Natsume's Book of Friends, Vol. 3 Paperback – July 6, 2010

Don't be put off by Amazon's silly product description. This is a set of thoughtful, poignant tales, beautifully illustrated, of a young boy attempting to find his place in the world. It's suitable for readers aged 12 and above.Takashi Natsume is an orphan, shunted from one reluctant relative to another. He's been seen as strange and difficult, a child who tells lies to get attention. But the truth is, he can see yokai - the Japanese equivalent of the sidhe or fae - and while he now knows that most people don't share his ability and keeps it to himself, he can't always control his reactions when something strange or horrifying appears. Natsume now lives in the same small town his deceased grandmother Reiko did, and is gradually allowing himself to relax into life in the Fujiwara house and friendships at school. But the supernatural will keep intruding, and even as Natsume yearns for normality, he finds himself drawn to the yokai and feeling a sense of responsibility for them. He'd like to act as a bridge between humans and yokai, but is this possible when they're so different and there's still so much he doesn't understand?There are four stories in this volume. In the first, the Book of Friends, a set of contracts extorted by Reiko which enable the possessor to control yokai, is stolen by a lookalike of Nyanko Sensei (Natsume's yokai mentor). But what does the thief really want? In the second, Natsume encounters a man who's outgrown his ability to see yokai and the grieving firefly spirit he was once friends with. In the third, the exorcist Natori pays Natsume a visit, but when he takes Natsume to a gathering of his fellow exorcists and their yokai servants, it becomes clear that revealing his abilities won't bring Natsume comfort or safety. In the fourth, Natsume feeds a hungry yokai and receives a tip about an soon-to-hatch egg, then finds himself needing to protect a very strange baby creature.Because Natsume's Book of Friends is episodic rather than a single story, you could start the series here and find it perfectly understandable (though you would miss some very good stories if you did). For me, this is the best volume of the series so far. There's nothing here of the nasty shocks or stupid jokiness that can make manga so offputting, just well-crafted short stories that are beautifully complemented by Yuki Midorikawa's distinctive artwork. Natsume is an appealing character, by turns wise, naïve and reckless, though never lacking in bravery or compassion, and it's starting to become clear how powerful his supernatural abilities really are. There's a nice element of comedy, too, usually centring upon Nyanko Sensei as he shows all the self-centredness of the cat he's disguised as. Though there's something of a "lesson of the week" feel to each story, everything is handled very lightly and sometimes there are no easy answers. Recommended.

i love this series so much and the manga came in great condition! i’ll be buying the rest of the volumes soon

Definitely a cute, fun, quick read!

The continuing character development of Takashi Natsume. A young boy who can see Yokai - Japanese spirits. The usual hijinks of human & yokai interactions. Developing more & more back story and getting to known Natsume better as a person.

I received the books today and they are in condition.. Thank you very much..

I've been collecting the book series.The book came in great condition, speedy arrival.I don't know how long it will take to collect the whole series....we'll see....:]

I really enjoy "Natsume's Book of Friends." It strikes up a sense of nostalgia for me. I can also relate to the main character, Natsume, and his loneliness. Beautiful illustrations.

My grandaughter lovesthis series.

I love this story!

Natsume's Book of Friends is a fantastic series and is one that should be read by anyone who wants to read a seriously good series! The art is beautiful and compliments the story and concept very well. Natsume is one of the best Manga characters I have ever read about and you feel very attached to him throughout the series. The story is full of heartwarming and heartbreaking elements and you really feel for all of the characters involved, which is often rare in Manga but Yuki Midorikawa has perfected this and it works continuously. Natsume is one of my favourite Manga's, in fact pieces of Literature that I have ever read.

ein wirklich schöner manga, eine klasse reihe, eine super animeumsetzung gibt es auch... was will man mehr... die englische version ist allerdings um einiges besser als die deutsche... also wer der englischen sprache mächtig ist, der sollte lieber hier zugreifen.