Natsume's Book of Friends
Natsume's Book of Friends | |
File:Natsume's Book of Friends manga vol 1.jpg Cover of the first manga volume | |
夏目友人帳 (Natsume Yūjin-chō) | |
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Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Yuki Midorikawa |
Published by | Hakusensha |
English publisher | |
Magazine | LaLa DX, LaLa |
Demographic | Shōjo |
Original run | June 10, 2003 – present |
Volumes | 28 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by |
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Produced by |
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Written by |
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Music by | Makoto Yoshimori |
Studio |
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Licensed by | |
Original network | TV Tokyo |
Original run | July 7, 2008 – June 21, 2017 |
Episodes | 74 |
Original video animation | |
Directed by |
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Produced by |
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Written by |
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Music by | Makoto Yoshimori |
Studio | Brain's Base |
Released | December 15, 2013 – February 1, 2014 |
Runtime | 22–23 minutes |
Episodes | 2 |
Original video animation | |
Directed by |
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Music by | Makoto Yoshimori |
Studio | Shuka |
Released | March 22, 2017 – October 25, 2017 |
Runtime | 22–23 minutes |
Episodes | 4 |
Original net animation | |
Studio | Shuka |
Released | April 21, 2021 – April 21, 2021 |
Runtime | 2 minutes |
Episodes | 1 |
Anime films | |
Natsume's Book of Friends (Japanese: 夏目友人帳, Hepburn: Natsume Yūjin-chō) is a Japanese 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. The chapters have been collected in twenty-eight bound volumes. The series is about Takashi Natsume, an orphaned teenage boy who can see spirits, and one day finds the notebook that his deceased and mysterious grandmother Reiko Natsume used to bind spirits that she defeated under her control. He thus resolves to give back all the names in the notebook, and in the process joins forces with another spirit called Madara whose name is also in the notebook. He takes the form of an overweight cat and intends to take back the notebook after Natsume dies. Natsume's Book of Friends was a finalist for the first Manga Taishō award in 2008.[3]
Natsume's Book of Friends has been adapted as a series of drama CDs, as well as an anime television series produced by Brain's Base (seasons 1–4) and Shuka (seasons 5–6), which was broadcast on TV Tokyo for 6 seasons in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017. The manga is licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media, which released the first volume in January 2010.
The first four seasons of the anime have been licensed by NIS America for a North American release in 2012.[4] A fifth season began airing on October 4, 2016.[5][6] A sixth season began airing on April 11, 2017.[7][8]
Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie: Ephemeral Bond was released in theaters on September 29, 2018.[9]
A new film titled Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor was released in theaters on January 16, 2021.
Story
For as long as he can remember, Takashi Natsume has had the ability to see spirits, inheriting the power from his grandmother Reiko Natsume. This ability resulted in his having a lonely childhood because children his age considered him strange. He had also been passed from one relative to another. Upon her death, Reiko bequeathed to her grandson her Book of Friends, a book containing the names of spirits she had bullied into servitude.
The Book of Friends is considered a highly prized item in the spirit world, and spirits - both good and malicious – haunt Takashi constantly because of it. Takashi spends his time dissolving the contracts that Reiko created and releasing the various spirits that come to him for help. Malicious spirits on the other hand try to kill him to obtain possession of the book, which is where Madara (called Nyanko-sensei by Natsume) comes in. Madara serves as Natsume's bodyguard and spiritual advisor of sorts, even though ostensibly he is motivated by his own desire to possess the Book of Friends. He later begins to become more attached to Takashi, with the latter forming a similar bond with Madara.
Characters
Main characters
- Takashi Natsume (夏目 貴志, Natsume Takashi)
- Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya,[10] Ayumi Fujimura (Young) (Japanese); Adam Gibbs,[11] Paige Guillory (Young) (English)
- Takashi Natsume, like his deceased grandmother Reiko, is able to see ayakashi/yokai (i.e., "spirits"; the anime/manga often uses the two terms interchangeably). It is from Reiko that Takashi inherited the "Book of Friends" – a ledger of names written by ayakashi after being bested by Reiko in some type of contest. Because possession of an ayakashi's name obliges it to heed the command of they who call it, the abuse potential of the Book of Friends is vast: and as such, is largely considered too powerful and forbidden to actually really exist.
