Natsume Yuujinchou
San
Living through these meaningless days, I let out a sign
I've lost sight of my true self
Even if I strain my ears I can't hear your voice
So I keep walking trying to catch up
The things I couldn't tell you form into a chrysalis over time
Spreading wings, they take flight
The one, the one precious thing I'll never forget
Someday, that warm emotion
I'll do what little I can
Little by little, to get through to you
Ever since I was a child,
I've seen strange things every now and then.
My my, we didn't catch a thing today.
I'm hungry.
Maybe I'll go pick some akebia.
Hey.
Did you see a human child just now?
Did the grandson of the owner of the Book of Friends, Natsume,
run this way?
Lie to me, and I'll eat you too.
We don't know anything!
That's right!
Where did he run?
He looked tasty, too.
He's gone.
A human child!
I see things that other people can't.
Perhaps you could call them "demons".
The Name Of A Monster
My grandmother left me The Book of Friends.
She possessed strong spiritual powers,
and challenged every demon she met to a battle.
When she defeated them, she had them write their names in this book.
Their names gave her absolute power over them.
Thus, the Book of Friends.
Ever since I got it,
I've spent my days running from demons.
I need to catch my breath before I go in.
A teacup?
What's it doing here?
Hey, come out of there!
Don't go hiding under other people's houses!
Takashi?
Yes?
Oww...
T-Touko?
I'm back.
Shopping took longer than I thought.
Are you okay?
Yes, I'm fine.
What's wrong?
Um, I thought I saw a rat,
but it was just my imagination.
Well, that's no problem.
We have a cat, right?
Oh, we do.
My, you're covered in dirt...
Oh right, we're having beef hot pot tonight, Takashi.
Great!
That was close.
I need to be careful not to do anything suspicious.
If there really was a rat, we need to buy rat traps.
No, I think I mistook something else for a rat.
Maybe it was one of the neighbor's puppies.
Takashi, would you like some more?
Sure.
I lost my parents when I was young,
and my relatives passed me around until the Fujiwaras finally took me in.
This home is very dear to me.
Here you go.
It's called a Shadow Teacup.
It's been living underneath the house for about two weeks.
It's been there two weeks?!
Nyanko, you're supposed to be guarding the house!
Calm down, idiot.
Ooh, I won!
Go get me another, Natsume.
Nyanko!
When an exceptionally well-made teacup is broken and thrown away,
it sometimes absorbs the power of the Earth and becomes a spirit.
Then it takes up residence under old houses just to be near people.
Just to be near people?
I hear that sometimes, when a disaster is about to visit the house,
it'll run around the house to warn everyone,
and sometimes, on a whim,
it'll sacrifice itself to prevent it.
It's not dangerous?
That's right.
Once it gets bored, it'll leave.
Let it be.
I see.
And I'm not a guard,
I'm just here because you promised to hand over the Book of Friends when you die,
so I'm protecting you from other spirits that try to get it before me.
Good evening.
Mr. Natsume, is it?
I've come to ask for my name back.
Ever since I inherited the Book of Friends,
I've returned the names of the demons within it.
First, I bring up an image of them in my mind,
and concentrate.
That which shields me, reveal thy name.
To release their names, you need the saliva and breath
of someone of the same bloodline as Reiko.
Thank you very much.
When I return a name, I get really tired.
You idiot!
There goes another page out of the Book of Friends!
They come without warning,
and then they leave the same way.
Will I ever become strong enough
to not have my life ruled by them?
What's that sound?
It sounds like footsteps.
I hear that sometimes, when a disaster is about to visit the house,
it'll run around the house to warn everyone...
It's running around already!
Watch out!
Nyanko!
It's not my fault!
In other words,
some kind of disaster is about to visit the house?
What's wrong, Natsume?
You finally starting to have love problems?
No, that's not it.
I just didn't get much sleep.
Up late reading dirty mags again?
No.
What's up?
What's going on with Natsume?
It's got nothing to do with girls.
What? That's no fun.
Come on, you can tell me!
I've made some friends since I moved to this town.
Are you okay?
My grandmother, Reiko,
apparently didn't have many human friends.
That's probably why she picked fights
with every demon she met.
Oww...
Oh, my staff, my staff...
Are you all right?
You staff is right here.
Can you stand?
Oh my, you're so kind.
