English Dub Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends “That Which You Must Not Call”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Natsume temporarily loses the ability to see yokai after being poisoned by the spirit. Will he be able to stop the yokai from eating Taki without his sight?

Our Take:
There was a lot for us to celebrate regarding the start of the new year. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for our yokai-seeking friend. The previous episode left me mildly surprised, thanks to its unexpected cliffhanger, which saw Natsume being captured by an evil yokai. That yokai placed a curse on Natsume and his new friend, Taki, and the two joined forces to find it. However, with Natsume at the hands of the spirit, Taki and Madara are at a disadvantage.
“The Maiden’s Circle” was a great change of pace regarding the episodic narrative. The show usually focuses on Natsume dealing with one yokai per episode. However, That episode and “That Which You Must Not Call” switched things up by playing the “two-parter” card, with Natsume and Taki hunting the malevolent spirit with a scarred forehead in more than one episode. “The Maiden’s Circle” has done wonders in introducing us to its new character, Taki, and a yokai that’s more threatening than the others. With “That Which You Must Not Call”, this brief saga was able to cap things off in a satisfying and mildly tense fashion.
One major element that made this episode tense was Natsume being poisoned by the spirit, later identified as an evil mirror yokai. Thanks to the yokai’s poisoned tongue, Natsume lost his ability to see the other yokai, including Mustache. Fortunately, he can only see Madara since he has the vessel of a lucky cat, but not when the cat’s true form is revealed.
It not only briefly raised the stakes for Natsume and Taki during their quest to outsmart the yokai, but it also showcased more of Natsume growing more fond of his gift. He originally thought seeing the yokai was an annoyance, but after losing his ability, he started to miss having them around. This tiny development should help Natsume be more open to the friendly spirits and his high school friends as the series progresses.
My only minor issue with this episode is a plot hole involving Natsume’s neck tied up with the yokai’s rope. His hands are free, so he should be able to lift the rope out of his neck and get to the mirror faster. Other than that, “That Which You Must Not Call” is a solid conclusion to the second season’s two-part saga that’s fairer than the yokai’s rigged game.