- Because of Takashi's strong resemblance to Reiko (in appearance and spiritual "feel" alike), yokai routinely mistake Natsume for his grandmother, often pursuing him intensely, under the mistaken presumption of shared history and understanding. Accordingly, a regular part of Natsume's daily life is spent trying to cope with the idiosyncrasies, and discern the true intentions of such yokai: e.g., those who resent Reiko but covet the power of the Book of Friends; those who feel lonely and hurt that Reiko never calls upon them anymore; those who simply want their names returned to them; and pretty much anywhere or everywhere in between. Upon discovering the Book of Friends, Natsume – kindly but detached in demeanor, driven in equal parts by curiousness and conscientiousness – decided to take responsibility on his own terms, to return the names of the ayakashi to their owners himself: and in doing so, learn more about his grandmother and the connection they share. He is aided in this by the formidable yokai Madara (whom he calls "Nyanko-sensei": a nod to both his usual cat-like appearance and his self-proclaimed job-title of "bodyguard"), to whom he has promised the Book of Friends should he die.
- Natsume is an orphan. His parents died when he was a very young child, leaving him to be passed from relative to relative: in large part due to the "odd" or "creepy" behaviors one might expect from a young child able to see creatures no one else could see. Behind Natsume's perpetual distant smile hides a childhood spent in constant anxiety and shame: borne in equal parts of the ayakashi and the people who called him a liar and attention-seeker because of them. Natsume is eventually passed on to the Fujiwaras, a middle-aged couple on his father's side of the family. He loves them, and does not want to cause them trouble, so he keeps this 'alternate landscape' problem to himself. He has incredibly strong spiritual power, allowing him to actually hit and hurt yokai.
- Natsume is described by Yuki Midorikawa as "a boy who is trying to be a kind person."[12]
- Natsume returns the name inscribed in the Book of Friends by first picturing the ayakashi in his mind. The book flips to the page on which the name is written and Natsume takes the page and places it in his mouth and exhales. Natsume is only able to do this because he is Reiko's blood relative. The cost of releasing the name, however, is that Natsume's energy is completely drained in the process. If an ayakashi becomes emotionally unstable, in the same space as a sleeping Natsume its dreams may flow into Natsume's.
- On the other hand, most of the ayakashi let Natsume see their memories, so that he can understand them better. Natsume can also see their memories when he releases a yokai's name. When Natsume is completely frustrated over a problem and falls asleep in class, he actually sleep-draws in his notebook about whatever is bothering him at the time. When he was being chased by a shadow he called "Mary", he started drawing it in his sleep, making his friends wonder if he was in love with a foreigner. His incredibly strong ability in spiritual magic and strength causes him to smell "yummy" to man-eating yokai, as Madara puts it.
- Natsume's incredibly strong spiritual power and his keen senses leave him targeted by yokai and wanted by exorcists. At the beginning Natori wants him to join his exorcist clan, but later prefers him as a friend. Matoba, a powerful exorcist, also tries to recruit Natsume to the Matoba clan.
- Madara (斑) / "Nyanko-sensei" (ニャンコ先生)
- Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue[13] (Japanese); Christopher Wehkamp[11] (English)
- A mysterious inugami. Madara was sealed in a shrine until he was accidentally released by Natsume. Because Madara was trapped in a material form for so long, Madara ordinarily takes on the shape of a maneki neko (lucky cat), leading Natsume to nickname him Nyanko-sensei. In this form, other people can see him, leading for Natsume having to ask his guardians if he could keep him as a pet. He is a powerful ayakashi, who protects Natsume from others and teaches him spells on occasion, in return for Natsume's promise to give him the Book of Friends when he dies, so Madara often complains when Natsume returns other yokai's names, saying that at this rate there will be nothing left in the Book when Natsume dies. They often fight each other, which leads to Natsume punching Madara on the face and knocking him out. But as the story progresses, Madara takes a liking to Natsume. Despite his protests of not being a cat, he likes to play with cat toys. Nyanko's design is based on a lucky cat statue Midorikawa was given as a child.[14] In the anime, Natsume is more respectful to Madara. Many times in the manga, other characters call Madara a 'pig' because of his round shape as a maneki neko. This annoys him a lot. Madara is implied to have had a close relationship with Reiko, which is implied to be one of the reasons he is content to be Takashi Natsume's companion.
