Rise and shine, pornies. How is your week going? Mine started a little south, so to speak, yet I smiled a lot with a beautiful story that reflects many aspects of the nowadays so-called modern world. It is a romance that starts a little complicated, yet evolves into something beautiful that you can't not love: The Cat Proposed, by Dento Hayane. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!
- Print Length: 256 pages.
- Publisher: TokyoPop (February 23, 2021)
- Publication Date: February 23, 2021.
- Genres: Comedy, Gay, Fantasy, Romance, Yaoi.
- Rating: 4 / 5
Matoi Souta is an overworked office worker tired of his life. Then, on his way home from a long day of work one day, he decides to watch a traditional Japanese play. But something strange happens. He could have sworn he saw one of the actors has cat ears.It turns out that the man is actually a bakeneko — a shapeshifting cat from Japanese folklore. And then, the cat speaks: "From now on, you will be my mate."
I was a fan of neko drawings and art when I was in high school, a young baby otaku who identified with the sweet yet ferocious human-cat hybrids, so I was drawn to this manga almost instantly. The idea of fated mates was very unappealing, to be honest, but when I started reading it became clear that it wasn't the case. In fact, this is more similar to a Beauty and the Beast kind of story, where two people get into so much trouble that the best solution is to start a relationship.
Now, I have to say that this romance was complicated from the beginning. It looked like it was kind of abusive towards Souta, but the more I read the more I smiled and the more I wished my own Kihachi would find me. Their dynamic was just too sweet not to fall in love with them, not to mention the realness in it. It was sugar-coated but heartfelt, and while the extension may seem a little scary, it doesn't feel long at all. Kudos for that!
The only real complaint I have is that we didn't get much information about the bakenekos' world. There are bits and piece here and there, but nothing substantial that makes us understand how it works i a detailed way, or why it works like that. There is a chapter that explains how they come to be born, but other than that their society is a big mystery to me.
Despite the lack of world-building, I would recommend this manga for anyone struggling with real life. I felt identified with Souta because of how he felt, his thoughts, his feelings, and wished things would be different, that there would be a cat being out of folklore tales, that makes everything much better. The Cat Proposed is one of those readings that will stay with you, and Dento Hayane's name will as well the next time I'm looking for a manga to read.
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