(L) Natsume Yuujinchou (Third Season)

[Xcomp]

Very happy to see Natsume Yuuchinchou again! Can't agree more about the first episode. It's been so long it was a good idea to remind people of what the main plot's about. Same great atmosphere but the theme songs were pretty dull compared to the first two series. My favourites are still the first season ones.

I think Nyanko's put on weight... No surprise with all the snacks he's eating, lol.

[FlareKnight]

Natsume being back really does give the feeling of life being good . I liked the OP and it's flashes of earlier seasons reminding you of the good times this series has had. Of course I rewatched both seasons a couple weeks ago so the memories were still fresh. Will say that the first season still had the best OP/ED and it's tough to compare.

Expected, but still a good move to have the first episode remind people what the series was about.

Good save by the cup to help Natsume. It was done well and yet couldn't figure out how his shoulder wasn't busted until he got home. A great sacrifice made by that little youkai. Nyanko really needs to work on his ability to be a bodyguard .

Love as always how the series shows similarities between Natsume and Reiko. Feel sorry for Reiko who started to feel like a person really cared about her and then found out she was a youkai. Think disappointment really does fit with how Reiko felt with her hopes getting dashed. A mixed result with her not showing up there again, but at the same time still saving the tree.

Anyways glad to have the series back and looking forward to more great episodes.

[Jehuty]

Originally Posted by HandofFate

My question is this, the cat/wolf thing has an agreement to have the book of friends once the main character dies.

Obviously a logical thing would be for the cat to let him die or kill him, himself.

But I like a more defined why he doesn't, I kind of get that its like a contract or formal agreement or 'honor' thing. Hard to put it in words, I kind of feel there's a japanese way of explaining it...

Nyanko's relationship with Reiko hasn't been fully explored yet -- my guess is that he simply liked Reiko, much like how so many youkai liked her. He probably thought he could just trick Natsume or didn't think much of him (a weakling not deserving to own the Book)-- but he clearly has a close bond now. Most youkai are whimsical beings, but Nyanko seems different, much like some of the youkai Natsume meets -- like Tsubame.

Oh man, Tsubame was easily my favorite youkai. Just thinking of her episode makes me misty eyed D:


But anyway, I'm rambling now lol. While Nyanko is definitely an honorable youkai -- probably closer to a deity -- I honestly just think that he simply considers Natsume a friend. The whole "keeping the book after Natsume dies" thing is just a front to make it seem like he doesn't care. King of tsundere-ish, no?

[edit] Oh god, I just saw season 1 episode 6 again. Y'know, she's kind like the old lady in ep 1 of this season. This is awesome. I'm happy. I'm seriously happy I was reminded of this series again.

[Kanon]

Nyanko is tsundere for Natsume (and was for Reiko as well), it's as simple as that.

Originally Posted by Jehuty

[edit] Oh god, I just saw season 1 episode 6 again. Y'know, she's kind like the old lady in ep 1 of this season. This is awesome. I'm happy. I'm seriously happy I was reminded of this series again.

This still remains my favorite Natsume episode to this day, along with the firefly one ( ;_; )

[fazer]

Good episode, gentle yet mildly emotional.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Nyanko is tsundere for Natsume (and was for Reiko as well), it's as simple as that.



This still remains my favorite Natsume episode to this day, along with the firefly one ( ;_; )

It's hard to go wrong with "The Little Fox's Hat" for me...

[wandering-dreamer]

Baaaaw, poor Reiko, her backstory is so tragic and yet so quiet that it always gets to me. And then I remember that she apparently died young so who knows if she ever had a chance to find happiness....

Originally Posted by HandofFate

and what's so important about the ones that are kindly asking for their name back? If natsume isn't gonna do anything with it. is it that they can't pass on?

I think a few of them do pass on after Natsume gives them their names (as if their names were the only things still holding them here).

Originally Posted by Kanon

As always, I'm dying to find out more about her, more specifically, how she got a son (or a daughter? I don't remember if this was clarified), considering how cut off from society she was. I really hope she managed to find some happiness towards the end of her life.

There was a line in the manga that suggested that Reiko had a daughter, which raises even more questions about why Takashi has his maternal grandmother's last name.

[FlareKnight]

Now that I think about it the teacup sacrifice ties well into one thing Natsume is still working on. Think he still sees the Fujiwara 'household' as being Touko and Shigure. He is part of that household and if he wants to really protect it then he has to keep himself safe also.

[FireChick]

There was a line in the manga that suggested that Reiko had a daughter, which raises even more questions about why Takashi has his maternal grandmother's last name.

In Japan, often times men marry the women and go by their wives' last names in contrast to here in America where the woman changes her name upon marrying her husband. Y'know, kinda like in Evangelion where Gendou changed his name when he married his wife.

[creb]

Honestly, I've always found this show to be incredibly boring, and then sometimes I'm just in the right mood for it and marathon half a season in one go.

That said, the only two things that really interest me and serve as anything resembling motivation to watch/re-watch this series are:

1) Why does Madara/Nyonky-sensei want the Book, when the Book will have no power when all is said and done?

2) What were the actual circumstances of Reiko's death? All we know is she died young (though not so young that she doesn't have at least one child obviously).

I'm open to #2 never being explained as it's very possible it has no bearing on the story (which is basically so far been about Takashi coming to terms with his power and that it doesn't have to make him feel alienated from the world). However, I have to believe #1 has some bearing in some way, and that eventually (maybe season 5? 6? or this one if we're lucky? ) Madara's intentions/motivations/agenda will become clear. Though if it's just a matter of him being interested in Takashi, but hiding his interest behind a facade of greed over a book that seems like it'll be absolutely useless, I'll be incredibly disappointed.

