Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor
Directed by Hideki Ito
Produced by Shuka
A gentle, folklore-rich anime about friendship and supernatural connection, balancing warmth and wonder with quiet melancholy and the bittersweet costs of otherworldly bonds.
The film will be made up of two stories: "Ishi Okoshi" and "Ayashiki Raihousha." In "Ishi Okoshi," Natsume meets a small youkai called Mitsumi in a forest. Mitsumi is entrusted to wake up the divine youkai "Iwatetsu" from its deep slumber. Mitsumi weighs on Natsume's mind, so he sets out to help Mitsumi with his task. In "Ayashiki Raihousha," a mysterious visitor appears in front of Tanuma. Nearly every day, the visitor visits Tanuma, talks to him a little, and then leaves. Natsume, who knows the visitor is a youkai, worries for Tanuma, but Tanuma enjoys these exchanges with the youkai. The youkai means no harm, but Tanuma's health slowly starts to deteriorate.
Clusters
Questions people ask
Is Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 82% of films.
Is Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor violent? Barely. Less violent than 76% of films.
Is Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor sad? Somewhat. More sad than 70% of films.
Does Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor end with hope? Somewhat. More hopeful than 65% of films.
Is Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 58% of films.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Distinctly its own thing.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
