The BEST episodes of Natsume's Book of Friends
Every episode of Natsume's Book of Friends ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Natsume's Book of Friends!
Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits, which he has long kept secret. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, Reiko, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him. Containing the names of these spirits, a binding contract was formed between the spirits and the owner of the book. Now, Natsume is determined to free the spirits and dissolve the contracts. With the help of a spirit cat, his days are filled trying to return the names to these spirits.
#1 - When I Was Deceived
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/21/2012
Natsume is walking home one day when he's accosted by a flying Tengu, who lifts him up into the sky! Meanwhile, Nyanko-sensei is stuck in a well, where Nanase tells him a story about how she learned to never get close to a youkai.
#2 - Shadow of Linked Chains
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/26/2016
Natsume arrives at the exorcist meeting to help smoke out the youkai that Matoba wants to find. But he quickly discovers that the situation is more complicated than it first seemed. The youkai is capable of replicating itself to possess targets, and no one but Natsume is able to see who is possessed. Natsume and Nyanko-sensei search the halls, still unsure if they even want to be there.
#3 - The Letter From the Exorcist
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/19/2016
Natsume receives a letter from Matoba, an exorcist whom he's had unpleasant dealings with in the past. The world of exorcists is a dangerous place lately, and Matoba wants Natsume's help. Natsume wants to refuse, but Matoba threatens to reveal Natsume's powers to his adopted family, which would spell the end of his peaceful life.
#4 - Mischievous Rain
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/12/2016
On a rainy day, Natsume meets a young girl youkai. Her name isn't in the book of friends, but she wants his help anyway: she wants him to find a man she met once. The man couldn't see Youkai normally, but a mischievous trick of the weather let him see her for just one day. For the next fifty years she visited him, hoping he'd see her one more time, but he never did. Now he's vanished. Can Natsume find him for her?
#5 - Unchanging Form
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/5/2016
Natsume continues to spend his days giving back Youkai their names from the book of friends. One day, as he's heading home, he finds himself chased by a giant, rolling pot. The youkai in the pot insists that his grandmother Reiko stole a doll from her. When she threatens to hurt his family, however, he's forced to go out and find it. But would his kind, smiling grandmother Reiko really steal a doll from someone?
#6 - Long Way Home
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/27/2012
Natsume is possessed by a spirit. Obsessed with returning home, he remembers the events that occured just after his father's death.
#7 - The Door of Memories
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/20/2012
Natsume is going home for the last time, but first he must stop by his relative’s house to get the key. But he is cautious, as inside is a youkai that tormented Natsume, and a girl that has always resented him.
#8 - A Single Photo
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/13/2012
Natsume gets a call from a relative: his parents home is being sold. He tells himself that it doesn't matter, and that he's forgotten his past. But he's not nearly as over it as he thinks...
#9 - The God, Enshrined
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/6/2012
While being swept down the river, Natsume managed to feel the presences of Hudzuki-gami. Natori must make the choice to follow Natsume instincts or seal Fudzuki-gami.
#10 - The Moon-Splitting Festival
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/28/2012
Every 10 years the followers of Houdzuigami and Fudzukigami have a battle to determine the fate of the land. Natsume is approached by the followers of Houdzukigami to act as their missing god. Natori has been given the job of finding the missing god or seal Fuduzkigami before he wins.
#11 - It Must Not Be Bound
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/2/2016
Natsume's friend Taki lives in a house filled with traps and mazes for youkai. She can't see the youkai herself without the aid of a special circle, but she can hear them when they're trapped in her house. She saves one of them, but it refuses to leave her home. Natsume suspects that there may be danger involved, and visits her to make sure that everything is okay.
#12 - The Gap Between Humans and Youkai
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/14/2012
Natsume’s greatest fear has come true. Someone not involved in the world of youkai is hurt because of him. Natori needs Natsume to regain his composure or they will be eaten by Omibashira!
#13 - Other Side of the Glass
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/7/2012
Natsume overhears whispers that a powerful youkai is reviving, later that evening he is trapped in a bottle as an offering. Humans can’t see or hear him, so Nyanko-sensei decides to help the “best” way he can…
#14 - To You, From Bygone Days
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/31/2012
An old classmate Yuriko, remembers her time watching Natsume and how he was a little weird. A clingbug from Natsume’s past reminds him of the time he spent running from a youkai with a grudge.
#15 - Stand-In
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/24/2012
Natsume is at home early one evening when he hears a knock on the door. He sees Tohko outside, asking to be let in. But when he opens the door, there's nobody there, and a gust of wind rushes past. Another Youkai is after the book of friends!
#16 - The Little Ones
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/17/2012
After Natsume returned Amana’s name, she accused him of stealing her ring. He has three days to find and return it before she burns down his house. To make matters worse, the ring is trapped in the hair of a migratory youkai, and Nyanko-sensei is unable to use his powers.
#17 - Natsume Captured
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/3/2012
Natsume is jumped by a group of Youkai trying to steal the Book of Friends for their master. Once captured, Natsume discovers that an old problem is back in a big way.
#18 - Natsume's Book of Play
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 9/27/2011
The youkai hold a party to celebrate Natsume. Things get out of hand when they ask Natsume for a human game, and he suggests Shadow Tag. When Nyanko-sensei becomes "it", he starts stomping youkai left and right. And then Misuzu-sama, the 100 foot tall youkai, shows up...
#19 - A Place to Go Home To
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/20/2011
A youkai from Natsume past has found him and memories of living with relatives before the Fujiwaras are explored.
#20 - Nitai-sama
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/26/2017
Natsume gets a call from his old "friend" Shibata, who he once helped with a youkai problem. Shibata wants him to come visit, and Natsume reluctantly agrees. He and Tanuma pay Shibata a visit, and have a pleasant chat at a park. But when Shibata mentions a local haunted house, Natsume finds his visit has turned into more than he expected...
#21 - What Matters
Season 6 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/21/2017
Natori's group searches the Hakozaki mansion for the study. But other forces want the powerful magics contained within, and Natsume doesn't want them to have it...
#22 - The Sealed Room
Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/14/2017
Natori is trying to find information on Natsume and his book of friends. Meanwhile, Natsume visits his house to deliver some of Touko's homemade jam. But this is the start of an adventure...
#23 - What Flows
Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/7/2017
Natsume travels to an inn for a study session with the rest of his class. While he's there, a flood washes away a local shrine. The shrine is said to house three masks, but Natsume can see four...
#24 - A Day That Will Someday Come
Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/31/2017
Natsume is on his way home when he finds a letter on the ground. The letter seems to belong to a nearby man, who asks Natsume to take him to his school. The man is actually a youkai, who was once deeply involved with a human girl. He cut the relationship off, but the girl isn't ready to give up...
#25 - Gomochi's Benefactor
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/24/2017
Natsume meets a youkai named Gomochi, who has come in search of Reiko. The youkai has a message for Reiko, and wants to thank her for a favor she did him long ago. In hearing his story, Natsume comes to learn more about his mysterious grandmother.