Natsume Yūjin-Chō Roku

Episode 4

This episode of Natsume Yūjin-Chō Roku was called “Lying Eyes,” but if mine are seeing things right, it was the most finely storyboarded episode the show has had in a long time. What rescued this first half of a two-parter from being a tease was how well it was framed. From scene order to transitions to camera angles, every moment of this episode feels mysterious and significant, giving this detective story permission to overstay its welcome.

The episode begins with a grandfather clock I've never seen in a home that's never been featured, prompting an unfamiliar man to embark on an errand. From then on, this same clock chimes at significant moments in the episode, including the penultimate scene. The clock becomes a signifier—when you see it, you know stuff's going down. While Natsume Yūjin-Chō is certainly about the importance of particular objects, most notably the Book of Friends itself, it's rare to see the story center so prominently around one. Beyond the clock's round face, circles abound in this episode. When Natsume is caught in the rain, we see people's circular umbrellas from above. From Natsume's face reflected in the clock's face to Hiragi gazing down at a round pond—which transitions into natori opening a moon window, this repetition abounds. Visual clues encourage the viewer to solve the mystery in real time with natori and Natsume.

If circles and clock faces were a visual recurrence, mystery and detective-work recurred within the plot. At the beginning, Natsume is watching a movie where natori plays a dashing detective out to prove a beautiful woman's innocence. This easily segues into natori's latest puzzling exorcism job, attempting to remove an evil yokai from the home of a former exorcist. It's got all the hallmarks of a timeless whodunnit—a big empty mansion, an absent head of the household, strange noises, a suspicious maid, etc. Perhaps because this isn't my first mystery, I'm most apprehensive about the former exorcist's daughter, who seems the most innocent, but conveniently prompts Natsume into a dangerous situation twice (the rooftop investigation, followed by the broken teapot). This episode is playing by the rules of a good mystery, but I'm still nowhere close to deducing its conclusion. If it's really good (and I won't know for sure until next week), the answer will feel like it was in front of me the whole time. Based on this episode's habit of repeating motifs, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case.

With a name like “Lying Eyes,” this episode is asking the question of whose eyes are lying. The maid seems antagonistic, but as Natsume points out, deeply earnest. The exorcist's daughter believes something evil is watching her, but is it something with deceit in its gaze? Or is the meaning that Natsume's own eyes are tricking him, and nothing is what it seems? This episode ends on a tumultuous cliffhanger—but if you watch carefully, you'll recognize Natsume's assailant as somebody who was featured earlier (look at the outlines of the exorcist's familiars). From beginning to end, this is a page-turner of a mystery, and the subtle hints it drops justify its status as a two-parter. If only I didn't have to wait!

Rating: B+

Natsume Yūjin-Chō Roku is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist.