Overview (Spoilers Below):
Natori tells Natsume of a well near the mansion that holds a group of Oni. They are calling out to any yokai. He also learns that Kai came down from the mountains to free the Oni. While looking for Kai, Natsume sets off one of Natori’s traps in the mansion. Kai saves Natsume and heads off to kill Natori. Natsume follows him to save Natori from getting killed. After he encounters him, Natsume is forced to make an important decision: Which ones are more important to him? Humans or yokai?
Our Take:
The season two finale has Natsume in a situation that’s way more urgent than the autumn festival in season one. Instead of hanging out with his allies at the festival, Natsume faces a crucial dilemma that puts him in the crossfire between Natori and Kai. If that isn’t enough to provide high stakes in the show’s tranquil tone, I don’t know what will.
The finale occurs where the previous episode left off, with Natsume discovering that Natori is responsible for locking Kai inside the coffin. Even worse, he is told by the exorcist that Kai is actually a water god who’s searching for a well that contains a group of demons because he is lonely. As a result, Natsume seeks to find Kai before Natori kills the young yokai, who in turn attempts to kill Natori after saving Natsume from the exorcist’s booby trap.
Last week’s episode offered a solid set-up for Natsume’s most significant challenge that puts his good nature to the test. The finale continues this struggle with Natsume striving to save both Kai and Natori from killing each other but also relearning what’s important in his life. We’ve seen Natsume pushing people away because of his unusual ability and his fear of being mocked throughout the series. Because of this, Natsume has slowly grown attached to some of the yokai he’s befriended until he makes friends with Tanuma, Natori, and Taki, who can also see the spirits. With Natsume growing more fond of the yokai and the people who share the same ability as him, this finale makes Natsume’s internal struggle more engaging than the usual showdown between good and evil.
But, of course, Natsume decided that both humans and yokai were important to him before preventing Kai from unleashing an unspeakable evil upon the world. More importantly, he’s willing to protect those who matter to him regardless of whether they’re human or a spirit. Regarding the brief confrontation against the Oni and Kai’s character depth, “Humans and Ayakashi” offers a satisfying and heartfelt finale that brings another part of Natsume’s journey to a close. Although his mission comes with the cost of losing Kai’s trust, Natsume still hopes he’ll run into the yokai again and maybe cure Kai’s loneliness for good. Stay tuned for my season two review of Natsume’s Book of Friends, where I praise it for being as good (and heartwarming) as season one.