This week Irina and I discuss underworld politics as Hanae and Abeno face perhaps the most dangerous situation yet. Check out the full post on Irina’s blog this week. Next week we’ll be back here with episode 6.
Encounters with friends, yokai, and the past all fill these gorgeous pages in volume 8 of Natsume’s Book of Friends.
As I’ve reviewed each volume I’ve tried to think of an appropriate theme to bring the stories together. In most cases it seemed fairly obvious but I will admit it took a second reading of this volume before it came to me. That isn’t actually a problem given each story is pretty solid entirely on its own, but it just makes the volume as a whole more cohesive if I find the thematic thread that draws each story together.
In this case I came to the conclusion that fear was the common factor across all the stories. However in typical Natsume fashion fear is turned around through friendship and connections and once again we have a truly magnificent volume on our hands. Natsume is really the story that just keeps on giving.
Chapter 27 – Natsume Participates in the Culture Festival
Here we have a charming story about Natsume involving himself in what is one of the more normal Japanese school events (at least if anime is anything to go by). However, while Natsume is longing to spend some normal time with Kitamoto and Nishimura, both of whom have had an active role in helping Natsume to adjust and to open himself up at school and in the community, a yokai rock is determined to get in Natsume’s way.
In what becomes another bit of a theme for this volume this story also features Nyanko Sensei in a more heroic role and not being coerced to help but genuinely looking out for Natsume’s well being. When we throw in Taki and Tanuma also coming to Natsume’s rescue at one point, this story really brings us a clear picture of the full life Natsume has built for himself since being taken in by the Fujiwaras.
However, with all these connections comes the fear of losing them and while Natsume still has that fear, he isn’t willing to let go of the friends he’s found.
It is a fantastic opening story for the volume and one I enjoyed reading more than I enjoyed the episode in the anime.
Chapters 28 and 29 – Reflections
This one is an amazing story that I loved in the anime. Tanuma gets a solid role in this story and ultimately ends up possessed by a yokai that wants its mirror back and it is up to Natsume to locate all the pieces. There’s a bit more direct action and even a little violence in this story as we have a yokai with a hammer also determined to get the mirror and he’ll break whatever or whoever he has to in order to get it.
However, while there’s more action than normal, the main story focus really is on both Tanuma and Natsume and their friendship. Tanuma is worried about Natsume and about Natsume being on his own whereas Natsume desperately doesn’t want to drag Tanuma into the world he sees because he fears for his safety. They are both well-meaning and both incredibly awkward but the beauty of this story is Tanuma does get a small glimpse of the world Natsume sees and the two do get closer to an understanding.
I find it interesting that the mirror story is more or less resolved off screen as the attention is very firmly on the characters and while Nyanko Sensei turns up at the end to resolve the story-line it really feels like the side-plot compared to the character journey unfolding. It’s a beautiful story and I love these two characters so much and wanted to give them both a hug.
Chapters 30 and 31 – A Place To Belong
There is a special episode after this one, but this is essentially the last story of the volume and while I thought ‘Reflections’ was great, this one is a personal favourite from the anime. We find out how Natsume came to be with the Fujiwara’s and see a fairly traumatic incident from his past involving a yokai. With that yokai returned and out for revenge against Natsume potentially endangering his new family, every fear Natsume has ever had in his dealings with the yokai comes to the surface.
But like the previous story, there’s a touching character story here. We see how far Natsume has come from the frightened child he was and we also see the deep bond between Nyanko Sensei and Natsume. Nyanko Sensei may play down his feelings for Natsume, but this story, more than any other in the volume, makes it clear where Nyanko stands.
This is also one of the rare occasions I’ve come across where the yokai is depicted as a monster in the dark (previously the yokai chasing Taki and the one in the cave with Matoba are about the only other two that have been framed so negatively from the beginning – at least as far as I can remember). Even the hammer yokai from chapters 28 and 29 gets more lit scenes than this one. It is a stark reminder that Natsume faces real danger and that those he loves are also at risk. Still, he’s strong enough now emotionally not to run from that and while he still worries for those around him he isn’t willing to give up the family he has found.
A very solid Natsume story and overall volume 8 was just a fantastic read.
Welcome back to another week and I am really happy to continue covering The Morose Mononokean with Irina. I will be in red and Irina is in blue (and in bold-italics). Hopefully you enjoy the post.