My hope is that Madara's strange request somehow ties in to Reiko in someway, and the icing on the cake would be if it does in such a way that we also learn how exactly Reiko dies. ;p

[wandering-dreamer]

1. Whoever has the Book of Friends can control any of the yokai whose names are in the book (doesn't matter who, Natsume is just the only person currently who can return the names) and plenty of spirits, Nyanko/Madara included, would love to have this kind of power. I get the impression that Nyanko wants it to keep himself from getting bored actually, although who knows, he could want it for world domination. (Although your theory about it tying into Reiko and possibly her death is a good one. After all, Madara's name isn't in the book yet he obviously knew her fairly well)
2. There's been nothing about how Reiko died, although I'm sure all of us would love to know just what happened.

[creb]

Originally Posted by wandering-dreamer

1. Whoever has the Book of Friends can control any of the yokai whose names are in the book (doesn't matter who, Natsume is just the only person currently who can return the names) and plenty of spirits, Nyanko/Madara included, would love to have this kind of power. I get the impression that Nyanko wants it to keep himself from getting bored actually, although who knows, he could want it for world domination. (Although your theory about it tying into Reiko and possibly her death is a good one. After all, Madara's name isn't in the book yet he obviously knew her fairly well)
2. There's been nothing about how Reiko died, although I'm sure all of us would love to know just what happened.

Wanting it for its power seems awfully suspect since he's gone out of his way to save Takashi a number of times, when one would think the best path for such a motivation is to do one's best to get him killed as soon as possible.

Which is why I'm patiently waiting for the big reveal that we will hopefully get one day.

[LKK]

Nyanko-sensei originally made the deal with Natsume for the book under the belief that Natsume would die before the book was empty of names. He didn't believe that Natsume would survive as long as he has (even with Nyanko-sensei as his bodyguard) nor did he think that Natsume would want to or be able to return to youkai names.

Since then, Nyanko-sensei's feeling towards Natsume have changed. He probably still wants the book and would prefer it to be as full as possible. But clearly he no longer wants Natsume to die young in order to obtain the book. I think for Nyanko-sensei, his ideal would be for Natsume to (1) stop returning names so that the book remains as full as possible and (2) stop involving himself with youkai and threatening situations so that the boy will die of old age thereby remaining a companion to Nyanko-sensei as long as humanly possible and still passing a book relatively full of names.

[HandofFate]

It seems a common trait for youkai is that they get bored easily.

Since they live for so long, they don't really have anything to do. Since Natsume is interesting, while Nyanko would love the power of the book or to just eat Natsume, Natsume is too amusing for Nyanko to just throw away.

There was that Bird episode where Natsume wanted to get a Yukata for the bird spirit, and one of the youkai wanted to eat him, and he just changes his mind on a whim because Natsume was amusing to watch.

just some regular ayakashi questions, what does it say on the masks of some of the spirits? Just in particular these two.

Spoiler for masks:

is the first one just a character for bird or something? And what's with them always wearing a mask? Is that just how traditionally they're drawn?

[wandering-dreamer]

I don't think either of those are actually kanji (the first one looks like a rather stylized drawing a bird actually) and tvtropes has concluded that the manga-ka just has a thing for drawing those kinds of masks on their characters so it's just a stylistic thing.

[blewin]

so good to see Natsume back!! but the pace of the first episode seems a bit faster than the usual Natsume episodes, probably coz they need to quickly introduce the premise of the story. Sensei does seem to have gotten fatter than before though.

the story's been concentrating a lot on Reiko's victories over Youki, but neither manga nor anime has shed any light on her marriage. Does Natsume's existence imply Reiko was happy at the end?

[Shiroth]

Spoiler for Episode 2:

I really liked this chapter in the manga for the youkai story, a little bit of Reiko development and Natsume development. We've seen each of these three elements a number of times, though it's rare to see it in one story. Thankfully the pacing was just as good as it was in the manga, which did it justice.

A few new pieces of BGM's is also a good sign.

I'm surprised to see that next weeks story is being animated already. Looks like the staff is bringing out the big guns here, because it's easily one of the best stories in the series upto. I can't wait to see it animated.

[Anime_gal]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Spoiler for Episode 2:

I really liked this chapter in the manga for the youkai story, a little bit of Reiko development and Natsume development. We've seen each of these three elements a number of times, though it's rare to see it in one story. Thankfully the pacing was just as good as it was in the manga, which did it justice.

A few new pieces of BGM's is also a good sign.

I'm surprised to see that next weeks story is being animated already. Looks like the staff is bringing out the big guns here, because it's easily one of the best stories in the series upto. I can't wait to see it animated.

Spoiler for Episode 2:

You are right, the episode gave some depth to Reiko and Natsume. I also noticed that Natsume has changed a lot since the beginning. He is now getting used to actually having people he can talk especially regarding youkai. I am happy he remained

I don't recall this episode being in the manga. Which chapter was it? I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The next episode is one of my favorite stories.

Spoiler for Refers to the manga:

But I am concerned at the number of chapters they've skipped. Some of those chapters were also my favorite (the one concerning the Fujiwaras). The absence of Natori in the OP also makes me wonder if they are going to skip his arcs, mainly the one with the other exorcist

[Shiroth]

^Chapters aren't skipped in this adaptation. The order is just rearranged. It happened in both the first and second season.

[Anime_gal]

Thanks Shiroth! Good to know that. I didn't know they've rearranged the chapters before