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Is Natsume Yuujinchou finished?

Table of Contents

In this post, we take a closer look at the current status of the series “Natsume Yuujinchou”, also known by the following titles:

  • Natsumes Book of Friends
  • 夏目友人帳
  • Natsume Yujincho
  • Natsume Yujin-cho

Status
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Based on our analysis, the series is NOT FINISHED. ❌

Here’s how we reached that conclusion:

  • Some related entries are still listed as ongoing on MyAnimeList
  • The series is listed as ended on Trakt
  • The original source material has not been fully adapted, according to MangaUpdates

Taken together, these points indicate that Natsume Yuujinchou is still ongoing in some form.

Watch order
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Natsume Yuujinchou

June 10, 2003
Publishing Manga
Natsumes Book of Friends
夏目友人帳
SummaryTakashi Natsume is a 15-year-old boy who wants nothing more but to live a normal life like everyone else. But to his dismay, like his deceased grandmother, Reiko, he possesses the ability to see "youkai," or spirits. Natsume eventually discovers that Reiko had bequeathed to him a book of contracts in which she had bound youkai—the "Book of Friends." However, without Reiko ever calling upon the spirits' names, they have been left in a confined state. Now, these spirits continuously pursue Natsume in the hopes of having their contracts dissolved for freedom.

While there may be gentle, harmless spirits which come to Natsume for help, there are also malicious, hostile spirits that threaten him. This is where Madara steps in, a spirit disguised as a rotund cat. Commonly referred to as Nyanko-sensei by Natsume, Madara is a self-proclaimed bodyguard who has his own motives for accompanying Natsume.

Natsume Yuujinchou is a supernatural slice-of-life series about a boy who struggles to live a normal life while balancing the spirit and human worlds and acquiring important life lessons along the way.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

BackgroundNatsume Yuujinchou was nominated for the first Manga Taishou Award in 2008. The series has been published in English as Natsume's Book of Friends by VIZ Media under the Shojo Beat imprint since January 5, 2010.

Natsume Yuujinchou

July 8, 2008
Finished Airing TV
Natsumes Book of Friends
夏目友人帳
SummaryDue to an unusual ability to see strange creatures called youkai, Takashi Natsume has never fit in. Passed around from one foster home to another, he was left isolated and lonely. Over time, he has accepted that no one would ever believe him and has closed himself off to his current caretakers and classmates.

When Natsume accidentally breaks an intangible barrier, he frees Madara—a mighty spirit in the form of a lucky cat. Madara notices that Natsume bears a remarkable resemblance to his late grandmother Reiko Natsume, an outcast girl who became known across the youkai world for creating the Book of Friends. It is now in Natsume’s possession, along with its power to call upon the written names of the youkai Reiko had defeated.

With no interest in its powers, Natsume decides to keep the book for the sake of his grandmother’s memories and to protect it from scheming youkai. Therefore, he makes a deal with Madara: he will hand him the book once his time is up, and in turn, Madara will act as Natsume’s unofficial bodyguard, nicknamed Nyanko-sensei. With his newfound goal of freeing those Reiko had sealed, Natsume’s relationship with both youkai and humans slowly begins to improve.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

BackgroundNatsume Yuujinchou was licensed for an English release as Natsume's Book of Friends by NIS America, Inc. It was released October 9, 2012 as a Season 1 and 2 DVD Premium Edition followed by a DVD Standard Edition release February 4, 2014. It is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou

January 6, 2009
Finished Airing TV
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 2
続 夏目友人帳
SummaryAs with its prequel, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou is about Takashi Natsume, a boy who has had the ability to see youkai since he was young, and his bodyguard youkai Madara, nicknamed Nyanko-sensei. Natsume attempts to return names written in his "Book of Friends" (which he inherited from his grandmother Reiko) to youkai in his village. Throughout these adventures, he meets some youkai that are friendly, some that want to steal the Book, and some that want to kill him, as Natsume learns about himself and his relationship with these mysterious beings along the way.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou San

July 5, 2011
Finished Airing TV
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 3
夏目友人帳 参
SummaryNatsume Yuujinchou San follows Takashi Natsume, a boy who is able to see youkai. Natsume and his bodyguard Madara, nicknamed Nyanko-sensei, continue on their quest to release youkai from their contracts in the "Book of Friends."

Natsume comes to terms with his ability to see youkai and stops thinking of it as a curse. As he spends more time with his human and youkai friends, he realizes how much he values them both and decides he doesn’t have to choose between the spirit and human worlds to be happy.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou Shi

January 3, 2012
Finished Airing TV
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 4
夏目友人帳 肆
SummaryTakashi Natsume, the timid youkai expert and master of the Book of Friends, continues his journey towards self-understanding and acceptance with the help of friends both new and old. His most important ally is still his gluttonous and sake-loving bodyguard, the arrogant but fiercely protective wolf spirit Madara—or Nyanko-sensei, as Madara is called when in his usual disguise of an unassuming, pudgy cat.

