Introduction
Takashi Natsume, the timid youkai expert and master of the Book of Friends, continues his journey towards self-understanding and acceptance with the help of friends both new and old. His most important ally is still his gluttonous and sake-loving bodyguard, the arrogant but fiercely protective wolf spirit Madara—or Nyanko-sensei, as Madara is called when in his usual disguise of an unassuming, pudgy cat.
Natsume, while briefly separated from Nyanko-sensei, is ambushed and kidnapped by a strange group of masked, monkey-like youkai, who have spirited him away to their forest as they desperately search for the Book of Friends. Realizing that his "servant" has been taken out from right under his nose, Nyanko-sensei enlists the help of Natsume's youkai friends and mounts a rescue operation. However, the forest of the monkey spirits holds many dangerous enemies, including the Matoba Clan, Natsume's old nemesis.
Stretching from the formidable hideout of the Matoba to Natsume's own childhood home, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi is a sweeping but familiar return to a world of danger and friendship, where Natsume will finally confront the demons of his own past.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience reviews
18 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
PROPUG1411
Out of all the Natsume seasons this one hit me the hardest. Natsumes book of friends is definitely a show that is dependent on the person who watches it. Some may not like it while others love it.
Natsume is a character that quite a few people can relate too, not in the aspect of seeking yokai and the supernatural but in his upbringing. Some people have experienced the loss of a parent/s or guardian, others have experienced being passed around from foster home to foster home, many have experienced the feeling of anxiety, loneliness and the constant thought of being a burden.
This season was one that made be ball my heart out, especially the last episode. Personally having had the experience of severe anxiety, loneliness and the thought of constantly being a burden truly resonated with…
Read at the sourceKrenZane
I can’t even begin to understand why this show doesn’t touch me that much at all. It has all the right elements from the get-go with a relationship-related theme absolutely relevant for someone like me and the consistency to carry that theme out in a multitude of storytelling approaches utilizing its format as an episodic story to its maximum advantage. Plenty of facets regarding connection are laid out in every episode. But still, despite it being my cup of tea, why do I not find it beyond the realm of “alright” and “just good”?
If I were to describe what I feel, it would be that Natsume Yuujinchou is quite “faint”. Whether it’s the visuals, the characters, and the story itself, they appear much like apparitions that if somehow evolve into a solid figure with promising features burn out…
Read at the sourcelamaraptor
The season starts off strong with some more Matoba clan conflict. I think for the series' overarching narrative the Matoba clan are the primary antagonists. Since their introduction we've gotten glimpses at the dark side of exorcism. Natsume seems to exists as an outsider to the traditional rules of exorcists, and based on some statements about him by the mysterious clan we can assume that he has the potential to be far more powerful than any of them.
I really can't wait to see if they delve deeper into Reiko's backstory or if it's left up as a mystery until the very end, if it's ever explained at all. This season actually didn't have to many one-off youkai of the week episodes, with a lot of them being two-parters. It's nice to see some actual linear storytelling once in a while from suc…
Read at the sourceBabyGirl06301
This season was so. freakin'. good. I did not expect this anime to go into such detail about Natsume's background-- and I loved it!
The way this anime tells his story is so awesome. It's difficult to explain without spoiling anything, but the mood this anime is able to set for Natsume's backstory without sacrificing the charm and tranquil nature of the anime is something I didn't expect to be done well, and it was. Another thing I've really been wanting out of this anime for a while is a continuous storyline that stretches for longer than an episode or two, and this season finally gave it to me in spades. It's been nice to dig into this story a little deeper now that it has some roots and continuity. It allows me to enjoy it a lot more.
In addition to Natsume's singular character growth,…
Read at the sourceAxel_Blaze
The review will be mainly of the first 4 seasons.
From the very name of the anime you already understand you are going to see something out of the ordinary. “Yuujin” is not a word very commonly used in anime, its either “nakama” for comrades or “tomodachi” for friends. However Yuujin carries with it a weight, and it tells you this show is not one of those simple “happy go lucky” ones, and boy didn’t it carry a lot of weight.
