History Manga / NatsumesBookOfFriends

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* CastFromHitPoints: Freeing Youkai from the Book Of Friends is exhausting business.

* DarkIsNotEvil: A few of the ayakashi seem ObviouslyEvil at first but end up subverting it. Special mention goes to season three episode two's [[WoobieOfTheWeek focus guest character]] and Misuzu, who seems intimidating and callous at first but is actually very much on Natsume's side.

* {{Foil}}: Reiko and Natsume, Natori and Natsume, Matoba and Natsume, Natori and Matoba... basically anyone who is deeply affected by youkai in their lives are this for each other.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: Turns out that [[spoiler: Natsume being infected with the Five Day Curse from a particuarly vicious spirit was orchestrated by one of his own contracted Youkai, who wanted to test Natsume to see whether he was worthy of holding onto his name.]]

* SnowballFight Episode two of ''Zoku''.

* YouCanSeeMe: Many Youkai are often highly surprised when Natsume does just that.

* Foil: Reiko and Natsume, Natori and Natsume, Matoba and Natsume, Natori and Matoba... basically anyone who is deeply affected by youkai in their lives are this for each other.

* TheAlcoholic: Nyanko-sensei, and a lot of the recurring youkai.

* {{Tsundere}}: Hinoe has her moments. Also Madara and Natsume to each other. Don't EVER try to point out the fact that they get along well, or BOTH of them will deny, deny, deny.
* TwelveEpisodeAnime: Thirteen episodes, all four seasons.

* [[TakingTheBullet Took the Bullet for Him]]: Sorta. In chapter 26 [[spoiler:Natsume takes an arrow for Nyanko-sensei]] although it kind of doesn't live up to its merit as [[spoiler:the next one hits and disables Nyanko-sensei for several days]]. And in the anime, [[spoiler: Matoba manages to hit both of them with ''one'' arrow]].

->''Ever since I was little, I have sometimes seen strange things. As others cannot see them, they are most likely what you would call "{{youkai}}." ''

A {{shoujo}} {{manga}} by Yuki Midorikawa and fifty-two episode anime. Known as ''Natsume Yūjinchō'' in Japan.

* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Chibi-kitsune all the way. Maybe Kai too, with a dash of {{Tsundere}}?
* AndroclesLion: Saving Youkai occasionally turns out to be unexpectedly useful later on.
** One extremely powerful Youkai jumps to Natsume's defence, saving Natsume and Natori from an evil Ayakashi trying to eat them, because Natsume helped him earlier in the episode. This is a pretty big reward considering all Natsume did was [[spoiler: cover up a puddle in the road so that his servants could pass despite the fact they could just as easily have ''walked around it''. It was probably a SecretTestOfCharacter or something...]]

* BroughtDownToNormal: A minor character in one episode could once see the youkai - but at some point, his ability mysteriously vanished leaving Natsume to wonder whether the same thing might happen to him one day.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome: Nyanko-sensei (in Madara form) indulges in this when he and Natsume go searching for a black Nyanko-sensei doppelganger. It backfires

* FantasticRacism: The antagonistic Matoba-clan hold the Youkai to be creatures inherently inferior to humans, believing they possess no emotion or empathy and are thus [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything meant to be in human service]]. The context is upped in season 4, where the Matoba's aggressively hunt a tribal clan of monkey-Youkai (wearing tribal masks and brandishing spears, no less) who openly wonder what they ever did to humans to deserve this treatment. Matoba is later seen punishing one of them for the "crime" of entering a human home.
* FestivalEpisode: the final episode of the first season, and a few smaller ones after that.
* FlashBack: Natsume gets a few, usually to childhood events. When he returns a Youkai's name to them, it's accompanied by a Flashback to the event during which they lost their name to Reiko in the first place.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: In episode eight of the first series, Natsume thinks on how horrible it would be to suddenly not be able to see Youkai any longer - and surprises himself when he realizes how much he means it, when he's spent all his life wishing [[IJustWantToBeNormal to be ordinary]]. [[spoiler:This makes it all the worse in the sequel series when he actually ''does'' lose his ability.]]

* HumansAreBastards: a few Youkai are of this opinion, and many have good reason to be, but it's not by and by the rule. The anime is far from leaning in favour of this trope alone. It also shows that humans can be [[HumansAreSpecial pretty awesome sometimes, too]] and many Youkai either have a fascination with them, just don't find them all that interesting, or want to make a tasty snack out of them.

* ISeeThemToo: Natsume's meeting with Natori has this result. Natsume also asks Tanuma whether he can see the Youkai standing on the school field - Tanuma claims he can't - but he does see a vague shadow of their presence.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: One Youkai's human love can no longer see her and has since grown to fall for another, human woman - the Youkai is only glad that he has found someone to love again and isn't lonely anymore.

* MayflyDecemberRomance: any relationship between Youkai and human is doomed to end this way, it seems, because of the human's short lifespan in comparison to a Youkai's.

*** Although Youkai have the potential to live for centuries, death for them can be quite sudden when it does come.
* MeaningfulEcho: Natori calls Natsume "a nice kid... just a nice kid" not long after their first meeting. It turns out this is exacty the same thing a Youkai once said to Natori himself, when he helped her as a child.

** In fact, those who are able to see or sense Ayakashi have somewhat poor social skills. This includes Matoba, who seems to have NoSenseOfPersonalSpace in the anime.
* NotWhatItLooksLike: Touko once walks in on a half-dressed Natsume while he's examining a Youkai-made mark on his chest in the bathroom mirror. She thinks he's doing something else.

* YouAreNotAlone - Most of both series' deal with Natume steadily working this out, one TearJerker at a time.

