Natsume's Book of Friends: Volume 2

by Yuki Midorikawa, 191 pages

Natsume has always been different. He sees things no one else can see, hears things no one else can hear. His specialness has caused him a lot of heartache through the years as he's been shuffled from one relative to another, one school to another, with no one believing or caring about him. He has finally settled with a kindly couple in the house his grandmother Reiko grew up in and tries to fit in and protect his new happiness as best he can. But apparently his grandmother was rather special, herself, and the local spirits, with their long memories, have not forgotten her and have no intention of letting her descendant off the hook when they find out Natsume has inherited her "Book of Friends" in which many of their names are collected. Some just want their names back, some want revenge, and some--and one saké-sodden, lazy-boned one in particular--want ownership of the book, itself.

I love Natsume's Book of Friends! The yokai, or spirits, the boy deals with are funny and scary and unique. And chief among them is Madara, more commonly known as Nyanko-sensei. He merged with the ceramic lucky cat his spirit was contained in, making him visible to normal humans when it suits him, so he pretends to be Natsume's (tubby, drunken, grumpy, talking) pet cat. In reality, he has made a deal with his "owner": he'll protect Natsume from other spirits (instead of eating him, which is what he really wants to do), but when the boy dies, the book, and all the names in it, will be his. This results in a lot of grumbling on the kitty's part, as good-hearted Natsume repeatedly insists on returning names to less-dangerous spirits. At this rate, there won't be anybody left to order around by the time Nyanko-sensei gets his paws on the book.

The art and the atmosphere and the characters all combine to make this a lovely nununu series that alternates giggles with sighs and anxious page-turning as Natsume wonders about the mystery of his grandmother's short life and sudden disappearance, deals with the problems of the variously-intentioned yokai he encounters, and experiences the worries and joys of balancing his newly "normal" high school and home life with his decidedly not normal secret one.

The animé based on this series is also wonderful (and just got greenlit for a third season, so yay!).