“ Sayonara. ” A single word filled with so many emotions. These two special episodes continue the episodic nature, so I'd even recommend it to anyone that is unfamiliar with the setting and background of Natsume Yuujinchou yet want a taste of emptiness inside the heart. Surprisingly, Natsume takes a backseat in these two stories, being a small contributor to the plot that focuses on one important thing - promises. First episode is on the promise that an old youkai of Suzunaru tree made with a human in the festival night, which he seeks help from Natsume to find out what it was before he fades awaywith the tree. Second one is on a promise that a girl, Tamami made with a white owl to return a red-stoned ring to him in a forbidden forest where she met Natsume.

As always, both stories offer a strong bittersweet aftertaste on how fragile memories are, with the melancholic ending that emphasizes the feeling. If you've been holding tears throughout the whole Natsume franchise, you might just cry in this one.