Well, the heat has continued more or less uninterrupted which makes for a great excuse to stay home on the weekend and watch anime. And what better way to start Sunday morning than with this cutie-delightful episode.
Oh we are talking weather again!!! Sweet. We had one hot day where everything melted and then it got back to being cold so now everything is ice! EVERYTHING. Walking the dog is an adventure! Poor boy slides so much. I know I shouldn’t laugh….
Sounds pretty cute to me watching a dog sliding on ice. Episode 4 takes us back to a strictly yokai of the week approach and while the preview for the next episode suggests we’re getting back into the whole ongoing story the season has set up, this one pretty much introduces us to a new yokai via Yahiko. I will say this episode seems to be trying to make up for the absence of cute last week with plenty of moments between Yahiko and the truly adorable Kinako and also quite a few scenes with Fuzzy in them. It is almost a cute yokai overload and I loved it.
I was thinking of this while watching: which do you find cuter, the yorkie like Kinako or do you stay loyal to your favorite fulffball Fuzzy?
Easy, totally Fuzzy. Still, Kinako was cute.
Fuzzy on Hanae’s shoulder is just too adorable. More please.
It is kind of nice to see The Morose Mononokean return to this standard meet a yokai and convince it to return to the underworld formula. Mostly because I’d almost forgotten about the fact that yokai apparently struggle to stay in the mundane world. When we’re constantly seeing Fuzzy and Yahiko just kind of chilling with the other characters you almost forget that there are reasons why Abeno sends the other yokai ‘home’. Then again, I’m struggling to remember why, other than an attachment to Zenko and Abeno, Yahiko doesn’t want to return to the underworld. I may need to go back and remember. Unless you know?
He actually is being punished. He bit Zenko back when Abeno was a kid and he as to help out with the temple I think as long as she’s there.
This said, even back then there was something a bit off about Yahiko. We know he’s not actually a kid and in fact a pretty powerful yokai. There was always some friction with the underworld but I’m not sure we now the exact nature of it. I just remember that even when he was playing with little Abeno (ho was adorable) there was already something sad about Yahiko.
There isn’t a huge amount more to pull out of this episode. Watching Yahiko and Kinako play in the temple yard was really adorable. Seeing Kinako nearly disappear was heartbreaking, as it was supposed to be. The ultimate compromise solution suggested by Hanae is fairly typical Hanae, though once again he’s exhibiting interesting characteristics hearing Kinako’s voice as she nearly disappears. However, despite the story being fairly unremarkable it hit all the right notes.
The obvious parallels between losing a beloved pet really twisted up my heart strings. It wasn’t that great an episode. The writing was a bit graceless and I found having two squeaky voiced characters chattering through most of it a bit annoying and yet I can’t say I didn’t like it.
It was in fact the most reminiscent of season 1 episodes so far.
It’s just that I’m very curious about the trouble brewing in the Underworld and I’m impatient to get back to it.
I do want to say that sunset was gorgeous. For a last sight of the mundane world, Kinako really lucked out.
So not much to complain about this week. It was a great episode watching the characters going through their usual routine helping a yokai return to the underworld. We got to see Zenko and Yahiko properly (they’ve only really had a bit of a cameo in a previous episode this season) and Kinako was super cute. Looking forward to next week.
As I watched the episode I thought this is sweet, a bit saccharine maybe. OK it could use some subtlety, these characters are caricatures at this point and then BLAM, closing credits. Honestly, it felt like the episode had lasted all of five minutes.
Whatever is shortcomings, it really was paced fantastically. The story poured over me gently and the entire thing flew by before I even noticed it. For that I have to say kudos. I can’t wait to see what this skill can do with a meatier storyline!
That wraps up week 4 of The Morose Mononokean. Use the links below to check out our previous posts and hopefully you will join us next week over on Irina’s blog when we discuss episode 5.
Having watched anime for a lot of years now its become fairly clear I love yokai in anime. Whenever a new story begins and I find out its featuring yokai of more or less any sort I eagerly jump right in. While at times this leaves me feeling a little frustrated or disappointed when an anime fails to pan out (Elegant Yokai Apartment Life) for the most part I end up finding another cast of characters to love and adore and to fill my desktop background with for a time. So what is it that appeals to me about yokai anime?
