Second, this sets up the idea that Golem is going to die one day (potentially soon), but that he’ll still be watching over Somali after that.

Unlimited Golem Works

I don’t really have too much to say for this section, but I did want to touch on Golem’s berserk mode one more time after last episode.

We know he lost his left arm, and I believe he mentioned that 23% of his “skin” was also removed as well — along with internal fluids and whatnot. This isn’t that bad considering I thought this berserk mode was activated in exchange for his life. It almost seemed like a self destruct mode.

Golem going berserk from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Golem going berserk

Golem was also able to use some sort of fire technique, before which he said, “internal heat and spirit limit conversion initiated.” This furthered my idea that Golem wasn’t going to survive long after this fight — he’s literally turning his own spirit into energy for these attacks.

That has to do some lasting damage to his body.

It actually reminded me of when battle shounen protagonists do things that are said to reduce their remaining life force. I remember I watched a video where all the damage Luffy had taken over the course of One Piece was added up to calculate his remaining life, and he didn’t have all that long.

A New Journey Begins

Alright, so of course I was excited to see the new town in this episode. And of course I loved Inori’s performance in this episode as well. But I think the part of the episode which got me the most excited was the very end when we got to see Somali and Golem in their new outfits.

Golem’s new look is pretty decent, but I think I preferred his original design more. Somali, on the other hand, is powerful.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Somali’s original design too with the black minotaur cape. But this new design is pretty amazing as well — especially since the horns are now a different color from her hood.

Somali and Golem wearing new outfits from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali and Golem wearing new outfits

When Golem disappeared during the harvest festival I really thought that was going to be it for him. It wouldn’t have been the worst anime-original end. After all, Somali would have continued to travel with Shizuno and Yabashira, and it was just set up that Golem would be watching over her from the afterlife.

But now that we got to see these two continuing their journey, possibly in a different land connected to this final village we saw, I’m hopeful for a second season. And if we do get a second season, I hope we get to see Somali in a bunch of different outfits.

Conclusion

What did you think of Somali and the Forest Spirit episode 12? Were you impressed by Inori Minase’s performance? Do you think the season should have ended with Golem’s disappearance? And what are your thoughts on Somali’s new threads? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤ down below. Also follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in Discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of the full series is available here.

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 11

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 11

Those Who Protect and Those Who Threaten

Episode 11 is the penultimate episode of Somali and the Forest Spirit, and I’m still not sure how it’s going to conclude. Golem is obviously reaching the end of his life, so there probably won’t be a second season. But at the same time, it doesn’t appear that he and Somali are near their final destination yet.

Are they going to reach the humans in the next episode? Is Golem going to die before their journey is complete? And if the latter is true, will Somali continue searching for humans with Shizuno and Yabashira? Or will she remain on the continent with them?

My assumption is that, since the source material is still ongoing, we’re going to see an anime original ending to the series. I’m still not entirely sure how that ending is going to happen, but I’m sure however they end it will be good.

Personally, if Golem were to die at the end, I’d like to see Somali return to his original forest with Shizuno and Yabashira rather than leaving the continent. Perhaps Somali could pick up the role of guardian of that forest.

Also, we know that golem live for 1,000 years, but we don’t know how they’re created — or born — in the first place. It’s possible that a new “Golem” will be created in Golem’s old forest, and upon encountering Somali will regain his memories of her.

I have no idea, but I feel like there has to be at least a pseudo-happy ending, right? I guess maybe Somali could leave the continent and then spread stories of her travels around human settlements so they learn not to fear the Grotesques.

Human Hunters

At the end of last week’s episode it was revealed that Auntie Rosa is one of the “bad” Grotesques who participates in the genocide of humans. I assumed that she was either the leader, or a member, of a human trafficking ring, but that appears not to be the case.

She does want to capture Somali because she’s a human, but not so that she can sell her off to slave traders. Instead, she and the human hunters she’s employed plan to eat Somali themselves — and then sell off any leftover human meat.

But considering there are at least eight human hunters and Auntie Rosa to split Somali up between, my guess is there wouldn’t be much left over to sell.

Somali running in the snow from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali running in the snow

What I find most interesting about the human hunters is that they somehow believed their plan was going to work. To be fair, it almost did work because Golem is nearing the end of his life, but they have no way of knowing that. In fact, it appeared like none of them knew what a golem was.

So you could argue that they didn’t realize they were going up against a golem, sure. But they did know they were going up against the two bodyguards who have been serving out beat downs in town all week. Did they really think they were going to defeat Golem and Yabashira?

