This was a pretty episode with some nice, soothing shots of skies and sunsets. Compared to the previous episode, the twelfth and final installment in the season felt a little underwhelming. Still, it was cute and enjoyable in the usual way of this charming anime series. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this season of Natsume’s Book of Friends, and I’ll eventually write a review for it as well as adding my thoughts about the earlier seasons. Thank you to anyone who’s joined me for these episode reviews.

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Episode 12: From the Path of Dreams

Episode Rating: 8/10

The episode opens with a beautiful sunset. Natsume is showing the sunset to a yokai in the form of a small paper doll made of origami. We never learn the true name of the yokai in this episode, but Natsume calls her Origami. (I refer to the yokai as “she” for colloquial reasons; but spirits might not have genders like humans do.) Natsume gets quite attached to Origami and takes very good care of her.

Origami usually travels with another yokai, collecting beautiful sights from around the world and storing them as vivid, replayable memories. But Origami needed to rest for a while. Since Natsume protected Origami for some time, she rewarded him and Nyanko-sensei by showing them wonderful dreams at night, each one full of gorgeous memories she compiled. The first dream included a meteor shower over the ocean. Repayment in the form of dreams: Leave it to Natsume Yunjincho to invent such a poetic concept.

Natsume’s attachment to and respect for Origami was the highlight of this endearing episode. I love how he talks to her so gently. It was adorable when Origami was asking questions as they walked through town. That’s when Origami learned of the existence of florists. Natsume taught her that flowers could be used by humans as signs of appreciation and affection. That fact will have more significance later.

Flowers are important themes in this episode, likely representing personal progress and gratitude in life. That’s why I loved that moment where Natsume’s foster parents pointed out that a flower would soon bloom in the garden Natsume built earlier this season. It’s rare for this anime to reference other events in the same season, which made the moment even more special. Natsume has made progress and feels hopeful and grateful. He’s like a plant that finally found a good environment in which to blossum.

There were a few other good moments in the episode – like when we saw Taki again – leading up to the point where Origami leaves. She tried to show Natsume her true form, but it looked unsettling, and Natsume had assumed she was some other evil yokai. So, before leaving, Origami showed Natsume her true self in a dream. This time, the boy realized that the black “monster” in front of him was actually Origami. He seemed happy to exchange a few words with her. Origami thanked Natsume for showing her the sunset.

When Natsume and Nyanko-sensei wake up, they find their futon surrounded by pictures of flowers drawn in colorful yokai ink. Origami had set out on her journey, but she left behind a “sign of appreciation or affection.” I thought the flower drawings were really pretty. So did Natsume, apparently. He seemed to like Origami a lot, expressing his hope that they could meet again some day.

I really liked Natsume’s final line in this episode, especially as we are entering a new year. He asked if it was possible to show his family the flower drawings, but Nyanko-sensei answered that the yokai ink would not be visible to them. So Natsume said, “I see. Then let’s make sure to remember this.”

It’s a little cliché, but we should treasure our memories – especially memories that can’t be stored as photos or videos. Appreciate your feelings, both positive and negative. 2024 was not a good year for a lot of people in a lot of ways. Nevertheless, let’s make sure to remember it. Happy New Year’s Eve from Anime Rants.

~Thanks for reading~

Written by 7Mononoke

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