And no, it isn’t just the very attractive looking fox boys oozing sex appeal that these sorts of stories pull out again and again. Whether it is Kamisama Kiss, Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi, Inu x Boku or any of the other pointy eared males who’ve made me screen cap like crazy, they aren’t the entire appeal of these shows. After all, Natsume Yuujinchou remains my favourite yokai themed anime and there isn’t a single hot fox boy to drool over in sight. Though, there is the single cutest little fox character but that’s a whole different appeal.
Little Fox
After thinking about this for awhile I’ve come to the conclusion that yokai stories remind me very much of my childhood and fairy tales. Where sometimes characters travel to other worlds where fantastic things happen (such as the Underworld in the Morose Mononokean) or strange things are occur in the mundane world but only some people can see them (Natsume Yuujinchou). These stories can be sweet or a little bit scary but ultimately they bring about a sense of childlike wonder and recapturing that feeling is amazing. It is no surprise that so many of these anime leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Okay, I didn’t just make that joke.
It also helps that each one of these stories takes their own approach to exploring yokai characters and worlds. Where some are more human and concerned with more ordinary matters such as attending school (Inu X Boku) others, despite being set in the human world are more action focused and have fantastical powers and battles (Nurarihyon). Some are coming of age stories about finding yourself (Natsume Yuujinchou) or are just about the daily lives of supernatural creatures trying to amuse themselves (The Eccentric Family). They all have their own feel and tone which means despite saying I like yokai anime, each one is very distinct.
However, one commonality that I’ve noticed from time to time (and it isn’t across all yokai stories) is that the yokai are typically depicted as more beautiful or colourful and striking than humans in the stories they are a part of. There features are regularly striking and a little bit disconcerting. At a glance you can tell that the character is something different or other.
While some stories delve into the darker side of yokai and the character designs reflect that, even then the characters are quite clearly distinguished from the human characters through the use of colour and movement.
Guess which one the yokai is?
It is that aspect of The Morose Mononkean that I have come to really love. While the human world is fairly ordinary outside of the occasional yokai Hanae and Abeno encounter, the Underworld is a rich and vibrant setting teeming with life and colour. While many of the yokai they encounter are not human-like in appearance, each one manages to be expressive. Given one of my favourite parts of the anime is the appearance of Fuzzy, a character who does not speak at all, they have managed to convey so much of what Fuzzy is feeling or thinking through his appearance and actions and honestly I just love him.
However, the contrast is clear when looking at scenes in the human world compared to the Underworld in The Morose Mononkean. In the human world the colours, outside of the yokai and the two main characters, are all fairly muted. The sky is blue and the grass is green, but they are pastel and pale versions of the colours. Seeing the characters under the sky in the Underworld and looking at the buildings, the colour palette is far bolder and more striking creating a rich contrast between our reality and the world the yokai inhabit.
Natsume Yuujinchou takes a similar approach in that Natsume’s mundane human life and friends are fairly colourless. The school uniform is perhaps one of the least striking anime uniforms ever and the buildings are all very simple and for the most part unadorned. It is only really when Natsume is out in nature or with the yokai that scenes spring into a far wider array of colours, sounds and movement.
From a darker perspective, Nurarihyon did a similar thing with Rikuo’s character design. In his human form he was quite ordinary and dull in his design but as a yokai he was a fairly impressive sight to behold. Even Rikuo’s school with his human friends was very grey in tone whereas his house, full of yokai, always seemed to have a sense of energy and was surrounded by colourful characters and the garden.
Again, guess which one the yokai form is?
While I don’t really know why yokai in so many stories are depicted in this brighter and larger than life style, but I imagine it is similar to why fairies in western stories are usually in some kind bright and sparkling colour flittering about scattering glitter and the likes. If you are going to imagine a world beyond what we can see, surely you’d want it to all feel more alive. Or maybe I’m still just that little kid playing in the garden and checking under the leaves for fairy houses.
You have to admit though, hot fox boys are kind of hot.
Watching yokai anime awakens that child in me and opens my imagination up. For a short while the practical realist in me gets laid aside and I get swept up in stories about ‘what if’. While a story doesn’t necessarily need a supernatural creature in it to have that affect, there’s definitely something nostalgic and wonderful about returning to these kinds of stories. Hopefully there will continue to be more of these to enjoy, hopefully they will each bring their own flavour to the table, and hopefully they will continue to rekindle the child in me.
Do you like yokai anime? Which ones have you seen and enjoyed?
