English Dub Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends “Tookanya”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Natsume is caught up in a mysterious game between yokai and man.

Our Take: 

After two episodes of nothing but assisting yokai, the seventh season decided to bring back the exorcists for Natsume and Madara to encounter.  So far, the series has made the exorcists seem like a threat, except Natori, and serve a crucial role in the protagonist’s yokai-helping journey.  This episode is no different, as Natsume and Natori confront the leader of another exorcist clan, the Yorishima, whose magic rivals those from the Matoba clan.  They’re also caught in the middle of a game called “Tookanya”, with the humans surviving ten nights against the scarecrow yokai, who are eager to claim people’s houses after playing their part in the Harvest Festival.  This led Natsume and Natori to assist Natori’s client in protecting his mansion from the scarecrows as they approach the tenth and final night of Tookanya.

Amid this spooky game, the episode attempts to add more depth to Natsume’s connection with the Book of Friends, with Yorishima discovering Natsume’s spiritual aura and the forbidden magic that could be connected to the Book of Friends.  With this theory, Natori vows to find a solution to help Natsume escape the book’s curse.  Episodes like “Tookanya” are usually more interesting than the episodic ones due to how they progress the show’s overall plot regarding the character growth, heart, and narrative stakes.  But, of course, it doesn’t lose sight of the tranquility, fun, and charm that come with this development, making the later seasons of Natsume’s Book of Friends more watchable than unnecessary.  Considering how far it’s gone since its debut in 2008, this is still a spiritual accomplishment for a series with a simplistic concept.