Pleasantly spurred on by the recent reviews and attention this beautiful work has received, I thought I perhaps could toss my hat into the ring and speak a little about Natsume Yuujinchou. Stunning in it's simplicity, meaningful in it's message, this is a manga that I believe always could use a little more love.
At it's heart, Natsume Yuujinchou presents a rather simple story depicting the day to day life of Takashi Natsume, orphan and loner from a very young age. In almost every way, Natsume is a normal fifteen year old child, shy and somewhat cut off from the people around him. The one
...
thing that sets Natsume apart (and the thing that caused him much stress in his earlier years), is his inheritance from his grandmother Reiko. An inheritance of a beautiful face, a strange book, and the ability to see and communicate with youkai. It is this ability that has led to him being deemed strange and odd by most people, shunned for the weird tales he tells.
But as he grows and meets more people he wants to protect, Natsume must work to discover a way to balance the world of humans in which he belongs, and the world of youkai in which he is a part of regardless of his desires. Both of these worlds and the denizens that fill them come to hold meaning to Natsume, and many of the important lessons in the story are derived from him protecting them... often from each other.
The second, and probably most important, aspect of the story is the titular Book of Friends given to Natsume by his powerfully gifted grandmother. In this book are the names of numerous youkai bound to contract by Reiko's power to be summoned at any time. Natsume has no need for youkai armies and gladly returns names (and independence) to those who ask. Of course, some prefer to take rather then ask, putting Natsume in a great deal of danger. Luckily, he stumbles across some help in the form of Madara.
Madara is a youkai hidden in the form of a lucky cat, and visible to humans only in this form. He agrees to protect Natsume from the other youkai claiming he is only doing so, so he can obtain the book once Natsume dies. What starts out as merely a job blossoms into a humorous caring relationship between the two. Madara bickers, he snarks, he provides much of the comedic relief, but at his core he desires to protect Natsume and he does so without hesitation.
Together with Madara, Natsume struggles through issues we all can relate to. Finding his place in the world, protecting all those dear to him, no matter what they look like or where they come from. He works tirelessly in his quest to understand that which is different and frightening. His is the journey of life, and while his circumstances are different, the core values of respect, understanding, kindness, and love are ones we can all apply to our daily lives.
The main twosome of Natsume and Madara make up a fair chunk of the character interaction, but numerous humans and youkai add to the supporting cast. Exorcists such as Natori and Matoba with their rationality and coldness towards youkai, provide as excellent foils towards Natsume's idealistic optimism that the two worlds can coexist, and then there of course is his mysterious yet incredibly strong grandmother Reiko, shown in her youkai wrangling youth through flashback. Youkai such as Hiiragi and Chobi-Hige provide a nice insight to kinder more rational youkai, showing that though they are different from humans they are not all monsters. They all add splendidly to the story with their own viewpoints and tales to be told.
The art of Natsume Yuujinchou is pleasing yet simple. Human characters are drawn quite realistically, devoid of huge eyes and anime hair. The youkai, as is true in every good supernatural story with spirits and demons, are completely unique in their designs. From a tiny spider youkai to the great beast dragon Madara they are all quite a treat to look at. Madara in his lucky cat form is the most cartoonish aspect of the art, and he's quite adorable and very funny. Backgrounds are drawn simply yet effectively. The usual forest scenery is done in nice yet sparing detail.
Natsume Yuujinchou as a manga has fallen prey to what I've recently dubbed "The Aria Effect" in which an anime adaptation is done so splendidly that the equally wonderful manga tends to be overlooked. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as lord knows we could use more quality adaptations such as those of the Aria series, and Natsume Yuujinchou. But there is something to be said about the source material and the even more soothing feeling it brings to your heart.
Natsume Yuujinchou is a spectacular manga that shouldn't be missed whether you've seen the anime or not.
 Alternative TitlesSynonyms: The Natsume Book of Friends, Manabiya no Sumi, Natsu ni wa Tameiki wo Tsuku Japanese: 夏目友人帳 More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: Unknown
Chapters: Unknown
Status: Publishing
Published: Jun 10, 2003 to ?
Theme:
Iyashikei
Demographic:
Shoujo
Serialization:
LaLa Authors:
Midorikawa, Yuki (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #672 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #388
Members: 45,788
Favorites: 2,252 Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 6 / 6
Sort
Your Feelings Categories Aug 11, 2011
Pleasantly spurred on by the recent reviews and attention this beautiful work has received, I thought I perhaps could toss my hat into the ring and speak a little about Natsume Yuujinchou. Stunning in it's simplicity, meaningful in it's message, this is a manga that I believe always could use a little more love.
At it's heart, Natsume Yuujinchou presents a rather simple story depicting the day to day life of Takashi Natsume, orphan and loner from a very young age. In almost every way, Natsume is a normal fifteen year old child, shy and somewhat cut off from the people around him. The one ... Jul 17, 2011
Why is there no review?
I really enjoy the story of Natsume. It is, I guess, a supernatural slice of life. It has a gentle feel, and it manages to tweak on all the emotions - I laugh, I cry, I sigh, I feel angry, and through it all, I enjoy the story. There are underlying themes of loneliness, but ultimately, I feel that is about finding your place in the world. Our protagonist, Natsume, can see spirits (yokai). This has been a bane in his life, as when he was young people thought he was a liar. This wasn't helped by the fact that he moved ... Aug 10, 2011
strange that i see only one review on this manga although it`s such an amazing manga
story : natsume yuujinchou talks about a boy who can see youkai the main idea might sound so not original but i advice you not to give up on it just because of that the story progress and the themes of the chapters are the description of originality itself (the book of freinds , good youkai , bad youkai ,the ugly fat cat lol ,freindship , love ) the manga is full of different themes and different situations also what differentiates this from the normal youkai mangas is that ... Mar 27, 2022
Before I start, I have to preface that this is not a detailed breakdown but instead a description of what this manga encompasses emotionally, as I think that's far more fair and appropriate to the story -- as such this might be all over the place, sorry. Applies to both the manga and the anime -- the anime elevating it even further with it's unforgettable soundtrack.
====================================================== ====================================================== Natsume Yuujinchou is the only story I can wholeheartedly tell was and can only be created by a truly kind and loving person. I yearn to be able to put that much soul, emotion and love into a story to ... Jan 23, 2021
Reading Natsume Yuujinchou feels like crossing into a mushroom circle. There's magic and mystery, and charm in the natural feel. The story has been going on for about eighteen years now, and it's nice seeing how themes and details will build on each other in small ways. If you love slice of life, especially the kind that makes you feel like your sitting in a forest on a sunny day, enjoying time as it passes, this is a great manga! It's also fun because it dances amongst many different feelings. It balances light comedy with darker moods, energetic scenes and calming scenery.
Oh! And I ... Jun 16, 2020
Natsume Yuujinchou - the poor man's Mushishi.
On a paper, the concept looks good. Youkai are great source of inspiration for a story - their variations can lend to a distinct feel and even their most basic form appeal as something unusual to a western reader. Sadly, it's something you can keep milking only for so long if you don't improve the staleness of the story itself. Yes, the main weakness of Natsume Yuujinchou is that it's going on for way too damn long without much change of variety. Yes, it is episodical, but unlike the forementioned Mushishi that is still highly creative with it's variations ... |
