In this fantasy manga, we follow a boy named Natsume who treats the yokai who have plagued him since childhood with kindness and understanding.
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My thoughts on this volume (Spoilers!)
Every time we get a flashback to little Natsume I find myself wishing I could jump into the manga and give him a hug. The poor boy had such a sad and lonely childhood despite doing absolutely nothing wrong! Even though he now has found a place where he can belong, the traumas of his past still have an affect on him, causing him to be a little distant with those who love him.
The more I read this series, the more I realize that a lot of his actions can be traced back to what he went through as a child. The fact that he’s unconditionally kind to the majority of the yokai he meets despite going through hell because of them, is likely because he understands what it’s like to be lonely and misunderstood. He’s such a compassionate character that he can forgive a lot of the more annoying characteristics that the yokai come with, opting to help them however he can.
We also see some of his more negative behaviours that can be traced back to his childhood traumas. It’s made clear early on that he puts up a wall between himself and everyone around him as he’s afraid of scaring them away. Although the aunt and uncle who took him in clearly love him very much, he seems to walk on eggshells when at home. This is actually brought up in this volume when we meet the uncle, as he tells Natsume that he wants to to feel at home there. We thankfully get to see some relationship progress with Natsume and his new family in this volume, with him growing closer to both his and and uncle—I was so, so incredibly happy to see him get just that much more comfortable in his new home!
Natsume’s kindness and understanding nature is the primary reason I enjoy this series so much, as he’s such a gentle character to watch. Although he’s not considered powerful if you were to measure strength in the traditional manner, his personality and kind actions are enough to help get him through even the most unfortunate event. This series really emphasises the importance of treating those around you kindly, so reading it like taking a breath of fresh air.
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