[ID: various cropped natsuyuu screenshots of natsume, tanuma, and hiiragi lying down asleep or passed out, all looking exhausted. the first one has natsume captioned saying "To much has happened today. I'm tired."]
I made a script for special #23. It's not a scanlation, just a script you can match up if you have the Japanese raws but you're struggling with the translation.
I fudged the translation a bit so it would flow more naturally, but I promise it's nothing important. Just things like using natural English or removing the 3 million "apparently"s that Japanese requires because otherwise they think you sound psychic.
A couple of translation notes: I kept "Japanese confectionary" as "wagashi shop" because I thought it sounded too unnatural translated (and wagashi is sometimes used in English). Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets including anything from those fancy flower things (nerikiri) to simpler dango. Wagashi are often served with green tea, which I think fits Tanuma's kind of traditional vibe. Manjuu is also wagashi.
I translated shinyuu (親友) as "close friend" because it flowed best and is pretty close to the literal translation. But if you ask a Japanese person to tell you what they would call their best friend, it's shinyuu. Shinyuu literally means "intimate friend" and refers to a friend you are particularly close to, who understands you deeply, and who you can count on in hard times (and vice versa). Japanese does not have a word that literally means "best friend," so you can technically have more than one shinyuu. But Japanese people don't tend to throw these words around lightly, so for a lot of people shinyuu refers to one's singular closest friend. It varies. You can specifically say "close friend above all others" or muni no shinyuu but you'd generally have some kind of reason for that.
There is also a term "daishinyuu" which is more clearly "very (most) close friend," but I don't think it fits the tone or characterization as it's more modern and informal. Also, part of the reason I was specifically waiting for shinyuu is because Natsume is so stubborn about using yuujin for literally everyone that almost anything would be a milestone, but shinyuu is the classic.
Obligatory comment that I am non-native and not advanced, so minor grain of salt, etc.
Page 1
Sensei: Honestly! How long is he going to make us wait? He was supposed to be here ages ago.
Natsume: It's hardly been three minutes, Sensei.
Sensei: Those few minutes could be a fatal error! If the fresh dango are sold out how are you gonna make it up to me?
Natsume: But really, maybe something
Tanuma: Natsume
Tanuma: Sorry! I didn't mean to make you wait.
Page 2
Natsume: Woah, you're so fluffy, Tanuma.
Tanuma: Ugh… "They said there's a cold front coming through today."
Natsume: Ahh, Shigeru-san said that, too.
Tanuma: I said I was fine but he wouldn't let me go without wearing it.
Natsume: Haha, the priest?
Tanuma: ….
[Tanuma's dad is a Buddhist priest. Ever since he was little, Tanuma has drawn a lot of concern, one way or another falling ill often, so his dad is always worrying and looking after him.]
Sensei: Alright, to the wagashi shop, then!
Tanuma: Can we take a little detour first?
Sensei: WHAT!?
Natsume: Of course, I don't mind. [What for?
]
Tanuma: Just some mail.
Natsume: Mail?
Tanuma: I want to send this—
Tanuma?: Ah
Page 3
[It's blowing away]
[That's—]
Tanuma: Natsume
Natsume: I… I got it.
Tanuma: Are, are you okay, Natsume?
Tanuma: That was so risky…..
Tanuma: —But… it was about to be blown toward the river…
Page 4
Tanuma: Thank you, Natsume.
[When it was blowing away I saw beautiful seasonal flowers carefully painted in watercolor and writing so dense it didn't suit them.]
Natsume: Is that a hand-painted postcard? Sorry, I didn't mean to look.
[Even I don't know why I thought this but]
[it looked]
[just like a love letter…]
Tanuma: Oh, this.
Tanuma: My dad wrote it.
Page 5
Tanuma: To my mom.
[Our friends don't really ask me much because of my family situation.]
[And they rarely talk about their own families in front of me.]
[It's the same for Tanuma.]
Tanuma: My mom is far way.
Natsume: …. Ah.
Page 6
Tanuma: Oh! By "far away" I mean actually far away.
Tanuma: She lives separately.
Tanuma: But that doesn't mean there's a bad relationship.
Tanuma: —How do I put this.
Tanuma: My mom has always been in poor health.
Tanuma: But when she got together with Dad
Tanuma: and had me, her health suddenly deteriorated….
Tanuma: When she was hospitalized, she started to get better little by little but when dad happily went to visit her—
Tanuma: her health failed again—
Tanuma: The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong, so they though maybe my father's visits were causing her some kind of stress.
Tanuma: So there was trouble with my mother's side of the family for a while, but…
Page 7
Tanuma: Dad decided to move out for mom's sake but
Tanuma: Mom hated it and begged and made a huge fuss.
