The Bound Ones

The Bound Ones
Name
Kanji	縛られしもの
Romaji	Shibarareshi Mono
Information
Air Date	May 9, 2017 (JP) September 30, 2024 (US)
Episode	68
Adapted From	Chapter 61 Chapter 62
Opening Song	Furōria
Ending Song	Kimi no Uta
Episode Guide
Previous Lying Eyes	Next Nishimura and Kitamoto
List of Natsume Yuujinchou Episodes
Episode Gallery

"The Bound Ones" is the sixty-eighth episode of the 2008 Natsume Yuujinchou anime. It is the fifth episode of Natsume Yuujinchou Roku which is the sixth season of the anime.

Summary

Natsume finds that Tsukiko's home is haunted by not one, but three separate youkai, each with its own motivations. One wants to protect Tsukiko's father, and the other two... Natori wants to exorcise them and protect Tsukiko, but Natsume wants to find some way to protect them. Is there a peaceful solution to this eternal separation between an exorcist and his faithful familiars?

Plot

The yokai that had grabbed Natsume is revealed to be one of Takuma's old familiars. The "housemaid" from before, Ginroe, arrives and saves Natsume, even though Madara was about to fight the youkai. She said that she didn't save Natsume for the sake of him but rather she didn't want anyone to be hurt on their master's premises.

Shortly after, Natsume and Natori encounter another youkai who was also trying desperately to enter the house. All the three youkai are then said to be Takuma's former familiars, from the time when he was still an exorcist.

It's also discovered that Tsukiko was the one that put up the talismans up when two familiars were outside. They believed it was because they were weak and Takuma had been angry at them, thus, banishing them from the house which was clearly not the case.

Natsume, with his extremely powerful spiritual power, has the ability to perform the Ritual of Release in place of Takuma and releasing the spirits from being bound.

After drawing the Release circle and luring the spirits in, the youkai plead to Takuma to see them once again. However, he's unable to hear them and can't sense their presence either.

Natsume releases the two youkai from their contracts, and they fly away, leaving Ginro as the sole protector of the estate and the Yousuke family. It's discovered that she has the intention of being their protector for the remainder of their lives.

Characters in Order of Appearance

• Takashi Natsume
• Madara
• Shuuichi Natori
• Hiiragi
• Urihime
• Sasago
• Seiji Matoba (flashback; cameo)
• Yousuke Takuma (actual debut)
• Tsukiko Takuma
• Ginro
• Jinbe
• Benihimo

Trivia

• Madara calls Natsume by his first name when he and Natori are prepping the releasing spell, though the subtitles translate to: "A little contract like this will be easy for someone with your strength. If you want this to have a happy ending, don't screw this up."
• Madara's eyes yet again turn pale green from black at one point in his borrowed feline form.
• Natori somewhat overheard about the Book of Friends, and asks Urihime of finding out what it is, as he thinks that such a dangerous item should not be in the recklessly kindhearted Natsume's hands.