Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1 by Konami Kanata
Life is tough on the streets, even if you’re a cat. So young kitten Chi’s existence could have been cut short when she got separated from her mother due to distraction. Fortunately, Chi is soon found by the Yamada family. Papa, Mama and toddler Yohei don’t initially plan to keep Chi, as their apartment does not allow pets. But none of their friends have room for another cat, and thus the Yamadas wind up adopting Chi.
This series was all the rage a few years back, and it’s no surprise. Cute kittens are always popular, even with people who aren’t into manga or anime. And Chi is adorable. The simple stories deal with Chi learning about the world, and the Yamada family adjusting to having a cat while dodging nosy neighbors.
There’s a bit of sadness in the early chapters, as Chi initially misses her mother very much, but slowly forgets her. Like many kittens, Chi gets into things she shouldn’t, and a visit to the vet is no fun. The final chapter in this volume is Chi being left alone in the apartment for a few hours.
There’s some toilet humor. Chi is not housebroken at first, and her name comes from Yohei’s childish mispronunciation of the Japanese word for urination.
While the marketing demographic was adults in Japan, it’s quite suitable for children as well. Parents of younger readers might want to talk to them about the ethics of rule-breaking as the Yamada family isn’t obeying their apartment’s regulations, and about bringing stray animals home.
Recommended to cat-loving manga fans, and as a gift for cat-loving relatives and friends who don’t otherwise read manga. (It’s even colorized and this edition reads left to right like an American book!)
Here’s the opening of the 2016 remake of the anime!