Tanuma: Mom is still in convalescence but she's a lot better now so sometimes I go visit her.
Natsume: —…
[Nyanko-sensei once told me]
[Tanuma's dad was accompanied by an ayakashi with divine power, so terrifyingly strong and capricious]
[if it were jealous of someone like a close relative…]
[The ayakashi I see are sometimes terribly unfair.]
Tanuma: So my dad
Tanuma: Sometimes writes letters like this.
[Just like a love letter]
Page 8
[Because she is dear, they cannot meet. Because they cannot meet, he pours his heart into it—]
Natsume: … Tanuma…
Sensei: Hmph. Don't you write?
Tanuma: Er. Me? … I had been writing but recently it's been hard to write back…
Natsume:—Huh, why?
Tanuma: … She keeps pestering me "send a photo, send a photo." … because I wrote something carelessly…
Natsume: …Photo…? What did you write carelessly?
Tanuma: —…
Tanuma: …—I made a close friend here.
A final note: Japanese frequently drops pronouns so you have to use context to determine who is doing what. The "because she is dear" bit has zero pronouns. That is, a more literal translation is something like "because dear, unable to meet, because unable to meet, pour heart into." You see the issue. At first I thought, given it follows "just [like] a love letter," that it was a more general description of love letters, but "unable to meet because one is dear" seemed too specific so I chose to translate as being about Tanuma's parents in particular.
Not a summary, just something I think interesting.
Spoilers under cut.
Action!
And Natsume was so cool even he's in the doll!
Nice Sensei!
Because now Natsume was the same height as Sensei, he knew that this was the that their home sensei had always seen. Looking at the high ceiling, he thought about whether the house that Shigeru saw when he was a child was like this.
"if
I had lived here since I was a child
──No,
I can always see this place from now on (これから), and it just makes me─..."
Shigeru-san and Touko-san, before Natsume moving in.
Natsume opened his eyes and saw his room.
But Touko's voice came from beside him, asking if it would be better to buy a desk and bed as well.
Shigeru smiled and responded:
"If you prepare too much, it might become a burden to the child.
Even the comfortable home we live in is a rural place lacking entertainment for young people.
Living in a place like this with us who are far apart in age──
First──
Let him want to be here...
──So, from now on (これから)...
It's from now on (これから), Touko-san”
Seeing Shigeru's smile, Touko also smiled and said: "Yes, that's right, from now on (これから)."
Cute!
Looking at Touko's happy smile, Natsume thought of the two bunnies he had hoped to give them.
"Touko-san, actually I also..."
But Natsume decided not to say anything in the end.
after all
──That's right
Let's find it again
After all, it's from now on(これから)
Not a summary, just something I think interesting.
Spoilers under cut.
Cute.
Natsume, don't mind.
Natsume saw younger Touko-san and Shigeru-san..
"Welcome to my home"
The attendant (the being possessing the boy stuffed doll) wanted to seal Makatoki into Natsume's current cat stuffed doll.
But Natsume believed that both dolls were very important.
Natsume gave the rabbits to the attendant.
"I originally wanted to give them to someone else, but I'd be happy if you are willing to keep them."
CUTE
"Speaking of which, she also came to this house."
"She?"
"Didn't Shigeru tell you? When he was a child, he met a strange and violent woman.
She came to this house once too.
I thought you had the same smell as her,
but it is indeed different in some places."
It is too cute.
The attendant threw the fork like his usual trident, but in fact he had been using it as a crutch and now he couldn't even stand up LOL
Sensei: Are you really okay?
In order to seal Makatoki into the rabbit before it escaped, Natsume asked Sensei to buy time.
But when watching Madara fought against Makatoki, Natsume suddenly remembered "Makatoki ate a strong Youkai"
Eating strong Youkai could increase Makatoki's strength, so Natsume shouted, "Sensei, get away from that it and hide..."
I don't know if it's just my imagination...But after Yorishiro no Sato, Natsume seemed to become more and more protective of Sensei...
Not a summary, just something I think interesting.
Spoilers under cut.
Sensei didn't want to believe the "ugly doll" was actually Natsume LOL
Natsume screamed when he realized he had turned into a doll.
Cute.
I really like the scene where Sensei kept tsukkomu.
"Although the length of the hands and feet are subtly different and difficult to use, it is quite comfortable to possess."
"For me, whether you return to your normal self or keep trapped into this ugly thing, yuujinchou will be handed over to me one day. So it doesn't make any difference.
Maybe if you keep possessing to an object like this, you will live longer."
Then Natsume smiled.