No surprise that I got excited when I saw the cover of this volume. Natori has been hanging around for awhile but in volume 7 we finally get introduced to Matoba. And what an introduction. With four chapters worth of story, this is certainly an entrance worth paying attention to.
There’s also another special episode which features the yokai and Natsume playing a game of tag and then another separate story at the end, but I’m not going to review it because this is definitely all about Matoba.
Chapters 23 – 26
One odd thing that I noticed with this volume is that the back of the book that does a quick chapter summary actually only lists this story as chapters 23 – 25 but then there are definitely four chapter markers in the story (and these are some of the most beautiful the series has given us so far). It isn’t really a problem, it is just a bit odd as I’m wondering where chapter 26 disappeared to when they went to write the summary.
So other than pretty chapter cover pages, what do these chapters brings us?
Well, I finally understand why Irina loves Matoba so much. While I found him an intriguing character in the anime, his presence in these chapters of the manga is amazing. He’s a force of nature and a blast of darkness into Natsume’s life. Where most of the characters we’ve encountered have been at their core nice people or at least frequenting that grey area in between right and wrong, Matoba is an incredibly rational and cold character and he does not like yokai or view them as anything more than tools.
Given the story is framed entirely from Natsume’s perspective and Matoba’s view is so at odds with his, it puts these two against each other. It also re-positions Natori as the middle ground and so it is vital that Natori is present in this story. Natori is the exorcist we are most familiar with and up until has been the one we’ve been a little wary of even though he has helped Natsume in the past. Particularly after volume 6 where Natori and Natsume go more or less head-to-head, these chapters really help to bring Natori back into the kind of an ally point of view particularly when contrasted with Matoba’s relentless pursuit of power.
Even in the anime, Matoba’s stories were always some of the darkest and most memorable, and reading it is no exception. If anything, this story, carried over four chapters, has far more impact here than it did played out over two episodes. There’s more time to linger on particular moments and more time to think about just how dangerous the situation is that Natsume now finds himself. It is comparable to when we met Taki and Natsume was kidnapped by a yokai, only things get a great deal more serious for longer here.
Needless to say, I loved this volume and reading this story. These chapters are the best I have read so far and I really look forward to whenever Matoba appears next. If it like the anime his appearances will be few and far between and that is a shame because he really heightened my emotional response to this story and made me feel a real sense of unease and danger.
I also like that Natsume is forced to deal with his own views on yokai whenever he is confronted by other exorcists. The drama that it creates is always good fun and I feel we see Natsume at his best when put in these situations.
Looking forward to more from Natsume and I’m really looking forward to getting beyond what I’ve watched. Because if the stories afterwards are anything like this one was then it will be an absolute delight to read.
The Morose Mononokean is back for its second episode and that means Irina and I are back to discuss what’s new for Abeno and Hanae as we pick up from that surprise first episode cliffhanger.
I was looking forward to this episode. Not so much because the cliffhanger had me on the edge of my seat but I find the Morose Mononokean universe comfy and cozy. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon as the outside world is grey, windy and freezing!
I agree, definitely a great way to spend some time (morning for me but given it’s already in the high thirties and just getting hotter, I’m not leaving the air conditioning today).
I wasn’t really surprised to learn that Hanae wasn’t really in danger (while it was possible it didn’t seem likely this early on). Then again, given how season one dealt with its cliffhangers I wasn’t really surprised this one diffused pretty quickly. What I did like was that even though the threat more or less sorted itself out, we transitioned very quickly into seeing Hanae helping find the gold-shiny thing and this linked back to his previous efforts at finding a ring. Hanae has some odd quirks and eventually they are going to have to explain why a seemingly normal human can pull this kind of thing off.
The one thing I didn’t like was that the episode felt the need to flash back to Hanae finding the ring. Realistically most people watching this will have seen the first season and that was a moment that stood out for Hanae because it was particularly strange. Then again, how did you feel about it, Irina?
Actually, I appreciated it. I had quite liked that episode in the first season but I probably wouldn’t have recalled it if it weren’t for the flash back. Since it was just a short scene, I really didn’t find it dragged down the narrative at all.
What struck me most was the disconnect between the beast and it’s voice. I really didn’t match it’s looks and for some reason I loved it. Just hearing that sightly whiny bored tone coming out of a regal liger made me happy. I could no longer take him seriously but that’s ok.