* YouCanSeeMe - Many Youkai are often highly surprised when Natsume does just that.
* {{Youkai}} - Well, obviously...

* AdorablyPrecociousChild - Chibi-kitsune all the way. Maybe Kai too, with a dash of {{Tsundere}}?
* AndroclesLion - Saving Youkai occasionally turns out to be unexpectedly useful later on.

* ArbitrarySkepticism - Sure, Natsume believes in spirits, but not fairies. Fairies couldn't ''possibly'' exist.

* AuthorAppeal[=/=]SignatureStyle - partially covered faces. The more human(oid) a particular youkai looks, the higher is the chance that is would have its face partially or completely covered most of the time. Benio, Hinoe, Hiiragi, Tsubame, and several others have something ( butterfly / hair / Noh mask / veil / etc. ) covering part or whole of their face. Even Natsume does this to pass off as a youkai.
* ASharedSuffering - Natsume and Natori.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe - The Fujiwaras were the only guardians who ever ''wanted'' Natsume to live with them. [[spoiler:And it's this that pulls Natsume off the brink of the DespairEventHorizon and gives him enough courage to fight back against the Ayakashi that wanted to make him its "pet".]]
* {{Bishonen}} - A number of the male characters, but actor and part time exorcist Natori really plays it up, complete with the rosepetal motifs and [[BishieSparkle bishie sparklies]]. In his own words, he can't ''help'' being fabulous.

** And the long eyelashes, don't forget those. Sigh.
* BishieSparkle - Actor and part time exterminator Natori gets at least one parody of this in almost every episode he appears.

* BigDamnHeroes - Many characters in the series pull this off but mostly Madara, who usually arrives just in time to save Natsume when he gets in over his head.
* BitterSweetEnding - Several episodes, notably [[spoiler: episode two, where the shrine "god"'s last worshiper dies, and he vanishes along with her, only to meet her immediately in the afterlife, and finally speak with her. Natsume even offers to take her place, but the spirit claims that won't work "[[TearJerker because you and I are friends]]".]]

** Also, any episode dealing with a broken bond between a Human and Youkai. Because, you know, they don't all hate each other. The staggering briefness of a human's life in comparison to that of a Youkai is a point of interest, scathing, and even heartbreak amongst them.
* BodySnatcher - One or two get their hands on Natsume.
* BroughtDownToNormal - A minor character in one episode could once see the Youkai - but at some point, his ability mysteriously vanished leaving Natsume to wonder whether the same thing might happen to him one day.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome - Nyanko-sensei (in Madara form) indulges in this when he and Natsume go searching for a black Nyanko-sensei doppelganger. It backfires

* CastFromHitPoints - Freeing Youkai from the Book Of Friends is exhausting business.

* CreepyChild - Natsume and Reiko were considered this while growing up.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass - Nyanko sensei. It's subverted though. You know almost right off the bat that his somewhat laughable cat form isn't the real him and that he's an extremely powerful ayakashi.
* CuteMonsterGirl - While most Youkai resemble inhuman or {{Gonk}}ish monsters, there's a number of Youkai that instead resemble PettingZooPeople or attractive individuals wearing masks. There's a couple of {{Bishonen}} among them, but most of them are female
* DeathbringerTheAdorable - [[http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g315/roleplaygirl99/deathrbingertheadorable.jpg This little guy]]. (Actually a Youkai possessing a snow-bunny Natsume made). D'awwww!

* ExpectingSomeoneTaller - One Ayakashi's [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/expectingsomeonetallerandfemale_3772.jpg a bit disappointed]] to learn that Natsume doesn't match [[strike:her]] [[MistakenIdentity his grandmother]]'s reputation

* FestivalEpisode - the final episode of the first season.
* FlashBack - Natsume gets a few, usually to childhood events. When he returns a Youkai's name to them, it's accompanied by a Flashback to the event during which they lost their name to Reiko in the first place.
* {{Foreshadowing}} - In episode eight of the first series, Natsume thinks on how horrible it would be to suddenly not be able to see Youkai any longer - and surprises himself when he realizes how much he means it, when he's spent all his life wishing [[IJustWantToBeNormal to be ordinary]]. [[spoiler:This makes it all the worse in the sequel series when he actually ''does'' lose his ability.]]

* GodsNeedPrayerBadly - the second chapter of the manga has a local spirit who is greatly reduced in power because hardly anybody believes in him any more, and dies when his last sincere worshipper does. (Interestingly, Natsume can't help with this, because it needs to be worship as a god rather than mere belief that the spirit exists.)
* GoldfishScoopingGame - Played by the fox child and Natsume in the anime, during the FestivalEpisode.
* HellishPupils - Natsume, his grandmother, and 80% of youkai have these.
* HeyItsThatVoice - [[Main/HiroshiKamiya Natsume]] has appeared in [[Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei quite]] [[Main/ArakawaUnderTheBridge a]] [[Manga/BlueExorcist few]] [[Manga/OnePiece other]] [[LightNovel/{{Durarara}} series]].
* HumansAreBastards - a few Youkai are of this opinion, and many have good reason to be, but it's not by and by the rule. The anime is far from leaning in favour of this trope alone. It also shows that humans can be [[HumansAreSpecial pretty awesome sometimes, too]] and many Youkai either have a fascination with them, just don't find them all that interesting, or want to make a tasty snack out of them.
* IdiotCrows - Joked with in episode 11 of series one, where Nyanko-Sensei yells at the crows not to call him an idiot.
* [[IfItsYouItsOkay If It's You It's Okay]] - Hinoe's solution to the whole StupidSexyFlanders situation with Natsume.

