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
It just started raining all of a sudden!
Natsume, let's hide under that roof.
This is a really big house.
It's one of those old mansions, right?
Yeah.
I don't want to go near a place that I can sense demons from.
What's wrong, Natsume?
I just heard a weird voice from inside.
A voice?
Tanuma, let's get out of here.
Natsume?
Oh, no. The demon's coming out!
Huh?
Natsume and Tanuma?
Taki?
And Master Nyanko?
The Secret Lurking in the Storeroom
So this is your house.
It's really big.
Yeah, but it's old and hard to clean.
So, why is Master Nyanko here?
After it started raining, I took a look outside...
Fluffy! Fluffy!
and the next thing I knew, I was holding onto him.
I'm sorry.
Geez, when is she going to learn?
Don't go thinking that a thin slice of jelly cake will make up for it!
So, that demon's voice that I heard was just Master.
Do you really want to help me clean the storeroom?
Sure.
As thanks for the shelter.
Yeah.
Thanks. You're a big help.
Master Nyanko, do you sense any demons?
I guesh becaw 'f the famry's hishtory, I can feel the lethover presensh of lotsha demonsh,
but nut'ing particu'ry weirf.
I see.
Good.
Now then...
I've got my jelly cake, so I'm going home.
What's wrong?
D-d-do...
Sorry.
That wooden doll wards off monsters, I heard.
I was really scared of it when I was a kid.
It'd scare off thieves, not just monsters.
Your family used to be mediums, didn't they?
That was a long time ago.
My grandfather researched demons,
even though he couldn't see them.
Demons, begone,
and be all ways away.
When I was young,
he used to teach me all kinds of things in this storehouse.
But my mom and dad were both creeped out by it.
I'm the only one who ever comes in here.
What's this?
A kappa, huh?
If he wanted to see demons,
he must have been a strange guy.
Nothing good comes from seeing them.
Natsume.
How long is it going to take you to open that window?
Sorry.
That scared me...
Kimonos?
I thought somebody was standing there.
Oh, sorry about that.
Those are for warding off monsters, too.
He really was strange.
We're done!
Thanks for the help!
I'm sorry. I had no idea how hard it'd be.
It was nothing.
I can at least make you some food
as thanks for your work.
Sounds great.
Huh?
Taki, did you put one of those kimonos away?
No.
There's two, just like before.
Huh?
But those two are kinda alike, aren't they?
Yeah.
They're good friends, right?
They sound alike, too.
Taki, hey...
What's up?
Nothing... I'm just going to the bathroom.
I might be remembering it wrong.
I shouldn't scare them over nothing.
Why you...
Oww...
Oh my, he saw me.
He saw me! He saw me!
Wait!
He saw me! He saw me!
Hey!
I've never seen you before, kid.
So, you can see demons?
Oh, you're an interesting one.
Are you with that kimono demon?
I just came over to visit.
When Shin'ichiro was alive,
I came here all the time.
Shin'ichiro?
You mean, Taki's grandfather?
He couldn't see demons.
That's right, he couldn't.
Not 'til the very end.
What is that kimono demon?
You tore off that upside-down picture, didn't you?
Like an upside-down Buddha,
you shouldn't touch anything you find that's upside down.
There's a spell called "Upside-Down Sealing".
Shin'ichiro did it once while reading from some old scrolls.
He didn't know it, but the spell worked.
He sealed something really nasty here.
A demon in an old doll.
When it was sealed, its body was split,
and the pieces were scattered all around the house.
Its torso and left hand were sealed in the storehouse.
It seems to be searching this house for the rest of its body.
If it gets it back, you're going to have a problem.
It looks like its right leg is right under us.
Natsume?
Huh? This smell...
Natsume?
Is there something under the house?
A kimono monster, huh?
My grandfather sealed it?
Yeah.
Is this Shin'ichiro's granddaughter?
What's wrong, Natsume?
Is there something there?
Uh, yeah. It's the one who told me about the kimono demon.
There's a demon there?
She says that Shin'ichiro had a bit of potential, but he was never able to see her.
Grandfather...
Natsume?
Did you hear that?
It sounded like something was crawling along the second floor.
Wait, Natsume.
It really does look like Natsume's acting weird.
Yeah.
But if we knew what was going on,
we'd know that he'd try to protect both us and this house.
Where is it?
This house has as many dark rooms as ever.
Stop talking from my shoulder.
You never played any tricks just because Shin'ichiro couldn't see you, did you?
Well, you know...
Hey.
He really couldn't see us at all.
Look at that window.
When Shin'ichiro was a child,
he would always sit there, absorbed in old scrolls and books about demons.
He enjoyed them as though they were picture books.
Right there.
I wish I could see them, just once.
It was so funny how he never realized that we were right there.
Good times.
