English Dub Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends “Following a Narrow Path”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
While on the run from a fearsome yokai, Natsume accidentally sits on a tiny mushroom yokai.  The mushroom yokai is incensed, as it has a meeting with a ‘noble person’ later that day.  It insists on Natsume helping it prepare for its meeting with this ‘noble person’, and Natsume finds himself drawn into the strange story of its past…

Our Take:
After our brief trip to Natori’s past, the season shifts its focus back onto the real star of the show, who encounters yet another yokai-related situation.  Can you guess how this episode started?  If you answered, “being chased by a hairy yokai,” congrats!  That’s exactly what happened to Natsume in a similar way as in “Soundless Valley”.  I’m starting to think that hairy yokais might become a thing when all is said and done.
After that brief escapade, Natsume assists a small mushroom yokai named Mitzusora in meeting with a noble yokai named Lord Shuon.  Mitzusora wants to join Shuon’s group of noble yokai to repay his debt in saving the little mushroom from a wolf.  Unfortunately, when they finally meet Shuon, Mitzusora is warned by the noble yokai that he’s embarking on a narrow path.  This means that Mitzusora has much to learn to become a noble yokai like Shuon.  When we first meet Mitzusora, the yokai appears stubborn and spoiled, yet he is inspired to achieve the impossible.  Based on what I’ve seen, it seems that Mitzusora must be selfless and wise to be by Shuon’s side.
If that’s the case, then “Following a Narrow Path” effectively portrays it without spoon-feeding its message to the viewers.  It unsurprisingly follows a similar pattern as the other episodes, and Mitzusora may be a tad annoying regarding his voice.  However, this is one of the more tolerable episodes that handles the narrative structure well.  Next week’s episode looks like the season will break that pattern again to focus on its supporting characters.  So we shall see how that turns out compared to Natori’s misadventure.