* InLoveWithTheMark - Chapters 37 and 37 deal with a starving Ayakashi that took human form so that she could eat a human, only to end up falling for him instead.
* InterspeciesRomance - Several, between Youkai and Humans.
* InvisibleToNormals - the Youkai are invisible to most people in the series, with the odd exception.
* ISeeDeadPeople - Sorta. Depends on whether the Youkai count.
* ISeeThemToo - Natsume's meeting with Natori has this result. Natsume also asks Tanuma whether he can see the Youkai standing on the school field - Tanuma claims he can't - but he does see a vague shadow of their presence.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy - One Youkai's human love can no longer see her and has since grown to fall for another, human woman - the Youkai is only glad that he has found someone to love and isn't lonely anymore.
* IWasJustPassingThrough - Nyanko-sensei often insists that he's serving as Natsume's bodyguard so that ''he'' can have the Book of Friends once Natsume bites it. Given that he has yet to give a clear answer as to [[WhyDontYouJustSHootHim why he doesn't just eat Natsume and take the book, it's probably just an excuse.]]
* KidsAreCruel - Many children shunned and rejected Natsume through his childhood because he openly told people that he could see ayakashi at the time. When he'd learned his lesson, the damage had already been done. Many kids laughed at him. In season 2, you learn that some children even followed him home and threw rocks at him as a sick game of ''make-fun-of-the-weird-kid.''
* {{Kimodameshi}} - The "Test of Courage" occurred in one episode - of course, this being Natsume Yuujinchou, it's obvious what ended up happening.

* MayflyDecemberRomance - any relationship between Youkai and human is doomed to end this way, it seems, because of the human's short lifespan in comparison to a Youkai's.

* MeaningfulEcho - Natori calls Natsume "a nice kid... just a nice kid" not long after their first meeting. It turns out this is exacty the same thing a Youkai once said to Natori himself, when he helped her as a child.
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody - What Nyanko-sensei claims is responsible for his more cat-like tendencies.
* MoralityPet - Ironically, Natsume is more Nyanko-sensei's.
* NoHuggingNoKissing - [[WordOfGod Yuki Midorikawa]] says that ''Natsume Yuujinchou'' was born out of her desire to write a supernatural story without a noticeable romantic element (something her [[ExecutiveMeddling editor pushed her to add to her previous manga]]). Even the occasional romance between minor one-shot characters are rather subdued and low-key.
* NoSocialSkills - While Natsume is perfectly fine at being polite (he thought if he wasn't, people would have yet another reason to throw him out of their house), but he's terrible at actually developing friendships with other people and has problems sharing his concerns with anyone, even if he logically knows that he really should.

* NotWhatItLooksLike - Touko once walks in on a half-dressed Natsume while he's examining a Youkai-made mark on his chest in the bathroom mirror. She thinks he's doing something else.

* OddlyNamedSequel - The second season prefixed ''Zoku'' (続), meaning "continued", to the title, making it ''Zoku Natsume Yuuijichou''.

* PettingZooPeople - Many of the Youkai, including the adorable little fox boy.
* RememberThatYouTrustMe - Years of {{Cassandra Truth}}s and bullying means that Natsume tends to be secretive even with people he ''knows'' he can trust. In his words, he's never really learned how not to.
* RightBehindMe - Nyanko-sensei actually ''joins in'' on the Nyanko-sensei bashing before the other Youkai actually realize that he can hear them.
* SecretTestOfCharacter - Turns out that [[spoiler: Natsume being infected with the Five Day Curse from a particuarly vicious spirit was orchestrated by one of his own contracted Youkai, who wanted to test Natsume to see whether he was worthy of holding onto his name.]]
* SliceOfLife - This show's secondary theme, alongside the supernatural.
* SleepModeSize - Nyanko-sensei's Lucky Cat form

* StockFootage - Natsume's method of returning the spirits names to them, (it's really a rather pretty piece of stock).
* StupidSexyFlanders - Besides the incident mentioned in AttractiveBentGender, Natsume's managed to fluster ''Hinoe'' with a smile.

* SubordinateExcuse - Implied to be why Hiiragi becomes one of Natori's Ayakashi servants.
* TheAlcoholic - Nyanko-sensei, and a lot of the recurring youkai.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou - One of Nyanko-Senseis several explanations for not letting the Ayakashi get to Natsume is because Natsume promsied Nyanko-sensei the Book of Friends upon his death - he regularly calls Natsume "His Prey" - and no one else's.
* {{Tsundere}} - Hinoe has her moments. Also Madara and Natsume to each other. Don't EVER try to point out the fact that they get along well, or BOTH of them will deny, deny, deny.
* TwelveEpisodeAnime - Thirteen episodes, all four seasons.
* ThoseTwoGuys - Kitamoto and Nishimura like whoa. Although they do get ''way'' more screen time and focus than most examples. Just not much character development other than being friendly, hilarious, and Nishimura has a crush on Taki.

* ThreeAmigos - Natsume, Taki, and Tanuma, once Natsume properly introduces them to each other.
* [[TakingTheBullet Took the Bullet for Him]] - Sorta. In chapter 26 [[spoiler:Natsume takes an arrow for Nyanko-sensei]] although it kind of doesn't live up to its merit as [[spoiler:the next one hits and disables Nyanko-sensei for several days.]]
* UnfinishedBusiness - Depsite not ''quite'' being ghosts, a lot of Youkai seem to have some particular task they're desperate to complete before they move onto the next world. Many seek Natsume out to do this.
* UnsettlingGenderReveal - Hinoe, who ''really'' liked Reiko, gets as far as groping Natsume's chest before it dawns on her that he's actually her IdenticalGrandson. [[DoesNotLikeMen She is not pleased.]]

