Entertainment to the death, make a tokusatsu film that will crush the entire internet.

Shortly after Natsume made his promise to Nyanko-sensei.

The first customer came in.

It was Hishigaki, the yokai who had been chasing Natsume during the day.

She came again, determined to reclaim her name.

Taking this opportunity, a glint flashed in Nyanko-sensei's eyes, and he instantly shed his lucky cat disguise, reverting to his true form as a white behemoth!

With sharp claws and fangs, flowing mane, and a powerful demonic aura surrounding it, it was completely different from its previous fat cat appearance!

"Tremble, mortals! Witness the true power of this great one! Hand over the Book of Friends obediently..."

Before the words were finished—

boom! ! !

In a moment of desperation, Natsume threw a punch that landed squarely on Nyanko-sensei's nose!

"Whoa—!"

The white behemoth let out a painful cry, its massive body swayed, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

He covered his nose with his two front paws, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Holy crap! Natsume's that good?!"

"Wait, buddy, you can take down a monster in its true form with just one punch? Then what are you afraid of monsters for all this time?!"

"If I had that kind of fighting power, would I still be running? I'd be chasing after the monster and fighting it!"

"Isn't the main point the inspiration for Nyanko-sensei?! So cool! So majestic! Even though he got beaten up the next second..."

"Got it, Natsume's character is actually: a seemingly weak and handsome high school student, but in reality, he's a hidden master who can take down a monster with a single punch when chased by it. (doge)"

With the help of Nyanko-sensei, Natsume decides to try to return Hishigaki's name.

"There are many dangerous monsters eyeing the Book of Friends. If you keep messing around like this, you won't have enough lives."

Teacher Cat reminds you.

"Everything will be alright."

Natsume gave Nyanko-sensei a gentle smile.

"Because I have a cat teacher protecting me."

Ban was stunned.

This unreserved trust made it feel a long-lost sense of... unease.

It snorted and turned its head away.

"Whatever! Don't blame me if you get eaten! Listen, here's how..."

Following the method taught by Nyanko-sensei, Natsume tore off a page from the contract, held it in his mouth, clasped his hands together, and concentrated.

When he softly uttered the name "Higaki".

The ink on the pages turned into specks of light and drifted away, bringing a long-forgotten memory to his mind—

That was many years ago, when the young girl Reiko met the lonely yokai Hishigaki.

For a piece of red bean bun, Reiko challenged Hishigaki to a "contest".

Reiko won, and according to the rules, she took Hishigaki's name and wrote it into the Book of Friends.

"That way, you have to show up whenever I call your name!"

However, Reiko never summoned Hishigaki again after that.

Day after day, year after year, Hishigaki lingered at the place where they met.

From initial anticipation to later confusion.

Then came the long wait.

"Reiko...didn't you call me today either?"

"So lonely...so lonely...Reiko...liar..."

"Why...didn't you call me...?"

All expectations ultimately turned into a deep-seated loneliness and inexplicable resentment.

When Natsume pronounces the name, he returns this "contract" and obsession.

Hishigaki's massive body trembled, and turbid tears gushed out.

She looked at Natsume, her eyes no longer filled with resentment, only with relief and a trace of lingering concern.

"Reiko... is she alright now?"

"Even if she's lonely... isn't she afraid?"

Even at the very end, she was still concerned about whether the girl who had taken her name was alright.

"Grandma...she won't be lonely."

Natsume watched the yokai that was about to disappear.

"Thank you, Hishigaki."

"A kind-hearted...grandmother's...friend..."

After the incident with Hishigaki, Natsume realized...

The Book of Friends is not simply a book of curses, but a bond that carries the complex emotions between countless yokai and Reiko.

He decided to stop running away from his abilities and stop viewing the Book of Friends merely as a burden.

He wants to take the initiative to embark on this path and return the names one by one.

Unravel the monsters' obsessions and make up for the "goodbye" that Grandma never said.

