Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie: Ephemeral Bond

Takashi Natsume possesses the ability to see spirits known as yokai, a gift that often isolates him from other people. Along with his guardian Nyanko-sensei, he uses a inherited book of names to return identities to these creatures. While navigating these two worlds, Natsume reunites with a former classmate, bringing back distressing memories of a spirit. He also finds comfort in the company of Yorie Tsumura and her son, as Yorie possesses knowledge regarding Natsume's grandmother, Reiko. This peace is interrupted by a mysterious yokai stalking the town. In a strange turn of events, a supernatural seed grows into a tree, and after eating its fruit, Nyanko-sensei splits into three separate versions of himself.

Directed by Takahiro Omori and Hideki Ito, the film is a blend of animation, drama, and fantasy. For Omori, this followed Hotarubi no Mori e and preceded Sumikko Gurashi: The Little Wizard in the Blue Moonlight. It served as the first directorial effort for Ito before Shabake. The voice cast features Hiroshi Kamiya, Kazuhiko Inoue, Kazuma Horie, Ryohei Kimura, Hisayoshi Suganuma, and Rina Sato. Produced by companies including Aniplex and TV Tokyo, the movie earned 22 million USD worldwide. Audiences responded positively, with the film earning a 7.2 rating on IMDb from 758 votes and a 7.4 rating on TMDB from 35 votes.