Natsume Yuujinchou
Ever since I was a child,
I've sometimes seen strange things.
My my, we didn't catch a thing today.
I'm hungry.
Maybe I'll go pick some akebi.
You there.
Did you see a human child just now?
The grandchild of Natsume Reiko,
the one with the Book of Friends,
should have 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 yummy too.
He's gone.
A human child.
The things I see are probably what other people
call "Youkai", or monsters.
The Name Of A Monster
My grandmother left me a book: "The Book of Friends".
My grandmother possessed strong spiritual powers
and challenged every Youkai she met to a battle.
When she defeated them, she had them
write their names in this book
to prove that they would obey her.
The Book of Friends is a set of contracts.
Call the names within
and their owners cannot disobey.
Ever since I got it, I've spent my days running from Youkai.
I need to catch my breath before I go in.
A teacup?
What's it doing here?
Hey, come out from there!
Don't go hiding under people's houses!
Takashi-kun?
Yes?
Oww...
T-Touko-san?
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 my imagination.
It's okay.
We have a cat.
Yes, yes we do.
You're so dirty...
Oh right, we're having Sukiyaki today, Takashi-kun.
Great!
That was close.
I need to be careful
not to do anything that might seem weird.
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-kun, want some more?
Sure.
I lost my parents when I was young,
and my relatives passed me around until finally
the Fujiwaras took me in.
This home is very dear to me.
Here you go.
It's called a Kagejawan.
It's lived below the house for about two weeks.
It's been there two weeks?!
Sensei, you're supposed to be guarding the house!
Calm down, idiot.
Ooh, I won!
Go get me another, Natsume.
Sensei!
When an exceptionally well-made teacup
breaks and is thrown out,
sometimes it absorbs the power of the Earth
and becomes a youkai.
Then it takes up residence
under old houses so it can be near people.
So it can be near people?
I hear that sometimes when a disaster
is about to visit the house,
it will run around to warn people,
and sometimes on a whim
it will sacrifice itself to prevent it.
It's not harmful?
That's right.
Once it gets bored, it'll leave.
Let it be.
I see.
And I'm not a "guard",
it's just that I get the Book of Friends after you die,
so I'm protecting you from youkai that come to take it.
Good evening.
Natsume-sama, yes?
I've come to ask for my name back.
Book of Friends
Ever since I inherited the Book of Friends,
I've returned the names of the youkai 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.
When I return their name, I get really tired.
You idiot!
There goes another page out of the book!
They come without asking,
and then they leave just the same.
Will I ever become strong enough
to not have my life ruled by them?
What's that sound?
It's like footsteps.
I hear that sometimes when a disaster
is about to visit the house,
it will run around to warn people
It's running around already!
Watch out!
Sensei!
It's not my fault!
Year 2 Class 2
In other words,
some kind of disaster is going to visit the house?
What's wrong, Natsume?
You finally starting to have love problems?
No, that's not it.
Just didn't get much sleep.
Up late reading naughty books again?
No.
What? What?
What's going on with Natsume?
It has nothing to do with girls.
What? That's no fun.
Come on, you can tell me!
I've made friends since I came to this town.
Are you okay?
I heard that my grandmother, Reiko,
didn't have many human friends.
I think that's why she picked fights
with all the Youkai she met.
Oww...
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 child?
Oh no, it's a Youkai!
What strong power you have, child!
Let me go!
Perfect timing.
I can't see well, child.
Help this old woman out.
I borrowed a mirror from a youkai
with great power a long time ago.
I don't know their name,
but the other youkai feared it
because it brought great 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 youkai,
but you don't know
what happens when you refuse one?
I just don't want any trouble.
If I get involved with a youkai that brings disaster...
If I brought something into that house...
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-sensei!
What's wrong, Natsume?
Trouble. Some weird youkai-
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 bothered me a little.
The Kagejawan 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 wait.
A dream?
Or was it that Youkai?
I came.
Why?
You said you'd wait 'til tomorrow.
I couldn't wait.
I finally met somebody who could find them.
It would be a waste if you ran away.
I'm not a patient youkai.
Will you help me?
