The "scary guy who actually has a heart of gold" trope has been done a lot, and I'll fault Natsume & Natsume for it because it occasionally falls into the predictable narrative beats often associated with that setup. There are parts in these volumes where Natsume is misunderstood, or his intentions aren't made clear because of his intense face, which makes him look like a teenage yakuza who's ready to kill on the spot. However, what shocked me about this story was that these predictable plot beats didn't show up nearly as frequently as I assumed. There's a decent amount of subversion in this story, where Natsume is seen as every bit as good a guy as he actually is. They say looks can be deceiving, but actions also speak louder than words, and Natsume's actions far overshadow his intimidating demeanor.

If anything, his demeanor is more of a source of comedy than a misunderstanding. There is a fun contrast between his soft-spoken, proper way of speaking and how cartoonishly evil he is sometimes drawn, and that did get an occasional laugh out of me, even if it is a joke that runs pretty dry by volume three or four. The expression work across the board is really good, as the artist has shown a wide range of facial expressions not just for Natsume but for all the characters. Characters can be drawn in an intense, angular way or a soft, rounded way, depending on the situation, which leads to a fair bit of visual variety. Given how simple many of these setups and environments are, I'm glad the expressions more than make up for it, preventing the series from feeling as stale as it definitely could be.

Does that change the fact that a lot of what is here are still things that I have seen before in other stories? No, because while I do praise the story for subverting many expectations, most of the volumes still fall pretty firmly in line with what you would typically find in other romantic slice-of-life comedies. Obviously, there's the budding relationship between the two childhood friends. Still, there's also the underclassman rival, the quirky best friend, the side character that gets her own romantic focus for about a full volume, etc. There's nothing really surprising about this story once you realize what it is actually doing. However, what it lacks in surprises and variety, it makes up for with a lot of heart.

I like seeing these characters bounce off each other. I appreciate just how much everybody likes the male lead because his desire to be a good person is genuinely infectious and carries the story. When everybody else tends to overthink or get wrapped up in things like their appearance, he's the guy who will keep doing what he thinks is right. He's not a Gary Stu. In fact, part of his appeal is the self-awareness that there is still a lot he is unable to accomplish. What pushes the series beyond just being okay is how the last couple of volumes focus on flipping that hero goal from a fix-all solution to arguably the book's final problem. What happens when being so dedicated to an idea or a goal makes you lose sight of what's directly in front of you? That's a very under-appreciated idea, and the fact that this story commits to it towards the end is what really pushed me to give it a full recommendation.

Some of the side characters don't get much more to do beyond serving their intended roles. Still, when a character is given definitive focus, the story goes all in, making sure their journey feels as emotionally satisfying as possible. Through them, the story tackles issues that teenagers can relate to, such as family-rooted insecurities, battling preconceived expectations based on appearances, and a general feeling of unworthiness about being part of something genuine. If anything, that final point is probably the strongest theme throughout the story, and it ties many of these relationship dynamics together.

Even our titular characters, Natsume and Natsume, struggle to feel worthy of accepting the kindness they have been given, whether from their friends or from each other. The two leads feel like immature teenagers who wrestle with whether to give in to what they want or to act as they feel they're supposed to in the roles they've assigned themselves, which is very interesting. That ends up being the primary source of character growth for everyone, and I like it when characters are forced to confront the repercussions of what originally seems like a noble intention. It shows that even the simplest setup can have this nuanced flair, which I think is the story's strong suit. It can be very predictable, but that doesn't mean the journey is easy or the result less satisfying. If you have the patience for it, don't judge this story by its cover and find your way to its true heart.