I have to agree about the voice. At first I was wondering who was talking and then I realised it was the beast.
Of course, regardless of what we end up learning about Hanae he is a complete goof. The Goro Express moment is an excellent example of Hanae at his silliest though it does get him where he needs to go. I was actually surprised when the whole delivery seemed pretty straight forward. I kind of expected more from the actual handover of the document.
I don’t know if you’ve had dogs growing up. To be honest I was an adult when I got my first dog but Buddy is pretty big and I’m pretty small so he does come up roughly to my waist. If I could ride him I would never walk again. I have Neverending Story envy.
Yes the hand off was very easy….suspiciously easy…. The again, he is on the authority of the legislator and that may carry some weight.
Maybe. The Legislator continues to be a great character in the show. It is so hard to know how seriously we should be taking him and whether or not things work out for him by coincidence or really careful planning and manipulation. His interactions with Abeno are great because Abeno is usually such a hard character to read because he’s either stoic or annoyed (usually at Hanae). When the Legislator is playing with him though we see a somewhat wider range of responses.
I think we discover more about Abeno and Rippou when they’re not together. We don’t quite know the end game here. A lot of Yokai seem antagonistic to humans which is why Hanae has to be so careful so I wonder where the Legislator actually stands. Asking a question like *if you could save only one, would it be Yokai or Human? Is super ominous. Does he think it may come to that?
The again, they are framing the story to make him appear sympathetic for the most part.
That question is a little bit leading only I have no idea where it is going.
I wasn’t overly sold on the Hanae getting sick at the end as a final complication for the episode though. It did give Abeno an excuse to leave to fetch something to fix him which allowed the conversation between the two yokai, but it just felt really contrived to me.
I actually thought he was faking it for a while. I also wondered why Abeno felt it necessary to put on a tie to run to the convenience store. The whole scene was a bit unbalanced but I did enjoy the party leading up to it.
I always loved the running gag of Shizuku being jealous of Hanae because Koura wants to use his body parts for medicine. It’s so delightfully weird.
Delightfully weird is an excellent description.
Then we get that final moment with the other yokai discussing the new employee. I wonder if Hanae’s life is about to get more interesting?
I bet it is. That final yokai we saw only in silhouette was considerably more threatening than what we usually get from this show. They might be ramping up the stakes a bit and I’m here for it.
The final thing I want to raise was that Fuzzy was absolutely adorable this episode. Much like Platelet sightings during Cells at Work, I could happily watch this show just for Fuzzy moments. Is there anything else you want to look at?
This episode was clearly a setup for the future events of the season. I don’t have much to say about it out of context like this. I did however get a few random thoughts while watching:
Although Yahiko isn’t the cutest little fox yokai I’ve seen, he’s still pretty darn cute.
“Hindsight” isn’t really that complicated a word
Where did the tail ring go when the beast transformed into a humanoid form? Just curious….
That’s all I have!
Although this wasn’t the most eventful episode it still served the story well. I am looking forward to next week as I was to this. I also realized that it was over before I knew it which is always a good sign.
All three of your random points make perfect sense, particularly the one about the tail ring. I was definitely wondering where that went.
I’m with you in that I’m definitely looking forward to next week with this anime.
The Morose Mononokean is back and Irina and I have decided to come together to cover this season. Check out our first post over on Irina’s blog: The Morose Mononokean Season Episode 1 Review. Hope you love it!
Volume 5 of Natsume’s Book of Friends gives us a wide variety of characters and stories and really does look at the influence of the past on the present. We also meet Taki in a double chapter story that is as superb to read as it was to watch.
It feels like a lot of this volume is quite a bit darker than normal as each of the stories has a real risk to the characters and a real sense of tragedy hanging over it. While each is resolved in its own way, it feels like now that we’ve been introduced to the world of yokai and begun to understand its dangers, they are now expanding on the perils Natsume faces. Still, it isn’t all doom and gloom (not that it would be a problem if it was as I quite liked the darker anime episodes so I really enjoyed reading this volume) as we have another special story included in this volume that focuses on Tanuma and Natsume.
Chapter 16: Ageless Feelings
Perhaps the weakest of the stories in volume 5, chapter 16 still delivers a fairly compelling read when Natsume goes on a study trip with his friends and meets an old woman looking for a childhood friend and then a mermaid. The reason this story doesn’t quite hit home is because it is the old woman’s tragedy that we’re seeing unfold here and Natsume is more or less a bystander.