Or not?
Fine.
I'll help you.
So don't come into this house!
Natsume Yuujinchou
Is that old lady somebody so powerful
even you couldn't get rid of her?
My guess is that she's a divine being
that once had a shrine.
I'd be all right,
but if somebody less powerful touched her
they'd probably be cursed.
She's that strong?
How annoying.
In this age most gods like that are sick or weakened.
She looks like she can barely see.
Go with her for a bit and just take care of it.
So someone with less power can't even get close.
Is that why she's so glad
she found a human who can see Youkai?
A god who can be with neither youkai nor humans.
Reiko-san...
This smell...
This way, child.
Thank you for coming!
I don't have the right to refuse, do I?
A flower?
It smells good, doesn't it?
I put it in my hair to show off.
It does smell good.
I see... it does, it does.
This way, child.
I met them in the forest this way.
Stop calling me "child", please.
I see.
If she doesn't spend a lot of time with youkai,
she doesn't know I'm the one with the Book of Friends.
I'm going to get lost.
Over here! Over here!
It was over here where I met them.
What kind of youkai was the one you met:
the one who brings disaster?
I couldn't really see it, but it was pretty tiny.
Tiny...
If we go all out,
maybe sensei and I could take him.
Huh?
Didn't she say she borrowed a mirror from it?
Even if it was that dangerous?
I see... so that's what bothered me.
I don't have many friends.
There was an old cherry blossom tree near me,
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
I came upon somebody holding one.
I thought I would steal it.
But I was defeated and knocked away.
Some god, huh?
Even then, when I begged for the mirror,
they gave it to me.
But everybody was afraid of it...
They must not be so bad.
That's right.
But the other youkai always avoided them,
and were scared of them.
They said so too:
that they brought disaster.
They said they didn't like humans much either.
I got the mirror, but I couldn't get rid of the spirit.
I went to give it back,
they said that they didn't like looking in the mirror
and refused to take it.
Instead, I started to come and see them once in a while.
When I looked really close,
I could see that they had a scar here.
The youkai were so scared of them,
and yet the wound was from a human.
They were kind of cute,
when I invited them to my home,
they looked at my shrine,
and for some reason seemed kind of disappointed.
When I told them why I'd wanted the mirror,
they got rid of the spirit in the tree for me.
This flower is from that tree.
But why, I wonder?
You smell like them,
and you look kind of like them, too.
Please show me that mirror.
For a while now I've been feeling
a small heat from the Book of Friends.
Ma'am, is what 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...
Sensei!
Get lost!
Natsume!
Stop being such a wimp!
Child...
Good... your shoulder's fine.
I thought it ate you.
Yes, it doesn't seem to be broken.
Here I thought that lump of fur there
was supposed to be your bodyguard.
Useless, isn't he?
I got rid of him!
The kid 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, they 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 it brings disaster.
It's said to be more terrible than a demon god.
We should stay away.
Let's do that!
Lets.
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 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? Please?
Here you are.
Really?
But...
It's fine.
I can look at it, 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 further away, actually.
Far, far away.
A place nobody knows.
Would you come to my place?
Can I?
Yes, 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 youkai, aren't you?
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 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.
I'm going home.
You've helped me greatly, grandson of Reiko.
Go down that path and you'll return to the land of men.
Yes.
Straight down that path!
Goodbye!
Just like the old woman thought Reiko was a youkai,
Reiko thought she was human.
How happy she must've been when she thought
she had a human friend.
I thought it was strange...
I wonder if that's when she started to not like youkai.
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 youkai.
I'm back.
Touko-san, what's wrong?
Look, Takashi-kun.
There's a tea cup I've never seen before here.
See, whose is this?
...and sometimes on a whim
it will sacrifice itself to prevent it.
It's mine.
It's very important to me.
They come without asking,
and then they leave just the same.
But once you meet them,
even if nobody ever knows it,
that encounter will change your life for the better.
Natsume Yuujinchou
Ukihara Village
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 ikayaki
and the sound of festival music brought them here?
I want to return.
Together, if possible.
Natsume Yuujinchou
Watch us next time!