Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor

Original title: Natsume Yuujinchou: Ishi Okoshi to Ayashiki Raihousha
  • 2021
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
294
YOUR RATING
Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor (2021)
Animation

This movie will be made up of two stories. Ishi Okoshi (Who wakes the stone): Natsume meets a small yokai named Mitsumi in the forest. Mitsumi tells him that it has been entrusted to wake up... Read allThis movie will be made up of two stories. Ishi Okoshi (Who wakes the stone): Natsume meets a small yokai named Mitsumi in the forest. Mitsumi tells him that it has been entrusted to wake up the divine yokai Gantetsu from his deep sleep. Natsume likes Mitsumi's sincerity and deci... Read allThis movie will be made up of two stories. Ishi Okoshi (Who wakes the stone): Natsume meets a small yokai named Mitsumi in the forest. Mitsumi tells him that it has been entrusted to wake up the divine yokai Gantetsu from his deep sleep. Natsume likes Mitsumi's sincerity and decides to help it. Ayashiki Houmonsya (A mysterious visitor): A mysterious male visitor comes... Read all

  • Director
    • Hideki Itô
  • Stars
    • Chô
    • SuzAnne DeCarma
    • Manami Hanawa
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    294
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hideki Itô
    • Stars
      • Chô
      • SuzAnne DeCarma
      • Manami Hanawa
    • 2User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Top cast22

    Edit
    Chô
    • Chobihige
    SuzAnne DeCarma
    SuzAnne DeCarma
      Manami Hanawa
      • Little Demon-Faced Yokai
      • (voice)
      Takeyoshi Hayakawa
      • Ancestral Stone Yokai
      • (voice)
      Sôshirô Hori
      • Little Jizo-Faced Yokai
      • (voice)
      Kazuma Horie
      • Kaname Tanuma
      Kazuhiko Inoue
      Kazuhiko Inoue
      • Nyanko-sensei
      Yuichi Jose
      • Ancestral Stone Yokai
      • (voice)
      Hiroshi Kamiya
      Hiroshi Kamiya
      • Natsume Takashi
      Tetsuo Kanao
      • Iron Rock
      • (voice)
      Hisako Kanemoto
      Hisako Kanemoto
      • Mitsumi
      • (voice)
      Ryohei Kimura
      • Satoru Nishimura
      • (voice)
      Takaya Kuroda
      • Misuzu
      Hiroki Matsukawa
      • Horned Yokai
      • (voice)
      Yasunori Matsumoto
      Yasunori Matsumoto
      • Tanuma's Father
      • (voice)
      Takashi Matsuyama
      • One-Eyed Middle Class Yokai
      Mitsuki Nakamura
      • Ancestral Stone Yokai
      • (voice)
      Akemi Okamura
      Akemi Okamura
      • Hinoe
      • Director
        • Hideki Itô
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews2

      7.2294
      1
      2
      3
      4
      5
      6
      7
      8
      9
      10

      Featured reviews

      9lambentsilverwolf

      For fans who know, this is a must see.

      This is exactly typical of Natsume Youjincho, so you can expect what you already know and love about the characters, flow, and storyline.

      The first arc with the The Waking Rock is one of the lighter, fun (silly) sided versions where it showcases the yokai interactions with each other and the general craziness that Natsume gets involved with. When that happens, you know the Dog Circle will be involved! Of course there is always a little lesson, and per usual, although simple, it makes it's point.

      The second arc, The Strange Visitor, is the more serious of the two. It is full of the beauty, known pain, and ultimately the wholesomeness that is the other half of Natsume Youjincho. This one centers around Natsume and Tanuma and to me, a joy to see more interpersonal relationship growth with them and their unique shared and individual situations. The story itself is wonderful and befitting this OVA. Only downside is wanting it to be longer! Even though Nyanko-Sensei takes a backseat, it doesn't diminish a thing, it really only makes it better in this case.

      The Waking Stone is what drops my review. As far as episodes go, it's a bit more disjointed than normal and seems to have gotten less attention in the animation department. If you don't know the series well, almost none of it will make any real sense. Fans will be fine and get it, but I'd give it about a 6/10. If it were a normal episode in the series I might be more forgiving, but added to an OVA situation, they could have done better in choosing a companion arc with a less chaotic dialog and flow.

      The Strange Visitor, on the other hand, is exactly what we want and love. It's a 10/10. The animation is clean and has extra layers of beauty to many of the scenes. The story is well done and sound. I'd love to divulge more, but watching it and getting the feel is what matters.

      All that said, this is why I've rated 9/10. Whatever the shortcomings of The Waking Stone is overshadowed by the great job done for The Strange Visitor. Happy watching fellow fans of Natsume and I hope this review helps.

      ***Newcomers to the series should definitely watch several seasons prior to watching this, I'd even go so far as to suggest viewing all 6 so that The Strange Visitor hits home with the most effect.***
      1ydhmbtcz

      This is a very nonsense, long-plot movie

      The plot is very embarrassing, the dialogue between the characters is like nonsense, the plot is very useless, the dialogue between the characters is like a lie, saying that I want to protect you, but in the end it didn't help, it was very bad, and the final ending was forced to blush , so that the relationship between the characters is very awkward, and there is really no feeling of communication between normal people. The look and feel is poor, the picture quality is poor, and the plot is very time-consuming. Apart from walking and running, the characters communicate with each other like a three-year-old child. It's the same as saying nothing, and the emotions between the characters are very It's not normal, the final fighting scene is very simple and unintentional,

      More like this

      Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie: Ephemeral Bond
      7.1
      Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie: Ephemeral Bond
      Natsume's Book of Friends
      8.1
      Natsume's Book of Friends
      Natsume Yujin-cho OVA
      7.4
      Natsume Yujin-cho OVA
      Bunny Drop
      8.2
      Bunny Drop
      Mushi-Shi
      8.5
      Mushi-Shi
      Mushi-Shi: Next Passage
      8.8
      Mushi-Shi: Next Passage
      Barakamon
      8.2
      Barakamon
      March Comes in Like a Lion
      8.2
      March Comes in Like a Lion
      Maid Sama!
      7.9
      Maid Sama!
      Yona of the Dawn OVA
      8.2
      Yona of the Dawn OVA
      Yona of the Dawn
      8.0
      Yona of the Dawn
      The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
      7.7
      The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Connections
        Version of Natsume's Book of Friends (2008)

      Top picks

      Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
      Sign in

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • January 16, 2021 (Japan)
      • Country of origin
        • Japan
      • Official site
        • Official site (Japan)
      • Language
        • Japanese
      • Also known as
        • 夏目友人帳特別上映版:喚石與可疑訪客
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Color
        • Color

      Contribute to this page

      Suggest an edit or add missing content
      Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor (2021)
      Top Gap
      What is the English language plot outline for Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor (2021)?
      Answer
      • See more gaps
      • Learn more about contributing
      Edit page

      More to explore

      Recently viewed

      Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
      Get the IMDb App
      Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
      Follow IMDb on social
      Get the IMDb App
      For Android and iOS
      Get the IMDb App
      • Help
      • Site Index
      • IMDbPro
      • Box Office Mojo
      • License IMDb Data
      • Press Room
      • Advertising
      • Jobs
      • Conditions of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Your Ads Privacy Choices
      IMDb, an Amazon company

      © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.