Why wouldn’t they have attacked the house while only Somali and Shizuno were there? This was the final day of their stay in Bygone City, but Auntie Rosa knew of Somali the day before, which means the attack could have simply taken place while Golem and Yabashira were working.

Tundra Wildlife

I believe we only saw two new creatures in this episode, but they were pretty cool. The first was a one-eyed lizard which only made a minor appearance and was found within the mines. It’s possible we’ve seen one of these before in the other caves, but I’ll assume it’s new.

Also, if we haven’t seen that lizard yet, does it really count as “tundra wildlife?” By this I mean, can we assume that it’s native to the tundra region and nowhere else?

That’s hard to say. On one hand, it lives in a cold climate, which we normally wouldn’t expect of a lizard, so it may be specially adapted to this region. On the other, because it lives in a cave, it may be protected from the outside cold and not actually be adapted for cold weather.

A tundra pack animal from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
A tundra pack animal

Obviously this second animal is the cooler of the two. Unfortunately we weren’t given a name for it, but it’s a pack animal of some type. And if you’re thinking that it looks familiar, that’s because it’s just a combination of two real-world animals.

This creature has the body and antlers of a reindeer and the face and fur of a Japanese macaque. Do you think it would be a reincaque or a macdeer? Let me know in the comments. I’m personally on #TeamReincaque, but I think both are good options.

Golem’s Final Form

Episode 11 ends with Golem going berserk after Somali is taken from him by the human hunters. This also occurs after he loses his left arm due to his body not being able to withstand its own energy output.

Interestingly, this form doesn’t feature Golem’s skeletal wings which we’ve seen a number of times before, including earlier in this episode. Instead, his remaining arm is covered in large, armor-like spikes, his ribs jut out in additional spikes, and a scale-like pattern covers his face and head.

There’s also the fact that his eye changes from green to red, we can see what I assume to be his core — or heart — glowing inside his body, and there are black, wispy tentacle things projecting outward from his core.

Golem going berserk from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Golem going berserk

There are many unknowns regarding this form, but there are still some assumptions we can make.

First, we can assume this form is meant to be used by a golem as a last resort, probably to trade their own life in exchange for protecting their forest. This also means that we can expect Golem’s physical abilities to be greatly enhanced for a short period of time before he breaks down.

The two main things we don’t know are what this does to Golem’s state of mind or what those black, wispy tentacles are. I’d imagine he can’t think clearly when in this form, but maybe that’s not the case. As for the tentacles, I have no idea. Maybe he’s a follower of Satella and can use the Unseen Hand.

Conclusion

What did you think of Somali and the Forest Spirit episode 11? Do you think the anime series is actually going to end next episode? Or will there be a second season? And if it is going to end, what’s going to become of Somali and Golem? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤ down below. Also follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of the final episode is available here.

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 10

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 10

The Infant Child and the Green Fortress

The first half of Somali and the Forest Spirit episode 10 focuses on the time between Somali and Golem’s first meeting and when they left the forest. Unfortunately we’re never given an exact location for this forest, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter all that much at the end of the day.

What does matter is that we get a little more information about Somali’s background and why she is how she is.

We already knew Somali was a slave of some sort — whether she was going to be used to perform manual labor or simply be eaten is up for debate. But we didn’t really know how she ended up in the middle of the forest.

However, we now know that the human trafficking caravan she was a part of was attacked while traveling through the forest. All of the slave traders died in the attack, as did the rest of the captive humans they were transporting — only Somali survived.

And although I’d like to know who or what attacked the caravan, I don’t think we’ll ever get an answer. That information isn’t necessary to understand the story or the characters in the same way the information about the attack happening at all is.

Somali in Chains

Something which has been stated, and implied, before in the series is the idea that golem are only found within forests. We’ve had characters mention that it’s strange to see a golem outside of their forest, and even the title of the series refers to Golem as a “forest spirit.”

But over the course of the series I began to think that golem weren’t restricted to forests. Why would they only protect forests? Why couldn’t there be a golem overseeing the protection of Osuna Desert? After all, there was even a golem overseeing Haraiso Village, which isn’t a forest.

Our Golem, however, seems to confirm that yes, golem are supposedly restricted to forests. The forest he finds Somali in is his forest, and as far as he’s concerned, anything that doesn’t belong in that forest doesn’t fall under his protection — including Somali.