- Reiko Natsume (夏目 レイコ, Natsume Reiko)
- Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi (Japanese); Alexis Tipton[11] (English)
- Natsume's grandmother, from whom he inherited the ability to see yokai. When Reiko was young, she was considered a freak by everyone else because of her ability. Since she believed no human could ever understand her, she turned to the spirits for companionship. Reiko was extraordinarily powerful, and so she bullied spirits in to obeying her by playing games with them. If they lost, she would make them give her their names. Reiko gathered the names in to the Book of Friends, and commanded most spirits, excluding Madara. Madara mentions that she had sloppy table manners and was very forgetful. Reiko died when she was young, so no one remembered her.
Supporting
- Kaname Tanuma (田沼 要, Tanuma Kaname)
- Voiced by: Kazuma Horie
- Another student that had recently moved into the area. He is sickly and quite susceptible to illnesses. Like Natsume, he is able to detect spirits, but to a lesser degree limited to seeing merely shadows and sensing slight presence of spirits. He wants to help Natsume in any way he can, but is afraid that he will just be a burden because of his weak ability. He became a close companion and even knew about Natsume's secret of seeing spirits and always helped him whenever he is in a tight spot.
- Touru Taki (多軌 透, Taki Tōru)
- Voiced by: Rina Satō[15]
- A new girl at school who rarely talks because of a curse a spirit has placed on her, which Natsume later helps her to break. She is an onmyouji; she cannot see spirits without drawing a magic circle. Taki, like Tanuma, wants to help Natsume in any way possible.
- Jun Sasada (笹田 純, Sasada Jun)
- Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro[16] (Japanese); Marisa Duran[17] (English)
- The president of Natsume's homeroom. Sasada believes that Natsume can see spirits, although he repeatedly denies this to her. To Natsume's chagrin, she frequently tries to accompany him when he is on business involving spirits. She is a recurring character in the anime; in the manga, she is rarely seen after the encounter with Shigure due to transferring to another school from her step-father's job.
- Shuuichi Natori (名取 周一, Natori Shūichi)
- Voiced by: Akira Ishida,[18] Fuyuka Ōura (Young) (Japanese); Aaron Roberts[19] (English)
- A man who is also able to see spirits. He is a famous actor and exorcist and has a lizard birthmark that moves around on his body. He has the ability to manipulate paper dolls (Shikigami) and has three spirits under his command. Natsume tends to disapprove of his forceful exorcism methods. When Natori is first introduced, he hated spirits for his horrible childhood. But, after meeting Natsume, he gradually softens even though his ways aren't much different. Over the course, Natori develop concern for Natsume's well-being for he tends to be reckless when it involves with spirits.
- Hiiragi (柊)
- Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino[20]
- Seiji Matoba (的場 静司, Matoba Seiji)
- Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe
- The head of the Matoba clan. A cold-hearted man, Seiji is an exorcist who doesn't mind sacrificing innocent youkai to reach his goals. Although he wants stronger youkai to protect humans, he will not hesitate in hurting anyone who gets in his way. He is mostly seen armed with a bow and arrow, which he uses to eliminate youkai. There is a scar on his right eye, covered by an eyepatch with a spell on it, due to a past member of the Matoba clan offering his eye to a youkai for assistance but ended up breaking his promise. This causes later heads of the clan to have their eye targeted by that youkai, and the distrust from other clans. After his first encounter with Natsume he takes great interest in him, and even later asks him to join the Matoba clan.
- Atsushi Kitamoto (北本 篤史, Kitamoto Atsushi) and Satoru Nishimura (西村 悟, Nishimura Satoru)
- Voiced by: Hisayoshi Suganuma[21] and Ryōhei Kimura[22] (Japanese); Mike Haimoto and Matthew Elkins[11] (English)
- Classmates of Natsume. Kitamoto is a sensible and rational person, while Nishimura is funny and easy-going, with a slightly perverted side. Although Natsume initially rejects their overtures of friendship because of his fears of his ability being found out, he eventually becomes friends with them, although they still hang around more with each other than Natsume. Nishimura has a crush on Taki, but thinks that she and Natsume are going out.
- Touko Fujiwara (藤原 塔子, Fujiwara Tōko) and Shigeru Fujiwara (藤原 滋, Fujiwara Shigeru)
- Voiced by: Miki Itō[23] and Eiji Itō[24] (Japanese); Jennifer AuBuchon[11] and Seth Magill[25] (English)
- A childless middle-aged couple and Natsume's current foster parents. Shigeru is a second cousin of Natsume's dead father, and as a boy once met Reiko without recognizing it was her. Both Touko and Shigeru assure Natsume that they consider him a part of their family. They both worry often about him, wanting him to be as happy as possible. Despite this, Natsume goes to great lengths to hide his ability from them. Slowly, Natsume comes to understand that his keeping the Fujiwaras at a distance, including always addressing them formally (see Honorific speech in Japanese), is preventing him from forming close human attachments. Despite this, he still fears being rejected because of his abilities.
