Manga Review: Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 20, by Yuki Midorikawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2017

Volumes: 22+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 19. 21.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Takashi Natsume has always been aware of the supernatural world, but after he inherits a magical book from his grandmother, the supernatural world is aware of him!

Takashi Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he's a troubled high school student who has come to live in the small town where his grandmother grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Reiko.

Review:

Now that the new volume is out, I suppose it's time to look back at the old one.

This series is rather subtle and slow-paced, in the best way, but it doesn't always leave me with much to say.

The first chapter of this features Natsume being turned into a kid. He's just the cutest, and it's a bit heartbreaking seeing little Natsume try to understand that he has friends and family as a teenager. I just want to hug him so hard. It's fun to see Tanuma and Taki handle him as a kid, too.

After that, we get a couple different yokai chapters. There's some masks on a school trip, some scarecrows haunting a house, and a tiny model house whose yokai inhabitants need some help.

While this series is slow-paced, everything that happens feels big. Each time we get to see Natsume grow, a friendship form or a bond grow closer. When we meet a new yokai that impacts Natsume in some way.

It's honestly rather beautiful. And looking through the volume again makes me happy, and I can't wait to pick up the next one.