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maryemmasivils's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun volume, although the focus on "gods" made me sad because it's just a reminder of how much the Japanese culture is steeped in non-Biblical beliefs.
But I enjoy watching Natsume gain more confidence and learn how to relate to others. He's growing!
But I enjoy watching Natsume gain more confidence and learn how to relate to others. He's growing!
rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
Could this series give me a fucking break and stop kicking me in the feels so damn hard?! Holy shit, I don't think my heart can take much more! And damn, the artwork was incredible in this volume! AND my baby got to act in a god's place, so awesome! Loved this volume so damn much!
theseventhl's review against another edition
5.0
Natsume’s Book of Friends is still the best supernatural shojo manga you aren’t reading even though you most definitely should be. It has a lot of things going for it, like gorgeous artwork and an amazing cast of characters, but this particular volume highlights one of its best strengths: the continuing character arc of one Takashi Natsume, the boy who can see yokai. In this most recent volume, he has some true moments of growth related to his relations with both humans and the supernatural which are beautiful to witness, and it’s this kind of gradual yet worthwhile development in a protagonist that makes Natsume’s story an essential one for manga fans across the board.
You can read the rest of my review over at Nagareboshi Reviews.
You can read the rest of my review over at Nagareboshi Reviews.
heyjudy's review against another edition
3.0
~3.5/5
[Also available at my blog.]
I really, really like this series. It’s so sweet, and simple, and maybe has a nostalgic (reminiscent? wistful?) tone to it. It’s just really good, and it bothers me that so few bookstores near me (pretty much, one of the, say, five or six bookstores that are near me) carry it; along with a few other series, too, actually. (I swear, ever since Borders closed, it has been much too hard for me to find manga. Way too hard.)
It’s been a while since I read a volume of Natsume, and while the books are a bit slow, I still really enjoy them. And it’s always nice, getting to see Nastume and Nyanko-sensei again.
While I would really like for there to be a more set storyline for this series, since each chapter tends to be about a different thing, I still enjoy reading all of them. In this volume, there was a two-chapter and a three-chapter long storyline, which was nice.
The first one focused on a boy, Shibata, who Natsume knew from elementary school; a time when he told people that he could see the supernatural and no one believed him. Natsume is wary, and bumps heads with him a bit, but helps the boy when he asks for it. Shibata is a but strong headed, and has fallen for a yokai girl, whom he wasn’t sure was human and needed Natsume’s reassurance on. This wraps up pretty nicely at the end of the second chapter, but I’m doubtful Shibata will be a character we’ll be seeing much of.
The three-chapter story is about two yokai gods, one of which, the harvest god, is missing. His minions don’t know where he is, as he’s believed to have been sealed away somewhere, and so ask Natsume to pretend to be him for a bit. At the same time, Natori is trying to find the sealed god so he can set him free (an unusual thing for his job, but he was asked because they don’t want the mountain to die.
There are some sweet moments in this, some funny ones, and it’s interesting to see how different Natori and Natsume are, even when just interacting with Natori’s servant, Hiragi. This one also ends rather well, and there are sure to be new yokai and new problems in the next book.
My favorite chapters are when we get to see other sides of Natsume, like when he’s around friends (as we glimpsed in the first chapter, actually), and when we get to see him as a little kid in flashbacks, or just getting to see him growing at all, really. He’s getting a bit more strong-headed, and arguing with people more freely, which was apparent in this volume, and that was nice to see. I just love seeing Natsume, really. He’s so sweet and kind-hearted, and after being passed around and mentally/emotionally beaten down for so long, I like seeing him getting stronger and more comfortable.
I already have the next volume, and I plan to read it very soon.
[Also available at my blog.]
I really, really like this series. It’s so sweet, and simple, and maybe has a nostalgic (reminiscent? wistful?) tone to it. It’s just really good, and it bothers me that so few bookstores near me (pretty much, one of the, say, five or six bookstores that are near me) carry it; along with a few other series, too, actually. (I swear, ever since Borders closed, it has been much too hard for me to find manga. Way too hard.)
It’s been a while since I read a volume of Natsume, and while the books are a bit slow, I still really enjoy them. And it’s always nice, getting to see Nastume and Nyanko-sensei again.
While I would really like for there to be a more set storyline for this series, since each chapter tends to be about a different thing, I still enjoy reading all of them. In this volume, there was a two-chapter and a three-chapter long storyline, which was nice.
The first one focused on a boy, Shibata, who Natsume knew from elementary school; a time when he told people that he could see the supernatural and no one believed him. Natsume is wary, and bumps heads with him a bit, but helps the boy when he asks for it. Shibata is a but strong headed, and has fallen for a yokai girl, whom he wasn’t sure was human and needed Natsume’s reassurance on. This wraps up pretty nicely at the end of the second chapter, but I’m doubtful Shibata will be a character we’ll be seeing much of.
The three-chapter story is about two yokai gods, one of which, the harvest god, is missing. His minions don’t know where he is, as he’s believed to have been sealed away somewhere, and so ask Natsume to pretend to be him for a bit. At the same time, Natori is trying to find the sealed god so he can set him free (an unusual thing for his job, but he was asked because they don’t want the mountain to die.
There are some sweet moments in this, some funny ones, and it’s interesting to see how different Natori and Natsume are, even when just interacting with Natori’s servant, Hiragi. This one also ends rather well, and there are sure to be new yokai and new problems in the next book.
My favorite chapters are when we get to see other sides of Natsume, like when he’s around friends (as we glimpsed in the first chapter, actually), and when we get to see him as a little kid in flashbacks, or just getting to see him growing at all, really. He’s getting a bit more strong-headed, and arguing with people more freely, which was apparent in this volume, and that was nice to see. I just love seeing Natsume, really. He’s so sweet and kind-hearted, and after being passed around and mentally/emotionally beaten down for so long, I like seeing him getting stronger and more comfortable.
I already have the next volume, and I plan to read it very soon.
haruarus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
I'm starting to feel like this series is a bit stuck on repeating the same emotional beats but as I still find them effective I don't much mind. Plus it was nice to see Natsume reconnect with someone from his past in a way that wasn't completely awful. 3.5 stars
brinipor's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
nvciel's review against another edition
5.0
The art was exceptional in this volume. I loved Murasaki’s hair. It flowed like wisteria in bloom. The harvest god’s robes and headdress, on the cover, were magical. Sensei’s vision of who Natsume is is becoming well defined. Her artwork is creating a world he wants to a part of. Absolutely beautiful.
rouge_red's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The bits with Natsume and Hiragi are my favorite. Her wondering about Natsume's current state and how much softer he is and questioning if Natori could ever be that too. You can see friendship and trust building between her and Natsume. Contrasting that with Natori's more business-like attitude towards his associates, this must be a meaningful moment for her.