Ito Junji no Neko Nikki: Yon & Mu
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu

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This is just going to be a short review.

For me, I enjoyed reading this manga very much! A fan of Itou Junji after reading Uzumaki, I began reading his many other works. After hearing that he's not some psycho manga artist, but instead, a gentle cat lover who drew a cat manga about his real life experience with his cats, I know I must go and read that manga!

All the works from Itou junji that I have read was horror or gore related. Only this was so cute and.. normal! Normal in a way that there's no blood or rotting flesh related things appearing inside here!

It's so comical at how Itou Junji's drawing style are used in this 'normal' kind of environment. Imagine the horrified faces Itou Junji draws, when the protagonist sees a rotted body or spirals or tomie reviving a thousand times (in Uzumaki, Tomie), being used here, when the protagonist is instead, faced with cute and cuddly cats!

It's just so funny and different from his usual works. This is a must read!

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Today, we’re looking at his cat diary that he wrote when he and his wife first got married. In the manga, he dubbed over their names and called them like J-san, A-ko, Yon, Muu, etc. It actually hardly matters because the focus on the story on how he’s trying to cope living with cats, since he’s a dog person.

What makes this pretty funny is that he’s telling a non-horror story using his signature horror style. It kinda makes things creepier than he intended but once you’re stuck in a style, it’s hard to get out of it.

There are a lot of moments where we can relate to – trying to get the cat’s affections, when cats do weird things, when cats run away. The cats themselves definitely have their own personalities and honestly, I think Junji wasn’t entirely serious on doing this manga in the first place. It says what it is right on the tin: a cat diary.

He learns things that people like him would learn about cats and how people are with them. I don’t have much to say about it because it’s really cute and it’s really funny. Within the manga, there’s also some questions some fans would ask him and he’d earnestly answers them!

If you’re a cat fan, you’ll relate to this manga. If you’re a Junji Ito fan, then this is a funny piece of trivia to have in your arsenal. It’s a nice and light read to kill some time but I wouldn’t really want to pick it up over and over again unless I can truly relate to the antics (which I probably won’t since I have cat allergies).

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Junji Ito, easily the greatest horror mangaka ever, decided to write an autobiographical diary about taking care of his two cute cats with his wife. It was a radical departure, but Ito's talent shined through, creating a funny, entertaining work.

Despite being a manga about two adorable felines and his wife, Ito uses the same drawing style and presentation as for his horror manga. The wife has pupil-less eyes and a demonic grin. The cats are constantly drawn as creepy, fearsome beings internally plotting among themselves for their owner's demise. Frequently, Ito draws himself as an insane monster. This art style and presentation, when contrasted against the stories of taking care of two adventurous felines, is amusing and stays that way throughout the almost 200 pages of the manga. Everyone outside of Ito's household is drawn as a normal, cheerful person, adding to the humor.

The individual chapters detail different episodes of dealing with cats, from their adoption to them curling up on a bed to one escaping and being caught. It's entertaining enough for cat lovers and owners, but one obviously shouldn't expect Ito's usual creativity. It is, after all, a cat diary. Ito was smart enough to end it after 10 chapters, before the cat's antics became repetitive, and the charm of the horror-style presentation faded away.

One aspect I really enjoyed were the color photos of Ito's two real-life cats contained near the end of the manga. After seeing them, I was even more impressed by Ito's fictional depiction of them in the manga. Then again, as a cat lover myself, I know there is a little devil inside even the most innocent of cats!

Junji Ito's Cat Diary is a good, solid manga I would recommend to any fans of his, cat lovers, or anyone looking for a short, fun read.

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There are really two major pieces to this manga.

1. It's a humorous look at a man who's forced to learn to become a cat person thanks to his new wife. As a cat guy myself, the behaviors--both by cats and people--ring true to life.

2. It's Junji Ito. He's best known for his horror work like Gyo and Uzumaki, so to see this very different side of him is inherently interesting. And occasionally that creepier side still comes through, either through something his character thinks, or some drawing that looks particularly twisted. Just check out the picture used on this site to represent his character.

If either of those pieces pique your interest you might like it. If both do, definitely give it a go. It's 10 fairly short chapters, so it's not a very big commitment to experience.

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