Two quiet, self-contained stories about the youkai only Natsume can see, and the small, unresolvable worry each one leaves behind.
What is Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and about?
The film is built from two separate stories rather than a single continuous plot. In "Ishi Okoshi," Natsume meets a small youkai named Mitsumi deep in a forest, entrusted with the task of waking a much larger, dormant divine youkai called Iwatetsu. Mitsumi's burden ends up weighing on Natsume as well, and he sets out to help see the task through rather than stand at a distance from it. In "Ayashiki Raihousha," the focus shifts entirely: a strange visitor begins appearing in front of Tanuma, arriving almost daily to talk briefly and then leave again. Natsume can tell the visitor is a youkai and grows uneasy about what the meetings might cost, even though Tanuma finds real comfort in them and shows no interest in ending them. The two stories share the same gentle, unhurried rhythm the series is known for, letting a small supernatural encounter carry real emotional weight without forcing either story toward a tidy resolution.
About the cast
The Japanese voice cast is led by Hiroshi Kamiya as Natsume, alongside Kazuhiko Inoue, Kazuma Horie, Takaya Kuroda, Akemi Okamura, Cho, and Hisako Kanemoto.
Context & significance
Directed by Hideki Ito, this 2021 feature continues the Natsume's Book of Friends franchise, keeping its two-story structure and its interest in youkai who are more melancholy than menacing. Fans of the franchise will recognize the format immediately: a compact runtime, two self-contained cases, and a consistent focus on the quiet cost of seeing what other people cannot, rather than on spectacle.
Watching Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and on Ktime
The film is available on K-Time with both Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles, so it can be watched either way depending on preference. Access requires a free K-Time account login as part of a paid subscription, with no separate charge on top. K-Time's Farsi-language interface makes it simple for Persian-speaking anime fans to find a compact title like this alongside the platform's wider catalogue.