English Dub Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends “Nyanko’s Book of Boredom”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
When Natsume finally has enough of Nyanko’s behavior, Nyanko leaves, wandering about by himself and causing trouble.

Our Take:
It was only a matter of time before the hard-headed cat’s obnoxious behavior landed him in trouble. However, I didn’t think it would be until the tail end of the first season that Madara would get the boot. With how that kitty treated Natsume and the other yokai, I was surprised that Natsume hadn’t kicked him out sooner. Better late than never, I suppose.
The episode consists of Madara heading off on his own after Natsume kicks him out for stealing the shrimp from the Fujiwaras and stepping on his borrowed CD. Although, the storyline doesn’t just focus on the Maneki Neko. It also focuses on Natsume living without Madara and watching over a little kitten that was on his doorstep.
We’ve seen Natsume dealing with Madara’s stubbornness during his quest for ten episodes, which adds to the show’s charming humor. “Nyanko’s Book of Boredom” tested the series’s waters by having Madara interact with characters outside of Natsume for the entire episode. Throughout the episode, Madara has encountered several yokai plotting to boycott him, Natsume’s classmates by the strip mall, and Tamiko, a young girl stuck in a ditch. He’s also a drinker, believe it or not. Madara would eventually returns to Natsume after rescuing Tamiko despite being jealous of his new kitten friend.
The plot features a brief fish-out-of-water segment regarding Madara disguising himself as a young woman, like in the fourth episode. It involves him encountering Kitamoto and Nishimura while trying out human things like food and the arcade. It may not add anything new to its formula, but it was amusing seeing Madara interact with Natsume’s friends in a subtle yet goofy way. I also like how Madara understood how compassionate humans were when Tamiko held on to him during a rainstorm. It represents Madara’s turning point in displaying affection towards the humans despite his selfishness.
While “Nyanko’s Book of Boredom” didn’t take the spot as my favorite episode in the series, the plot is far from boring. It took a small risk in having an episode centering on Madara, and the result is just as charming as the other ones. Although, it would depend on how you feel about the character so far. In my opinion, Madara is the type of character whose stubbornness and cruelty are overshadowed by their comedic chops and charisma. This episode is another suitable example of this theory, which made me glad I didn’t kick him out of my life as well.