Then again, Natsume never stays a bystander for long and certainly he takes an active role in resolving the conflict. Still, as much as the ending is kind of nice, it is also fairly tragic that the woman has carried a feeling of guilt for so long and that the mermaid has harboured her ill will for so long. While it definitely reflects human nature, the situation is just kind of sad no matter how you look at it.
Chapters 17 & 18: Do Not Call
And now Natsume is going to meet Taki. She’s a fantastic character in the anime and her introductory story is one where both she and Natsume go through some very real danger. I was pleased to see this one in the manga and surprised by how affective some of the scenes were. The start of chapter 18 in particular when Natsume has been captured by the yokai was so much starker and seemingly darker here in the manga in the black and white than the anime managed.
Taki’s link to the past is her grandfather and the knowledge he left her, incomplete though it was. In fact, it was her grandfather’s magic circle design that got Taki in trouble with a really nasty yokai and ultimately dragged Natsume into the conflict. Yet, Taki really loved her grandfather and she cherishes her connection with him despite all the bad things that it might lead to.
We also see Natsume and Taki forge a fairly solid friendship in a short time period. They both have connections to the yokai world through their grandparents and facing this kind of danger just naturally got them closer together. What I love though is that it isn’t a romantic relationship but very much one of mutual respect and friendship. Taki is such a great character and this story that brings her into the Natsume world is a fantastic read.
Chapter 19: Temporary House
But the great characters just keep coming. After introducing Taki to us, we get a story that focuses very much on Reiko and her past actions and the troubles they bring to Natsume in the present. After being spotted by a yokai and followed home, Natsume learns that this yokai had been in the house before when Shigure was a boy but somehow all the misfortunes had stopped after a mysterious girl had visited the house.
Natsume’s relationship with Reiko has remained ambiguous. On the one hand, she is the one who could see the same things Natsume sees and it is her book that Natsume now owns and is trying to return the names from. She is also a distorted reflection of him as she became isolated from both humans and yokai because of her gift.
We see this distortion again when Natsume uses the same spell he sees Reiko using in the past to chase away the yokai causing immense damage to the room. Where Reiko ran away and never returned to the house, Natsume apologises and is welcomed as a part of the household. It is a touching story and one I really loved reading as it really did help to see Reiko a bit more clearly.
Special Episode 4
Only one special in this volume, which is fine given how satisfying the other stories were. This one focuses on Tanuma inviting Natsume over to his house. We’ve seen this scene in the anime where Tanuma wants to show the shadow fish to Natsume and we realise Natsume can in fact see the real fish and not just their shadows. Still, much like Taki, Tanuma is a great character and a solid friend to Natsume and seeing these small steps as they build their friendship is fantastic.
Natsume Volume 4 takes a slightly different turn. In this volume we get three chapters and then three short stories. Admittedly, one of those short stories is featuring the Little Fox so I was super happy to read it but it was an interesting change where the first three volumes had four chapters fairly consistently. The other thing is that I realised that they turned each of these shorts into episodes just like the other stories and I started thinking about what was added and changed to flesh the stories out. At some point I might have to watch the episodes in question while I have the manga with me just to see.
Regardless, I absolutely loved this volume. There are some really great stories in it and the art seems to have also taken a step up in consistency (there were always beautiful images but some of the bits inbetween were rough at times and this volume seems far more constant in its delivery). All and all, this was a great read.
Incidentally, there was also a page dedicated to explaining how to draw Nyanko-Sensei. I will admit I attempted it. I suck. Moving on. Still really fun to come across though.
Chapter 13: Melting in Spring
I’ll be honest, I didn’t much like this story in the anime. It was okay, but I never really connected with the yokai, Gen. The story is about a yokai Natsume meets while playing in the snow with Nyanko Sensei. Natsume has made a snow bunny and the yokai, attempting to possess Natsume ends up inside the snow bunny. There’s a tragic back story involved and of course the yokai just has a goal to accomplish and recruits Natsume’s assistance.
I’m just going to say this is one of the most gorgeous chapter title pages I’ve come across so far, though each volume seems to get better and better so I’m really excited to see what is coming next. Still, I could stare at this page for ages.