"Even if you say so, I can't return the names with this kind of body. That's your aim, right? Sensei.
No.
I will definitely change back."
Natsume seemed to be giving orders with authority(?) and then let Sensei do all the work LOL
"It (Makatoki/まかとき) always escapes to empty houses or abandoned factorys. Although it seems difficult to find, those kind of places can be easily distinguished as long as it goes back in time.
The more desolate and obsolete it is, the easier to find it in those places.
In the gray scenery,
You can see the colors blooming like flowers.
As long as you see the lively time, the time that is always full of light──
Than you can tell where it is.
As for the houses inhabited by humans like this,
It's dazzling everywhere.
Is the quiet side the present? Is the warm side the past?
It's really impossible for me to tell."
I think the person Natsume saw was Touko-san, who was sewing dolls. (Touko-san seemed sleepy during the tea party with her friends.)
Not a summary, just something I think interesting.
Spoilers under cut.
Natori-san's sleeping.
"He can't exorcise youkai if he can't see them.
If it's something he can't do, then just not to do it.
Whether Natori sees us or not,
My heart will not change."
Hiiragi...
──Oh, who can help?
This kid sees things that people don't see.
He says he saw something like a gecko moving around in his body.
No, no, Shuuichi definitely didn't lie.
Can he never see that kind of thing again?
──Hey, please, someone, who can free this child from those terrible things──
Natori's mother really loved her son QVQ
"Ah haha, of course.
It's so ironic,
my mother took me everywhere to save me when I was a child,
yet there is such a perfect curse.
But now I don't need it anymore.
I have decided my path
and have no plans to leave. "
"I'm imitating someone I respect."
Wow, cool.
"You seem troubled, are you jealous?
Obviously that kind of guy is completely incomparable to you.
Then why not make a trap in the warehouse?
As long as the people in the house are told that there is a curse in the warehouse, they will definitely entrust that guy.
He is not experienced enough, so he will be cursed.
That's when it's time for you to show up.
Rush over to help him brilliantly. "
"That way the people in the house will appreciate you again.
Will come back to you again. "
"Hohoho
Just think of it as a simple test given by a master to his apprentice.
As long as he doesn't get cursed and successfully breaks the curse, it will be over.
Is that alright? "
"If he is really cursed and you can't come over,
Let me help him here instead of you. "
"Now, to that guy, to that Takuma,
Let us play a secret prank.
So stop putting on such a sullen expression. "
"Hey, Uryuu──"
She has this kind of gentle expression...
"Takuma" "Yes"
"You should despise me."
"Is it because you were late for the meeting?" "No" "Is it because you ate the expensive snacks that others gave me?" "Is there such a thing?" (LOL)
"It's something that will disappoint you.
I wanted to break it, but I couldn't get through it with my body, and I made my important Shiki do such meaningless thing…
Now think about it, you wouldn't be fooled by that kind of trick, right?
One day you will find out and know my mischief.
Please despise me. For someone of your level, I am not worthy of being your master."
"Oh my, what a troublesome person.
Obviously only I can be your apprentice
──Yes, okay
As long as it is what my master wishes."
Sensei complained, "It's really troublesome! Being ordered around by some master!"
I don't expect that Sasago, who usually quarreled the most with Sensei, actually agreed with him LOL
"──Okay Natsume, I have something I want to discuss with you.
Should I report this matter to Takuma-san, or should I remain silent."
"Huh"
"──That's right…
If it were me──"
To be honest, I originally thought it would be longer. After all, the title uses "Part I, II, III", so I thought it would be more than four chapters.
I didn't expect it to end so quickly.
I was super sleepy when I was reading it yesterday, so I just took a quick glance at it and thought, "Huh? Is it just like this? The master is jealous of his apprentice?" I was a little disappointed.
But now I read it again and feel that interpersonal relationships are really complicated. Fortunately, everyone here is a gentle person…
By the way, I wrote Chinese summaries of Natsuyuu. The translation I put here is from what I wrote in Chinese and Google translated into English.
If I see something odd in the translation, I'll try to change it. But I'm not a native English speaker, so I hope you don't mind if there's anything weird.
Not a summary, just something I think interesting.
Spoilers under cut.
Cool.
I think Natori becomes more and more handsome after he solved his family problems.
'Natori-san you are really awesome'
See Natori's face. He seems surprised.
In the past, Natori often looked for information alone in his warehouse, so he doesn't hate staying in warehouse.
He feels that maybe he would find something if he explored here.
Like things he should know, or the ways he should go forward.
Tsukiko was worried that Natori, as an exorcist, would stay away out because their family no longer carried out exorcism missions.
