#me replies

Now, about the theories. I’ve heard about that Natsume’s lookalike might be any of his maternal ancestors, and it could be possible, but I’m not so sure. Sure most youkais confuse Natsume with Reiko, but I don’t think it is entirely because of the way he looks. Natsume shares Reiko’s blood so youkais smell Natsume Reiko and when he tells them that she passed away they realise that he’s his grandson. In the first chapter, Nyanko sensei can tell that Natsume isn’t Reiko after he “looks carefully” because according to him “youkais don’t concern themselves with gender.” Same happens when Hinoe first meets Natsume, after touching him she realises that Natsume is a boy and not a woman. So I think that when youkais confuse Natsume with Reiko it is not entirely because of his appearance, but because of the blood they share and the fact that youkai don’t pay much attention to their appearance.

About Mandara being Natsume’s grandfather. I’ve never heard about this theory and I think is pretty unlikely tbh. The details of the relationship between Mandara and Reiko haven’t been entirely revealed yet, but it has been hinted to be an intimate one. Mandara clearly knows about Reiko’s personality and most of her past. He also has said that Reiko and Natsume are the only humans he has “taken a good look upon”, so he’s able to turn into them. I think that Mandara had the same relationship with Reiko that he now has with Natsume, that of a close companion. However, I do think that his relationship with her was closer than his relationship with Natsume. That would explain why he is the way he is with Natsume now, meaning, that he tries to act cold towards Natsume, when he clearly has affection for the boy. Perhaps, losing Reiko affected him and he doesn’t want to be hurt again when Natsume is gone. Since the lives of humans is much shorter than of a youkai.

Why I think that Natsume’s lookalike is in fact his grandfather and not a maternal ancestor or Madara? Because I believe that the point of revealing such information with that context and timing was to imply that Natsume’s grandfather was an exorcist. To me it makes sense because one of the things that the story has always revolved around is Natsume and the exorcists. Sure, Natsume is close with Natori, but he is clearly unwilling to mix in that world. Also, the fact that according to exorcists the existence of the book of friends is something forbidden creates tension between Natsume/Reiko and the world of the exorcists. In chapter 57 is revealed that Reiko had a child without ever marrying and in a conversation with Nanase, Natsume tells her that Reiko died alone under a tree. This would implied that this grandfather was either an asshole, couldn’t be there because something tragic happened to him, or his relationship with Reiko wasn’t good (maybe because of their beliefs -you know him being an exorcist-)

All of this being theories of course, one can theories what one wants tbh xd But to me Natsume’s grandfather being an exorcist makes more sense, because I feel that the direction the story is going has to do with Natsume’s exorcist part of the family, maybe how Reiko had something to do with this world as well, and how Natsume will deal knowing all this.

Sorry I wrote so much, but like no one talks to me about this stuff so I got excited lol and sorry I couldn’t entirely answer your shipping cuestion since, you know, I don’t ship anything.