I’m calling it: Tonari no Yōkai-san is the show of the season.
The character designs (both human and non) are excellent. The attention to body language, light and shadow, backgrounds, mundane things like food and tools… beautiful.
The world-building is not too heavy-handed, and there are already a few different threads to pick up. What happened to the father? How will the nekotama adjust to his new form(s)? What’s the deal with the two different kinds of tengu? Etc.
The first episode struck a great balance between its slice-of-country-life, magical realism, and mystery aspects. I hope it can keep that tone going.
(Also I am intrigued by the car-head person we saw in the OP and ED.)