But Takuma says that perhaps because Natsume relied on him, Natori came here to ask for advice more often.
"I'm a little relieved. Apart from the exorcism works, he also has a friend he can talk to."
Tsukiko asks her Dad about his exorcism works. I like their father-daughter exchange in this scene.
Young Takuma.
Takuma's master Uryuu.
"Even when faced with a paranoid and stubborn old man who is not easy to get along with, he still has the spirit to refuse to give up on learning my skills. People like you who only look down on others, what do you know about my disciple?"
"Come on Takuma, don't be slow and catch up. Do your best to show your strength as Uryuu"
He's soooo cool!!
Natori-san!!
Wetted Natori.
He's been cursed so he can't see the gecko on him.
Even though he was cursed, he still looks handsome.
Natori is relieved because he can still see the shiki. Even if he can't see them clearly.
Natsume asks Natori if he should learn some exorcism spells in order to help.
"──Natsume, when we first met, I wanted you to learn them as a way to protect yourself. But keep looking at you next to you, now──
"──You understand in your heart, too, that if you use too many spells created by the exorcists, somethings will be destroyed.
"Keep using them and keep exorcising Youkai, more Youkai will feel the smell.
"We are already fighting. But Natsume,
"You are still their neighbor."
The shiki (and Sensei) suspect that it was Iwami Keizou who set up the curse, but Natori seems to have other ideas.
Not a summary, just something I think interesting.
Spoilers under cut.
Natori-san, you seems happier!
Natsume comes to ask Takuma-san about the drawing of Reiko.
I really like to see Takuma-san's Shiki is still here helping housework.
Look at their faces LOL
Sensei: I won't come in if it's not liquor store.
Also Sensei after coming in: Wow.
Somehow it reminds me of Mushishi.
Just LOL
He seems very happy when talking about Takuma-san.
+
BTW, I am considering if I continue posting those spoilers or not.
I know someone start to make summaries which are better than mine (I don't even make English summaries) , and it's always around one a.m. after I finish posting those...
Natsume: That back... looks cute.
Natsume: No! That's impossible!!
LOL
Cats
Cats
Cats hopping happily.
Cats hopping happily X2
Cats Tower.
This scene reminds me of Ch.111...
Natsume's father.
A memory from amusement park (or Natsume himself).
Memories leaves with the light...
Natsume remembers his father's smile for him.
If the girl from that portrait is really Reiko...
Maybe this is an expression that Natsume has never seen before (just from Youkai's memories).
Not a summary, just something I think interesting (and important).
Please forgive my poor English and Japanese if I get things wrong.
Spoilers under cut.
Compared with Natsume, who is more willing to protect objects with feelings, Shinobu seems to be more interested in watching the moments when those things bloom like fireworks.
Shinobu promises she will wear the black dress for No.7 if she works well.
Tanuma acts like an excited child when he talks about how he met a youkai who told him a lot and even helped him out.
And Natsume feels happy with him.
But that youkai actually wants to be the No.1 at this house. It attacks No.7 but is counterattacked by Matoba.
Matoba says he just didn't want his father's favorite portrait to be damaged.
Seeing Tanuma's face, Sensei doesn't tell him that youkai he 'made friend with' just attacked people.
I still believe the owner of that youkai (who came into contact with Black Misa before) was Clara. After all, how did Clara know that Black Misa wanted the same thing as herself? Maybe she told somethings to Black Misa's assistant and that made Matoba become interested.
And she seemed interested this auction (mostly for exorcist) quite well...
(And that mask they both wanted came from Notori's uncle's house! That six eyes mask!）
And Tanuma really can tell things are real or not.(That mask is just a copy, Matoba is disappointed)
Compared with the items in the entire house, the real treasure of the Nakatomi couple was Morio.
And to Morio, his real treasures were the couples.
That's why Morio didn't need anything in the house. He just took away his mother's cherished ring after she passed away.
If she was really Reiko, how do we interpret her gentle smile…?
Not a summary, just something I think interesting (and important).
Spoilers under cut.
Maybe it's just me but I think Tanuma's eye here is kind of different.
Morio, Nakatomi family's adopted son.
He wanted to help his adoptive parents as much as he could. He wanted to be their real family.
It seems like Tanuma sympathizes with Morio. (He has been working hard to be Natsume's side, too) (Or he's thinking of Natsume who is also adopted）
Miss No.7 says Ban has good eyes.
Ban mentions Tanuma passed out due to anemia, and tells him if he wanted to leave with his tachi, he needed to forget whatever No.7 had said.