You can see me, can't you, boy?
Oh no, it's a demon!
What incredible power you have, boy!
Let me go!
What perfect timing.
I can't see well, boy.
Help this old woman out.
I borrowed a mirror from a very powerful spirit a long time ago.
I don't know its name,
but the other demons feared it because it brought terrible disasters.
Someone with your power should be able to find it!
Let me go!
I can't do that!
I'm sorry, but I can't help you!
Oh my, that's no good.
You can see spirits,
but you don't know what happens when you refuse one?
I just don't want any trouble.
If I get involved with a demon that brings disaster...
If something were to happen to the Fujiwaras...
Sorry, but I've taken a liking to you.
If you don't help me,
I'll curse you.
Stop it!
I'll be waiting here tomorrow.
If you don't come...
I'll kill you!
Nyanko!
What's wrong, Natsume?
Trouble. Some weird...
You've been cursed, haven't you?
Who dares lay a hand on my prey?!
An old lady...
An old lady?
Sounds scary.
Hey, wake up.
Natsume!
Hey, Natsume!
What is it?
Something the old lady said really bothered me.
The Shadow Teacup is running...
because I brought disaster?
It's not going to bloom this year, either?
If it withers away,
I'll be sad and have nothing to look forward to.
Don't worry, I'll save you.
Just you wait.
A dream?
Or was it that old spirit?
I came.
Why?
You said you'd wait until tomorrow!
I couldn't wait.
Now that I've finally met somebody who could find that spirit,
I can't let you get away.
Sorry, but I'm not a patient lady.
Will you help me?
Or will you not?
I get it, I'll help you!
Just don't come into this house!
Is that old lady somebody so powerful
that even you couldn't get rid of her?
She's probably a spirit that was worshipped and enshrined.
I'd be all right,
but someone less powerful would be cursed if they touched her.
She's that strong?
How annoying.
Nowadays, most gods like her are sick or weakened.
She looks like she can barely see,
so go with her for a bit and just get it over with.
So someone less powerful can't even get close.
Is that why she's so glad she found a human who can see demons?
A god who can't approach spirits or humans.
Reiko...
This smell...
This way, boy.
I'm glad you came!
I didn't have a choice, did I?
A flower?
It smells good, doesn't it?
I'm afraid it might be a bit showy, though.
It does smell nice.
I see... it does, it does.
This way, boy.
You can meet it in the forest this way.
Please stop calling me "boy".
I see.
If she doesn't spend a lot of time with demons,
she wouldn't know about the Book of Friends or the Natsume family.
This is a pretty easy place to get lost in.
Over here! Over here!
I met that spirit right over here.
This demon that could bring disaster...
what was he like?
I couldn't really see it, but it was pretty small.
small...
If worst comes to worst,
Nyanko and I might be able to take him.
Huh?
Didn't she say she borrowed a mirror from it?
Even though it was that dangerous?
I see... so that's what bothered me.
I don't have many friends.
There was an old cherry tree near here,
but it was possessed by a stubborn evil spirit.
An old tree...
so that's what that dream was.
So it started to wither, and to get rid of it I needed a mirror.
I was looking for a mirror, and then I found somebody holding one.
I thought I would steal it,
but I was defeated and knocked away.
Not much of a god, huh?
But then, when I begged for the mirror,
that spirit gave it to me.
But everybody was afraid of it...
He must not be so bad.
That's right.
But the other spirits always kept their distance out of fear.,
That spirit said the same thing,
that disaster followed everywhere it went.
It said it wasn't very fond of humans, either.
I got the mirror, but I couldn't get rid of the spirit.
I went to give it back,
but that spirit said that it didn't like looking in the mirror, and refused to take it.
Instead, I started to come and see it every once in a while.
When I looked really close,
I could see that it had a scar here.
The spirits were so scared of it,
and yet the wound came from a human.
That spirit was kind of cute,
when I invited it to my home,
it looked at my shrine...
and, for some reason, seemed kind of disappointed.
When I told that spirit why I'd wanted the mirror,
it got rid of the spirit in the tree for me.
This flower is from that tree.
But why, I wonder?
You smell like that spirit,
and you look kind of like it, too.
Please, let me look at that mirror.
For a while now,
the Book of Friends has been warm.
Ma'am, is the spirit you're looking for...