- One-Eyed Middle Class Yokai (一つ目の中級妖怪) and Ox-Faced Middle Class Yokai (牛顔の中級妖怪)
- Voiced by: Takashi Matsuyama[26] and Hiroshi Shimozaki[27]
- Hinoe (ヒノエ)
- Voiced by: Akemi Okamura[28] (Japanese); Molly Searcy[29] (English)
- A powerful youkai whose form is a human woman. She is madly in love with Reiko Natsume. Being knowledgeable, she often acts as Takashi Natsume's mentor. Hinoe enjoys teasing Natsume and Madara.
- Misuzu (三篠)
- Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda[30]
- A huge powerful horse youkai with many followers. He acknowledges that Natsume Takashi is a worthy holder of the Book of Friends and offers himself as Natsume's bodyguard in place of the "useless" Madara.
- Kogitsune (子狐, Little Fox)
- Voiced by: Akiko Yajima (Japanese); Kristen McGuire[33] (English)
- An orphaned fox youkai whose form is a boy with fox ears and tail however humans only see him as an infant fox. He becomes friends with Natsume after being rescued from bullying youkai.
- Chobihige (ちょびひげ)
- Voiced by: Chō
Yokais
- Hishigaki (ひしがき)
- Voiced by: Kimiko Saitō (Japanese); Kasi Hollowell[34] (English)
- Tsuyukami (露神)
- Voiced by: Takeshi Aono (Japanese); Doug Jackson[35] (English)
- Susugi (ススギ)
- Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto
- Shigure (時雨)
- Voiced by: Hiroshi Tsuchida
- Santo (さんと)
- Voiced by: Yoshiyuki Hirai
- Mikuri (みくり)
- Voiced by: Tetsuya Yanagihara
- Tsubame (燕)
- Voiced by: Ryoka Yuzuki
- Tarusaru (垂申)
- Voiced by: Akimitsu Takase
- Hotaru (ホタル)
- Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima
- Akagane (アカガネ)
- Voiced by: Atsushi Imaruoka
- Asagi (アサギ)
- Voiced by: Mamiko Noto
- Evil Sealed Yokai (印使いの邪鬼)
- Voiced by: Tadashi Miyazawa
Humans
- Hana (ハナ)
- Voiced by: Michie Kita (Japanese); Nazia Chaudhry[36] (English)
- Taniozaki (谷尾崎)
- Voiced by: Satoshi Tsuruoka
- Akifumi Sugino (杉野 章史)
- Voiced by: Kenji Hamada
- Tamiko (民子)
- Voiced by: Sawa Ishige
- Nanase (七瀬)
- Voiced by: Mika Doi, Yoriko Nagata (Young)
- Katsumi Shibata (柴田 克己, Shibata Katsumi)
- Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya
- Natsume's Father (夏目の父)
- Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
- Natsume's biological father who was deceased in Natsume's childhood.
Development
Midorikawa created Natsume's Book of Friends as an episodic serial for a manga magazine published every two months, so that each chapter was a story that could be read on its own.[37] As the result of earlier writing a ghost story that an editor made her revise to include more romance than she initially wanted,[38] Midorikawa specifically created Natsume's Book of Friends as a supernatural story with less romance,[39] containing supernatural elements that stir readers' imaginations the way stories about yōkai and local gods stirred hers growing up in a rural area.[39] For the basic story, she wanted to write about a boy and his non-human teacher,[40] and include the incongruous element of the boy's grandmother in a school uniform.[41]
This was the first series Midorikawa wrote in which the protagonist was also the central character.[41] Midorikawa claimed that as a character Natsume is almost as bad as herself at expressing his thoughts,[41] which caused her to use more interior monologue than she was comfortable with for a male character.[40]
Media
Manga
Natsume's Book of Friends is written and illustrated by Yuki Midorikawa and published in Japan by Hakusensha. It began serialization in 2005 in the bimonthly shōjo (aimed at teenage girls) manga magazine LaLa DX; in 2008, serialization switched to the monthly sister magazine LaLa.[42] The untitled chapters have been collected in twenty-eight tankōbon volumes.
