July 1, 2022
Grades 8-12 Riko Kozakura works hard all day to make sure she gets out right at quitting time so she can maximize her gaming time at home. Not a fan of work socials or overtime, she is as surprised as her coworkers when she volunteers to take a stray cat home. She doesn't know the first thing about taking care of another living being, and how is this going to affect her gaming? Musubi is a very loving and playful cat, and Riko draws upon her experience as an RPG player to handle and understand how to care for her cat--including likening fleas to status ailments and play time to leveling up. Volume 2 doubles down on the slice-of-life feel with short chapter adventures of Riko finding more ways to care for Musubi, including constructing a monstrous cat tower and "equipping" him with a collar. Nadatani's illustrations of Riko's apartment, Riko, and Musubi are extremely detailed, and the illustration team clearly had fun making cute cat poses for Musubi, somewhat based on the mangaka's own cat, who is shared with readers in a photo at the end of volume 2. This is a delightful feel-good manga that will leave cat-loving readers with warm fuzzies. This might be a great read for fans of Kanata Konami's Chi's Sweet Home who have grown up and have other hobbies, particularly video gaming.
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June 24, 2022
Gr 6 Up-There's a charm to the simplicity of a book whose whole premise can be boiled down to its title. There's a gamer. Then she gets a cat. It's exactly as straightforward and adorable as it sounds. What's particularly clever is the way in which Nadatani inverts the typical cat/owner comedy dynamic, with the kitten frequently playing the role of the straight person. Eschewing a more cartoony, chibi style, Nadatani frequently draws Musubi the cat in a very realistic manner, with lead character Riko serving as the exaggerated comedic foil. It's a clever idea, and the art is up to the task of pulling it off. There are countless silly cat manga out there, so a silly cat owner one is appreciated. The author includes short interludes between the chapters that are told from the kitten's perspective, allowing readers to see things from both sides. Just as "cat" only makes up half the title, though, it also only makes up half the story, as proceedings focus heavily on Riko's life as an obsessed gamer. Lots of game-based humor is present as a result, which may not always land with gaming-ignorant readers who were drawn in by a cute kitty cover. For readers in the middle of the cat and gaming Venn diagram? It's an absolute delight. VERDICT Told through slice-of-life vignettes, this comedy manga might be light on belly laughs, but it is big on smiles. This adorable book should be a first purchase for collections serving fans of cats and gaming.-Nate Hipple
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