Natsume's Book of Friends

My daughter has learned Japanese and lived in the country for a while. So, it's not at all surprising that she's been trying to get me to watch anime with her....which I've done, off and on, for many years. In her latest efforts, she's been guiding me towards anime that I would enjoy...less fighting anime and more ones that show a lot about Japanese culture and folklore. The latest series we've begun watching is "Natsume Yûjinchô"...and I've really enjoyed the program.

Natsume is an odd teenager. He can see youkai (Japanese gods/spirits) and this ability was passed down to him from his grandmother. However, what he also inherited from her was a book with the names of all the youkai that she's captured and made her servants...and these spirits begin pestering Natsume to free them once and for all...which he does slowly through the course of the program. Along for the ride is his 'cat'...who is a youkai himself...and a cute and powerful one at that.

The best thing about the show is that it is NOT just another fighting or Pokemon-type show. I am NOT putting these down but tired of them because for many years this seemed to be all we got here in the States. But with Crunchyroll, you now have many other 'different' anime...ones that don't fit that style and which might appeal more to older folks. I am 55...and this sort of thing works for me.

The animation style is excellent, the main character very sweet and likable and each episode is unique and explores different youkai...and it's all very interesting and well worth seeing.

I was so surprised about the episode rating. It's not even that bad and top-rated episode is 5.5 like a joke. What happened? Btw it's a good healing anime.

I stumbled upon this series entirely by accident and started in the middle of the series (5 I think) and had to go back and watch the whole thing. What a tremendously wonderful anime!

Natsume is a teen-aged boy who can see "youkai" (Japanese spirits/monsters...their form varies so much that it's a little hard for me grasp exactly what they are...perhaps someone more familiar with Japanese culture would). This ability has caused nothing but problems for him particularly given that he was orphaned at an early age.

At the beginning of the series, he's been taken in by a childless couple who seem to be the first family to treat him with kindness. We see him struggling to connect with the couple as well as other teen-agers who want to be his friend. While Natsume is shown to be compassionate, caring and responsible but he's also portrayed as emotionally damaged by his childhood experiences and a bit reckless at times. We see these characteristics played out time and time again via his interactions with youkai. Natsume is frightened by them but wants to help them as well given that many youkai come to him with problems to solve (generally involving the titular "Book of Friends"). What I find particularly interesting is how the writers of the series present understandable motivations for some of the most frightening youkai (though some are just scary for their own sake).

His "spirit guardian", a cat called "Nyanko-Sensei" who can transform into a terrifying monster if needed, finds his compassion and recklessness irritating and often scolds him for it. However, in one of the most subtle touches in the series, we see the ornery dismissive cat becoming more and more fond of Natsume (though he denies it strenuously).

The pace of the films is often slow-moving and sometimes there is very little plot. But each episode ends in a positive, life-affirming way. Some even bring tears to the eyes. Well worth watching for those weary of the action-packed violence of other shows in the genre.

It was a good anime love to watch more. It lighten my heart. And it does'nt bored me for a second and i m waiting for next season

Perhaps not ideal for those who like action and a faster pace. However despite being Simple and rather slow paced, for me at least, I cannot recommend this show enough , this show has so much heart. I recommend trying to see it through until a few episodes into season 2 if it feels too slow, the warmth and characters of this show more than make up for the slower pace. It is a personal favourite of mine and it's a shame it doesn't have more fans. It gets more exciting in later seasons and is also very sad at times. I've never felt as protective of an anime character as i do the main character of this one, even though it took me a while to warm up to, this show really captured my heart.