The series is licensed in English in North America by Viz Media, with the first volume published in January 2010.[43] It is also licensed in French by Delcourt,[44] in South Korea by Haksan,[45] in Taiwan by Tong Li,[46] in Thailand by Bongkoch Publishing,[47] in Germany by Egmont Manga & Anime,[48] in Italy by Panini Comics,[12] in Indonesia by Elex Media Komputindo,[20] in Vietnam by Tre Publishing House,[32] in Russia by XL Media[38] and in Poland by Studio JG.[49]
In addition, a fan book was published on January 5, 2009 (ISBN 978-4-592-18696-0)[104] and a notebook reproduction of Natsume's Book of Friends was published on July 3, 2009 (ISBN 978-4-592-18690-8).[105]
Drama CDs
Natsume's Book of Friends has been adapted as a series of three drama CDs, which were distributed as extras with issues of LaLa.
- LaLa Treasure Drama CD (October 2007)
- LaLa Excellent Drama CD (November 2008)
- LaLa Double Premiere Drama CD (May 2009)
Anime
Natsume's Book of Friends has been adapted as an anime television series produced by Brain's Base, directed by Takahiro Omori.[106] It was broadcast on the TV Tokyo network. Seasons 1 & 2 were released on five DVDs each.[107]
The series is streamed online by Crunchyroll; episodes of the second season were available online on the day of broadcast.[108] NIS America has licensed the series for retail release in North America. NIS America later released the series from Volume 1 through Volume 3 alongside Natsume's Book of Friends seasons 1 and 2 on February 4, 2014.[109][49][110][111] It is also licensed in Chinese by Muse Communication.
The English dub premiered on Crunchyroll on July 24, 2022.[112]
Season | Name | Total Episodes | Air Date | Opening Theme | Ending Theme |
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Season 1 | Natsume Yūjin-chō
Natsume's Book of Friends |
13 | 7 July 2008 | Issei no Sei
(一斉の声, "Simultaneous Voice") By Shūhei Kita |
Natsu Yuuzora Sky
(夏夕空, "Summer Evening ") |
Season 2 | Zoku Natsume Yūjin-chō
Natsume's Book of Friends Continued 続 夏目友人帳 |
13 | 5 January 2009 | Ano Hi Time Machine
(あの日タイムマシン, "That Day's Time Machine") |
Aishiteru
(愛してる, "I Love You") By Kourin (pronounced as Callin').[114] |
Season 3 | Natsume Yūjin-chō San
Natsume's Book of Friends Three 夏目友人帳 参 |
13 | 5 July 2011 | Boku ni Dekiru Koto
(僕にできること, "I Can Do") By HOW MERRY MARRY |
Kimi no Kakera
(君ノカケラ?, "Pieces of You") By Kousuke Atari featuring Emiri Miyamoto. |
Season 4 | Natsume Yūjin-chō Shi
Natsume's Book of Friends Four 夏目友人帳 肆 |
13 | 2 January 2012 | Ima, Kono Toki
(今、このとき, "Now, This Time") By Hiiragi |
Takaramono
(たからもの, "Treasure") |
Season 5 | Natsume Yūjin-Chō Go
Natsume's Book of Friends Five 夏目友人帳 伍 |
11 | 4 October 2016 | Takarabako
(タカラバコ, "Treasure Box") By Sasanomaly |
Akane Sasu
(茜さす, "Glowing Red") |
Season 6 | Natsume Yūjin-chō Roku
Natsume's Book of Friends Six 夏目友人帳 陸 |
11 | 11 April 2017 | Furōria
(フローリア, "Floria") |
Kimi no Uta
(きみのうた, "Your Song") By Rei Yasuda.[116] |
Films
Others
An OVA titled Itsuka Yuki no Hi ni (いつかゆきのひに) was released on February 5, 2014, with the staff and cast of the previous anime seasons returning. The BD/DVD consisted of two discs, the second containing a clip of the "Sound Theatre x Natsume Yuujinchou ~ Tsudoi Ongeki no Shou~" musical event which was held the previous year on September 28, 2013.[117] A new theatrical anime titled Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor premiered on January 16, 2021.[118] The film is composed of two stories, "Ishi Okoshi" and "Ayashiki Raihōsha". The main staff and cast members from the previous film are returning to reprise their roles with the addition of Hisako Kanemoto as a guest-star.[119][120]
Separate soundtrack albums for the two seasons were released in Japan by Sony Music on September 24, 2008 and March 18, 2009, respectively.[121][122] The series opening and closing theme songs were also released by Sony Music.[123][124][125][126] As singles, "Issei no Sei" reached a peak rank of 48th on the Oricon singles chart,[127] "Natsu Yūzora" reached 27th,[128] and "Ano Hi Time Machine" reached 38th.[129] "Aishiteru" was not released as a single, but instead included on an album called Uta no Hibi by Kourin (Also known as Callin').[126]
Reception
Natsume's Book of Friends was one of twelve finalists for the first Manga Taishō award in 2008.[3]
Since the fifth volume of the series, the individual volumes have made the best-seller list for manga in Japan. Volume 5 was ranked at number 8 on the charts for the week of March 4–10, 2008;[130] Volume 6 was number 5 for the week of July 8–14, 2008;[131] Volume 13 has done the best so far of the volumes, staying on the chart for three consecutive weeks (number 2 for the week of January 2–8, 2012, number 4 for the week of January 9–15, 2012, then falling to number 19 the following week).[132][133][134]
The anime has been popular not just in Japan, but also in the United States, Canada, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Both the anime and the manga have been noted for their optimistic themes and presentation.[135]
Notes
- ^ Credited as Chief Director (総監督) for episodes 53 through 74.
