Yuki Midorikawa’s Natsume Yuujinchou (also known as Natsume’s Book of Friends) stars Natsume Takashi, who has the power to see supernatural beings that others cannot. It is a slice-of-life anime involving some core Japanese religious cultures full of spirits, ghosts and yokai. The basic plot and structure may seem standard at first, but the more one watches this series, the more they realize how unique it is. The narrative is simple enough for children to understand, yet it contains depth and sophistication to keep older fans intrigued as well.
Natsume Yuujinchou follows Natsume as he finds several Yokai coming after him to obtain a book that belonged to his grandmother, Reiko. The Yokai mistake him for Reiko since they can’t tell genders apart, and don’t have any sense of time. After finding out about the book’s contents from Madara, a very powerful Yokai, Natsume decides to give back the names of the Yokai that his grandmother had taken from them. By doing so, he tries to find a purpose while aiding other Yokai in need.
Natsume Yuujinchou Is Heartwarming With a Touch of Comedy
Whether it’s Yokai or the humans, everyone in Natsume’s Book of Friends has their story to tell. Natsume, who was used to living a lonely life, suddenly finds himself in the company of several such people. He is able to see the memories of the Yokai whenever he returns their name. He realizes they were just as lonely as he used to be, and is able to empathize with them. Before learning about the Book of Friends, Natsume only had hatred for the Yokai, which gradually changes. He starts caring about them as one would care about their friend.
These newfound bonds and friendship transcend the boundaries of a mortal and immortal. Furthermore, there’s Madara, who Natsume refers to as Master Kitty Cat, a powerful yet adorable being. Madara takes the liberty to become Natsume’s bodyguard and protect him until he eventually dies of old age, so the former can claim the book as his own.
While the series tends to be a little heavy, the appearance of the Master adds depths of humor with his cat form, which is large and round enough to be frequently mistaken by others for a ‘pig’ or ‘raccoon dog’. In the midst of all their bickering and fighting, Natsume and Madara gradually develop a strong bond.
Viewers Can Take Life Lessons From Natsume’s Book of Friends
It’s not unusual for anime to impart some important life messages along the way. However, very few of those end up staying with viewers for a long time. Natsume Yuujinchou is a perfect comfort series that teaches the audience about accepting themselves. It shows that loneliness is a battle that cannot be fought alone. Before he comes across the Book of Friends, Natsume hated both Yokai and humans.
However, once he starts to see Yokai in a different light, he not only accepts them but other humans as well. He realizes how much his foster family cares for him and cherishes his time with them. Not only that, but he also makes friends his own age — something he had never done before. The series is episodic in nature, meaning it shows new events and provides a heartwarming new lesson with each episode.
Natsume Yuuchinjou is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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