This might seem odd, but I really feel that the story of Gen and Sui is a little too rushed here. We meet these characters, learn of their tragedy, Natsume tries to help them, and ultimately the two of them part from Natsume. The impact on Natsume of this parting is one that he takes the time to really articulate to Nyanko Sensei. There are so many characters who pass through Natsume’s life that this idea of parting has been present since the beginning, but this chapter really takes the time to try and express Natsume’s feelings toward it, and because I didn’t connect with Gen it just doesn’t quite resonate with me.
Still, it certainly captures the spirit of so many of the stories for Natsume so while I’m not the biggest fan of this one, I appreciate the thematic connection with other stories.
Chapter Fourteen: Natsume Goes to a Hot Spring
Did I mention I love Natori as a character so seeing him return in Chapter Fourteen was fantastic. And the story of Natori taking Natsume to the hot springs with his usual slightly ambiguous goals and motives is just kind of the perfect story. This one balances out so many elements with Natsume helping yokai, reflecting on his childhood and how he interacts with others, the clashing ideologies of Natori and Natsume, as well as Natsume realising he has found a place to call home. It just works so well and I absolutely loved reading it (and I may have reread it several times already).
One thing that occurred to me while reading this is that I really would like to learn more about the exorcists in general and their methods. While we learn a little in the anime drip-fed over six seasons, and clearly that information is in the manga spread throughout the stories, there’s still so much about the various exorcists and their different approaches that is just kind of cloaked in mystery. I get why, given we’re being introduced into this world through Natsume’s experiences, but at the same time, I’m really curious. That’s probably why I smile in delight every time the anime (and now that manga) brings us a story that focuses on these elements.
Sneak preview, I’m a few volumes ahead of my reviewing at this point and I’m over the moon by the introduction of Matoba.
Still, chapter fourteen has a rare occurrence with Natsume actually crying, admittedly in his sleep after a troubling dream, but it is a nice reminder that he is human and has had a fairly troubled childhood. He’s not really equipped to deal with some of the emotions he’s facing and he’s struggling to figure out how to really interact with others. His complicated relationship with Natori is definitely something that really brings this aspect of his character to the forefront and it is one I really enjoy watching develop. Looking forward to more Natori in the future.
Chapter Fifteen: The Man Among the Cherry Blossoms
I read the author’s comments on this chapter at the end of the manga and I’m really glad that it ended up the way it did. Apparently they had considered a story where a tree grew out of Natsume, and while Natsume does have some dark moments, that just seems like something straight out of a horror. Still, the include a sketch of that in the back so if you are curious it is well worth checking out (poor Natsume).
Ultimately, this one is a pretty slow story, but one that is still a great read. Natsume acquires a painting of some cherry blossoms not in bloom and later meets a yokai who wants the image returned because of the man inside the painting. Unfortunately it seems to be stuck to Natsume’s wall so the two wait for it to come off. In the meantime, Natsume starts getting sick and they realise the painting is drawing life from Natsume (which I guess is almost as grotesque as it literally growing out of him, but visually looks a lot prettier).
I love how this story resolves and how even though this one is a parting, it is one that celebrates the time that the characters had together. If any story in this volume really drives home that ongoing idea of transience and taking hold of the time you have, it is chapter fifteen and it is a really beautiful read even though not a lot really happens.
Special Episodes 1 – 3
Nyanko Sensei saving a girl fallen into a hole, the Little Fox following Natsume around, and young Natsume being tormented by a bored yokai, these stories are just plain fun. Each one has been used in the anime so they’ll be familiar if you’ve watched it, and while these are quick reads, they each add an interesting character or idea and build on what we know about Natsume or Nyanko Sensei. Really fun way to end the volume.
The bliss of reading Natsume continues in volume 3. While I’m still encountering stories that I’m familiar with from the anime, seeing them play out in this slightly different form remains a really fantastic experience.
If I was looking for an overall idea in this volume it would be one of meetings and partings. A lot of the characters and events in this volume really look at the transient nature of meetings and the people who come and go from our lives. It gives the book a vaguely melancholy feel even as there is plenty in here to celebrate.
Again I’m going to look at this volume story by story because each one has a slightly different feel about it even as they work together to continue to craft the characters and world I came to love through the Natsume anime.
Chapter Nine: Sensei, How Do You Like Being Black?
This story is one I really enjoy watching in the anime and the manga doesn’t disappoint. This chapter introduces another yokai trapped in a cat form who steals the Book of Friends from Natsume and leads Natsume and Nyanko Sensei on a chase into the forest where they encounter Benio and a pack of yokai planning to attack some humans.
