By Yuki Midorikawa. Released in Japan as “Natsume Yuujinchou” by Hakusensha, serialization ongoing in the magazine LaLa. Released in North America by Viz.

I tend to follow Hakusensha’s serializations more than other publishers, mostly due to my obsession with many of their authors. Seeing the huge popularity of Viz’s releases of Vampire Knight and Ouran High School Host Club, I knew that they (and others) would be scouring LaLa looking for the next big hit.

This one was it, surprisingly. Or perhaps not that surprisingly. Japan loves its yokai. Ghost and spirit folklore pervade Japanese culture and Japanese manga, from GeGeGe No Kitarou to Yu Yu Hakusho to xxxHOLIC. And though the series may theoretically star its title character, so far it’s all about the yokai.

In fact, its star may be one of the weaker aspects. Natsume is not exactly a passive hero. We certainly see him doing a lot, and his desire to give the names in the Book Of Friends back to their original owners is both noble and mature of him. And we get a sense that he feels alone and apart from everyone. But those same qualities make him seem a very insular character. I hope that future volumes devote themselves more to bringing him out of his shell. And an outgoing side character would help, too – the only other potential semi-regular we meet is just as quiet and insular.

The manga itself is a very refreshing change for the Shojo Beat line from Viz, as it’s not focused on a typical girl meets boy romance. In fact, the author has said in the side notes that she wrote this title to be able to write a ghost story, not a romance story. This allows us to focus on the yokai themselves and their struggles. Natsume’s grandmother, Reiko, has trapped them to a certain extent, and you feel bad for them even as you worry, as many of them are attempting to kill Natsume.

The plot seems episodic, which makes sense for a series where the goal is to find each ‘name’ in the book. Each chapter brings a new yokai with issues. Helping him along on each mission is Nyanko, a yokai who usually takes the form of a ‘lucky cat’ statue. He’s an amusing combination of mascot, mentor, and jerkass. My favorites this volume were the temple spirit whose one lone worshipper is passing away, and the swallow yokai who has fallen in love with a human.

The manga can be very heart-breaking, but manages to balance the line between sympathetic and mawkish very nicely. The end of the last chapter here will probably bring a tear to your eye.

It’s a refreshing change of pace manga, especially in a Shojo Beat sense. I look forward to future volumes, and seeing if Natsume can get more characterization so that he properly shares the title with his Book Of Friends.