(Spoiler free) Natsume Yuunchijou is an episodic iyashikei slice of life. We follow Natsume, an highschooler who inherited his grandmother's ability to see things others don't : yokai. He learns about his grandmother's "Book of Friends," which contains the names of the yokai she defeated, and allows its wielder to command the yokai named within. Since then, yokai now visit him on a daily basis, seeking to either get their names back or take possession of the Book of Friends.

Basically each episode deals with a different yokai and its story. While the strong point of the anime definitely resides in its ability to make the audience emotionally moved and invested, I think what makes the story really worth watching is how each episode resonates with the main character : Natsume.

NATSUME IS A YOKAI

He has been an outcast for all his life. His ability to see yokai could be called a curse as he was incapable to differentiate humans and yokai at a young age. He could never integrate in classes because his life experiences were too different from others, making it hard to relate to them. He sees two worlds at the same time while being unable to fully integrate any.

The lyrics from the opening theme describe the character well. Natsume has learned to seem neutral. He doesn't show his emotions in front of others often and when he does, it's not always sincere or spontaneous. He's a withdrawn individual who never get into a relationship to the point it could hurt him or the other person. Socially speaking, he stays in his safe zone. He's scared of being vulnerable.

To others, Natsume is a gloomy, mysterious, bizarre person. He might be similar to yokai as he spends more time whith them than with humans. He's like "a yokai pretending to be a human". Each episode highlights an aspect of his personality, mirrored by the yokai he encounters. His growth is very satisfying to watch and I like how his character doesn't end up being a "I'm so special I just don't fit in" neflix-like trope or "I must absolutely fit in and make friends" trope. His conflict precisely lies between accepting and enjoying the mundanity of his lonely life and his desire to relate to people and fit in despite his fear of it. If you relate to the character, there's no way you're not enjoying his slow burned pace journey.
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NATURE & CAUSALITY ACCEPTANCE

For me, Natsume Yuunchijou definitely was a breath of fresh air. It's as peaceful as heartwarming and its contenance of unique themes made the overall experience unique.

Inspired by japanese buddhism and folklore, the anime promotes the acceptance of causality in our lives. The yokai, which are gods, ghosts, incarnations of human feelings etc, are symbols expliciting the fact that our actions have consequences. The tales told to japanese kids aren't simply meant to keep them obedient ; it's also a way to make them take their responsibilities. We live in a world built by others, we breathe the air given by nature and we were being protected by our parents. Respecting one another is being grateful and it's giving back the love that was gifted to us. In Natsume Yuunchijou, being mean and malicious can have impact on the "other" world, creating evil spiritual beings or annoying them. You must accept that some unfair situations caused by others aren't your fault, nonetheless it's your repsponsiblity. Accepting the existence of suffering leaves you with the choice of being as kind as possible and evade unecessary conflicts to ease the life of everyone, including yourself.

CONCLUSION : PROMISING FIRST SEASON

I read a bit of the manga and I recommand it as much as the anime. While the anime's pacing instil a fitting atmosphere, I think the manga art is much better and fitting for the story, the drawings strokes are gentle and soft. The counters of the characters are blurry and a little shiny, making it seem either eerie or fluffy and the masterful contrast of colors permit impressive panels.

Spoiler, click to view

To conclude, Natsume Yuunchijou is an incredible work. Despite the simple plot, its narration allows the conveyance of great emotional complexity and depht to the viewers. It's a story deeply rooted in japan's culture while being a breath of fresh air still revelant to this day.

I'm sure it gave inspiration to many other recent works like the manwha Eleceed and it reminded me a lot of Mushishi, which is the one of the only manga with similar themes that I know of.

I truly love Natsume and I'm eager to follow the rest of his development.