You might be wondering why this sweet slice of life anime, Natsume Yuujinchou is getting featured in a month where I'm looking at spooky and creepy titles. Well, Natsume has well and truly earned his place here and let's be real: sometimes life is scary, particularly when you can see yokai.
Helping Our Friends We're back with the next volume of Natsume's Book of Friends and I absolutely loved this one. Okay, I love all of them, but this one seemed extra-special. Natsume always feels like he is taking without giving anything back, which isn't true but it is how he feels, and he's incredibly grateful … Continue reading Natsume’s Book of Friends Manga Review Volume 16
For a character who has been mentioned in Natsume Yuujinchou since season one, Reiko remains the character most shrouded in mystery. For every flash back or memory Natsume has of Reiko dealing with yokai we're presented with just one more puzzling piece of a complex character who died a long time ago. Yet she remains … Continue reading Up Close With Reiko
What is precious to you? Another volume of Natsume and another delightful read. This volume focuses very much on losing things which are precious to you, or trying to protect them, and the result is a lovely and warm read as we see once again how Natsume has to balance his life in dealing with … Continue reading Natsume’s Book of Friends Volume 14
Life is tough for the average high school anime character. Getting caught in the rain is nearly a death sentence when a dreaded fever will strike and certainly any character who ever had a bout of chuubinyou knows that embarrassment really can kill. The anime cold and other miscellaneous maladies are truly deadly.
Relying on and Reaching Out To Others We all know Natsume is a bit cut off emotionally. Volume 12 does an excellent job of showcasing the relationships he's forged as well as pushing him to realise he cannot do everything alone and nor does he really want to. It is a great collection of stories … Continue reading Natsume’s Book of Friends Volume 12 Manga Review
As a reviewer I try to avoid comparison where possible between one story and the next (and previously wrote a feature about it - comparing apples and oranges), but it is kind of inevitable that comparisons will be made. Partly that is because similar characters or stories will remind you of the previous one though … Continue reading They Can’t All Be Natsume – Nor Do They Need To Be
Previously I've looked at reasons why being a villain would suck and I've certainly looked at various characters on my blog and why they shine, but with the exception of Natsume (see the supporter battle Irina and I worked on), I seldom discuss the supporting cast and their importance in making or breaking a series. … Continue reading Behind Every Great Anime Protagonist Is A Great Supporting Cast
We're back with another fantastic volume of Natsume's Book of Friends. The story just keeps getting better and as Natsume has more and more encounters with yokai he becomes a more nuanced and interesting character. With each volume better than the last I just have to wonder where this series will peak.
Friday's Feature: Believe it or not it isn't all hot fox boys driving my love of yokai themed anime. There's actually a lot to love about these stories, including the hot fox boys.