There is not a single episode or chapter of this series that doesn’t make me tear up. By the end of each episode and chapter I have been thoroughly beaten to a bloody pulp by the feels gang. With my heart being so warmed up by the graceful nature of this manga and show, my entire body’s temperature begins to rise. Natsume’s Yuujinchou is a series that manages to heal and satisfy me as if I’m a yokai having their name read by Natsume himself. This is a series I never tire of, as the experience I embark on throughout each episode takes me on a surreally healing expedition that no other series has before, or since. How does this show manage to excel at transcending my consciousness into a state of blissful content?
It achieves it through various means, as not only is this a beautifully healing experience both visually and aurally, but you’re bound to come out of watching this series with more pearls of wisdom under your belt then you had going in. And if you can apply those to your life then in turn, this show helped heal your quality of life. But I digress, what even is this show about? This series (both anime/manga) follows the story of a boy named Takashi Natsume who has the ability to see Yokai. One day he accidentally trips over a rope that releases a powerful yokai named Madara who informs Natsume about the book of friends he possesses. In that the book was originally his grandmother’s, who all the yokai mistake Takashi for since they can’t differ gender, who’d challenge yokai to games and defeat them. Upon defeating them she’d write down their name to own them, for they’d be in her debt. After she’s passed, there’s still an endless amount of Yokai who are desperate to either move onto the afterlife, or to have the book of friends all to themselves. Natsume forms a bond with Madara, aka Nyanko-sensei, who he promises to give the book of friends to after he dies. From here, Takashi’s journey begins as he finally has the opportunity to send the Yokai into the afterlife, adapt to social life with this ability, and endure all sorts of hardships as he defends Natsume’s book of friends.
The series is mostly episodic, which is perfect for this anime. This just might be the greatest episodic anime of all time since each episode can be taken as a tale of folklore you’d hear around the campfire. I won’t go into any specific details about the stories of the episodes themselves as going in with as little knowledge as possible is the best and most powerful way to watch this series. I’m not kidding when I say this is the pinnacle of Iyashikei anime, and for those who don’t know, Iyashikei is a subgenre of anime/manga that evokes a healing, soothing effect in the audience. There is not a more calm and compassionate story than this, and if there’s one thing you should take away from this experience, aside from the plethora of life advice and emotions it hurls your way, is to have compassion for others. To put yourself in their shoes and to come up with a solution as you’d want them to do for you. This anime is the golden rule of life personified.
Each episode is a unique experience, distinct from the last. Each one is overflowing with so much wonder and majestic beauty that I can’t help but have my creative juices refilled after watching. The designs of the yokai are varied and are also creatively clear-cut from the last. They carry a sense of grace and elegance basked in Japanese folklore and tradition. Even the scary, and intimidating ones still have a sense of refinement, finesse, and dignity. It’s Natsume’s relationship and bonds with both these yokai, and other humans that really take this series to another emotional level. Without spoiling much, I’d advise that you have a box of tissues at your disposal not far from you when watching this. Some episodes will leave you emotionally drained by a Yokai moving on, paranoid that someone out there might have Natsume's ability and expose him, or laughing at Nyanko-sensei’s juvenile yet endearing sense of humor. It also helps that Natsume is a likable and relatable protagonist, whose personal vices lie in his naivety and opening up to others, but that’s warranted given his upbringing.
The other way this show bolsters its powerful healing effect on the viewer aside from its cast is through its immaculate visuals. The show is draped in forest foliage, vast green fields, and dark hiking paths illuminated by nothing but the moonlight. It excels delivering a calming atmosphere when it flourishes itself in either orange and dark blue. Though the lighter color schemes during day time scenes are also picturesque like a detailed water painting. The final piece of the healing puzzle lies in the show’s music.
The music carries so much raw emotional prowess behind it that putting it on while doing the laundry will make the t-shirts shed a tear. If the music isn’t the sound of the actual outdoors, it’s likely traditional Japanese folk music filled with wind instruments. Invoking a feeling of peace, content, accomplishment, and preparing for what lies ahead. The ED is one of the most beautiful songs in the world, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of saying goodbye to those you love, but on a good note.
There is not a single episode of this series that doesn’t make me tear up. How does this show manage to transcend my consciousness into a state of blissful content? It’s because this show manages to perfectly pack in an entire life’s adventure and what it means to live in a twenty minute slot. The atmosphere, the stories, the characters, the music, and the animation all manage to culminate to forge one of the most emotionally exacerbating experiences I have the pleasure of viewing. The series holds a feeling like a kid by their lonesome concocting worlds beyond our imaginations in their notebook. And the fact that this series is largely episodic, makes each episode easy to sit back, relax, and transcend yourself without requiring a recap of the last episode. Though an occasional recap episode is warranted, and will only leave you in a nostalgia riddled existential. Pick up Natsume’s Book of Friends, you won’t regret it.
