Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko

As a cat lover and husband of a going-crazy cat lady (I love you, hon.), this manga jumped off the shelf at me. When I opened it I did not know what to expect, however I was very much pleasantly surprised after reading through it.

This manga is a one-shot that tells the story of Chobi, a house cat, and his relationship with his owner, Miyu. The story is told completely from Chobi's perspective, which sets it apart from most other stories of its kind. Through Chobi's inner monologue you get to discern what type of cat he is as well as the sort of owner Miyu is for him. You see Miyu live her life through Chobi's eyes and experience her daily dealings as they're understood by him. Though there are some heavy emotional moments, the story can come off a bit humorous simply because of how Chobi understands the things that Miyu does. It's a story that stays with you to the very end.

I really enjoyed this one-shot because it provided a different look at the relationship between pets and their owners. I empathized so much with the story that it showed just how easy it was to get involved. The artwork is simplistic, yet expressive. All-in-all it's a great read and I definitely recommend it.

The story is told by the cat Chobi's perspective and shows how much he loves his owner. Whenever she's having a hard time, her cat listens and understands something is bothering her but doesn't know the reason. She is worn out and is not coping well with the pressure of being a new adult. He sees when she is crying her heart out but unable to speak, he just stays by her side when he is thinking of how much of a good person she is. It was an emotional ride more so when you know how hard it is to force yourself through things when you're not in a good place. It's even more special if you ever had a cat in some point of your life.

The art is unique, the expressions and hair is differently drawn. Her body is less stylised than most manga that you can see muscles and curves you'd never see in some art styles. I also loved the contrast on the pages. The art had a huge part on conveying the atmosphere in her house which was successfully done.

I recommend it if you want to read a sad story about a cat and his owner which mostly centers around how the cat sees his owner. I don't think this is the one for you if you want cuteness and fluffy feelings.

She and Her Cat is a sweet little story about the invisible hardships of 20-somethings. Miyu is a 20-something year old woman with an office job, barely any friends, and little contact with her family. The story follows her life through the eyes of her cat Chobi. Each chapter is a different season and we see snapshots of both of their lives. This was a very melancholy story about how hard life can get even when nothing drastically bad is happening to you, and about how the little things can hold it together, in this case her cat. I thought it was compelling from start to finish, but ultimately lacked the nuance I've come to expect from seinen slice-of-life stories. Regardless, it was a very solid read that I would easily recommend. 7/10

She and Her Cat was in my opinion, a great story. It features a cat, named Chobi, who lives with Miyu, his owner. The perspective of the story is usually told from Chobi, who experiences Miyu's emotions and actions at her best and worse times, as well as, who Miyu is to Chobi.

Story: 9
The story was short, but, I believe this may actually be quite fitting in a story of its type. The perspective of a cat can only go so far in such settings and genre. So for the story to be short and simple is a nice way of not making the plot become monotonous. For a short story, the events that take place are actually very daring. If not developed properly, the story would essentially be a massive failure with no real mood to support its weight. However, such failure did not occur. The story held its weight by using every possible element of character, moods, and atmosphere.

Art: 9
Amazing art, however, there isn't much I can say about it. It was visually pleasing to see and allowed for emphasised personality to the character.

Characters: 8
Now, here is where things go slightly wrong. I feel the character of Chobi is slightly empty. He made me feel that there isn't enough about him spoken of, other than his immense love for Miyu and that he has a friend named Mimi, another cat in the story. This is a real shame since Chobi's development would have made for a better connection in Chobi's and Miyu's relation. Other than that, everything is fine. Miyu's character is displayed very well, with all the events that happen to her concurrently.

Enjoyment: 9
Quite enjoyable. Again, not much to say, other than a great story and a good read if you have about half an hour to spare.

Overall: 9
Would have given it an 8 if it wasn't for the art and Miyu's character. Other than that, I would recommend it.

This manga may be short but it packs a delightful punch. Told from the perspective of a cat named Chobi, he is a stray picked up by a woman called Miyu and given a new home with her. This quick and simple read takes you on a slow ride through the seasons as Miyu and Chobi quietly live together. Because only Chobi's thoughts are shown, it provides another element to the story that isn't usually present. While we still get to see what Miyu says, we don't get a look inside her head and rely on Chobi to tell us his opinions of Miyu. It's a refreshing way to see a story, and any cat owner will be able to see some parallels to their own life. It's very down to earth, and no matter who reads this they will definitely find little bits that they can connect to. Take an hour out of your day and give this a read- you won't regret it.

A delightful little manga about the life a single, 20-something Japanese woman as seen through the eyes of her cat.

STORY

At first I thought this was a manga original, but after doing some digging apparently the first version of this story was a 5 minute short film Makoto Shinkai made back back in 1999 before he'd hit it big as a director. Now with a few movies under his belt (perhaps you've heard of them, he made this little film called 'Your Name' which seemed to get some attention last year) Makoto Shinkai is revisiting his roots with a four chapter manga adaptation.

If I was being cynical I'd say the reason this manga adapation got an English print release by Vertical Comics despite previous versions of this story going largely under the Western anime radar was because after 'Your Name' made $350,000,000 and Makoto Shinkai officially became frontrunner for the title of 'The Next Miyazaki' (before Miyazaki came back out of retirement again) they figured name recognition alone would move copies regardless of quality. Makoto Shinkai being Makoto Shinkai, however, this short story has plenty of quality. It's not long by any means, but She And Her Cat manages to really capture the feel of the confusion and anxiety of early adulthood, when a lot of life is in flux, you're making big decisions with limited experience and information, and there's the constant pressure to 'figure things out'. It's short, sweet, and doesn't overstay its welcome.

ART

The art is quite lovely. When colors are used, artist Tsubasa Yamaguchi went for a blue pallet that gives the images a soft but vaguely melancholy feeling. Most of the backgrounds consist of various shots of the apartment of Miyu (She) and Chobi (Her Cat, and the point-of-view character), since Chobi rarely leaves home. Telling the story from the cat's perspective is a clever little storytelling trick as it both provides information (we the audience have an 'excuse' to be inside Miyu's home where she let's her guard down and shows her true emotions) and witholds information (Chobi obviously can't read Miyu's mind, so we the audience have to piece together what's going on with limited clues). Miyu is drawn quite well, giving off a wide variety of expressions that are crucial to developing her character.

CHARACTERS

For some reason I always imagine Chobi as having a French accent. If I had to guess it would be because he reminds of the titular character of the French animated film The Rabbi's Cat with the way he talks about his female owner as if she were his lover or mistress (although he's not quite as snarky as his French counterpart). Anyway, getting back on track, while Chobi is a straightforward character with little progression over the course of the story, he's critical as almost all of what we see is what he sees, and he's the only character whose mind we can get inside. Miyu is quite well done as she shows rather than tells what's going on in her life. There are only two other characters with a name and face- a college friend of Miyu's and a kitten named Mimi who Chobi quite openly admits he's only involved with for the physical benefits as all his affection and devotion are for Miyu. Well, at least he's honest. The characters are developed quite well for a short 4 chapter manga.

OVERALL

This is an enjoyable short read that shows once again Makoto Shinkai's excellence in emotional storytelling.