A boy inherits a book of names that binds yokai to contracts, then spends his life returning them to freedom instead. Seven seasons in, the show hasn't softened or cynical-turned; it still believes in the radical gentleness of remembering something forgotten, of sitting quietly with loneliness and choosing connection anyway. The supernatural elements are backdrop. What hits is watching someone become less afraid of being hurt by caring, episode after episode, until you realize you've been healed by the same thing he has.

Takashi Natsume, now in high school, once saw his ability to perceive youkai as a curse. He has since recovered from those early hurts and built close ties with both people and spirits. Alongside his bodyguard Madara, better known as Nyanko-sensei, he keeps giving back the names recorded in the Book of Friends, a keepsake left by his late grandmother Reiko. In this seventh season, more unusual youkai seek him out, and Natsume finds he still has plenty to learn about the world around him. The show is a supernatural slice-of-life drama with a quiet, unhurried pace.