Review: The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today, Vol. 1

The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today, Vol. 1 by Hitsuji Yamada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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My procrastination has once again prevented me from writing down thoughts in regard to this wonderfully wholesome slice of life manga which I read months ago.

One thing I love about manga is how, the number of subjects covered is so expensive, one can almost always find a story which caters to your particular tastes. Even if those tastes are particularly macabre. I’m reminded of the many works under the Psychological/ Tragedy/ Mature tags, where several acts which can be considered as an affront to nature are put on page.

But enough of that; we’re talking about cats. And ‘Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu’ is the type of manga that scratches the particular mental itch to satiate the cat lover in me. While there have been several other titles featuring cats as protagonists or glorified mascots, the anthropomorphizing of our favorite cuddly into the salty, intelligent, exasperated, OCD mother hen that is Yukichi just leaves you sighing in contention.

Most cat people have at times fantasized about having their partners grow up to the size of a tiger just so they could cuddle up to the huge fluff balls and say goodbye to all the problems in the world, drowning in bliss. But as several documentaries have shown us, having big cats as pets is extremely dangerous and illegal. So, we can only gaze enviously at dog people, as they get to live that bliss with their Mastiffs, Saint Bernards or Golden Shepherds.

Yet seeing the bear of a cat that is Yukichi, not only being inexorably adorable, caring, and responsible to boot, just satisfies that long lost primal yearning of all cat folks.

It also helps that his strict mother hen personality is paired opposite as well as a direct result of the ditzy, careless, and immature nature of his owner, the well-meaning hoarder Fukuzawa Saku.

Seeing them navigate the perils of everyday mundane life, support each other as a team, and grow as a family, is something envious and engaging to read. Plus, the Tsukkomi of the two is absolute golden.