Somali being hungry from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali being hungry

Golem tells Somali to stop following him and to leave the forest. He also mentions that she’ll likely starve soon (or get eaten by a creature in the forest), but that it’s not his problem. And, while Somali is following him around, he doesn’t even release her from the chains around her arms and legs for days.

Something else which we learn from Golem during this first half of the episode which I think is interesting is his explanation of why Somali immediately referred to him as her dad. This is something Somali has done for the entire series, but not something I ever gave much thought.

Apparently, Golem believes that she began referring to him in that way as a defense mechanism. Either this was Somali’s way of trying to distance herself from the horrors she previously witnessed, or she was attempting to make Golem view her as someone he should take care of.

The Start of an Adventure

If you’re like me, you probably wondered where Somali’s name came from. Did she already have this name when she met Golem? Or did Golem name her this? And regardless of which it was, what does Somali even mean?

Luckily, this was all explained (sort of) in this episode.

When Golem and the unnamed human child now known as Somali were about to head out of the forest on their search for other humans, Somali received her name. The creature which initially led Golem to Somali returned to bid Somali farewell, and it’s this creature Somali is named after.

Somali and the Komidori-Somali from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali and the Komidori-Somali

The Komidori-Somali is a cat-like animal — though not a cat according to Golem — which inhabits the forest. Its fur is green, with a lighter patch on its face and darker stripes on its underside. On each side of its face are two, branch-like whiskers. And it has four tails.

So, what does Komidori-Somali mean? According to the subtitles on Crunchyroll, it means “Steeped-in-Viridian.” That’s a fine translation, but it doesn’t really explain what the creature is. Komidori is dark green, which is where the viridian comes from. Somali, on the other hand, is a breed of cat — so the name really means it’s a dark green Somali cat.

And yes, that means Somali was actually just named after a type of cat. However, the fact that she was named after this green cat is also probably why her hair has a green tint in the anime. In the manga, her hair has a purple tint instead.

Never Trust an Axolotl

From the very first time we laid eyes on Auntie Rosa, the wife of the inn keeper, I knew she was trouble. As I always say, “never trust a human-sized axolotl with four arms.”

After watching the episode I took a look at what some other people had to say about Auntie Rosa, and surprisingly a lot of them didn’t expect that she was going to turn out bad. Like I said, right from the start I had a bad feeling about her, and it wasn’t just because she’s a fleshy, pink creature.

I still forget the dwarf oni’s name, but when he(she?) opened the door and was picked up by Auntie Rosa, that was the first red flag. The second and third red flags both came when Auntie Rosa immediately asked about a small child in the house.

Auntie Rosa from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Auntie Rosa

That question may have seemed innocent enough, but it felt a bit out of place. Maybe there simply aren’t many children around since this is a frontier town, and Auntie Rosa just wanted to see Somali’s smile. Or, Auntie Rosa is interested in children for the slave trade.

She lives in Bygone Town; we can’t trust her completely even from the start.

So, once Auntie Rosa smells that Somali is a human and tells some ruffians in town about her, it’s obvious that she’s not a good person. However, I still think the result would have been the same even if Somali wasn’t a human. I do think Auntie Rosa is part of a slave trade ring, and the fact that Somali is human just means she’ll be worth more.

Conclusion

As one last point before I conclude for today, remember how we saw that Somali was the sole survivor of an attack on a slave trader caravan at the start of the episode? And remember how Golem thinks she calls him her father as a coping mechanism? I think that’s all going to become relevant once Auntie Rosa attempts to kidnap Somali.

Somali will probably suddenly remember what happened to her before she met Golem. And, it could be these memories which remind her that Golem isn’t her real father, which in turn could motivate her to reach the end of their journey.

But what are your thoughts on this episode of Somali and the Forest Spirit? What would Golem have done if Somali was eaten by a creature of the forest? And did you see the twist with Auntie Rosa coming from the start like I did? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤ down below. Also follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of the next episode is available here.

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 9

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 9

Memories of Minor Days

Somali and the Forest Spirit episode 9 definitely wasn’t one of the best episodes of the series, but I still enjoyed it a lot. We got to see two different biomes, a new town, and the map from episode 1, along with the end of the series (or first season) being set up.

Let’s start out with that final point this week.

Towards the end of the episode, while our travelers are in Bygone City, we learn about a phenomenon known as the snowcrossing. This is basically a week-long snow storm which hits the city every year. But the reason it’s important is because we see Somali and Golem traveling through a snow storm in the OP.

In fact, their trek across what appear to be snowy mountains is the final part of the OP to be seen in the series. They’ve already traveled across grasslands and deserts, through forests of various types, and have finally reached the tundra.

