故事主要讲述了女主角桃园奈奈生因好赌而欠债的父亲不知去向，被讨债的人赶出了家。在走投无路之时，她帮助了一位被狗追的懦怯的男人，得知她的遭遇后神秘的男人说出了「我把我的家转让给你吧。」这样出奇的话……

由于父亲欠下了一屁股债人间蒸发，无家可归的女儿桃园奈奈生（三森铃子 配音）只得流浪街头。在这途中，奈奈生帮助了一位被恶狗追逐的男子，男子告诉奈奈生自己名叫御影（石田彰 配音），而在得知了奈奈生的遭遇后，他意外的提出将自己的住处让给奈奈生。一间荒芜的神社——这便是御影所说 的住处，奈奈生自觉上当，却也没有别的地方好去。更令她吃惊的是，御影竟然是神社的土地神，而如今，土地神的头衔，自然也随着住处转嫁到了奈奈生的头上。
莫名其妙的成为了土地神，而身边又出现了称她为“主人”的神使巴卫（立花慎之介 配音），奈奈生还未搞清楚状况，各路个性可爱又调皮的神灵就接二连三的降临到了她的身边。

TV动画剧情发生在昭和元禄时代，主要描写了说书人（落语家）复杂的人际关系。孤高的大名人有乐亭八云、以及硬要拜其为师的与太郎、被誉为“绝代的名人”的八云的盟友助六的遗腹子——由八云抚养长大的小夏等充满个性的角色都会在本作中登场。 无法忘记在刑务所的落语慰问会中见到的大名人·八云的“死神”，出狱的与太郎径直前往寄席。拜倒在八云面前，成为他住所雇工以及弟子的与太郎，却发现在八云之处住着一位名叫小夏的女性。八云与小夏似乎有着他人无从触及的因缘……。

Due to an unusual ability to see strange creatures called youkai, Takashi Natsume has never fit in. Over time, he has accepted that no one would ever believe him and has closed himself.

When Natsume accidentally breaks an intangible barrier, he frees Madara—a mighty spirit in the form of a lucky cat. Madara notices that Natsume bears a remarkable resemblance to his late grandmother Reiko Natsume, an outcast girl who created the Book of Friends. It is now in Natsume's possession.

With no interest in its powers, Natsume decides to keep the book for the sake of his grandmother's memories and to protect it from scheming youkai. Therefore, he makes a deal with Madara: he will hand him the book once his time is up, and in turn, Madara will act as Natsume's unofficial bodyguard. With his newfound goal of freeing those Reiko had sealed, Natsume's relationship with both youkai and humans slowly begins to improve.