Nyanko – The Cat in The Book of Friends
Nyanko-sensei is a dog-shaped youkai that is often seen as a lucky charm. He possesses the ability to change shape and often takes on the form of a cat, which scares off interfering yokai.
He acts as Natsume’s bodyguard on the condition that he inherits her Book of Friends when she dies. Despite his selfish and prideful nature, he grows to care for Natsume like family.
Character
A sprite and guardian spirit of Natsume. Originally, Madara was a colossal youkai that could only be seen by people with great spiritual energy. However, when he was sealed in the Book of Friends, he took on the form of a chubby lucky cat. Hence his nickname, Nyanko-sensei (Nyankichi-kun in the Japanese version). Throughout the series, he protects Natsume for the sake of the Book of Friends, even though he claims to be doing it just because he likes her cooking.
Nyanko is a 1w2 personality type, a person who shows a lot of empathy and concern for other people. She also has a tendency to be impulsive and act without thinking first. However, she has many positive traits, including her loyalty and kindness. This makes her a valuable ally to have. She also teaches Natsume the art of returning names. This knowledge will prove invaluable in later battles. She also has an affectionate side towards Madara, calling him Nyankichi-kun.
Appearance
Nyanko has a cute and adorable appearance, making her a beloved character by many viewers. She is also a strong presence in the series, often stepping up to help others overcome their challenges.
Madara is a powerful spirit, able to shapeshift into various forms, including the cat-shaped youkai yokai known as nyanko-sensei. He is also a source of knowledge and wisdom, allowing Natsume to learn spells from him and even teaching him to read.
Madara exhibits traits typical of the Leo zodiac sign, such as being confident and loving to be the center of attention. However, her dramatic and self-centered tendencies can be problematic at times. She also struggles to set boundaries for herself, which can make her a manipulative person at times. In addition, she has a tendency to be overly concerned with other people’s problems. This may be a result of her desire to feel appreciated for her efforts. It is also possible that she is an Enneagram Type Two.
Personality
Nyanko is a fun-loving spirit who loves to explore new things and has a natural ability to adapt to different situations. He’s also very practical and takes a no-nonsense approach to problem solving. This makes him an ESTP personality type.
Despite being an extremely loud and rambunctious spirit, Nyanko-sensei is actually very shy inside. He genuinely cares about other spirits and their well-being. However, he can be a bit of a narcissist and looks down on those he considers lower-class youkai.
His true feelings are shown when he finds a statue that resembles himself in the trash and hides it on the rooftop to watch how Natsume reacts. He’s interested in knowing if Natsume really does care about him or not.
Relationships
Nyanko is one of the first civilians to meet Astro and she’s good-natured but rambunctious. She treats him very well, bringing him food, keeping him company and worrying when he doesn’t come home. Despite her initial skepticism, she eventually begins to admirer him from afar and supports his endeavors, cheering him on at every opportunity.
She also has a crush on the cat Teresa saved in episode one, who she nicknames Cherry-Chan. He’s a dumb lug who never manages to look her in the eyes for more than a couple of seconds, but he falls madly in love with her anyway.
Interestingly, a small insight into Nyanko’s personality can be seen when she steps on the CD Nishimura lent to Natsume and immediately accuses him of having put it there. It’s a small thing, but it reveals that she’s very interested in Natsume’s feelings. She’s willing to accuse, scold, bicker and plead, but she’s just as eager to see him happy.