Takashi Natsume  

, 夏目貴志

In the anime series "Natsume's Book of Friends," Natsume Takashi serves as the main protagonist. Like his deceased grandmother Reiko, he possesses the ability to see and communicate with ayakashi (spirits). He inherited a book of contracts known as the Book of Friends from her, which binds these spirits to servitude when they are defeated by Reiko. As Natsume resembles his grandmother closely, he is often mistaken for her and pursued by ayakashi who despise Reiko but yearn for the Book of Friends. To rid himself of this trouble, Natsume resolves to end the book by returning all contracted names to their original owners. He enlists the help of Madara, a youkai nicknamed "Nyanko-sensei," who promises him possession of the book once he dies in return for his protection until then. As an orphan, Natsume was passed from relative to relative throughout his childhood. His ability to communicate with ayakashi made him isolated and labeled a liar by those around him. He became reclusive in order to lead a relatively normal life with people. Eventually, he was taken in by the Fujiwaras, a middle-aged couple from his father's side of the family who genuinely cared for him. Natsume did not want to cause them any trouble, so he kept the ayakashi problem secret. Natsume possesses incredible spiritual power that allows him to physically harm youkai. He develops friendships with both youkai and exorcists, though many are interested in using him for their own benefit. In the anime, Natsume is portrayed as cheerful and good-natured, while in the manga he is slightly more dismal and short-tempered, especially towards Nyanko-sensei. To return the names inscribed in the Book of Friends, Natsume must first visualize the ayakashi in his mind to learn its name. The book then flips open to the page where the name is written, which he takes out and places in his mouth while exhaling. Since Reiko's saliva and breath were used in the original spell that enslaved the spirits, Natsume, as her grandson and one who resembles her closely, is able to use the same spell to release each name. However, doing so drains almost all of his energy with each release.