Natsume Yūjinchō

is a Japanese fantasy manga series by Yuki Midorikawa. It began serialization by Hakusensha in the shōjo manga magazine LaLa DX in 2005, before switching to LaLa in 2008. As of October 2021, the chapters have been collected in twenty-seven bound volumes. Natsume's Book of Friends was a finalist for the first Manga Taishō award in 2008.

Natsume's Book of Friends has been adapted as a series of drama CDs, as well as an anime television series broadcasted on TV Tokyo. The first 4 seasons, each consists of 13 episodes airing in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012, respectively, were produced by Brain's Base, while seasons 5 and 6 were produced by Shuka airing in 2016 and 2017, both contain 11 episodes and 2 OVAs. The manga is licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media, which released the first volume in January 2010. Season 1 to 4 of the anime have been licensed by NIS America for a North American release in 2012.

The series has received 2 movie adaptations. The first one is Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie: Ephemeral Bond, a 1-hour 44-minute film aired in 2018, while the other is Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor, a 51-minute movie aired in 2021 adapting 2 separate stories of the manga.

Plot
For as long as he can remember, Takashi Natsume has been cursed by the ability to see spirits, a power inherited from his grandmother Reiko. Upon her death, Reiko bequeaths to her grandson her Book of Friends, a book containing the names of spirits Reiko had bullied into servitude.

The Book of Friends is a highly prized item in the spirit world, and spirits haunt Takashi constantly. Whereas Reiko formed the contracts, however, Takashi spends his time dissolving the contracts and releasing the various spirits that come to him for help. But that doesn't mean there aren't malicious spirits trying to kill him. Which is where Madara (called Nyanko-sensei by Natsume) comes in; Madara serves as Natsume's bodyguard and spiritual adviser of sorts, even though he is motivated by his own desire to possess the Book of Friends. He, later on, begins to become more attached to Takashi.

Official

 * HakusenshaJpn - Official Hakusensha manga website
 * Official Anime WebsiteJpn - The Official Anime Website of Natsume Yuujinchou.
 * Official Movie 1 WebsiteJpn - The Official Website of Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie: Ephemeral Bond.
 * Official Movie 2 WebsiteJpn - The Official Website of Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor.
 * | Official English Manga Website The Official English website for Natsume's Book of Friends
 * First SeasonJpn - First season TV Tokyo website.
 * Second SeasonJpn - Second season TV Tokyo website.
 * Third SeasonJpn - Third Season TV Tokyo website.
 * Fourth SeasonJpn - Fourth Season TV Tokyo website.
 * Fourth SeasonJpn - Fifth Season TV Tokyo website.
 * Fourth SeasonJpn - Sixth Season TV Tokyo website.

Other Sources

 * Natsume Yuujinchou on Wikipedia - Article on Natsume Yuujinchou on English Wikipedia.
 * @Natsume_NyankoJpn - Official manga twitter
 * @NatsumeYujinchoJpn - Official anime twitter
 * Natsume's Book of Friends - (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
 * - Manga's MAL page
 * - First season's MAL page
 * - Second season's MAL page
 * - Third season's MAL page
 * - Fourth season's MAL page
 * - Fifth season's MAL page
 * - Sixth season's MAL page
 * - First movie's MAL page
 * - Second movie's MAL page

Other Wikis

 * Natsume's Book of Friends created September 17, 2010‎ with 8 pages (abandoned)