Somali And The Forest Spirit is a heartwarming anime about a golem and a human girl traveling together in hopes of finding other humans in a world where there are few humans left. They develop a relationship of a parent and child, and the golem learns more about emotions that he previously thought he was incapable of feeling.
However, the golem is reaching the end of his 1000 year life span, making it uncertain if he will be able to achieve this goal in time. It's an emotional ride, and almost every episode has a scene that tugs at the heartstrings. Fans were likely to have missed a few hidden details in the series thanks to this sweet yet emotional roller coaster.
10 The Golem Has Influence Over Animals Outside Of His Forest
Golem is able to converse with other animals, and they seem to respect him enough to answer his questions or to even help him. Even though he wasn't in his forest, he has been followed by small birds and other harmless creatures.
However, his influence does not extend to more humanoid creatures, requiring him to use intimidation or logic to get their assistance. Some creatures, however, are large or aggressive to the point where he cannot hope to converse with them, such as the Sand Shark.
9 The Sand Shark's Body Is Full Of Confusing Parts
The Sand Shark makes a brief appearance as Somali and Golem travel with Uzoi and Haitora through the desert. The existence of the creature is a mystery, as it travels through the sand effortlessly.
This creature's name sounds like a goofy sci fi flick, and it has gills, which is only really necessary if it were living in water. How it is able to see is also an enigma, as its eyes do not go above the sand's surface, and it wouldn't make sense for it to feel other things move in the desert.
8 Haitora's Supposed Cure Was Unlikely To Be Relied On
Uzoi was under the impression that Haitora's disease would be cured with the blood of a human, thanks to a prior visit to a fortune teller. However, what fans may have missed is that Haitora never seemed to believe that this would be a real cure. He seemed desperate enough to go along with Uzoi's plan at first, but he later confesses to the Golem that he was surprised that Uzoi remembered what the fortune teller had told them.
His tragic backstory also implies that he is also not willing to sacrifice others for his own gain again, as it didn't go well the first time.
7 Reaction To Humans Is Puzzling Considering Their Resemblance To Witches
In the first episode, the Beast men were discussing the history of what happened to the humans. They expressed that their people were surprised when they encountered their first human. However, there are plenty of other creatures that closely resemble humans. These include the Oni, the Harpies, and the Witches.
In fact, witches look exactly like humans, so the other races should not have been too surprised by the humans' appearance.
6 There Are Different Types Of Golems
Not all golems look the same, as shown when fans are first introduced to Haraizo, a golem that lived in a human village. Although he looks similar to Somali's Golem, he does not seem to have the white outer shell. This leads fans to infer that this golem has shed his own outer shell, or that he never had one to begin with.
The second possibility seems more likely, as Haraizo seems to have no external damage. Golem reveals that his inner fibers have cracked with age, so Haraizo most likely had a good number of years left in him.
5 The Golem Can Read
Golem showcases his ability to read when baking something with Somali. As an ordinary forest spirit, it is unlikely that he came into being with the knowledge of reading, as his primary objective was to maintain the balance of his forest. This means that his ability to read is a power of his that fans haven't learned about yet, or he took the time to learn how to during his travels with Somali.
This is an impressive feat either way, and the skill has probably been very helpful in their travels.
4 The Golem's Body Appears Perfect When He Meets Somali
In every flashback in which fans see Golem meeting Somali for the first time, his body appears pristine. This gave the impression that the Golem met Somali many years before he began to travel with her. However, it was revealed upon closer inspection that his body was already cracked.
The damage to his body is more evident when he goes into the river and loses the shell covering one of his arms, which is connected to another small detail: Somali was aware from the start that his outer shell is a part of him, and is more than just armor or clothes.
3 The Golem Somehow Hid His Age From Somali
For a while, Golem was able to hide the extent of his body's damage from Somali. If he didn't, she would be constantly worried or cautious around him. This meant that his traveling clothes were constantly wrapped around his body, and he had to hide any loose pieces that may have fallen off during their travels.
Something like this would be difficult to hide from someone who was walking right next to him, and Somali has proven herself to be a very intelligent child.
2 Fresh Food In An Empty Lodging
When Somali and Golem happen across an unoccupied lodging, they quickly made themselves at home. Golem explains that Tappers, people who harvest sap from trees, lodge there during the harvest period. While the food is predominately canned, some of the ingredients that they use to bake a cake are not the kind that would stay fresh for very long.
They use bird eggs, although there is no sign of them going outside to get any, and butter, which typically needs to kept cold in order for it to avoid getting rancid.
1 The Villagers Had Rather Stagnated Beliefs
The two main human characters seen in the anime are Somali and Haitora, who are traveling with a non-human companion in search of something. These characters seem to view other species as their equals, and have developed a deep bond with their companions.
Portraying these characters as travelers symbolizes their ability and willingness to continuously adapt to different environments. The humans in villages, who never went out of their way to mingle with the other races, seemed to have beliefs that were more set in stone.