Review of Natsume's Book of Friends

[Short Reviewer] I will try to keep all reviews short, simple, and straight to the point. A pleasant surprise in my backlog of anime. Story: 9 Natsume Yuujinchou doesn't really have a consistent story. Each episode is pretty much self contained though some of the characters appear in other stories its never really major. So while the synopsis will have you believe that Natsume is bound to this book and trying hard to return all these names to spirits its not really the case. He meets spirits along the way and willingly or reluctantly he decides to help them out with their problems. Every story issad in one way or another but they're usually resolved with happy endings. All are unique and very heart warming.
I'm a sucker for romance and am always looking for it in anime and unfortunately this has none. Sorry.

Art/Animation :7
It's very simple and clean.Nothing is ever too detailed or beautiful but you can tell this had a strict budget so they used a lot of color to mask it and it works. It solid art and animation but nothing mind blowing. Character designs is pretty average unfortunately.

Sound: 7
OP is weak. ED is different from what I'm used to but I really liked it. All the VA is solid and while the actual songs aren't memorable they work.

Character: 8
Most characters are nothing special but the spirits are definitely the highlight of the anime. As well as having their own stories they have a lot of personality to them. In my opinion they are the main attraction of the entire anime. You don't really care about Natsume returning the names or his future but the stories of all the spirits and how sad or amazing the next one is going to be.

Overall:8
While it's the actual stories that drive the anime, the production side of things hold me back from giving it an 9 or 10. I love music, its a big part of anime in my opinion and so is the animation and art. Sadly both of them don't stand out in this anime. If neither of those things matter to you and you're into anime strictly for story Natsume Yuujinchou will not disappoint its a great anime especially for anyone looking for something a little different and relaxing.