Here we start to get a sense of the true distance between humans and yokai as various yokai reflect on the short and fleeting lives of humans including Nyanko Sensei choosing once again to stay by Natsume’s side, at least for this passing moment.
There’s a lot of characters packed into this story but the ones who are important feel like they are given enough time to leave their impression. Much like with the anime I’m left feeling a little wistful that these characters move on so quickly but that’s kind of the point.
The returning of the yokai’s name is suitably beautifully illustrated and it remains one of my favourite scenes ever (both in the anime and here in the manga). Really enjoyable read and glad I had the chance to read this story.
Chapter Ten: Glowing in the Dark
Chapter ten is perhaps one of those rare cases where watching the anime first has kind of spoiled this story for me. As beautifully told as it is here, I just remember how lovely this looked in anime form and how much I enjoyed the music that went with the episode and unfortunately reading it couldn’t give me that kind of experience. That isn’t to say this chapter isn’t well done, because it is still lovely, but this is one where I think I’d prefer to watch the anime episode.
That said, the chapter title page is gorgeous. Just look at that.
Still looking at this idea of transience and passing encounters, Natsume encounters a human sitting by a pond looking for fire-flies and learns that the man could at one point see a yokai. However, as he aged, he lost his sight and the yokai who had formed quite an attachment to him was left alone.
There is a really beautiful story here about the characters moving on and making their choices but as with most stories, it comes back to Natsume at the end. That’s one thing I love about this series is that whatever encounter Natsume has he uses it as an opportunity to learn. In this case, we see him reaffirm his connection to Nyanko-Sensei even though they both know that perhaps even their partnership is just a point in time.
One minor criticism of this chapter is that there are a lot of close ups on faces and eyes and they aren’t always quite right particularly with Natsume. While the overall look of the chapter is quite lovely, these small details are noticed in this chapter and they don’t help in drawing the reader into this story. Fortunately there’s plenty going right for this chapter so it is overall a great read.
Chapter Eleven: The Meeting of Exorcists
We’ve already met Natori and now he’s becoming quite the reoccurring character as he helps Natsume and then invites him to a meeting. However, as with every case we see Natori, there’s a constant wonder about what his real motives are in getting close to Natsume. In this instance however, Natsume is very curious about meeting humans with the same ability to see that he has and he’s also drawn because of a yokai that Natori is hunting.
It is amazing how Natori can come off as incredibly shady and yet as soon as we meet the other exorcists he starts to actually look like a really good guy. The nuances in these characters and their level of hate/disdain for yokai is really well handled as is the introduction into the world of exorcists. The reader, like Natsume, is new to this environment, and here we are plunged into the midst of a meeting where there’s also a yokai on the loose that needs to be captured.
We are also introduced to the Matoba clan here through Nanase. She’s an interesting character in her own right and has a connection with Reiko in the past. She’s also quite interested in Natsume when she hears he’s Reiko’s grandson. However, the greater thrill in meeting Nanase is in knowing we’re getting closer to Matoba himself being introduced and that’s something I’m really looking forward to reading.
This story plays out well and is a little more action focused than some stories. However, what I love about this one is that Natsume went to the meeting looking for people like him and what he realised is that just being able to see didn’t necessarily make them friends or allow them to understand each other. It’s a big lesson for Natsume and one that seems to hurt him a little to realise and yet he accepts it and moves on his own path.
Chapter Twelve: A Chick Hatches
I did not think there was anyway for this story to be cuter than it is in the anime but here it is in manga form and I’m totally hooked on how cute they make Tama. But seriously, he was pretty adorable in the anime.
This one is an adorable and heartbreaking story as we see Natsume and Nyanko-Sensei raising an egg that hatches into Tama. However, we all know that this story is going to end with heartbreak because birds leave the nest. That’s what they do. And Tama is growing very fast and is also being hunted by another yokai.
Seeing Natsume and Nyanko trying to raise Tama and defend him is heartwarming and sweet. Which makes the ending even more bittersweet but so affective. While all the stories have elements of characters meeting, touching on another’s life and moving on, this chapter is this idea played out explicitly.
And that’s actually a good place to end this write up. Needless to say, I’m still absolutely loving Natsume’s Book of Friends in manga form and I’m very much looking forward to reading and reviewing the next volume.
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