References
- ^ "Natsume's Book of Friends Season 6 - The Spring 2017 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. April 12, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
the entertainment value comes from its iyashikei, “healing,” atmosphere—the painterly countryside that's so influenced by the seasons, and the vulnerable emotions shared between characters who have been growing closer over many years. — Lauren Orsini
- ^ a b "The Official Website for Natsume's Book of Friends". Viz Media. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ a b "12 Titles Nominated for 1st Ever Manga Taisho Awards". Anime News Network. January 23, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
- ^ "NIS America to Release Natsume Yūjin-Chō Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
- ^ "Natsume's Book of Friends TV Anime Gets Season 5 This Fall". Anime News Network. March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
- ^ "Natsume's Book of Friends Season 5 Reveals October 4 Debut, Theme Song Artists". Anime News Network. August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ^ "Natsume's Book of Friends Manga Gets 6th Anime in 2017". Anime News Network. December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ "6th Natsume's Book of Friends Anime Slated to Air in Spring". Anime News Network. January 24, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ^ "Natsume's Book of Friends Film Earns More in China in 1st 3 Days than Entire Japanese Theatrical Run". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
- ^ "Hiroshi Kamiya". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Dempsey, Liam (July 22, 2022). "Natsume's Book of Friends Season 1 English Dub Announced, Cast & Crew Revealed". Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- ^ a b Midorikawa, Yuki (January 2010) [2005]. "Afterword". Natsume's Book of Friends, volume 1. San Francisco: Viz Media. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-4215-3243-1.
- ^ "Kazuhiko Inoue". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ Midorikawa, Yuki (January 2010) [2005]. "Afterword". Natsume's Book of Friends, volume 1. San Francisco: Viz Media. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-4215-3243-1.
- ^ "声優さん出演リスト 個別表示:佐藤利奈(Rina Satou)=朝倉鈴音" [Voice actor's appearance list individual display: Rina Satou]. Voice Artist Database (in Japanese). GamePlaza-HARUKA-. July 28, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- ^ "Miyuki-Sawashiro". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ @marisaduran_ (August 1, 2022). "As of ep2, I've joined the English voice cast of #NatsumesBookofFriends as Jun Sasada! Fun fact: she's basically who I was in high school - oval-shaped glasses and all!…" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-08-30 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Akira Ishida". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ @AaronRobertsYes (October 24, 2022). "SUPER-LATE CASTING ANNOUNCEMENTS📣Gigantic thanks to…" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-10-25 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Satsuki Yukino". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ "Hisayoshi Suganuma". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ "Ryohei Kimura". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ "Miki Ito". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ "Eiji Ito". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ @kitsunes96 (August 9, 2022). "Can you confirmed who voiced characters on ep 2; Shigeru Fujiwara, …" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-08-30 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Takashi Matsuyama". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ "Hiroshi Shimozaki". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ "Akemi Okamura". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ @mollysearcy (September 5, 2022). "Excited to share this clip of Hinoe in #NatsumesBookofFriends ! …" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-10-11 – via Twitter.
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External links
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official Hakusensha manga website (in Japanese)
- Official anime website (in Japanese)
- Natsume's Book of Friends (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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