Review of Natsume's Book of Friends

The first season of Natsume Yuujinchou warmed me to the series very quickly. While the concept isn't unexplored, the calm sort of atmosphere generated by the writers really does a lot of legwork. The two main characters are both entertaining as hell to watch interact, and Nyanko-sensei is pretty much a barrel of laughs on his own. I find myself really becoming attached to transient, episodic characters, which I think most episodic anime can't really manage. It gives me a lot of the same feeling Mushi-shi did, but it's much more comical and seems to take itself less seriously. Afterhaving completed the first season, I'm most likely going to finish the entire series.

I'd recommend this anime for anyone who likes comedic anime, serene nature scenes, and/or episodic plot structures.