Natsume, while briefly separated from Nyanko-sensei, is ambushed and kidnapped by a strange group of masked, monkey-like youkai, who have spirited him away to their forest as they desperately search for the Book of Friends. Realizing that his “servant” has been taken out from right under his nose, Nyanko-sensei enlists the help of Natsume’s youkai friends and mounts a rescue operation. However, the forest of the monkey spirits holds many dangerous enemies, including the Matoba Clan, Natsume’s old nemesis.

Stretching from the formidable hideout of the Matoba to Natsume’s own childhood home, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi is a sweeping but familiar return to a world of danger and friendship, where Natsume will finally confront the demons of his own past.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou

January 4, 2013
Publishing Light Novel
小説・夏目友人帳
Natsume Yuujinchou Novel
SummaryCollection of short stories.

Nyanko-sensei ga Iku!

November 22, 2013
Finished Manga
ニャンコ先生が行く!
There Goes Nyanko-Sensei!
SummaryA 4-koma gag spin-off of Natsume Yuujinchou.

Natsume Yuujinchou: Nyanko-sensei to Hajimete no Otsukai

December 15, 2013
Finished Airing Special
Natsume’s Book of Friends: Nyanko-Sensei and the First Errand
夏目友人帳新作アニメDVD
SummaryMadara, nicknamed "Nyanko-sensei," runs into two young children when he gets separated from his temporary owner Takashi Natsume. Unequipped to handle kids, Nyanko-sensei tries to wriggle his way out; but fearing for their safety around the ravenous forest youkai, he decides to escort the siblings to safety. However, even for an all-powerful youkai such as Nyanko-sensei, dealing with the playful and overly curious nature of children can prove to be an exhausting challenge.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

BackgroundNatsume Yuujinchou: Nyanko-sensei to Hajimete no Otsukai was bundled with the Blu-ray and DVD release of Natsume Yuujinchou: Itsuka Yuki no Hi ni in Japan on February 5, 2014. It was originally included in a DVD special available in the August 2013 issue of LaLa to commemorate the manga's 10th anniversary. The special was later broadcasted on November 16, 2016 due to certain circumstances regarding the broadcast of episode seven of Natsume Yuujinchou Go.

Natsume Yuujinchou: Itsuka Yuki no Hi ni

February 5, 2014
Finished Airing OVA
Natsume’s Book of Friends: On a Certain Snowy Day
夏目友人帳 新作OVA いつかゆきのひに
SummaryAs the first delicate snowflake touches the cold ground, Nyanko-sensei dozes on his hot-water bottle next to Takashi Natsume. While his aunt prepares a warm dinner, Natsume takes a walk, welcoming the snow and the chilly weather. However, his peaceful promenade is disturbed by a white, fluffy snowman yokai with perturbing black eyes, searching for something warm and sparkly. With no further information, Natsume sets off to help find what the spirit desires.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou Go

October 5, 2016
Finished Airing TV
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 5
夏目友人帳 伍
SummaryBlessed with eyes that are able to perceive the otherwise invisible youkai, Takashi Natsume hides his ability from his newfound family and friends to protect everyone's peaceful daily life. Nonetheless, Natsume never fails to show the same kindness to the benevolent youkai and happily returns their names by using the infamous Book of Friends he inherited from his late grandmother, Reiko.

Meanwhile, the exorcist clan Matoba still wishes for Natsume to join their ranks due to his overwhelming gift. However, Natsume firmly rejects the clan’s invitation since not all exorcists are as reasonable as his friend Shuuichi Natori, and many improperly and indiscriminately seal away every youkai in their way. Unsatisfied with Natsume’s answer, Seiji Matoba blackmails Natsume into attending a grand gathering of powerful exorcist families. Natsume soon finds himself in the company of dangerous people and youkai alike. But even then, he continues to defy the exorcists’ hard-handed methods and believes that peace between both worlds is possible.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

BackgroundNatsume Yuujinchou Go was released on Blu-ray and DVD in five volumes from December 21, 2016 to April 26, 2017.

Natsume Yuujinchou Go Specials

March 30, 2017
Finished Airing Special
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 5 Specials
夏目友人帳 伍 特別編
SummaryOne Night Sake Cup On his way back home from an errand, Takashi Natsume gets lost in the forest. Luckily, he is rescued by a traveling youkai couple who make sake cups for a living. Taking a sip of water from one, Natsume feels a surge of energy rush throughout his body, thanks to the "One Night Cup." It is a special cup that makes every drink delicious, but unfortunately, its effects last only for one night. The following day, Natsume attends the youkai banquet with his loyal protector, the sake-loving chubby cat Madara, and gets the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn how to make sake cups.

Party of Fun & Games Natsume is filled with regret after hastily declining a rare invitation to a banquet from Madara. Curious, he chases after the cat to an old, run-down mansion but soon enough feels the uncanny presence of numerous youkai nearby. When he runs into the seductive youkai Hinoe, she explains that the empty estate serves as a hide-and-seek playground where the winning spirit acquires authority over a valley. With still no trace of Madara, Natsume starts having eerie dreams of the mansion, but this time as the game’s participant.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou Roku

April 12, 2017
Finished Airing TV
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 6
夏目友人帳 陸
SummaryTakashi Natsume has grown accustomed to his encounters with youkai through the Book of Friends, which contains the names of youkai whom his grandmother, Reiko Natsume, has sealed in contracts. These encounters allow Natsume to better understand the youkai, Reiko, and himself.

The Book of Friends is a powerful tool that can be used to control youkai; it is sought after by both youkai and exorcists alike. Natsume just wants to live out his daily life in peace but is constantly disrupted by these experiences. If he is to end this torment, Natsume must explore more about the book and the world of exorcism, as well as begin to open his heart to those who can help him.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou Roku Specials

September 27, 2017
Finished Airing Special
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 6 Specials
夏目友人帳 陸 特別編
SummarySuzunaru no Kirikabu On a hot summer day, Takashi Natsume and his feline companion Madara take a walk to buy jelly. Suddenly a truck passes the two, running over an old, masked man who asks Natsume for help. The mysterious individual turns out to be a youkai, the spirit of the Suzunaru tree that was recently hit by lightning and cut down. As the tree withers away, the youkai requests Natsume to fulfill his one final wish: to bring him water every day until he draws his last breath.

Mugen no Kakera Tamami, a young schoolgirl, counts her steps through a forest, following instructions on a piece of paper. She stops to take a break and falls asleep but is awakened by an odd talking cat. Through meeting the cat and his human partner, Natsume, she learns that the forest has its own separate world from the contemporary, where one can see things otherwise invisible. Putting her trust in the duo, Tamami tells them about the story of how she helped a white owl that reappeared in her dreams to lead her back inside the bizarre forest.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou Movie: Utsusemi ni Musubu

September 29, 2018
Finished Airing Movie
Natsumes Book of Friends Movie: Ephemeral Bond
劇場版 夏目友人帳 ~うつせみに結ぶ~
SummaryTakashi Natsume and his spirit companion Madara, nicknamed "Nyanko," continue returning the names of spirits from the Book of Friends given by his late grandmother Reiko Natsume.

On his way back from school one day, Takashi encounters a lurking spirit named Monmonbou, who recalls memories of Takashi’s grandmother after hearing his name. Takashi’s natural curiosity leads him to explore a mysterious town where his grandmother used to live. Befriending her old acquaintance Yorie Tsumura and Yorie’s son Mukuo, Takashi unveils more of his grandmother’s past.

In the meantime, Nyanko detours for food and stumbles upon a suspicious “Spirit Seed,” which miraculously sprouts into a fruit tree overnight. Giving in to temptation, Nyanko consumes the fruit, splitting him into three. Seeking a solution to Nyanko’s predicament, Takashi and his friends lend a hand, unexpectedly uncovering more secrets the town holds in the process.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou: Ishi Okoshi to Ayashiki Raihousha

January 16, 2021
Finished Airing Movie
Natsumes Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor
夏目友人帳 石起こしと怪しき来訪者
SummaryIshi Okoshi While searching for Nyanko-sensei, Takashi Natsume encounters meek and small-looking youkai Mitsumi. Mitsumi was entrusted by his leader Gantetsu, a powerful and strong ayakashi, to be the year's "Ishi Okoshi," whose role consists of waking him from his deep slumber. Seeing how much Mitsumi wants to prove himself as Gantetsu's worthy servant, Natsume decides to help him fulfill his task. However, time is running out—for they are not the only ones who want to awaken the divine being.

Ayashiki Raihousha One day, Natsume’s friend Kaname Tanuma is visited by a strange man. In the subsequent days, the visitor briefly talks with Tanuma and leaves. Natsume soon discovers that the outsider is a youkai disguised as a human, who claims to bear no danger. Despite trusting the youkai, Tanuma’s health slowly begins to deteriorate, causing Natsume to become more suspicious of the interloper. What is the truth of his sudden appearance and his connection with Tanuma?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

BackgroundNatsume Yuujinchou: Ishi Okoshi to Ayashiki Raihousha was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 26, 2021 in Japan.

Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi

October 8, 2024
Finished Airing TV
Natsumes Book of Friends Season 7
夏目友人帳 漆
SummaryAs a young child, Takashi Natsume believed his ability to see youkai to be nothing but a curse. Now a high school student, Natsume has managed to heal from his old wounds and form unbreakable bonds with humans and youkai alike. Natsume's newfound friendships—including the one with his spirit bodyguard Madara, nicknamed "Nyanko-sensei"—are often interlaced with his duty to return the names of the spirits written inside the Book of Friends, his late grandmother Reiko's keepsake. While more remarkable youkai reach out to him, Natsume discovers that he still has much to learn about the world that surrounds him.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi: Nobashita Te wa

April 23, 2025
Finished Airing Special
Natsume’s Book of Friends Season 7: The Outstretched Hand
夏目友人帳 漆 伸ばした手は
SummaryThirteenth episode of Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi bundled with the physical release.