Review of Natsume's Book of Friends

There’s something incredibly endearing about Natsume Yuujinchou, and I’m not quite sure I can put my finger on it. The premise isn’t the most unique in the world. Natsume, a 15-year-old cursed with the ability to see youkai, is tossed from home to home by family members that deem him too troublesome or odd to put up with. Until, of course, he moves in with the Fujiwara’s, in the town of his grandmother’s youth, and discovers that he wasn’t the first in his family to be born with these powers. Tasked with returning names to youkai that his grandmother collected in her Book of Friends, Natsumediscovers he might not be as alone in the world as he thought.

It's a simple story, and I think that's why it works.

The Japanese genre of ‘Iyashikei’ is most often attributed to the likes of Studio Ghibli or the aesthetically renowned Mushishi, but Natsume Yuujinchou is another title that seems to perfectly capture its essence - it's calming. And that calming doesn't just extend to your heart rate, its calming to the soul.

We witness Natsume, and the friends he collects along the way, grow into themselves and find comfort amongst each other, even in the oddest of circumstances. For Natsume, who has been without family connection his entire life, the relationship that blossoms between him and Nyanko-sensei (or Madara) is both heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch. The show takes the deeply personal experience of loneliness and places it on the screen for everyone to see. It's relatable, especially for those of us who struggled to make friends during their childhood. It's a show for the quiet, shy kids.

Madara's position as a mentor figure and the comedic relief of the show cannot be understated. He's an essential part of Natsume Yuujinchou, and without him I doubt the show would've reached the success it has. He's the perfect mascot, but also an incredibly complex character, perhaps more so than Natsume. He's a contradictory presence, someone that parades himself around like a gag manga villain, but also the person that cares about Natsume the most.

The story can be summarised as something without consequence but, thematically, it's a story about finding home, somewhere you belong, and the final episode summarises that perfectly.

"Let's walk a little. We might find a place you can see them too."

- orenjijuice, 8/10