Natsume?
I got it.
We can go up.
Tanuma?
I'm fine.
But this feeling... there's something up here.
On the right.
Uh oh, he's here, too.
Natsume!
Are you okay?
I'm sorry for grabbing you.
No, you saved us.
Thanks.
Oh my, it's been a while since I've felt that strange spiritual energy.
The seal's broken?
Oh, I came because I was hoping Shin'ichiro got back and started something fun again.
Idiot.
Shin'ichiro left this world a long time ago.
Humans can't come back to life easily.
That's right. How boring.
What?
Oh wait, Shin'ichiro's right here!
No, this is what they call a "granddaughter".
She was the girl who wouldn't stop sobbing at Shin'ichiro's funeral.
That's right.
How boring.
Natsume,
what kind of demons are over there?
They knew your grandfather,
and they really seemed to like the guy.
Oww... oww...
Don't you dare say that!
He never even saw us!
Shin'ichiro was just our plaything!
Oh, you can see us?
How rare.
How different from Shin'ichiro.
Then, child of man,
I shall give you a warning since you can see us.
The demon standing on the wall said that the kimono demon was called "Kakura".
It's gotten its legs and its left arm back.
Its right hand is broken and rotted,
and all that's left is the head.
It's in the backyard?
Yes.
This way.
Tanuma...
I'm glad.
I was thinking you'd tell me to wait here or go home again.
Yeah.
There are people who will listen to me,
and try to stay by my side anyway...
Natsume?
Natsume!
Where are you, Natsume?
Natsume!
He's gone.
Did that demon catch him?
How are we supposed to look for something we can't see?
That's right.
I can use the circle.
The circle?
You mean the one that lets you see demons inside it?
Yes.
If I use it, we might be able to get the demons that Natsume talked with to help us.
It's here.
How dare you look at me, human.
They really seemed to like the guy.
Natsume, where are you?
What are you doing?
I should ask you that, Ponta!
I came because he hasn't come home yet.
So?
Where's Natsume?
Oh demons, please help me!
Tell me where Natsume went!
Please!
Answer me!
Please, please!
Taki!
Ponta came.
Let's go to the backyard.
Right.
Why didn't you go into the circle?
We had no reason to.
Nothing good comes from dealing with humans.
Hey, wake up.
Kid.
If you don't wake up, it'll cut off your right arm.
Where am I?
The backyard.
Look.
It can't take that out with one hand.
Okay... good.
But since you have strong spiritual energy,
it'll take your arm and make it its own.
Don't touch my dessert!
Master Nyanko!
What is this house?
There are half-made barriers everywhere.
What?
That Shin'ichiro guy must've copied them from somewhere.
That's the problem with partially talented people.
Natsume!
It's dangerous!
Stay back!
Stop moving around!
Master Nyanko!
Oh my... I can't bear to watch.
That's right.
Good, get him.
Master, wait!
What happened?
Shin'ichiro isn't reading his books,
and he stopped drawing those strange pictures.
It seems he's gotten sick.
How boring.
I know.
A person called a "doctor" put both ends of a string with some kind of cylinder on it to his ears,
and tried to heal Shin'ichiro by hitting his body with it.
It looks just like it!
Will this heal him?
If a mere human can heal him,
then we should be able to, too!
Get better, Shin'ichiro!
Geez, humans are so weak.
Get better.
Get better, Shin'ichiro.
We'll be so bored without you.
Aren't you the one who wanted to see us?
Get better.
Get better!
Grandpa!
There are crying voices.
They're crying heavily.
Together, with a young Taki.
Natsume!
Good, you're awake.
Tanuma, Taki.
Where's Kakura?
I tossed him in a faraway ditch.
Master...
Are you leaving?
Of course.
I'm never coming back.
Humans are such trouble.
The demons on the wall saved us.
We didn't save anybody.
That's right.
There's just a lot of interesting stuff here.
It's not because it's Shin'ichiro's house...
Thank you!
Thank you for coming to see my grandfather.
Farewell, granddaughter of Shin'ichiro.
Take care.
What is this smell?
Some kind of flower?
I know it.
When I was crying at my grandfather's funeral,
I smelled a gentle, flowery scent.
Did they realize...
how sadly they called the name
of the man who could never see them?
In seeing something, we meet it.
Would you tell me?
About the demons that you've met.
I've been through so many meetings and partings.
Okay.
They were like a heavy secret,
but when I started to talk about them, they seemed to sparkle...
I couldn't put them into words.
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
That Which Is Not Human
Natsume Yuujinchou
You're...
My name is Matoba.
Why are you trying to steal the blood of demons?
I've got a bad feeling about this.
We should stay away from him.
It's been a long time, Natsume.
I'm sorry I'm still so fabulous.
Your bad feeling was right!