Audience reviews
16 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
jay_quelin
I think the mangaka is running out of ideas. Season 1 was great in terms of depth and emotional impact. But once you get past Season 2, you realize that Natsume's Book of Friends is more or less... the same across each episode. Once you figure out the whole episodic formula, the show becomes a chore to sit through. This season leans more on the horror and battle-shonen elements, because it knows it can't recycle the same themes over and over again. After two seasons, you'd think they'd flesh out the side characters more. But no. Apparently, Tanuma and Taki are just as useless as ever. Tanuma can *vaguely* see yokai but is still left on the sidelines. Taki can somewhat draw sigils but is still left as an NPC. Also, I don't even know what Natori is doing at this point. At the end of the day,…
Read at the sourcelefrek
this will probably forever be one of my favorite animes. the pacing is fast enough to where you dont get bored, but also dont get confused while learning to story/trope. it does feel very slice of life, with the main goal being pushed across every episode in the same fashion, just with new situations being thrown at them. i find all the main characters to be extremely like-able, even if they come off harsher when first introduced.
if youre looking for an anime with romance, this definitely isnt the right pick. it's nice to have a breather from all the slice of life's with constant romance being involved. the episodes individually arent very predictable, which really helps keep you engaged the whole ep.
overall, its very easy to rewatch while not getting tired of it. very unique and fun!!
Read at the sourcelamaraptor
This is the third season already, so if you're coming here from watching the first two you probably know what to expect. The status quo has pretty much been established by this point and it doesn't change much from this point on. That's not to say it isn't still good. Each episode still has a lot to love and a lot of heart, but don't expect much plot development for the overarching story.
That's not to say there is no development at all. I think we get to see Natsume grow closer to the friends he has already met, and establish a few new friendships going forward. I want to single out just a few episodes for this review because while I could talk about each and every episodic adventure I'd be here all day if I did.
The first episode I really liked was when Natsume meets someone from one o…
Read at the sourceyukihaneda
I don't usually write reviews, this is my first one.
I just wanna say that i found this anime by looking up wholesome anime on google, yep thats where i found it. and let me tell you, it is so good, i can't, i don't want it to end so i have to limit watching only 1-2 episodes a day, thats how good it is!
i am on season 3, yep theres a lot more seasons remaining but its not fair i want more episodes, this anime should go on like crayon shin chan and doraemon and naruto. they have hundreds even thousands of episodes, Natsume Yuujinchou deserves it too.
So, the production house Brains Base and the actual author of Natsume Yuujinchou, if youre reading this please know that this series has been a saviour for me, it is lighthearted, heartwarming and insanely amazing and adorable. I want you to k…
Read at the sourceLinoTheOne
"Right now, humans and youkai are equally irreplaceable to me."
This season was delightful. We finally start seeing a more unified plot, even when the episodic structure doesn't change yet. Past episodes are referenced in such a way we cannot forget it anymore. This new structure allows us to understand more the life of Natsume, and who he really is, and what he thinks. We come closer to Natsume, and the anime is now more about his life that youkai's. For those who are quiet and shy - as I am -, Natsume is someone we can identify with. Also, Natsume is not anymore alone in the world; we can see his friends, both human and youkai, his family, and how he deals with them. The dilemmas of a growing-up character are very relatable (questions about friendship, family and secrets, specially) but…
Read at the sourceMetalTsundere
this 3rd season of Natsume Yuujinchou i is where I think the series truly begins to Shine, the first two seasons are all about Natsume's enounters with various youkai's as he gives back their name, and learn something new in life.
However what makes this 3rd season shine is because this is not just all about Youkai's anymore, but how Natsume deals with his friends and family.
things like "will they believe me if I tell them that I can see youkai?"
Aside from it I like the fact that this series is not so Natsume-centric anymore, I mean his two best friends Tanuma and Taki had more screen time than before in the the past 2 seasons and you can say that they actually developed, Taki is becoming more fun to watch while we are learning more about Tanuma and I like that they support Natsume eve…
Read at the sourceOmnimaniac
If you were to summarize Natsume Yuujinchou San in one word it would be boring. After the first couple of episodes you have basically watched them all as Natsume Yuujinchou San is repetitiveness in its purest form.
The story and characters themselves lack any kind of depth. When watching the show I wondered what this show actually had going for it. Action scenes with the youkai? No, even the worst action type anime can match it. Pathos heavy storytelling? No, none of the stories were emotional enough to actually make any impact. I can't think of a single redeeming factor for this show, it just screams mediocrity.
But I could ignore every single flaw with this series if it hadn't been for the protagonist being such a blockhead.
If you are unsure whether you'll like this snoozefest you…
Read at the sourceBabyGirl06301
This season finally gave me what I was looking for from this anime, and I'm so happy it did because it was amazing.
So, my absolute favorite thing about this season was, finally, Natsume's character development. It was wonderfully done as it took elements from the stories we were seeing from the youkai and also elements we'd already heard but not had elaboration on. Essentially, Natsume was able to tell the story of his past through his present, and that made it really entertaining to watch.
Another thing I loved about this season is that the youkai got a lot more grit. The anime still kept its gentle charm, but the youkai still were scarier and more intense than in previous seasons. It's down to personal taste, ultimately, but I really liked that aspect of this season.
I haven't reall…
Read at the sourcekhunter
Natsume yuujinchou san, the third installment of the beloved series, brings the same lightheartedness and melancholy known throughout the series.