The first episode of Natsume's Book of Friends has ended.

The clear and melodious tune of the ending theme song, "Summer Evening Sky," begins to play.

Countless viewers in front of their screens suddenly realized that they had a smile on their lips and their eyes were slightly moist.

"So...so gentle..."

"Waaaaah, even at the very end, Hishigaki was still concerned about Reiko... I'm so upset."

"It wasn't a horror story after all, it was a story of loneliness..."

"Natsume, you little angel! He understands Hishigaki's loneliness because he himself has always been so lonely..."

"The cat teacher pretended to be disgusted, but actually helped! Such a tsundere demon!"

"This subtle healing feeling is so comforting... It feels like the tension I felt from 'Nexus' has been instantly soothed."

"The Land of Light is truly a treasure trove! Intense battles can elevate one to godhood, and gentle healing can touch the very heart!"

"I'm already looking forward to the next episode! What kind of story will Natsume unravel this time?"

"Seriously... this is really a slice-of-life healing anime, right? It shouldn't suddenly become dark and tragic later on, right? (Yang Qian's constant back and forth is giving me a bit of PTSD)"

"Judging from this tone... it should be fine, right? Please, just let Natsume and Nyanko-sensei continue to have this warm and cozy relationship!"

……

Office of the Land of Light.

Yang Qian browsed through the almost unanimously positive reviews of "Natsume's Book of Friends" and then closed the webpage.

A satisfied smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth.

That's exactly the effect he wanted.

After the intense battles and heavy themes, it soothes the heart with the purest tenderness.

The works of the Land of Light are naturally this rich.

However, comparisons on the Internet will never be absent.

Almost at the same time that Natsume's Book of Friends gained popularity.

Tanuki Entertainment's old work, "Hyakki Kitan," which was already half-dead, has been dragged out again for public execution.

"After watching Natsume's Book of Friends, and then recalling the greasy harem plot and the deliberately beautiful but empty monster designs of Hyakki Kitan... the difference in quality is immediately apparent."

"The art style, music, and narrative rhythm of 'The Book of Friends,' as well as the gentleness that permeates the details, are far superior to 'Hyakki Yakou.'"

"Sisters, you have to go watch 'Natsume's Book of Friends'! Natsume Takashi is an absolute angel! Nyanko-sensei is super cute! It's so healing and heartwarming!"

"Lizi Entertainment, please, please change your screenwriter! Stop using every female ghost story to create sexually suggestive content, okay? It's incredibly low-class!"

……

Tanuki Entertainment, Animation Division Office.

Zhang Ming scrolled through these comparisons and criticisms, his face grim.

"Go ahead and curse, curse all you want."

He closed the webpage and looked at the promotional poster for "Invincible Detective Squad" on his desk.

This time, he's targeting young fans who like good looks, ship couples, and enjoy lighthearted, mindless fun.

Especially the younger demographic and the fan economy.

Harvesting leeks is nothing to be ashamed of.

"Notify the operations department that all promotional resources for 'Invincible Detective Squad' should be concentrated on fan communities, short video platforms, and idol support sites."

"The focus is on the good looks of the main actors, their (ambiguous) brotherly interactions, and their cool transformation scenes while protecting the city."

"Get your online army ready! As soon as the show starts, start spamming 'He's so handsome! We love the CP! The action scenes are so cool!' Let's boost the ratings and the buzz!"

They abandoned reputation in pursuit of short-term traffic and monetization of the fan economy.

He cannot replicate the success of the Land of Light for the time being, but he has his own "way of survival".

Meanwhile, on the Land of Light...

Yang Qian also received a promotional briefing regarding the release date of "Invincible Detective Squad".

He glanced at the overly elaborate, even somewhat greasy, poster and smiled noncommittally.

"Different paths."

He spoke softly, turning his gaze back to the screen in front of him.

Let the market be the judge.

Kamen Rider Agito versus Invincible Detective Team.