That youkai inside mirror disappeared with Ban's presence. But without the youkai, Tanuma finally sees the pattern on the mirror... just like that tea cup he saw when he's younger. (In Ch.100)
Ban: ——! You have strange eyes.
The youkai tells him to run. So Tanuma says he is just dizzy due to anemia and takes his leave.
The door leads to Nakatomi family's treasure.
Nakatomi family's treasure.
It started to fall apart because it wasn't someone from the Nakatomi family who found it.
Even Morio, who was only an adopted son, and not blood related.
Now Shinobu learns Natsume is strong enough to resonate with the collapsing doll.
But, than, something seems to be appearing...
+
Okay, now I believe that this arc is not just for Shinobu reveals herself, but it's also for Tanuma.
No matter what he had done, the adopted son of the Nakatomi family cannot become a member of the Nakatomi family, and Tanuma obviously resonates with him (he cannot get close to Natsume no matter how hard he tries).
But at the same time, Shinobu seems in the parallel (she is a Matoba even she left the house.)
And...Ban has good eyes.
Ban says Tanuma has strange eyes.
In Ch.118, Tanuma showed his ability to distinguish between real and fake youkai related tools.
Things are getting interesting...
BTW, in ch.123,
I start to believe Clara may be its master...it's too random for it to just came and had a talk with "Black Misa", and Clara is still missing in this chapter.
The reason why Clara wanted to find "Black Misa" may be continued in other arcs.
Only 8 pages special chapter for this month, so it's almost a summary...
I am not a native English speaker, and I used Google Translation mostly (from Chinese to English), I hope the translation is not difficult to read.
Spoilers under cut.
At first, Sensei was drinking juice and waiting for Tanuma with Natsume, complaining about waiting for so long (Natsume: It's only three minutes late, Sensei)
Sensei said that three minutes was also fatal. What if the new dumplings are gone?
When Natsume was wondering why Tanuma was late, Tanuma finally arrived (it felt like the scene in Ch.117)
Tanuma was late because of a cold snap, so his father forced him to wear more clothes.
When they were finally ready to leave, Tanuma said that he wanted to take a detour to find a mailbox because he wanted to mail a postcard.
Suddenly a strong wind blew the postcard away. Natsume immediately chased after it and saw some pattern on the postcard.
When the post card flew up, what Natsume saw was: beautiful seasonal flowers carefully painted with watercolors, and densely written words that did not contrast with them.
Why he thought this way, he himself didn't know.
"Is it a hand-painted postcard? Sorry, I saw it by accident..."
But it looked like a love letter..
"Oh, this is a letter my father wrote to my mother."
Natsume could only look at Tanuma, think that his friends didn't usually ask about his family, and he didn't often talk about them.
The same was true for Tanuma.
"Mom is far away.
Oh, far away really means far away, they live separately.
But they don't have a bad relationship.
──How should I put it? My mother never seem to be in good health.
After she was with my father and gave birth to me, her health deteriorated rapidly...
Her health improved slightly after she was admitted to the hospital. But when my father happily visited her,
her health deteriorated again.
Because the cause was unknown, the doctors said that maybe meeting dad caused her some stress.
And there was a period of time when we had a bad relationship with my mother's relatives...
Dad decided to live separately because of mom.
However, mom was quite against it and made a fuss about it.
Although my mother is recuperating now, she sometimes comes to visit me as long as she feels better. "
Natsume remembered that Sensei once mentioned that Tanuma's father was possessed by a youkai with divine power, and that the youkai was very powerful.
But it may be jealous of the people around him. (Vol.16 Ch.66, this part was deleted from the anime)
(The Youkai I see can sometimes be very unreasonable...)
"So my father writes letters occasionally."
(It's just like a love letter.)
Because she is important, they cannot meet. Because they cannot meet, he put his heart into it──
Natsume could only say Tanuma's name helplessly, and then Sensei asked: "Hum, did you write a letter then?"
Tanuma put his hat on Sensei's head.
"Eh? Me?... I did write to her, but it's hard to make a reply lately..."
When Natsume asked why, Tanuma said his mother had wanted him to send photos because he unintentionally mentioned something in the letter.
"Photos...? What did you mention by accident?"
Tanuma thought awkwardly for a long time, and finally said:
"...I made a best friend here."
+
We finally know about the situation of Tanuma's mother.
I am glad that he did not grow up in a single-parent family...
But maybe Tanuma's mother is also sensitive to youkai? That's why she met her husband? I believe how these two people met and interacted can be a good story LOL
Also, for Natsume's first "like a love letter"... did he actually think that it was written by Tanuma (Huh?
Natsume's second "like a love letter" might be referring to the feelings of those unreasonable youkai who want to monopolize the people they value...
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