Sometimes, a series comes into your life by way of a friend, and will forever be associated with that one friend, for better or for worse. That was how Natsume Yuujinchou--AKA Natsume's Book of Friends--came to me. And for me, it will always be for the better. One of my best friends showed me this show, basically saying, "You'll love it. You'll also cry a lot." He was right on both accounts.
Natsume's Book of Friends is an anime following the misadventures of Takashi Natsume (called Natsume from here on out, since no one uses his given name in-series, except his foster mother). Natsume has a unique power: He can see spirits, called ayakashi and/or youkai in-series (there is a difference but it's not a huge deal), which are taken from Japanese mythology, and interact with them. He tends to keep this a secret, though, in order to not be ostracized.
Natsume (the human boy in front) with a bunch of these aforementioned spirits, who are throwing him a little party in season 3. (Source: Pinterest)
When he enters high school, he finds a family heirloom from his grandmother Reiko, who also could see spirits: A handmade book full of spirit's names, called "The Book of Friends". This book carries a lot of power, since possessing a spirit's name gives one complete control over them. Lots of spirits also want this power, which puts Natsume in danger.
One spirit who goes after Natsume to get the Book is the incredibly powerful Madara. Natsume and Madara strike a deal: Madara won't eat him, as long as Madara gets the Book of Friends when Natsume dies. So, in his more manageable, cute form--a pudgy cat--Madara (now dubbed "Nyanko-sensei") works as Natsume's de facto bodyguard from malevolent spirits.
With Nyanko-sensei's help, Natsume decides that he's going to return the name of every spirit in the book, righting the wrongs of his grandmother. In the meantime, he learns more about self-confidence, family, and love, and gains some friends along the way.
Natsume and Nyanko-sensei strolling in the snow, from the second season's end credits. (Source: Tumblr)
This series is phenomenal. It's one of the most popular anime airing right now in Japan--to the point where it just began its sixth season. The manga it's based off of has 20 volumes. I'm still behind, even after marathoning most of it at the beginning of the semester and during winter break! I'm about to start season 4, so no spoilers.
In general, the series follows a "monster spirit of the week" pattern, and takes its sweet time with plot progression and character development. But, that time is all time well-spent. The animation really improves after season 2, with some gorgeous animation bumps in a few episodes. The Spirits of the Week from earlier seasons tend to show up later, changed from their first visit.
This leads to a recurring side-cast with personality, consistent canon, and incredible amounts of character development. Also, along with that, there's enough variation in the "Spirit of the Week" pattern, and enough breather episodes, and even intense story episodes, that the series never feels stale. Even the human side of the side-cast, whether it's Natsume's foster family, his grandmother, or his high school pals, gets a moment in the spotlight.
Natsume and a fox spirit sharing a sweet little moment. (Source: Tumblr)
To that effect, at its heart, Natsume's Book of Friends is a series about interpersonal relationships, framed as a supernatural slice-of-life story. A large section of the episodes are tearjerkers; sweet, without being too saccharine or sentimental. Most of the problems that these spirits have are surprisingly human. They make mistakes, fall in love, lose friends, gain friends, mourn.
There's a fine line between spirit and human in this world, and through Natsume, we get to see both sides. Even if most of the show is spent with him making bad decisions, and usually almost dying as a result because he couldn't say no to someone in need, you can't help but want him to succeed. He just wants to help, and that is such a pure notion, you can't really fault him for it. Natsume is so relatable as a protagonist. He just wants to help everyone he possibly can, and sometimes, he needs help too.
Young Natsume hugging a spirit, who has taken the form of a cat. (Source: Google Images)
Natsume's character development is really the high point of the show, besides the voice acting and writing, which are all phenomenal. He grows so much in just one season. He's a completely different person by season 3, so when we see young Natsume in comparison to him in the present in what is, in my personal opinion, one of the saddest episodes in the entire series, it's a marvel to behold.
As I mentioned before, this series will always be connected with my friend who showed it to me. Not just because he introduced me to the show, but because he reminds me a lot of Natsume. Still, I'm grateful that my friend showed me this show with so much heart.
So, if you are looking for something new, and don't mind shedding a few tears from being moved, or need a reaffirmation that the world isn't always awful, check out Natsume's Book of Friends. You'll be changed for the better.
Rating: 4.5 Cups of Chamomile Tea on a Summer's Day / 5
