Although Natsume isn’t fond of all the yokai he meets, he treats them all with kindness and respect. This is a lovely fantasy manga series, following a boy with a traumatic past as he finally begins settling down in a place that accepts him.
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My thoughts on this volume (Spoilers!)
While I have read some of Midorikawa-Sensei’s other works, there is just something so special about Natsume’s Book of Friends. Her soft and wispy artstyle, Natsume’s kind but at times cold demeanor, the setting of a rural town with warm residents, it just all works together as though it was meant to be. I find her artstyle also works to perfectly encapsulate the mystical energy that the various yokai give off. While it’s delicate, it’s never ambiguous.
Like in the past three volumes, this volume shows Natsume going through a seperate small story every chapter. In this way it feels similar to an anthology, but there is still a plot lazily making it way forward. Spirits trapped in snow bunnies, traveling yokai indebted to Natsume, and souls willed into paintings—this volume has an abundance of unique and magical stories to tell.
The final three chapters of this volume were a bit of a surprise, as they were all short stories following Natsume and Nyanko-sensei! While I tend to prefer longer stories (I always get attached to characters I know won’t be returning), I found myself absolutely loving the first two stories—sorry, Nyanko-sensei. In these stories we get to see Natsume through the eyes of a yokai (he’s kind no matter who is observing him!), and we also get to see him make a quick return to his past. Both gave a glimpse into a Natsume we don’t typically get to see, so I enjoyed my time reading them.
I love following Natsume live his daily life and go on his travels, as I believe he really was the perfect person to inherit the book of friends. I doubt anyone besides him would take the time to listen to the yokai that come to find him and return their names. He is kind and soft-hearted, even though he still suffers from the scars of his past. Despite all of his traumas, he still tries to do right by the mysterious creatures he can’t always understand. The level of strength he shows is very inspiring, and he’s exactly the type of character I find myself wanting to see have a happy ending. Though I believe Natsume’s already in the correct location to finally allow himself to be happy, he still has a lot to work through mentally.
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