Mii-chan wa Kawaretai

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

8.8/10


I can’t tell you how much I absolutely hate and dread the cat-girl trope, as it is becoming more and more used and popular by the day. However, somehow and someway, this manga doesn’t do all the wrongs of its typical counterparts while spicing up the plot a bit.

Well, as the trope comes and goes, it isn’t the most creative nor radical, but it suffices with the small bits of the author’s twist incorporated into the plot; there’s actual progression in each chapter instead of being an annoying “cuteness” fest with a circular plot line.

The characters are also done quite nicely with the main ... cast having their own backstory and issues, while the author doesn’t divulge too much at once. I’d say the plot is as close to perfect as pacing comes for a manga of its kind, since there wasn’t my usual feelings of boredom I would have experienced around the three chapter mark.

Does liking this manga makes me a furry lover? Well, if it does, then I don’t care because it’s worth it. There’s more drama/lore in the plot than your typical wholesome romance you’d see from this manga’s trope, so expect that, but it’s still really wholesome and cute.


Reading Rankings (Portnoy inspired & A Huang Teizan Original)
10 – God’s penmanship
9 – Must-read. Drop everything else.
8 – Instant bookmark
7 – Entertaining
6 – Good to pass time
5 – Why are you reading this?
4 – Bad.
3 – Typical garbage.
2 – My head hurts.
1 – Retirement is a thought.
0 – “Did they even give you a story?!”

Waka Takase, also known as Yorumo Hatarako, is an interesting mangaka. They skirt around target demographics with ease - from seinen to shoujo to some josei sprinkled in, too. The author loves the age gap trope in condensed chapter form - from OL x Cute University Boy (8-year gap) to Waitress X Police Officer (14-year gap), their works explore the dynamics in a short and somewhat playful manner.

'Mii-chan Wa Kawaretai' is the latest ongoing series from Takase-sensei, and it started off rather well.

The concept isn't groundbreaking, but the communication dynamics, art style, and characters all gel well with each other. It's good to see ... a male lead who is a functional, working adult instead of the more common NEET-mangaka-trying-to-make-it-big (or equivalent) a lot of self-insert mangas try to throw at readers. Snore.

The cats are also cute, duh.

The series might have been considered wholesome were it not for two plot aspects the author introduced early on. First, the age gap here. Unlike Takase-sensei's previous works, this one forces the dynamics into an extremely unbalanced Adult x Adolescent paradigm. Second, there's the 'Must-do-before-adulthood Rule' introduced for the female lead's existence as a human/cat hybrid. I won't elaborate what it is, but you'll meet it early on anyways.

Some might not mind this (the series being fiction and all), but these two decisions leave a tacky taste in my mouth. Especially considering that the author can do, and has done better- without a plot point already covered by many other wish-fulfillment/self-insert series.

That said, I think if anyone can subvert expectations and cliches, it's Waka Takase. I hope (and believe) that at least the second plot point will be turned out on its head. If that happens, I'd increase the score of this series to 8. If the plot point persists, that'd be a hard 6 from me, and the 'Mixed Feelings' tag will remain.

As it currently stands, 'Mii-chan Wa Kawaretai' is a solid 7. The male lead x female lead banter is funny and cute, I can see a great cast of side characters on the horizon, and the concept so far ties well into the story, instead of being shoehorned in. And as always, Takase-sensei's art can be simple at times but remains very expressive and entertaining to look at.

So, let me get this straight, there's a family of "cat girls" who turn into literal cats during the night time. They need to...have sex with someone before they turn 18 or they will turn into a cat forever... The main girl is 17 and is, at least, 15 years younger then her love interest. (You find all this out pretty early not really a spoiler)

...what?

All of the cute interactions, all of the interesting relationship dynamics, all the cute art is absolutely tainted by the author's creepy ageplay fetish that he has forced into this story. To be clear, NOTHING, in this story requires ... the girl to be 17 and the guy to be 30+ the story and dynamic could be exactly the same if the girl was 20 and the guy was 25. The weird plot point about having sex before maturity could easily be changed, or the ages could be modified, and nothing would be different about the story.

Also if any of you try and bring up the age of consent in Japan as a defense for this story I will slap you. Even by their cultural standards this age gap is creepy. A fact that is acknowledged SEVERAL times in the story, and the author even has the balls to JOKE about it as if it's a comedic element of his story and not just weird.

The whole cutesy romcom vibe of this manga is absolutely ruined by this. Every time you see a cute, romantic or wholesome moment instead of enjoying it you'll immediately feel gross instead. You can't even try and just forget this plot point because another character reminds the main girl she has to fuck before turns 18 like twice a god damn chapter. There are way better manga that achieve what this one is trying to do without being creepy, please just go read those instead.