Like it's previous seasons, it is largely episodic minus a few two part episodes. The plot of this season also differs in area. Whereas the first season focused on Natsume coming to terms with youkai, the second season with him becoming rather fond of youkai, to now, the third installment, with him having to choose between youkai and humans: Who does he care about more?
The season offers more insight into his grandmother, and continues the exploration of youkai, each one a marvelous story, every one only giving Nastume more development and growth as a person, and therefore to us, a character.
The Art and sound are still the same, as to say w…
Read at the sourceItsPHI
Although many believe a happy ending is most often times not a "good ending" I would beg to differ. In this season, Natsume not only presses towards the future, but shows flashbacks of the past. I was thrilled to see more of Natsume's past because it enabled me to fill some of the mysteries behind his past.
I can't help but praise this anime on it's ability to take repetitive situations, and make them unique. Natsume almost always gets into trouble, but not in a logical way. The scenario is often the same, a youkai wants to hurt him or request his assistance. Yet each end result is different, whilst simultaneously being slightly similar. Albeit slightly similar, the satisfaction the viewer feels is still high. There's a notable sense of growth and development within each interaction This…
Read at the sourceNonOtaku
Natsume Yuujinchou’s presentation style is distinctly episodic, meaning that the external conflicts in themselves don’t add up to much. However, there remains a strong undercurrent of Natsume’s character development throughout as he grows from being a lonely boy to a self-assured young man. As such, what makes the viewing experience so worthwhile is the subtle touch of delicate dilemmas and enchanting atmospheres.
Since he was a child, Natsume Takashi has always been able to see supernatural beings that others could not. As a result, many people around him have either thought he was crazy or treated him as a sign of bad luck, which has led to him being somewhat of a loner. All of this would change once he got his hands on a strange book that belonged to his grandmother, Reiko, and contain…
Read at the sourcemrsLEE
After waiting two seemingly very long years, a sequel is finally here. Oh! I genuinely miss this series. Though, at the beginning they will explain it a little bit but still you wouldn’t understand it much less appreciates how great this series is if you haven’t seen the previous seasons.
The different stories are polish even more. I could say that it lived up to the greatness of the stories from the previous seasons. It is more dramatic, heart-warming, and touching especially when Natsume’s past is revealed. Things get a lot more exciting and interesting when Natsume has to deal with bothersome and extremely irritating exorcists. Very few can really balance a serious drama, heart-warming, and touching yet so funny series which I strongly believe why this series is so famous even with a n…
Read at the sourcesoul7444
-Kon’nichiwa Mina-san!! Have you already watched Natsume Yuujicnhou by Yuki Midorikawa-sama? This anime will give you a refreshing feeling that is rare to find, some says that you can compare it to Mushishi. Well talking about that is another story.Talking about our main review Natsume Yuujinchou is about the boy named natsume Takashi an adopted child of the childless but kind couple Touku and Shirugen Furijawa and also about the sadness and the longing for someone to understand him despite of his ability to see and communicate with the Ayakashi or Yokai as they said. And as the days go by he started to learn the what-about of the Ayakashi with the help of Madara also known as Nyanko-sensei.
It also has a prequel in titled “Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou”. In this season his journey to give back…
Read at the sourceLindle
NOTE: Since the content in all three seasons is similar enough that they don't warrant separate reviews, they will all be covered here. The fourth will be edited in when it finishes, unless it differs heavily from the first three by the end of its run.
Natsume Yuujinchou covers a familiar kind of story. We are presented with a teenage boy, who is unusually airy and doesn't socialize much, and frequently seems to be looking intently at things that aren't there. As you may have guessed, Natsume sees dead people. Well, not exactly... he can see Youkai, a kind of spirit told of in Japanese folklore.
Many of the Youkai themselves seem to possess an unusual interest in Natsume. One day, as a pair of Youkai are chasing him, he accidentally breaks a seal containing a powerful Youkai... one that…
Read at the sourceAkuma-Shitsuji
Natsume Yuujinchou San shows the continuation of Natsume and nyanko sensei's adventures.
Story : 9
As well as progressing with the anime's storyline,the third season gives us a deeper look into Natsume's past and how he came to meet and decided to live with his current foster parents.Also,as the episodes go on,Natsume is seen dealing with even more powerful youkai,which makes the show really interesting as to how Natsume will deal with them every time.FInally,this season shows Natsume developing more friendships and making his bonds with his human friends even more powerful,gradually realizing that both youkai and humans matter to him a lot.
Art : 9
While the show's art style is a frequently-used one nowadays,it feels really peculiar in a good way,probably because of the beautiful scenery…
Read at the sourceJen9204
Natsume Yuujinchou San builds on its solid foundation, continuing to weave a heartwarming tale for all viewers. The over-arching theme has evolved from one of loneliness, to acceptance, and finally to warmth over these three seasons, and this one seems to be the most gentle, most stirring, and most impactful yet.
Story:
The storytelling remains largely episodic, and while each episode may be rather unconnected to the previous, they all reveal much about the protagonist. This season has seen a clear shift, from the more Youkai-centred storytelling of the first two seasons to one focused on the exploration of Natsume's character and his past, giving viewers a more complete picture of Natsume.
Art:
The art remains soft and unobtrusive, and the animation is fluid. While this is not breathta…
Read at the source