->''Ever since I was little, I have sometimes seen strange things. As others cannot see them, they are most likely what you would call "youkai." ''

* LesYay: Invoked- Hinoe's outright adoration and utter devotion to Reiko, her dislike of men (it's of great annoyance to her that Takashi Natsume looks so much like her Reiko ''yet is male''), and her distraught reaction at hearing of Reiko's death, are anything but subtle.
* MayflyDecemberRomance - any relationship between Youkai and human is doomed to end this way, it seems, because of the humans short lifespan in comparison to a Youkai.

* LesYay: Invoked- Hinoe's outright adoration and utter ds evotion to Reiko, her dislike of men (it's of great annoyance to her that Takashi Natsume looks so much like her Reiko ''yet is male''), and her distraught reaction at hearing of Reiko's death, are anything but subtle.

* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody - What Nyanko-sensei claims is responsible for his more cat-like tendencies

* [[DroppedABridgetOnHim Dropped A Bridget On Her]] - Hinoe, who ''really'' liked Reiko, gets as far as groping Natsume's chest before it dawns on her that he's actually her IdenticalGrandson. [[DoesNotLikeMen She is not pleased.]]
-->'''Hinoe:''' ...''Where are your boobs?''

One spirit in particular, Madara (aka Nyanko-sensei), who spends most of his time in the body of a fortune cat (when he's not going OneWingedAngel on us in which case he appears to be an inugami), is particularly helpful when it comes to the not-letting-Natsume-get-eaten thing. He serves as Natsume's bodyguard and spiritual adviser, and his main motivation is apparently to possess the Book of Friends - which Natsume has promised to Madara, should he be killed.

* EyesOfGold - The Natsume family seems to have this.

* ThereAreNoPsychiatrists: In this case, a ''good'' thing; as a child, Takashi's caretakers tended to think of him as a liar who misbehaved to get attention and give up on him, rather than sending him to get therapy which he didn't need since the things that he saw were real.

* ThereAreNoPsychiatrists: In this case, a ''good'' thing; as a child, his caretakers tended to think of him as a liar who misbehaved to get attention and give up on him, rather than sending him to get therapy which he didn't need since the things that he saw were real.

** And: Could Natsume's mother see youkai? Who or what killed Natsume's parents?

** And: Could Natsume's mother see youkai?

* LeftHanging: Mostly related to Reiko. Who was Reiko's baby-daddy? Why is she ''always'' seen in her high school uniform in a youkai's flashbacks? Why did she never actually ''use'' the book of friends? There are hinted to be answers to this question, but fourteen volumes into the manga, we still have not gotten answers.

* LesYay: Invoked- Hinoe's outright adoration and utter devotion to Reiko, her dislike of men (it's of great annoyance to her that Takashi Natsume looks so much like her Reiko ''yet is male''), and her distraught reaction at hearing of Reiko's death, are anything but subtle.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The black Nyanko-sensei [[spoiler: a god who was trapped in a Maneki-neko, much like Madara, except this one is black]] appears in much of the merchandise for the show, despite [[OneEpisodeWonder only appearing once]].

* TwelveEpisodeAnime - Thirteen episodes, all three seasons.

** They now have their own focus chapters--chapter 51.1 (Nishimura) and chapter 51.2 (Kitamoto). These detail how they each met Natsume and became friends with him through unsuspected encounters with youkai, and a little of their home life and family.

* SnowballFight Episode two of ''Zoku''.

* CuteMonsterGirl - While most Youkai resemble inhuman or {{Gonk}}ish monsters, there's a number of Youkai that instead resemble PettingZooPeople attractive individuals with masks. There's a couple of {{Bishonen}} among them, but most of them are female

A {{shoujo}} {{manga}} by Yuki Midorikawa and fifty-two episode anime. Translated as ''Natsume's Book of Friends''.

[[redirect:Manga/NatsumeYuujinchou]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/natsumeimage.jpg
[[caption-width:316:Natsume Takashi & Nyanko-Sensei.]]

A beautiful manga by Yuki Midorikawa and twenty-six (to be thirty-nine after the third season ends) episode anime. Translated as ''Natsume's Book of Friends''.

Natsume Takashi is [[ISeeDeadPeople one of those manga protagonists]]. All of his life, he has possessed the ability to see spirits. He's been tossed about from home to home for most of his life, unable to fully interact or be honest with people due to the way they tended to react to his bizarre ability. As a result he is NotGoodWithPeople ''at all''. So yeah, kid's got {{angst}}.

Natsume's ability to see spirits is a power he inherited from his grandmother, Reiko, who made a personal hobby out of gathering the names of as many spirits ("{{Youkai}}") as possible binding them to her servitude via writing their names in the titular Book Of Friends - a highly prized item that many denizens of the spirit world desire for themselves. Upon her death, Reiko bequeaths to her grandson several of her belongings - including the Book.

Upon discovering the purpose of the Book of Friends, Natsume makes it his mission to return all of the names his Grandmother took to their appropriate spirits. Yes, including the evil ones who want to kill him. He spends his time releasing the various spirits that come to him for help from their contracts and trying to stay alive in the face of the ones who'd rather just eat him and take the book for themselves.

One spirit in particular, Madara (aka Nyanko-sensei), who spends most of his time in the body of a fortune cat (when he's not going OneWingedAngel on us in which case he appears to be an inugami), is particularly helpful when it comes to the not-letting-Natsume-get-eaten thing. He serves as Natsume's bodyguard and spiritual adviser, and his main motivation is apparently to possess the Book of Friends - which Natsume has promised to Madara, should he be killed.

