English Dub Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends “The Fragment’s Lament”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Tanuma gives Natsume some clay, and he tries his hand at sculpting a figure. However, the next day, the figure has disappeared, and other strange things are happening in the house. Is a yokai causing mischief in the house, or is it just a rat?
Our Take:
It’s no surprise that I would return to talk about the long-awaited seventh season of Natsume’s Book of Friends. While the previous seasons were starting to wane in the show’s concept and plots, they’re still compensated by their tranquil charm, heartfelt moments, and solid presentation. So, frankly, I wasn’t expecting much out of the seventh season other than those merits from previous seasons, which can be good or bad news for me.
So, how does the new season start, you ask? Why, by helping a new yokai, of course, as if that isn’t simple enough. This particular yokai resides in Natsume’s pottery clay shaped like Madara and is formally a white bird Buddha statue in a priest’s home who’s waiting to return to its original body. As a result, Natsume has to protect the yokai’s new vessel from the other evil spirits while it ventures to its second statue. The episode also reveals that the bird statue was broken because the kids accidentally threw their baseball at the priest’s home.
In short, if you’ve seen the other episodes of Natsume’s Book of Friends, you’ll know what you’re getting in the season seven premiere. Like other season premieres, “The Fragment’s Lament” follows the show’s tradition of getting newcomers up to speed with its concept amid its episodic narrative, mainly Natsume’s ability and the Book of Friends. It’s suitable for those starting their experience with this episode, but I recommend starting with season one instead. Besides that detail, it’s a watchable start to the new season that follows the same structure and merits as previous episodes but is far from satisfying regarding its narrative.
