English Dub Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends “Yokai Exorcism Amid The Steaming Springs”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Natori invites Natsume on a hot spring trip. But noises from the closet and a kimono-clad figure dangled from the ceiling make Natsume uneasy. Not wanting to trouble Natori because of his kind gesture to enjoy the hot spring with him, Natsume investigates the hot spring himself. During the night, Natsume meets with the yokai, where she comments that he is too soft, and attacks!

Our Take:

Spring is already in the air in this latest episode of Natsume’s Book of Friends. It’s mainly because of how fast the seasons have gone in the show’s second season. While the show retains the tranquil and heartfelt presentation we’ve known for, it would be nice to see a couple more episodes set in the fall or winter. But that’s just a minor criticism that’ll likely get overshadowed sooner rather than later.

The episode sees another appearance of Shuuichi Natori, who convinces Natsume to join him on a trip to the hot springs resort. Unfortunately, their day turns out to be far from relaxing, as a series of strange occurrences threaten to ruin their little “spring break”. One minute, noises are coming from the closet, and the next, Natsume sees a dangling body hanging from the ceiling. It’s then revealed that the dangling body is a yokai named Suumi, who wants to be free from her imprisonment. When Natsume gives Suumi back her name, however, Suumi reveals that she tricked him into freeing her so she can have him for dinner.

The episode’s premise sounded like it could also work as a straight-up horror film set in the hot springs resort. You have the strange noises, the disturbing imagery, and a supernatural being determined to eat or kill its victims. This idea would be much better for Jason Blum to make than another “Exorcist” movie, but that’s just me. But, of course, this is Natsume’s Book of Friends we’re talking about, so we’re still dealing with its tranquil quality despite its spookiness.

In addition to its creepy-ass yokai and humorous banter between Natsume and Madara, the episode continues to showcase Natsume’s development regarding his encounters. Natsume is always willing to help the yokai in any way he can. However, he also realizes that his naivety and kindness could be his downfall when meeting the manipulative yokai, including Suumi. Fortunately, there are also yokai he helps that offer to return the favor, including the spirit of the dead body that the tiny ghosts carry. Furthermore, the yokai saved Natsume and Natori by sealing Suumi away for them.

The episode also represents more of Natsume’s internal conflict on whether he’s a liar regarding the yokai and his trust issues with Natori and his exorcist methods. However, the main focus is only on Natsume’s struggle to identify which yokai he can trust and which he must avoid. “Yokai Exorcism Amid The Steaming Springs” is another good episode that showcases more of Natsume’s coming-of-age journey while offering a decent plot that combines relaxation and creepiness. From the looks of things, Natsume could definitely use a break from this brief “spring break”.