The show starts off right in the middle of action and uses the action as an exposition of its nature. This serves its purpose of engrossing the watcher because he gets intrigued by whats happening and wants to know more, then gradually the protagonist introduces himself and explains his upbringing. More or less by first 10 minutes we are thrown into this fantastical…
Read at the sourceatKatlin
Of all anime I have seen Natsume Yuujinchou able to give a nice prequels something that a must watch. This fourth season is the one I will give a review because it is the one that gives me a heart-stirring. Each Natsume Yuujinchou season has a progressive story and little by little revealed the mystery. The art and sound are still stunning and relaxing. The seiyuu able to portray a calm or compose vibe to the character of Natsume. I also like the eccentric relationship of nyanko-sensei and Natsume. In this season, the one you should look forward to is the involvement of nyanko-sensei. Overall, I did enjoy watching this season it really leaves an impact to me I definitely recommend this.
Read at the sourceTakano28
I highly suggest watching the other season's first.
Story 10/10: Natsume Yuujinchou’s arcs and episodes tend to be self-contained in both thematic and literal setting and this continues throughout this season. Now we are able to see Natsume's continued development as a character. He continues to attempt to better both his human life and his relations with the youkai. Natsume's struggle to reconcile with both parts of his life creates tension with some of his human counterparts. Throughout its fourth season we get to explore Natsume's unwillingness to share his emotions, and gradual attempt to overcome them. Each arc/episode hits important messages without feeling patronizing, with an overall focus on the bittersweetness of the past.
Animation 8/10: The animation is serviceable, there are…
Read at the sourcedeadlegend
Story
The series has a calm and kind atmosphere about it. Even in dangerous situations it feels mostly calm somehow. Also I find that it flows well and mostly isn't predictable which makes it very interesting to watch.
Art
Beautiful art style. Fits well with the story.
Sound
The music and sound/s are awesome. The character voices fit well.
The opening and ending are beautiful and fit the series very well. Character
The characters are lovely. Maybe it's unrealistic that they're all so kind and reasonable (and if they're shown unkind and later turn out kind in their core) but I love them.
Enjoyment
I love it.
Overall
There are few situations that seem unrealistic but overall it's an awesome series/season!
Read at the sourceNo_Longer_Human
This entire series is just one sad dog. However, there is an evolution to it. The first season, was like a 3 legged puppy found in a garbage bag, barely alive and bruised. The second season, was the same dog being nursed to health. Still sad mind you. The third, the dog is nearly healthy, an all the bruises are gone. Now, it's just a three legged dog with a big smile.
The series has lost it's sadness and deep realism it had to begin with, but it's just the evolution of the show & Natsume himself.
The story, though it has less big moments than Keanu Reeves's Career, still packs a punch when it needs to, usually, at the beginning and near the end. The largely episodic series can sometimes be seen as forgettable but always somehow nostalgic. The show also has a very apparent lack of serio…
Read at the sourcenoamsky
Natsume's Book of Friends
A life enclosed in isolation, that's the daily standard for Natsume Takashi. He happens to be special, but according to him for the worse. His eyesight extends beyond the world people usually dwell. His extraordinary spirit, allows him to see what human in reality co-exist with. This "gift" however has for the most part brought hardships upon him. Terrorized by the so called youkai, he has been forced to act differently, bullied, despised, was how he often was treated. Even the kindest of people couldn't truly understand him. And the fact that he was parentless and passed along relatives didn't help the cause. Things however started to change when he moved into the household of the Fujiwara's. For the first time somebody of their own will wants to him to live wit…
Read at the sourceplaingeneric
I'm so glad i found this anime. Natsume really brought me to tears , both happy and sad. This season is probably my favorite though. It goes into deep detail about his family, his past life and his friends. Natsume begins to open up more to yokai and his human friends. This anime is honestly so uplifting. Through out the seasons , this season he finally accepts how happy he is, all the new people he met, and happily accepting that he can see yokai. I literally feel like i watched natsume grow up and toughen up into a person he truly was from the beginning with the help of everybody. The only sad part is there has yet to be a season 5. They have lots to cover. For example , natsume still has the book of friends, all the rest of the remaining yokai is still there , i don't think he learned e…
Read at the sourcejawnmewn
*This review encompasses all four "seasons" of Natsume's Book of Friends*
There is a wide variety of adjectives you can use to describe an anime series; hilarious, dramatic, romantic, horrific, and the like. Natsume's Book of Friends is best described using the words beautiful, heart-warming, and emotional. It is rare to find a series that evokes such powerful emotions in each episode without dropping the ball for four seasons, but Natsume's Book of Friends makes it seem effortless with masterful storytelling along with a strong cast of characters.
