A Man and His Cat
A Man and His Cat (Japanese: おじさまと猫, Hepburn: Ojisama to Neko) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Umi Sakurai. Self-published as a webcomic by Sakurai before being serialized by Square Enix Manga, the series follows an older widower who adopts an unwanted cat.
| A Man and His Cat | |
Cover of the first print edition of the series, featuring Kanda and Fukumaru | |
| おじさまと猫 (Ojisama to Neko) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, slice of life[1] |
| Created by | Umi Sakurai |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Umi Sakurai |
| Published by | Pixiv, Square Enix |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Gangan Comics |
| Magazine | Monthly Shōnen Gangan Gangan Pixiv |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | 2017 – present |
| Volumes | 12 |
| Television drama | |
| Directed by | Keijiro Tsubakimoto Masahiro Soejima |
| Written by | Mitsuhiko Fujimi Date-san |
| Original network | TV Tokyo, TVO |
| Original run | January 1, 2021 – present |
A live-action adaptation started airing on January 1, 2021.[2] The cats are portrayed by puppets.
Synopsis edit
Fukumaru, a large and homely Exotic Shorthair at a pet store, is regularly passed over in favor of kittens that are younger and cuter than he is. He is unexpectedly purchased by Kanda, an older man who is recently widowed and who has a distant relationship with his adult children. The episodic, slice of life series follows Kanda and Fukumaru as they live and seek mutual companionship together.
Characters edit
- Kanda Fuyuki
- Portrayed by: Masao Kusakari[2]
- Fukumaru
- Voiced by: Ryunosuke Kamiki
Media edit
Manga edit
A Man and His Cat was originally self-published by Sakurai, with new entries in the series posted weekly on her Twitter and Pixiv accounts.[3][4] The series is also published by Square Enix in its manga magazines Monthly Shōnen Gangan and Gangan Pixiv, and has been collected into nine tankōbon volumes.[5] To date, the series has received over 560 million views.[6]
In May 2019, Penguin Random House announced that it would partner with Square Enix to launch Square Enix Manga as an imprint in North America, with A Man and His Cat as one of the imprint's anchor titles.[7] The first volume of the series was released in English in February 2020.[1]
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 22, 2018[5] | 978-4-7575-5626-3 | February 11, 2020[1] | 978-1-6460-9026-6 |
| 2 | November 22, 2018[8][9] | 978-4-7575-5772-7 (SE) 978-4-7575-5773-4 (LE) | July 14, 2020[10] | 978-1-6460-9027-3 |
| 3 | July 12, 2019[11] | 978-4-7575-5626-3 | February 23, 2021[12] | 978-1-6460-9028-0 |
| 4 | January 11, 2020[13] | 978-4-7575-6464-0 | September 14, 2021[14] | 978-1-6460-9093-8 |
| 5 | June 12, 2020[15] | 978-4-7575-6669-9 | January 25, 2022[16] | 978-1-6460-9115-7 |
| 6 | December 11, 2020[17] | 978-4-7575-6920-1 | June 14, 2022[18] | 978-1-6460-9138-6 |
| 7 | March 22, 2021[19] | 978-4-7575-7154-9 | October 25, 2022[20] | 978-1-6460-9139-3 |
| 8 | September 22, 2021[21] | 978-4-7575-7465-6 | July 4, 2023[22] | 978-1-6460-9163-8 |
| 9 | May 12, 2022[23] | 978-4-7575-7939-2 | September 5, 2023[24] | 978-1-6460-9214-7 |
| 10 | November 11, 2022[25] | 978-4-7575-8262-0 | March 26, 2024 | 978-1-6460-9246-8 |
| 11 | May 11, 2023[26] | 978-4-7575-8571-3 | June 4, 2024[27] | 978-1-6460-9268-0 |
| 12 | November 10, 2023[28] | 978-4-7575-8899-8 | — | — |
Video game edit
In the eighth volume of the manga, it was revealed that a video game adaptation is in development.[29]
Other media edit
Short motion comic videos have been produced to promote the release of the tankōbon editions of the series, and feature Jouji Nakata as the voice of Kanda.[3]
Reception edit
A Man and His Cat has received positive reviews from critics. Anime UK News gave the series 8 out of 10, praising the narrative for being heartwarming without being overly sentimental.[30] Manga Bookshelf noted that the book "hits you in the feels" and praised the quality of its storytelling.[31]
A Man and His Cat was one of the top-selling physical manga series on Amazon Japan in 2018.[32] The first Japanese tankōbon edition of the series debuted at 3rd in the Oricon sales rankings.[33]
