Natsume’s Book of Friends (Set of 30)
For the series, see entry 40400080. Natsume’s Book of Friends (Japanese: 夏目友人帳) is a manga series by Yuki Midorikawa. It started in Hakusensha’s shōjo manga magazine LaLa DX in June 2003. Chapters have been collected in 30 tankōbon volumes as of September 2023; the manga is licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media, which released the first volume in January 2010. The series follows Takashi Natsume, an orphan boy in his late teens who can perceive and combat yōkai. One day, Takashi finds a very old notebook that his late maternal grandmother, Reiko, an exorcist who possessed strong spiritual powers, used to bind dozens of powerful demonic spirits, both good and evil (known as either ayakashi or yōkai), that she defeated to follow her every whim and desire. Takashi resolves to give back all the names in the age-old notebook, Book of Friends, and in the process joins forces with another feline/wolf-like spirit called Madara (nicknamed “Nyanko-sensei” in his borrowed lucky cat-like form), who knew Reiko when she was alive. Madara takes the form of an overweight cat and intends to take back the notebook after Takashi dies. Until then, he agreed to protect Takashi from the nefarious spirits who want to harm him for being the grandson of Reiko, who died in her young adult years decades prior to the story. That gets you started in understanding the cards. Unopened, unused. Grade: 1