History Manga / NatsumesBookOfFriends

* 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.
** 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.

There is an anime based on the manga divided in four thirteen-episode seasons, with a [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-03-20/natsume-book-of-friends-tv-anime-gets-season-5-this-fall/.100011 fifth announced]] for a Fall2016Anime season release, after a hiatus of 4 years (the fourth was released in the Winter2012Anime season). The sixth season followed in the Spring2017Anime season.

* AmbiguouslyHuman: Some youkai look very human-like to the point where occasionally Natsume and even Nyanko-sensei can't tell them apart. However, Natsume's ability to differentiate seems to be more powerful compared to some exorcists.

** And the long eyelashes, don't forget those.

** 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, scorn, and even heartbreak amongst them.

* ConsummateLiar: This trope is overall played with. Natsume grows into this when he realizes in his childhood [[CassandraTruth that nobody can see or hear ayakashi]], lying in order to cover any incidents caused by ayakashi and even personal problems. Natori feels that he can relate to Natsume as [[ASharedSuffering he went through similar ordeals]], offering a place to stay "if he ever got tired of lying" (though Natori also falls back into it, time to time). In more recent chapters, Natsume has learned to talk to others about his problems though time to time, he still can't always tell the complete truth.

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

** And then of course [[http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g315/roleplaygirl99/deathbringersorta.jpg he transforms]]. Cue [[{{Bishonen}} Gen Fangirls]].

* {{Kimodameshi}}: The "Test of Courage" occurred in one episode - of course, this being Natsume Yuujinchou, it's obvious what ended up happening.

** 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 TrueCompanions. This has a lot of significance to Natsume since it's what he gained throughout the course of the series.

* PaperThinDisguise: Well, there's Natori's [[PurelyAestheticGlasses exorcist]] [[NiceHat "disguise"]] for starters... sometimes even managing to forgo the hat and still not get recognized by passerby. Not only that, but when humans want to blend in with youkai, their most drastic measure usually is to just cover their eyes with a literal [[PaperThinDisguise paper-thin mask]] of some sort. Might be slightly justified in the latter case though, given the nature of {{youkai}}.

* {{Youkai}}: Well, obviously... some of those which have appeared thus far include a {{kappa}}, {{kitsune}}, {{oni}}, {{tengu}}, shīsā, and sunekosuri among others.

A {{shoujo}} {{manga}} by Yuki Midorikawa, known as ''Natsume Yūjinchō'' in Japanese. It has been serialized in ''Magazine/LaLa'' since 2005 and is still ongoing.

* 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.

* 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 gave up on him, rather than sending him to get therapy which he didn't need since the things that he saw were real.

* MarkOfTheSupernatural: Humans have relatively normal appearances whereas ayakashi have a larger variety to [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair chose from]]. Humans that have strong ability to see normally have an odd/rare eye or eye color. This includes:

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Both averted (with humans, a rare anime example) and justified (with youkai). None of the human character's hair colour is improbable (Natsume's and Reiko's grey hair in the manga, though really rare, is still possible). Any odd coloured hair characters are likely from youkai (Misuru's lavender hair, Hinoe's blue hair, etc).

A {{shoujo}} {{manga}} by Yuki Midorikawa, known as ''Natsume Yūjinchō'' in Japanese. It has been serialized in ''Magazine/LaLa'' since 2005.

A {{shoujo}} {{manga}} by Yuki Midorikawa and fifty-two episode anime. Also known as ''Natsume Yūjinchō''.

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

** Nanase with [[GrayEyes grey eyes.]]

An appropriate word of description for this series would probably be "heartwarming". It's been described as "Manga/{{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 SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments and {{Tear Jerker}}s than you can shake a stick at.

* 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 many of them are female.

* PettingZooPeople: Many of the Youkai, including the adorable little fox boy.

* ABoyAndHisX: Supposedly and probably initially an exploited trope, according to Natsume and Nyanko-sensei, but eventually played straight. Not that [[{{Tsundere}} Natsume or Nyanko-sensei would admit it.]]

* {{Expy}}: Kaoru and Aoi draw many parallels to [[TalesOfZestiria Dezel and Rose]], including sharing the same voice actors. Like Rose, Kaoru is a female human, has the ability to see creatures that most normal humans can't, but her ability isn't at the same level as Natsume's. She ends up forming a close relationship with a non-human that eventually blossoms into love. [[spoiler: Unlike Dezel and Rose, however, Aoi doesn't die and both get a happier ending.]]

* TheDarkArts: Chapter 62 and episode 3 of season 5 reveals, while not all of it is are necessarily evil, there are a few spells and practices that exorcists deem as illegal because of it's harsh nature or unintended side effects. So far, these include:

* FantasticRacism: Though this is toned up in the anime, the antagonistic Matoba clan holds 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. In the anime, Matoba is later seen punishing one of them for the "crime" of entering a human home (this was changed from the manga where he tortures the ayakashi to get Natsume to talk about Reiko).

* {{Onmyodo}}: Taki's ancestors used to be this though they currently stopped practicing.

* [[TheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Aww, Look! They Really Do Care For Each Other]]: A non-romantic example though not fully a VitriolicBestBuds, the two do really care about each other. Specifically examples include where [[spoiler: Nyanko-sensei saves Natsume from a group of masked-youkai, fully claiming his responsibility of being his bodyguard]]. In the anime [[spoiler: Natsume shields Nyanko-sensei from Matoba's dagger, even with Matoba reminding Natsume the possibility of Nyanko-sensei using Natsume]]. Not that it started off that way nor will either two admit it directly.

An appropriate word of description for this series would probably be "heartwarming". It's been described as "Manga/{{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.

* {{Youkai}}: Well, obviously...

There is an anime based on the manga divided in four thirteen-episode seasons, with a [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-03-20/natsume-book-of-friends-tv-anime-gets-season-5-this-fall/.100011 fifth announced]] for a Fall 2016 season release, after a hiatus of 4 years (the fourth was released in the Winter2012Anime season).