The thing about anime is that youre pretty much allowed to write any kind of story you want and itll be sure to air on TV and pretty much anything goes. Japans standards for cartoons are much wider and higher than places like America and France though even this is changing somewhat. Many studio executives in America seem to believe that cartoons are just aimed at children and that they have absolutely no merit or value whatsoever and anything made for adults is just crass grossout comedy like South Park or Family Guy. Japan has all kinds of shows from blood pumping monster killing action to experimental horror lighthearted slice of life shows or fantasy shows that arent always about swords and sorcery and medieval knights. Hell Japan is totally okay with airing TV shows about little kids just living their lives out in the country Non Non Biyori Some cultures have different standards for their cartoons and let me ask you: Where else in the world can you find a sweet wholesome show about a golem adopting a human child and having it be one of the nicest most charming most heartwarming shows ever? Yeah while not without the occasional bump in the road Japan has better standards for their cartoons and Somali and the Forest Spirit is no exception to the rule. In a world where demons goblins and monsters rule the roost a forest golem finds a human child in his abode lost and alone. Taking pity on her as a human child cant survive all on its own he decides to adopt her as his own naming her Somali Yes its explained that hes the one who named her Somali. But he knows he cant raise her in the forest as she needs to be with other humans so he and Somali disguised as a minotaur child decide to travel all over their world searching for a place where Somali can live freely and be safe. However there are two big problems. One is that humans are scarce in this world because the monsters either keep them as slaves or eat them having done so for centuries due to prejudice and vitriol on both sides. The second problem is that golems have a set lifespan of a thousand years and Somalis adoptive father only has a little over a year to live. In a world thats hostile towards humans the golem needs to find a place for Somali to live before his life ends. Now the premise itself is nothing new in anime. Stories of single parents adopting a young child have become a dime a dozen in anime but its rather rare to see one done in a fantasy setting especially if said father is a thousand year old golem with no concept of emotions living in a monster dominated world where humans are considered slave labor or food. But I gotta say the world Golem and Somali live in is incredible. A world ruled by monsters all with their own personalities rules cultures beliefs cuisines and so on. The animation makes great use of bright colors detailed backgrounds different locales and every character major or minor all has a distinct appearance and design so you never see the same background character twice in a scene. The setting is lushly detailed from a town in the center of a giant crater to the absolutely stunning witch village illuminated by glowing flowers in a sewer bog. Everything in this series is a visual feast for the eyes...except for one thing: For some reason somebody thought itd be a great idea to put sunbeams in every single exterior shot during the daytime except when the characters are inside a building or cave. Its one thing to have them show up every once in a while and I like sunbeams as well but Somali uses them in practically every single outside scene to the point where they start to make everything look gaudy and garish. But you cant have a setting come alive if you dont have good well defined characters to back it up and thankfully Somali definitely delivers on this front. The entire heart and soul of the series are Golem and Somali and they couldnt be more different. Golem is a wise stoic unemotional being who always thinks logically and rationally almost robotic in a sense whereas Somali is a little kid whos bouncy energetic curious and is always in awe of the world around her. Characters with very different personalities and views on life are a recipe rife for stellar character development if done well and the chemistry these two build throughout the show is always a treat to watch because theyre so well written. Golem always speaks bluntly most of the time using big words around Somali that she cant understand but in stark contrast to many main characters these days Golem is also smart rational and down to earth. Seriously this guy is a better main character than nearly every other male lead in certain other anime that have come out in recent years. Somali is similarly versatile and likeable especially since children tend to be very hard to write. She acts childish and cheerful but its never to the point of being obnoxiously cute or annoying. Her behavior often gets her and Golem into trouble and the fact that shes a human in a world of humanhating monsters makes her an easy target but shes still smart enough to know when somethings wrong and puts others before herself when the situation calls for it. It could have been very easy to make her an annoying little brat and while she does have her moments the show helps you understand where shes coming from while taking care not to make her obnoxious. But Golem and Somali arent the only characters who are fun to follow as there are quite a few side characters we get to know all of whom have multiple sides to them and feel fresh and charming with solid characterization all around. Do be warned because as sweet as this show can be at times it can also be really dark not just in its atmosphere but in its themes. Both various humans and monsters are deeply prejudiced towards one another and the world Golem and Somali live in is very prejudiced towards humans. The series doesnt try to hide the fact that both humans and monsters dont get along and the lengths they go to show just how much they hate each other can get pretty graphic at times with episode 6 being one such example. But for the most part the series is fairly light hearted with a few conflicts sprinkled in here and there only going all out when theres actual danger. Because of Somalis lighthearted atmosphere and general lack of conflict this isnt a series for everyone. I personally had no problem with it because stories like that can be great if done well as I feel is the case here but others might find Somali to be rather dull or feel as though its constantly trying to avoid any real sense of danger or urgency. There are also times when the characters dont always question various events that have huge red flags but even those are very few and farinbetween though when they show up you kind of have to scratch your head. I suppose whether you like this show or not is purely a matter of personal taste. In spite of its few flaws though I still feel Somali and the Forest Spirit is a wonderful anime that deserves all the love it can get. Definitely check it out if you want something sweet but substantial to watch. I know this animes going on my top favorites for sure