I've finally found you,
Natsume of the Book of Friends!
This time, you won't get away!
Dinnertime!
He's the one from before!
My left shoulder!
Nyanko!
Get lost!
Natsume!
Quit being such a wimp!
Boy...
That's good... your shoulder's fine.
I thought it ate you.
Yes, it doesn't seem to be broken.
And here I thought that lump of fur was supposed to be your bodyguard.
Useless, isn't he?
I got rid of that thing!
It's this kid that needs to pay more attention!
That's right.
I need to be more careful.
It's not like it used to be.
I...
Honestly, I don't care if he loses an arm or a leg or two
as long as the Book of Friends is safe.
Hey, Natsume.
The Book of Friends is safe, right?
Yeah.
Miss...
your name is in the Book of Friends, isn't it?
The Book of Friends...
Come to think of it,
I did write my name in something.
Ever since then, that spirit stopped coming for some reason.
That's why you couldn't find her.
She was probably human.
My grandmother, Natsume Reiko.
That which shields me, reveal thy name.
I return your name.
Please take it,
Aokuchinashi.
How infuriating.
The flowers of that tree were my one pleasure.
A mirror...
If only I had a mirror...
A mirror?
Hey, look, over there.
I heard she brings disaster.
She's said to be more terrible than a demon god.
We should stay away.
Let's do that!
Let's.
What? The one who smells like a child of man...
I'm going to take it anyway!
No!
I've failed.
My staff... my staff...
Are you okay?
Your staff is right here.
Can you stand?
Would you give me your mirror?
Huh?
The one friend I have needs a mirror!
They sell mirrors at the store up the road.
Would you lend it to me for just a little while? Please?
Take it.
Really?
But...
It's fine.
I can look at my wound, but I don't have any medicine for it.
What? You're hurt?
Hmm, let me see...
That tickles.
You're a strange person.
You're here again.
Good.
Here's your mirror back.
I don't need it anymore.
You can have it.
But...
I don't like looking in the mirror.
You come here often, don't you?
I want to go farther away, actually.
Much, much farther away.
To a place that nobody knows.
Would you like to come to my home?
Can I?
Sure. It's almost withered away,
but there's a tree with beautiful flowers.
Come see it.
This is it.
A shrine...
And that's the tree.
Yeah... that's right.
I thought it was strange for somebody to care about me.
You're a spirit, aren't you?
Yes, that's right.
What's your name?
Do you want to know it?
Then have a match with me.
If you win, I'll do anything you want.
You can even eat me if you like.
But if I win, you'll write your name...
I remember.
I lost the match and wrote my name on a piece of paper.
She never did give me her name.
I see... so it's Reiko.
Her name was Natsume Reiko.
So, Reiko is no longer in this world.
Yes.
Please keep that mirror.
Well, I'm going home.
You've been a great help, grandson of Reiko.
Go down that path, and you'll return to the land of men.
Yes.
Straight down that path!
Goodbye!
Just like how the old woman thought that Reiko was a spirit,
Reiko thought that she was human.
When she thought she had a human friend,
she must have been so happy.
I thought it was strange...
I wonder if that's when she began to dislike demons.
Hey, Natsume, look!
Those flowers, they're the ones...
Yeah, this is the tree Reiko banished the spirit from.
Crazy woman, for a human.
Yeah, that's right.
She got rid of the evil spirit from the tree
after she learned that the old lady was a spirit.
I'm back.
Touko, what's wrong?
Look, Takashi.
It's a tea cup I've never seen before.
See, whose teacup is this?
...and sometimes, on a whim,
it'll sacrifice itself to prevent it.
It's mine.
It's very important to me.
They come without warning,
and then they leave the same way.
But once you meet them,
even if nobody ever knows it,
that encounter will change your life for the better.
Lining up the sparks of warmth I've lost one by one
Coming to the rainbow-colored pieces of you
I crack a smile
Not even knowing how to make memories
Even when we took things too fast
We were only going with the flow
No matter where I go, even after this darkness
How many times must I say goodbye?
Shining with the flame of a young heart
Those faraway pieces of you
Next time on
Ukihara Village
Natsume Yuujinchou
The village of Ukihara?
It's a legendary village that's not part of this world.
Then how did they get here?
You don't think the smell of baked squid
and the sound of festival music brought them here?
I want to return.
Together, if possible.