There is an anime based on the manga, in three thirteen-episode seasons (the third aired in the Summer2011AnimeSeason), and will have a fourth season airing in the Winter2012AnimeSeason.

An appropriate word of description for this series would probably be "sweet". It's been described as "{{Tactics}}, but less violent", though it definitely has its moments. The occasional outbursts of action are balanced out against gentle explorations of the supernatural, basically it's a light-on-plot, SliceOfLife take on the spirit world, and a sometimes exciting, sometimes peaceful foray into the world of the supernatural. And it's packed with more CrowningMomentsOfHeartwarming and TearJerker's than you can shake a stick at.

Has a Character Sheet that desperately [[NeedsMoreLove needs more love.]]

----

[[AC: Tropes Used.]]
* AdaptationDyeJob - In the manga, Natsume is almost always drawn with silver [[WhiteHairedPrettyBoy hair]] and [[GrayEyes eyes]]. The anime changes these both to gold.
* AndroclesLion - Saving Youkai occasionally turns out to be unexpectedly useful later on.
** One extremely powerful Youkai jumps to Natsume's defence, saving Natsume and Natori from an evil Ayakashi trying to eat them, because Natsume helped him earlier in the episode. This is a pretty big reward considering all Natsume did was [[spoiler: cover up a puddle in the road so that his servants could pass ? despite the fact they could just as easily have ''walked around it''. It was probably a SecretTestOfCharacter or something...]]
*** It might have more to do with the East Asian concept of honor and duty. Quite a few Chinese (and I'm sure Japanese as well) folktales have people or spirits repaying small debts in grandiose manner.
** That, or the servants weren't smart enough to figure that out.
* AnimatedTattoo
* ArbitrarySkepticism - Sure, Natsume believes in spirits, but not fairies. Fairies couldn't ''possibly'' exist.
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: "Which is more important to you? Humans or youkai?"
* AttractiveBentGender - Though it's not really an outright gender bend -Natsume just gets possessed by a Youkai who happens to be female, and who occasionally slips to the surface causing him to to exhibit feminine qualities (sometimes seemingly having longer hair). All of his friends start finding themselves disturbingly attracted to him
* AuthorAppeal[=/=]SignatureStyle - partially covered faces. The more human(oid) a particular youkai looks, the higher is the chance that is would have its face partially or completely covered most of the time. Benio, Hinoe, Hiiragi, Tsubame, and several others have something ( butterfly / hair / Noh mask / veil / etc. ) covering part or whole of their face. Even Natsume does this to pass off as a youkai.
* ASharedSuffering - Natsume and Natori.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe - The Fujiwaras were the only guardians who ever ''wanted'' Natsume to live with them. [[spoiler:And it's this that pulls Natsume off the brink of the DespairEventHorizon and gives him enough courage to fight back against the Ayakashi that wanted to make him its "pet".]]
* BigEater - Nyanko-Sensei
* {{Bishonen}} - A number of the male characters, but actor and part time exorcist Natori really plays it up, complete with the rosepetal motifs and [[BishieSparkle bishie sparklies]]. In his own words, he can't ''help'' being fabulous.
** Our hero Takashi is Bishonen enough on his own, looking almost ''exactly'' like his grandmother did at his age but with short hair and, obviously, no breasts. Especially when he's returning a spirit's name, and he has a slip of paper in his mouth, and his hair is [[{{Squee}} fluttering in the wind...]]
* BishieSparkle - Actor and part time exterminator Natori gets at least one parody of this in almost every episode he appears.
** And let's not forget that scene in [[http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g315/roleplaygirl99/godonlyknows.jpg episode two of ''Zoku''...]]
* BitterSweetEnding - Several episodes, notably [[spoiler: episode two, where the shrine "god"'s last worshiper dies, and he vanishes along with her, only to meet her immediately in the afterlife, and finally speak with her. Natsume even offers to take her place, but the spirit claims that won't work "[[TearJerker because you and I are friends]]".]]
** Also, any episode dealing with a broken bond between a Human and Youkai. Because, you know, they don't all hate each other. The staggering briefness of a human's life in comparison to that of a Youkai is a point of interest, scathing, and even heartbreak amongst them.
* BodySnatcher - One or two get their hands on Natsume.
* BrokenBird - Reiko.
* BroughtDownToNormal - A minor character in one episode could once see the Youkai - but at some point, his ability mysteriously vanished leaving Natsume to wonder whether the same thing might happen to him one day.
** And then [[spoiler: next season, it temporarily ''does''.]]
* ButHeSoundsHandsome - Nyanko-sensei (in Madara form) indulges in this when he and Natsume go searching for a black Nyanko-sensei doppelganger. It backfires
-->'''Madara:''' Have you seen a lovely black cat with a sheaf of papers in his mouth around here?
-->'''Natsume:''' ''"Lovely"?''
-->'''Benio:''' No, but I did see a gluttonous, fat-headed one running towards the Youkai banquet grounds.
* CassandraTruth - Natsume was prone to these when he was a child.
* {{Cliffhanger}}: The end of season 2, episode 6.
** Season 3, Episode 6 [[spoiler: leaving Natsume unconscious and at Matoba's mercy.]]
* CastFromHitPoints - Freeing Youkai from the Book Of Friends is exhausting business.
* ChickMagnet: Natsume proves to be this in episode 35.
* CreepyChild - Natsume and Reiko were considered this while growing up
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass - Nyanko sensei. It's subverted though. You know almost right off the bat that his somewhat laughable cat form isn't the real him and that he's an extremely powerful ayakashi.
