Natsume Yuujinchou (Season 1)

Since he was young, a teenage boy named Natsume Takashi has been able to see youkai, but keeping this ability a secret has now become a heavy burden for him and has made his life difficult.


This begins to change when Takashi inherits his grandmother's "Book of Friends." He discovers that she, Natsume Reiko, shared the same ability as him and starts to understand why he was always targeted by both good and bad youkai.


After learning the true meaning behind the Book of Friends, which allows him to manipulate the spirits listed within its pages, Natsume undertakes a journey with his bodyguard, the infamous spirit Madara, to free the spirits of their contracts with Reiko.
(Synopsis taken from MAL)

Natsume Yuujinchou
13 episodes

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Shoujo, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Rating: 8/10
Opening Theme:

"Issei no Sei (一斉の声; Simultaneous Voice)" by Shuuhei Kita

Ending Theme:

"Natsu Yuuzora (夏夕空; Summer Evening Sky)" by Kousuke Atari

Favourite Character(s): Kogitsune and Madara (Nyanko-sensei)

The first season of Natsume Yuujinchou really caught me in its snare. This fun, mellow and hilarious anime really made me crack a few dozen smiles. Saw its title on Crunchroll and decided to make an investment.

Intro: Natsume is a soft-spoken teen who has the ability to see youkai. This has led to many problems in his past (having to move from home to home because of his family's distrust in him). Since he is the only one who can see the youkai, his family claims that he is an impulsive liar. He comes into possession of his grandmother, Reiko's "Book of Friends" which has a selection of names written inside. These names belong to local youkai that she had defeated when she was alive.

Many youkai pursue him- either wanting their name back or to take the "Book of Friends".

Characters: A wide selection of in-depth personalities. From reserved and bullied Kogitsune to fat and alcoholic Nyanko-sensei, each have their own funny traits.

Artwork: Soft and natural colours were used to develop the scenes. The characters pop out from the scene without having blind-making neon schemes. Simply drawn but it's perfect with the theme of the anime. Smooth animation. <3

Plot: Extremely well thought out. Sometimes it becomes repetitive but each one or two episodes has its own youkai arc.  Fascinating, able to keep my eyes on the screen for long bouts of time. Thought provoking and goes into Natsume's links with the youkai very throughly. If you were looking for a light hearted, skim-the-surface anime, this is not for you.

OP and ED: Preferred OP, but the ED is almost hypnotic in a sense. I was able to watch both through to the end.