Title: A Man and His Cat Vol. 1Author: Umi Sakurai
Translator: Taylor Engel
Series: A Man and His Cat #1
First Published: February 22, 2018
Publisher: Square Enix Manga
Pages: 144
Genre: Humor, Shonen, Slice of Life
Format: Paperback
Source: Gift
Rating:
Synopsis:
In the pet shop he calls home, a chubby, homely cat whiles away the hours listening to coos of delight from potential pet parents...but he knows it's not him they're fussing over. Even as his price drops with each passing day, no one spares the kitty a glance. Having all but given up on life, the feline dejectedly awaits his first birthday, when he'll officially be past his sell-by date. So when an older gentleman comes into the shop and wants to take him home, the kitten himself is most shocked of all! Will the man and the cat find what they're looking for...in each other?
Review
This manga is by far one of the sweetest most wholesome series out there. A pet story with some honest emotional depth, my heart absolutely melted while reading. A Man and His Cat follows Fukumaru, a chubby exotic shorthair, ignored and viewed as ugly to most people. He is adopted by a kindly older gentleman named Kanda, a lonely widower.
There were so many cute shorts about learning to live with a pet, finding out how to care for them and growing together. Fukumaru is fearful that he’ll be abandoned but gradually learns to trust his new owner. Meanwhile, Kanda finds himself reminiscing about the people he loves and finds comfort in having Fukumaru to dote on. It is a wonderful manga that I found hard to put down.
The story accurately depicts the beauty of owning a pet and the companionship that both pet and owner can provide for each other. Whether you’re a cat lover or a dog lover, this manga understands how a little furry friend can make life more exciting and meaningful. To a pet, an owner is their everything, and they can be some of the most loving members of a family.
It made me think of my own lovable little rescue kitty, a chubby orange tabby cat we named Prince. He had been adopted as a kitten and then returned to the local rescue. Most of the other visitors were clamoring over the kittens, while our little Prince was ignored, already a year old, but we knew he was the one immediately. This manga perfectly encapsulates the joy I’ve felt as a cat owner, it just made me happy.
Quote
“’My pet is the cutest.’ I don’t need anyone else to agree. After meeting Fukumaru, I came to realize… That all pet people are bursting to say that because we all feel exactly the same way.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Umi Sakurai
Manga creator Umi Sakurai burst onto the manga scene in Japan with her debut series The Vampire Called God. She began serializing A Man and His Cat on Twitter, where it garnered a massive following before being picked up for publication by Square Enix Japan.
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