* CurtainsMatchTheWindow - Natsume is a blond with EyesOfGold.
* CuteMonsterGirl - While most Youkai resemble inhuman or {{Gonk}}ish monsters, there's a number of Youkai that instead resemble PettingZooPeople attractive individuals with masks. There's a couple of {{Bishonen}} among them, but most of them are female
* CuteShotaroBoy - Chibi-kitsune all the way. Maybe Kai too, with a dash of {{Tsundere}}?
* CutenessProximity - Taki, although her eye for cuteness is called into question when she has this reaction to Nyanko-sensei (who everyone else regards as the cat equivalent to a {{Gonk}})
* DeathbringerTheAdorable - [[http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g315/roleplaygirl99/deathrbingertheadorable.jpg This little guy]]. (Actually a Youkai possessing a snow-bunny Natsume made). D'awwww!
** And then of course [[http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g315/roleplaygirl99/deathbringersorta.jpg he transforms]]. Cue [[{{Bishonen}} Gen Fangirls]].
* DespairEventHorizon: Natsume was on the border of one before he was taken in by the Fujiwaras, [[spoiler:nearly resigning himself to become the pet of one of the many Youkai that stalked him because he felt like he had nowhere else he could go.]]
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Natsume fends off the stronger youkai that try to eat him by literally punching them out. Seems he inherited his grandmother's power as well.
* DistinguishingMark - Natori's lizard-shaped birthmark which moves around his body -it's actually a Youkai attached to him.
* DistressedDude: Natsume, in episode 5 of season three. He gets captured by an ayakashi that's intent on cutting off his arm so that it can use it to retreive its lost head. Natsume's friends are left frantically searching the house for him.
* DoggedNiceGuy - Non-romantic example in Sasada Jun who's basically trying to get Nasume to spill the beams on the supernatural spirits thing.
* [[DroppedABridgetOnHim Dropped A Bridget On Her]] - Hinoe, who ''really'' liked Reiko, gets as far as groping Natsume's chest before it dawns on her that he's actually her IdenticalGrandson. [[DoesNotLikeMen She is not pleased.]]
-->'''Hinoe:''' ...''Where are your boobs?''
* DudeLooksLikeALady - Natsume. WordOfGod says he's a bit self-conscious about it.
** The following exchange near the end of the second season highlights on it:
-->Kai: ...Sorry for calling you a sprout, a chopping board, and a girly boy...
-->Natsume: Ah, w-well, i-it's okay...
-->Tanuma, Taki & Sensei: (suppressed snorts & laughter)
-->Natsume: ...''Notamusing!''
-->Trio: (guilty, somber, not meeting one another's eyes) ...Right!
* EvenTheGuysWantHim - In the manga, Natori's horde of squeeing fangirls [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/natsume-yuujinchou-857822_1890.jpg includes Nishimura.]]
* ExpectingSomeoneTaller - One Ayakashi's [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/expectingsomeonetallerandfemale_3772.jpg a bit disappointed]] to learn that Natsume doesn't match [[strike:her]] [[MistakenIdentity his grandmother]]'s reputation
* EyesOfGold - The Natsume family seems to have this.
* FestivalEpisode - the final episode of the first season
* FlashBack - Natsume gets a few, usually to childhood events. When he returns a Youkai's name to them, it's accompanied by a Flashback to the event during which they lost their name to Reiko in the first place.
* {{Foreshadowing}} - In episode eight of the first series, Natsume thinks on how horrible it would be to suddenly not be able to see Youkai any longer - and surprises himself when he realizes how much he means it, when he's spent all his life wishing [[IJustWantToBeNormal to be ordinary]]. [[spoiler:This makes it all the worse in the sequel series when he actually ''does'' lose his ability.]]
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly - the second chapter of the manga has a local spirit who is greatly reduced in power because hardly anybody believes in him any more, and dies when his last sincere worshipper does. (Interestingly, Natsume can't help with this, because it needs to be worship as a god rather than mere belief that the spirit exists.)
* GoldfishScoopingGame - Played by the fox child and Natsume in the anime, during the FestivalEpisode.
* HellishPupils - Natsume, his grandmother, and 80% of youkai have these.
* HoYay - Natsume and Natori. In one episode of the anime, Natori asks Natsume to go to the hot springs with him, and shows up at his house with a ''bouquet of roses''. It does not help that Natori is voiced by AkiraIshida.
** Same episode - Natori mentions to Natsume that if constantly lying to his foster family about the Youkai ever becomes too difficult, he can always come to him (please note, their futons are ''right next to each other'' at the time.)
*** Though taken another way (given that Natori had just been asking whether Natsume was happy with his foster parents), this has [[ParentalSubstitute completely different]] connotations.
** In the first episode of ''Zoku'', Natsume commented on the Lord Youkai he had recently freed as being really cute.
*** Though this was in reference to the cat statue he had been sealed in and, like Madara/Nyanko-sensei, had taken control of.
** How about Tanuma and Natsume in chapter 19.1? Tanuma sure seems intent on learning how Natsume sees the world. Look, they're practically [[http://www.onemanga.com/Natsume_Yuujinchou/19.1/12/ sparkling at one another]]
*** The anime equivalent last episode of the first season had the end card jokingly translated as "Thank you for watching Natsume Gay-jinchou, or Natsume's Gay Best Friend" by one fansub group because of their near-sparkling at one another throughout said episode.
*** They also have [[strike:a bit]] a good amount in chapter 28.
* HumansAreBastards - a few Youkai are of this opinion, and many have good reason to be, but it's not by and by the rule. The anime is far from leaning in favour of this trope alone. It also shows that humans can be [[HumansAreSpecial pretty awesome sometimes, too]] and many Youkai either have a fascination with them, just don't find them all that interesting, or want to make a tasty snack out of them.