The premise of the story is supernatural: our protagonist Natsume Takashi can see "youkai" or spirits, a trait inheritedfrom his late grandmother Reiko, along with inheriting her "Book of Friends", which contains the names of youkai that she h…
Read at the sourcecxMina
This anime was far beyong perfection. This may sound a little over-exaggerated, but I find this anime to be a true masterpiece. I idolize Midorikawa Yuki, the mangaka of the manga, for I love not only her stories, but also her art. It is simply beautiful and I really appreciate her talent. The music of Natsume Yuujinchou was just as beautiful and fitting as the characters. Every character had their own special trait. I loved every single one, as well as the Yokai. I could really identify myself with most of them. Natsume Takashi had made me become more aware of life and understand the meaning of true happiness. This anime truly is heart-warming. I cried at the end of almost every episode. Not because it was sad, but simply because it was beautiful. I really recommend this anime to every vi…
Read at the sourceItsPHI
What? It's over already?!
Those thoughts never left my head while watching this season. Although I'll have to admit, I was slightly disappointed in the lack of "big events" during this season. However, the anime has always kept a relaxing mood, whilst gently adding action and drama in small amounts. It'd be weird if something completely crazy and big were to happen anyways. I found myself wishing Natsume would say more things, admit more things, yet how realistic is it for him to actually do everything we as the viewers want him to do? In reality, Natsume has always acted in character, even when he grew and his ideals changed, he still was realistic and understandable.
Nyanko Sensei was also quite the character. His loyalty was admirable throughout the series, and although slightly bois…
Read at the sourceoretatsu-yabe
Overall, I had to shed many tears with the aid of my small box of tissues while watching this series. It's also a bit-heart-wrenching, (not in a devastatingly bad way....) because of the sad memories that came back with all the flashbacks the main protagonist keeps reminiscing..but this series, and the prequels before it are very heart-lifting in a spirituous @ soulful way (I guess that's what they'd call it, maybe?) But yeah, so, if you're looking for something way off different from the charts of "normal anime" and want a bit of scare but with a lighter tone and maybe with a bit of warm bittersweet flavors added to it, then this one is a must try!!! It's a genuine gem among today's find!
Read at the sourcemrsLEE
Natsume’s adventure with different “demons” has return in its fourth season.
About the STORY
It’s a lot more dangerous this time as Natsume is getting more and more known in the spirit world as he gets involved more in their world. As it becomes more dangerous, the story becomes more exciting. The storyline is not so sad and gloomy anymore because Natsume is a lot happier now. And it’s nice that there are more funny moments now. There are more detailed revelations from Natsume’s sad past and some glimpse to the past of some characters. And as always, there are new very interesting and exciting stories about demons and spirits. Before, there’s an equal balance between sad and heart-warming when it comes to the drama but this time, it’s not so sad anymore and it’s more on being really touch…
Read at the sourceanimeRoads
Hmm..... how do you review an anime considered to be a sleeper masterpiece? How do you place a rank on the underdog? How, I ask those who are reading this review, How?
I am a man of neutralness. I find both good and bad in all animes... all except this. For all 4 seasons, 50+ episodes, I cannot find a single fault with this anime. The story is exceptional... each episode withholds a magic of uniqueness. There's literally no telling where the particular episode will lead to (unless it is an continuation). And although the characters are introduced in a random order, they contribute to the main plot with equal importance.
The anime also includes a lot of elements. Romance, thriller, sometimes quite scary, and comedy. And let's be honest, this anime is portraying quite a touchy subject. Non…
Read at the sourceAria34
I love Natsume Yuujinchou to bits. And, although it seems rather pointless to write a review on an instalment in a series, I actually find it beneficial to look back on each season and see what each individual season accomplished, especially since Nartsume Yuujinchou is one of those series that doesn't have an particular end goal or big boss to defeat.
This season was great for really seeing how far Natsume has grown throughout the series. While the first season mainly consisted of stories about the youkai he encountered, the later seasons focused more and more on the people in Natsume's life and Natsume himself. If Zoku was Natsume's connection to his grandmother, and San was the season where Natsume learned how to become closer to people and make friends, then this season is really abo…
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