A review by rereader33
Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 17 by Yuki Midorikawa

5.0

While I raised a concerned eyebrow over the less than healthy relationship Kaoru and Aoi had, the tag game was really entertaining and I liked the two part side story at the end. It was nice seeing a younger Natori and understanding why he has the feelings and values he has. Matoba, apparently, has always been a giant douchecanoe to the shock and amazement of NO ONE, but it was interesting seeing him at a younger age.

But seriously, the tag game was so fucking entertaining. I loved Natsume's fan club trying to help, but were so unorganized and petty it almost made things worse. Also, I loved how the yokai in charge of the game was generous and held no ill will when Natsume asked to be excused. The balance between the more vengeful yokai (like in the side story) and the more laidback yokai (like in the tag game) is one of the things I appreciate most about this series. Yokai are not all one or the other, just like humans, and that's what makes Natsume's struggles have more depth than if all yokai were evil.

Another fun volume in a fun series, looking forward to more!