* IdenticalGrandson - Natsume Takashi looks a ''lot'' like his grandmother Reiko, original owner of the Book of Friends. and since many (if not all, Hinoe certainly seems to express a preference) Youkai don't really care too much about gender, Natsume tends to get Youkai who are looking for his ''grandmother'' on his tail.
** Taken to it's logical conclusion when someone calls Natsume "Girly Man".
* IdiotCrows - Joked with in episode 11 of series one, where Nyanko-Sensei yells at the crows not to call him an idiot.
* [[IfItsYouItsOkay If It's You It's Okay]] - Hinoe's solution to the whole StupidSexyFlanders situation with Natsume.
-->'''Hinoe:''' If I just don't think of you as a boy, there's no problem.
* IJustWantToBeNormal - Natsume [[spoiler: for a long time. he gets over it eventually.]]
* InLoveWithTheMark - Chapters 37 and 37 deal with a starving Ayakashi that took human form so that she could eat a human, only to end up falling for him instead.
* IntellectualAnimal - Kind of. Madara is a Youkai example. Though most Youkai tend to be at least sentient.
* InterspeciesRomance - Several, between Youkai and Humans.
* InvisibleToNormals - the Youkai are invisible to most people in the series, with the odd exception.
* ISeeDeadPeople - Sorta. Depends on whether the Youkai count.
* ISeeThemToo - Natsume's meeting with Natori has this result. Natsume also asks Tanuma whether he can see the Youkai standing on the school field - Tanuma claims he can't - but he does see a vague shadow of their presence.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy - One Youkai's human love can no longer see her and has since grown to fall for another, human woman - the Youkai is only glad that he has found someone to love and isn't lonely anymore.
* IWasJustPassingThrough - Nyanko-sensei often insists that he's serving as Natsume's bodyguard so that ''he'' can have the Book of Friends once Natsume bites it. Given that he has yet to give a clear answer as to [[WhyDontYouJustSHootHim why he doesn't just eat Natsume and take the book, it's probably just an excuse.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold - Nyanko-sensei's true reason for staying with Natsume is totally up for debate. Wanting the Book Of Friends definitely has something to do with it, but by the time he's rescuing little girls from the bottom of pits and throwing himself in front of every Youkai that makes a lunge at Natsume, you have to wonder just how much of a jerk he really is.
* KidsAreCruel - Many children shunned and rejected Natsume through his childhood because he openly told people that he could see ayakashi at the time. When he'd learned his lesson, the damage had already been done. Many kids laughed at him. In season 2, you learn that some children even followed him home and threw rocks at him as a sick game of ''make-fun-of-the-weird-kid.''
* {{Kimodameshi}} - The "Test of Courage" occurred in one episode - of course, this being Natsume Yuujinchou, it's obvious what ended up happening.
* LesYay: Hinoe's outright adoration and utter devotion to Reiko, her dislike of men (it's of great annoyance to her that Takashi Natsume looks so much like her Reiko ''yet is male''), and her distraught reaction at hearing of Reiko's death, are anything but subtle.
* MagneticMedium - Natsume.
* MayflyDecemberRomance - any relationship between Youkai and human is doomed to end this way, it seems, because of the humans short lifespan in comparison to a Youkai.
** Notably averted with Shibata (human) and Murasaki (youkai). It was Murasaki who was about to disappear. There was also a firefly youkai who died before the human she loved.
*** Although Youkai have the potential to live for centuries, death for them can be quite sudden when it does come.
* MeaningfulEcho - Natori calls Natsume "a nice kid... just a nice kid" not long after their first meeting. It turns out this is exacty the same thing a Youkai once said to Natori himself, when he helped her as a child.
* TheMessiah - Natsume himself.
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody - What Nyanko-sensei claims is responsible for his more cat-like tendencies
* MoralityPet - Ironically, Natsume is more Nyanko-sensei's.
* MyNameIsNotDurwood - Nobody besides Natsume bothers to get Nyanko-sensei's name right
** Giving us such gems as Nyan-Nyan Sensei, Nyankichi-kun, and Nyangoro. Tanuma eschews trying to remember it altogether, and just calls him Ponta.
* NobleDemon - Madara continues to insist that he's really nasty and uncaring and only hangs around Natsume because the latter is his prey (or alternatively his servant). He's not really fooling anyone.
* NoHuggingNoKissing - [[WordOfGod Yuki Midorikawa]] says that ''Natsume Yuujinchou'' was born out of her desire to write a supernatural story without a noticeable romantic element (something her [[ExecutiveMeddling editor pushed her to add to her previous manga]]). Even the occasional romance between minor one-shot characters are rather subdued and low-key.
* NoSocialSkills - While Natsume is perfectly fine at being polite (he thought if he wasn't, people would have yet another reason to throw him out of their house), but he's terrible at actually developing friendships with other people and has problems sharing his concerns with anyone, even if he logically knows that he really should.
-->'''Natsume:''' I’m sorry, Tanuma. I ''know'' that you and Taki will listen to me, but I’ve never talked to anyone about this stuff before. No one’s ever listened to me before... I ''don’t know'' how to talk about it.
* NotGoodWithPeople - Natsume. Also Tanuma who also sees Youkai, but worries that he won't be of any use, or will just be a burden on Natsume, because of his weak power - he can only see shadows and glimpses of Youkai.
