Youkai Characters – Nyanko
A rambunctious civilian, Nyanko is one of the first people to meet Astro. She often helps cheer him on and is an audience surrogate for children.
The chubby lucky cat-like creature tags along with Natsume as he looks to release youkai from his Book of Friends. She can also use her bracelets and cat paw gun to fire blasts of energy.
He’s a Youkai
Nyanko is a low-level youkai who acts on his whims. He can be selfish and proud, but he is also surprisingly practical and adaptable. He probably has an ESTP personality type, which shows in the way that he loves adventure and isn’t afraid to take risks.
A fox youkai (or kitsune), Nyanko is cunning and mischievous, and can be either benevolent or malevolent depending on the situation. It’s not uncommon to see this yokai playing tricks on humans, or even using its powers to metamorphose into a human girl to bewitch them.
When he steps on the CD Nishimura lent Natsume, he immediately blames the victim, claiming “It’s your fault for leaving it there.” His actions betray his true nature. He’s more interested in seeing how Natsume feels about him than he is in being helpful to her. He’s like a female version of the ruthless obake youkai in Studio Ghibli films. He likes food in general, and is especially fond of Touko’s home cooking.
He’s a Human
Despite his protests, Nyanko acts like a cat (he gets excited about cat toys and chases small animals). He has a more caring side that he tries to deny or explain away, but as the series progresses it becomes obvious. He is especially attached to Takashi and will go to great lengths to protect him.
He also displays some telepathic abilities as evidenced when he can sense Natsume’s emotions and when he takes on a school girl form resembling Reiko to speak to Tanuma. He can also manipulate weather.
Ultimately, though, it’s hard to tell how much Nyanko cares about Natsume. He does stick around to protect him from yokai and monsters, but it’s fairly obvious that he just hopes he can get the Book of Friends sooner rather than later. Regardless, it’s nice to see him have a soft spot for the little human. The song he sings at the end of chapter 53, “Nyanko-Sensei”, shows that he does care.
He’s a Student
Aside from being one of the most powerful spirits on the show, Madara also happens to be an extremely knowledgable spirit. He’s so renowned, in fact, that he has been given nicknames like “Nyanko-sensei” by Natsume and others.
In addition, he’s a big-hearted guy that goes out of his way to protect those he cares for, which is something that reflects the character traits of someone born under the Leo zodiac sign. Leos are also known for being confident and self-assured, which is something that Nyanko-sensei clearly possesses.
He may resent the fact that he can’t just snatch up the Book of Friends, but his actions belie his true feelings. He’s just interested in seeing how Natsume feels about him, which is why he went through the trouble of hiding a statue that resembled himself in the trash. He’s just waiting to see if Natsume will notice. If so, then he’ll finally get his wish.
He’s a Bodyguard
Throughout the series, Nyanko acts as Natsume’s bodyguard on the condition that he will inherit the Book of Friends when Natsume dies. Though he grumbles about this contract, Nyanko-sensei always keeps his word.
She is also a professional Smash player, and mains Sheik in Brawl and Cloud in SSB4. She can be seen playing both at home and abroad, with many notable victories under her belt.
She is a reoccurring background character that can be seen in the 2003 series. Her father, an architect, and her three cats Maa, Shi, and Ro are always by her side. She is a good-natured but rambunctious girl who cheers Astro on from the sidelines. She is a popular audience surrogate for children who watch the show. Her cat-themed name and the fact that she resembles a maneki-neko make her a popular choice for young viewers. She often wears a red bow headband that resembles cat ears. Her bracelets can fire blasts that remove a person’s Star Seed, and she uses a gun shaped like a cat’s paw that shoots energy bolts at her enemies.