As for whether or not the series is going to end with episode 12, I’m not sure. Just because they’ve traveled to the “end of the world” doesn’t mean their adventure is complete. We know that the humans come from another continent, or island, so we can assume they’ll have to reach the sea at some point.

But the sea isn’t depicted in the OP. So does that mean they won’t actually be going there? Unlikely. My guess is that there’s going to be a second season at some point. After all, we only have three episodes left with a lot yet to cover.

Next episode is going to be about when Somali and Golem first met, then we have more Bygone City content, and then crossing the mountains. I don’t think a series conclusion can fit as well.

Candy Baum Forest

Episode 9 starts off with Somali and Golem in a forest of some sort. It looks a lot like the forest in which they first met, so it could be the same kind. It’s also tough to determine what kind of forest it is based on other information such as the weather or proximity to other biomes.

The rainy weather and fact that the only animal we saw was a type of frog would have me believe it’s supposed to be more tropical than the forest from the start of the series. However, the reason we don’t see any other animals could simply be due to the rain.

Also, we know that this forest is fairly close to a more tundra-like region, so a it being a tropical forest doesn’t really make sense. Additionally, Golem states that Somali is going to get a cold if they don’t find shelter, which is generally associated with colder rain.

Somali playing frog from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali playing frog

So, we could come to the conclusion that this is a boreal forest, or taiga, due to the temperature and proximity to the tundra, but even that doesn’t really make sense. Even in our world, there are very few frogs which live in boreal forests, so the fauna we see doesn’t really make sense for that conclusion.

And on the flora side, like I said, it basically looks exactly like the forest the series started in. The only difference is that this forest has trees known as candy baum trees. Unfortunately, although we know the sap from these trees is harvested and turned into sugar, that doesn’t tell us anything about what kind of forest this actually is.

Bygone City

I think Anthole City is still my favorite city in this series from an aesthetic perspective, but I love the look and feel of Bygone City too. It’s a city on the edge of the wilderness, is home to all kinds of thugs and black market traders, and you really get that vibe from the appearance of the city itself.

The buildings are made from a dark grey stone with the bones of various beasts used as decoration. There are chimneys billowing smoke off in the backgrounds, and you get the sense that when it isn’t snowing here, the city is covered in a perpetual layer of soot.

And way in the distance we can see the towering mountains from which the snowcrossing is coming — the wilderness where the creatures whose bones adorn the buildings are probably found.

Bygone City from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Bygone City

The aesthetic combination of medieval European town, wintry castle fortress, and industrial revolution pollution really tells you everything you need to know about this place. Just by looking at the image above, I feel like we know enough about this city to have spent an entire 12 episodes here.

It’s also nice to see a slightly different side of the Grotesques in this city. Obviously when it comes to humans, we know the Grotesques have been violent in the past, but other than that we haven’t actually seen any criminals. This city is crawling with them.

Whatever the ruling power is that keeps the peace in the other cities Somali and Golem have visited during their travels, it doesn’t quite reach Bygone City.

Denticians of Chewton

The two oni who Somali and Golem met in like episode 2 were traveling to Bygone City and ran into their old friends in the forest. Okay, cool, but why are they in such a dangerous part of the world? Also, does this mean they also crossed the Osuna Desert?

That second question aside, the reason they’re here is because the dwarf oni (I forget both of their names) wanted to meet a world-renowned dentician (dentist). And as we learn when we meet the dentist, all, or most, dentists in this world are of the same race: hydromy.

Hydromys are real creatures, although they don’t talk or practice dentistry, unfortunately. They’re semi-aquatic rodents, which makes a lot of sense considering the appearance of this dentist. And the reason they enter the dentistry field is because they’re small enough to hop inside the mouths of their patients to check out their teeth.

Somali missing a baby tooth from the anime series Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali missing a baby tooth

But what I like the most about the hydromy dentist is the fact that he, and apparently all dentists in this world, come from a city, town, or region known as Chewton. Get it? Chew — like what you use your teeth for.

We’re probably never going to get to see what Chewton looks like, but that doesn’t really matter. The fact that the city’s name is a play on words tells us more than enough. I bet the entire aesthetic of the city is based around teeth and dentistry, with little hydromys running all over the place.

Conclusion

So what did you think of Somali and the Fores Spirit episode 9? What kind of forest do you think Somali and Golem were in at the start of the episode? And do you think the series will end after they travel through the tundra? Let me know in the comments, along with your favorite location from the series so far.

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My review of the next episode is available here.