TV-Series
Description
Reiko Natsume is the maternal grandmother of Takashi Natsume and the creator of the Book of Friends. She died young underneath a tree prior to the series, her existence primarily revealed through flashbacks and yokai memories. She possesses long ash-blonde hair in the anime (silver in the manga) and amber eyes in the anime (pale green in the manga), featuring distinctive slit pupils resembling a cat's. Her striking resemblance to her grandson causes yokai to frequently mistake Takashi for her. She is typically depicted in her high school sailor uniform, often torn or unkempt due to being targeted by human children who viewed her as a harbinger of misfortune; bruises or injuries from this harassment are occasionally visible.
Profound loneliness and isolation shaped her personality. Despised by humans for seeing yokai, she distanced herself from society and sought interactions with spirits. She frequently challenged yokai to duels, defeating them and compelling them to inscribe their names in the Book of Friends, binding them as servants. While this behavior appeared as bullying toward humans and yokai, it stemmed from a longing for companionship. She maintained a perpetual smile to mask her distress over others' negative perceptions. Despite her aloof exterior, she demonstrated unexpected kindness, such as returning a stolen doll to a child or exorcising a troublesome spirit from Shigeru Fujiwara's childhood home. These acts often went unappreciated, reinforcing her withdrawal from human connections. Her forgetfulness led to unfulfilled promises to yokai, leaving numerous unresolved bonds for Takashi.
Little is confirmed about her early life. She was likely orphaned or passed among relatives, mirroring Takashi's childhood. Her exceptionally high spiritual power allowed her to see, hear, and combat yokai without formal training. A pivotal moment occurred when she befriended Soko Morinaga, a sickly human girl who suggested dueling yokai as a pastime, leading to the Book of Friends' creation. She once intervened in a forest conflict between two powerful yokai, freeing Kibune from a forced marriage by outwitting the combatants and emphasizing Kibune's autonomy. Her later life included a brief, unexplained relationship resulting in her daughter's birth. She raised the child alone as a single mother, never marrying and retaining the Natsume name. Takashi's mother reportedly lacked spiritual abilities and possessed no concrete memories of Reiko, indicating Reiko died when her daughter was very young.
Reiko's relationships were defined by isolation interspersed with rare connections. Among humans, Soko Morinaga provided temporary camaraderie through games, though Reiko's "creepy" reputation initially caused hesitation. A boy from another city occasionally brought her manju and expressed concern for her safety, implied to be Takashi's grandfather. Her encounter with a young Shigeru Fujiwara ended abruptly after exorcising the spirit Karime from his home, inadvertently destroying a room. With yokai, interactions varied: some like Santo or Gomochi awaited her return for decades out of loyalty or gratitude, while others resented her for enslavement or broken promises. Her bond with Madara was significant; though he dismissed her as a "bully" or "horrible woman," he perfectly imitated her appearance and mannerisms, indicating deep familiarity. He stated she was the only human besides Takashi he had "taken a good look upon," suggesting mutual respect or closeness before her unexplained disappearance from his life.
Reiko's legacy centers on the Book of Friends, a powerful artifact containing hundreds of yokai names. Its existence attracts spirits seeking control or freedom, driving the central conflict for Takashi. He inherited her spiritual power, appearance, and mannerisms, compelling him to navigate her unresolved relationships. Through returning the names, Takashi uncovers fragments of her life, revealing her loneliness and unintended impact on the yokai world. Her forgetfulness and early death left a web of loose ends, with many yokai still awaiting her return or holding grievances decades later. This compels Takashi to reconcile her past actions while forming his own path.
Profound loneliness and isolation shaped her personality. Despised by humans for seeing yokai, she distanced herself from society and sought interactions with spirits. She frequently challenged yokai to duels, defeating them and compelling them to inscribe their names in the Book of Friends, binding them as servants. While this behavior appeared as bullying toward humans and yokai, it stemmed from a longing for companionship. She maintained a perpetual smile to mask her distress over others' negative perceptions. Despite her aloof exterior, she demonstrated unexpected kindness, such as returning a stolen doll to a child or exorcising a troublesome spirit from Shigeru Fujiwara's childhood home. These acts often went unappreciated, reinforcing her withdrawal from human connections. Her forgetfulness led to unfulfilled promises to yokai, leaving numerous unresolved bonds for Takashi.
Little is confirmed about her early life. She was likely orphaned or passed among relatives, mirroring Takashi's childhood. Her exceptionally high spiritual power allowed her to see, hear, and combat yokai without formal training. A pivotal moment occurred when she befriended Soko Morinaga, a sickly human girl who suggested dueling yokai as a pastime, leading to the Book of Friends' creation. She once intervened in a forest conflict between two powerful yokai, freeing Kibune from a forced marriage by outwitting the combatants and emphasizing Kibune's autonomy. Her later life included a brief, unexplained relationship resulting in her daughter's birth. She raised the child alone as a single mother, never marrying and retaining the Natsume name. Takashi's mother reportedly lacked spiritual abilities and possessed no concrete memories of Reiko, indicating Reiko died when her daughter was very young.
Reiko's relationships were defined by isolation interspersed with rare connections. Among humans, Soko Morinaga provided temporary camaraderie through games, though Reiko's "creepy" reputation initially caused hesitation. A boy from another city occasionally brought her manju and expressed concern for her safety, implied to be Takashi's grandfather. Her encounter with a young Shigeru Fujiwara ended abruptly after exorcising the spirit Karime from his home, inadvertently destroying a room. With yokai, interactions varied: some like Santo or Gomochi awaited her return for decades out of loyalty or gratitude, while others resented her for enslavement or broken promises. Her bond with Madara was significant; though he dismissed her as a "bully" or "horrible woman," he perfectly imitated her appearance and mannerisms, indicating deep familiarity. He stated she was the only human besides Takashi he had "taken a good look upon," suggesting mutual respect or closeness before her unexplained disappearance from his life.
Reiko's legacy centers on the Book of Friends, a powerful artifact containing hundreds of yokai names. Its existence attracts spirits seeking control or freedom, driving the central conflict for Takashi. He inherited her spiritual power, appearance, and mannerisms, compelling him to navigate her unresolved relationships. Through returning the names, Takashi uncovers fragments of her life, revealing her loneliness and unintended impact on the yokai world. Her forgetfulness and early death left a web of loose ends, with many yokai still awaiting her return or holding grievances decades later. This compels Takashi to reconcile her past actions while forming his own path.