Review by rouge_red - Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 13

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

Two stories:

Matoba tries to recruit Natsume to work alongside the exorcists.
- He's as schemy and manipulative as always- saying awful things like threatening to reveal his abilities to the Fujiwaras so that they know how much shit he has to go through...and also trying to get a rise out of Natsume by saying he could bring disaster to the Fujiwaras.
- On the other hand, Natori just wants to help, and he does watch over Natsume. I don't quite trust him, but I do believe he cares enough about Natsume to be a good guy every so often :/
Nishimura and Kitamoto's befriending Natsume:
- I really love these few chapters because we come into the manga/anime already being friends with them, but they remain in the periphery most of the time in both mediums. Finding out not only their own respective backstories alongside the beginnings of their friendship with Natsume was an effective way to kill two birds with one stone.
- Natsume not wanting to leave really shows us the stability in this current point in his life. He has friends and family who love and care for him, and Natsume has been able to open up in some ways to reciprocate those feelings. It's so damn heartwarming to see him smile, so have moments of contentment.