* NotSoAboveItAll - Nyanko-sensei regularly brings up his truly awesome powers and the fact that he is "not a fortune cat, damn it!" - Until Natsume starts petting him, or hanging a chew toy in front of his face. Or he spots a grasshopper. Or a little girl has fallen down a cliff and needs rescuing.
* NotWhatItLooksLike - Touko once walks in on a half-dressed Natsume while he's examining a Youkai-made mark on his chest in the bathroom mirror. She thinks he's doing [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean something else]].
-->'''Touko:''' Well, you ''are'' that age...
* OddlyNamedSequel - The second season prefixed ''Zoku'' (続), meaning "continued", to the title, making it ''Zoku Natsume Yuuijichou''.
** Note that ''zoku'' spelled with a different kanji (族) can [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoku also mean]] "family" of a non-genetic nature, like a {{Nakama}}. This has a lot of significance to Natsume since it's what he gained throughout the course of the series.
* [[OrphansOrdeal Orphan's Ordeal]] - A good bit of Natsume's difficulty with people (and his reluctance to tell the Fujiwaras about his abilities) stems from the fact that, up until then, he was passed around from relative to relative because nobody wanted to deal with the CreepyChild that kept telling "lies" about [[ISeeDeadPeople seeing ghosts and Youkai]].
** AbusiveParents: Chapter 31 confirms that several of the parents he's lived with were physically or emotionally abusive.
* ParentalAbandonment - Natsume's parents are dead, and every single family he's lived with before the Fujiwara's looked forward to the day he left their family, since he could [[ISeeDeadPeople see spirits.]]
* PettingZooPeople - Many of the Youkai, including the adorable little fox boy.
* PosthumousCharacter - Reiko. Once Natsume has returned the name of a youkai, a flashback is usually shown about the circumstances surrounding when Reiko first took the name.
* PurelyAestheticGlasses - Natori often wears a pair. It's not to look smarter, but because glass and mirrors tend to enhance one's ability to see Youkai.
* RememberThatYouTrustMe - Years of {{Cassandra Truth}}s and bullying means that Natsume tends to be secretive even with people he ''knows'' he can trust. In his words, he's never really learned how not to.
* RightBehindMe - Nyanko-sensei actually ''joins in'' on the Nyanko-sensei bashing before the other Youkai actually realize that he can hear them.
* SecretKeeper - Tanuma and Taki, for Natsume.
* SecretTestOfCharacter - Turns out that [[spoiler: Natsume being infected with the Five Day Curse from a particuarly vicious spirit was orchestrated by one of his own contracted Youkai, who wanted to test Natsume to see whether he was worthy of holding onto his name.]]
* SilentScapegoat - Natsume often wound up as one in his adolescence, when Ayakashi started causing acts of vandalism around him; his options were either to let everyone believe he was some sort of delinquent, or let them believe he was some sort of ''crazy'' delinquent.
* SliceOfLife - This show's secondary theme, alongside the supernatural.
* SleepModeSize - Nyanko-sensei's Lucky Cat form
* SnowballFight Episode two of ''Zoku''.
* SnarkyNonHumanSidekick - Nyanko Sensei/Madara.
* SpiritAdvisor - Nyanko-sensei... sort of.
* StockFootage - Natsume's method of returning the spirits names to them, (it's really a rather pretty piece of stock).
* StupidSexyFlanders - Besides the incident mentioned in AttractiveBentGender, Natsume's managed to fluster ''Hinoe'' with a smile.
-->'''Hinoe:''' Dammit, why do you have to be a ''man?''
* SubordinateExcuse - Implied to be why Hiiragi becomes one of Natori's Ayakashi servants.
* SuperStrength - One of Natsume's paranormal powers is the ability to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out particuarly strong Youkai.]] Apparently it only works on them, though.
* TheImp - Nyanko-sensei/Madara.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou - One of Nyanko-Senseis several explanations for not letting the Ayakashi get to Natsume is because Natsume promsied Nyanko-sensei the Book of Friends upon his death - he regularly calls Natsume "His Prey" - and no one else's.
* TheQuietOne - Taki. At first. [[spoiler: Seeing as she's been cursed, and that the last thirteen people who's names she spoke will be devoured by the Youkai along with her, you can't blame the girl.]]
* {{Tsundere}} - Hinoe has her moments. Also Madara and Natsume to each other. Don't EVER try to point out the fact that they get along well, or BOTH of them will deny, deny, deny.
* TwelveEpisodeAnime - Thirteen episodes, all three seasons.
* ThoseTwoGuys - Kitamoto and Nishimura like whoa.
** Though they did [[spoiler: teach Natsume how to ride a bike]] part way through the story.
* ThreeAmigos - Natsume, Taki, and Tanuma, once Natsume properly introduces them to each other.
* [[TakingTheBullet Took the Bullet for Him]] - Sorta. In chapter 26 [[spoiler:Natsume takes an arrow for Nyanko-sensei]] although it kind of doesn't live up to its merit as [[spoiler:the next one hits and disables Nyanko-sensei for several days.]]
* UnfinishedBusiness - Depsite not ''quite'' being ghosts, a lot of Youkai seem to have some particular task they're desperate to complete before they move onto the next world. Many seek Natsume out to do this.
* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy - Natsume, in the manga
* WholesomeCrossdresser - Taki has [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/takicrossdressing_8144.jpg one panel]] of this for a school festival crossdressing cafe, and looks damn good too.
* YouAreNotAlone - Most of both series' deal with Natume steadily working this out, one TearJerker at a time.
** Natsume says this outright to Gen, during [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX9ZOGVOsL8&NR=1 this episode]].
* YouCanSeeMe - Many Youkai are often highly surprised when Natsume does just that.
* {{Youkai}} - Well, obviously...
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