In 2018, A Man and His Cat was one of the top recommended manga titles in a survey of Japanese bookstore employees.[34] That same year, the series was a runner-up in for the Grand Prize at the magazine's Next Manga Awards organized by the manga magazine Da Vinci.[35] Da Vinci also ranked A Man and His Cat in its annual Book of the Year rankings in 2018[36] and 2019.[37] The series also placed fourth in the 2018 Pixiv's Comic Ranking,[38] and third in Pixiv's 2018 Web Manga General Election.[39] The 2019 edition of Kono Manga ga Sugoi! ranked A Man and His Cat as the fifth best manga series for female readers.[40]
References edit
- ^ a b c "A Man and His Cat, Vol 1". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ a b Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 8, 2020). "A Man and His Cat Manga Gets Live-Action TV Series in January". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Loveridge, Lynzee (30 November 2018). "Jouji Nakata Brings the Charm to Old Man and Cat Manga Promo". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ "桜井海『神とよばれた吸血鬼』が重版決定！『おじさまと猫』の"ふくまる"は幸せを呼ぶ招き猫！？". Otapol (in Japanese). 11 November 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ a b "おじさまと猫 1". Square Enix (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "おじさまと猫". Pixiv (in Japanese). Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Square Enix To Launch New English-Language Manga Book Imprint, Distributed By Penguin Random House Publisher Services" (Press release). PR Newswire. Square Enix. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 2". Square Enix (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 2 ふくまるマスコット付き特装版". Square Enix (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 2". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 3". Square Enix (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 3". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 4". Square Enix (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 4". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 5". Square Enix (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 5". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 6". Square Enix (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 6". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 7". Square Enix (in Japanese).
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 7". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 8". Square Enix (in Japanese).
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 8". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 9". Square Enix (in Japanese).
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 9". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 10". Square Enix (in Japanese).
- ^ "おじさまと猫 11". Square Enix (in Japanese).
- ^ "A Man and His Cat, Vol 11". Square Enix Manga. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- ^ "おじさまと猫 12". Square Enix (in Japanese).
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 11, 2021). "A Man and His Cat Manga Gets Game". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ "A Man & His Cat Volume 1 Review". Anime UK News. 18 February 2020.
- ^ Gaffney, Sean (13 February 2020). "Review: A Man & His Cat, Vol. 1". Manga Bookshelf. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Ressler, Karen (6 December 2018). "Manga Tops Amazon Japan's Best-Selling Kindle Book Ranking for 2018". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Ressler, Karen (28 February 2018). "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 19–25". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Ressler, Karen (4 November 2019). "Japan's Bookstore Employees Rank Top Manga of 2018". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (23 August 2018). "Raise wa Tanin ga Ii, Senpai ga Uzai Kōhai no Hanashi Take Top Prizes at Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (6 December 2018). "Detective Conan Manga Tops Da Vinci Ranking". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (6 December 2019). "Kingdom Manga Tops Da Vinci Ranking". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (27 December 2018). "Yakuza House-Husband Manga Gokushufudo Wins Pixiv Comic Ranking 2018". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (13 September 2018). "Hifumi's Shijūshichi Taisen Manga Takes Top Prize in Web Manga General Election". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (10 December 2018). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Reveals 2019's Series Ranking for Female Readers". Anime News Network. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
External links edit
- A Man and His Cat at Gangan Comics (in Japanese)
- A Man and His Cat at Pixiv (in Japanese)
- A Man and His Cat (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia