Natsume’s Book of Friends Season 7 Episode 9 – Ritual Gone Wrong

Usually, episodes of Natsume’s Book of Friends are standalone. However, there are occasional installments which require two parts to fully capture. Season 7 Episode 9 is only the first half of this adventure involving a welcome ritual for the guardian spirit of an ancient house. There will be a second part next week. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at this fascinating episode.

Episode 9: That Which Blocks the Ceremony

Episode Rating: 8/10

This episode contained a lot of small details and bits of information that I enjoyed. For example, it introduced the idea that loquat trees are grown in some areas of Japan. The loquats are yellowish fruits of varying sweetness, so not everyone likes them. Nevertheless, they are considered a luxury fruit. I’ve never had a loquat. I don’t remember seeing one in a grocery store, either. I’d like to try one though.

When Natsume gets invited to pick loquats with Natori, he is a bit puzzled. (Nyanko-sensei, on the other hand, is delighted for the chance to eat a delicacy.) Natori explains that picking loquats was something of a pretext, and he was actually just checking on Yorishima’s estate. (Yorishima was the older exorcist who helped with the scarecrow spirits earlier in the season.) But it’s true that the house has several loquat trees laden with golden fruit. Also note: the old houses in this neighborhood are beautiful!

As Natsume starts picking the fruit, he catches a glimpse of the next house over, beyond the stone wall. There’s a white flag over there, but a mysterious hand is seen using scissors to cut the flag free. The piece of white cloth flies over to Natsume (and nearly knocks him off the wall). Natsume and Natori stop what they’re doing to return the flag, but they find the neighboring house unoccupied. At least, it’s unoccupied by a family living there. However, it’s full of several exorcists led by Matoba.

There is moderate tension between Matoba and Natori, but that’s normal since, in terms of exorcism, the Matoba Clan is the equivalent of a hospital while Natori is the equivalent of an independent quack doctor. Regardless of their differences, Matoba asks Natori and Natsume to help him prepare the ritual for the guardian spirit of this house. It’s a tradition of the Miharu family, which used to live here before the clan basically died out. The Matoba clan is trying to honor the Miharu family since the latter eventually joined the former and was assimilated.

Because of what Natsume saw regarding the flag, it become clear there is someone or something trying to sabotage the ritual. Matoba and Natori were working together, while Natsume and Hiiragi were elsewhere. As they are investigating, something locks Matoba and Natori into a room they can’t escape. Even Matoba throws a chair at the window, it won’t break to an enchantment cast on the room by the previous owners.

Matoba’s servants prepare to start the ritual, while Natsume hurries to find Matoba and Natori. Suddenly, a yokai appears, throws a ball at Natsume, and tells him to leave. “Children should play outside,” the spirit says, in a voice that sounds like an old lady. This yokai may want to disrupt the ceremony, and may have a grudge against adult exorcists, but it also doesn’t want Natsume to get hurt.

Natsume chases the yokai and almost falls into a pit trap. The yokai saves him from the fall, and states that it wants to prevent the ritual because it hates the Miharu family who used to live here. Summoning the guardian spirit would honor the tradition of the Miharu family, so the old lady yokai is against it. Suddenly, the yokai loses balance and falls down into the pit with Natsume. To be continued.