Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1 by Wataru Nadatani
Series Name: Cat + Gamer
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Dark Horse
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-50672-741-7
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks
Desription from the Book
LEVEL UP WITH A NEW FELINE FRIEND!
Riko, a twenty-nine-year-old office worker with an obsession for video games, finds her quiet life upended when she takes in a stray cat! Having no experience with pets, Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care, while her cute companion tries to understand Riko’s behavior and personal obsessions through a cat’s worldview.
Personal & Info
I originally found this series while browsing, and it sounded cute. It wasn’t urgent on my list of things that I wanted to read, so I put it on my wishlist. A friend ended up sending me a copy as a gift, which is kind of funny, because the series focuses on a tuxedo cat, and that particular friend has a tuxedo cat.
The book itself doesn’t specify an intended age group. I listed thirteen and up because that’s the typical age group for most manga. There’s nothing inappropriate in it. The only thing that might affect interest is the fact the main character is a twenty-nine-year-old adult. As long as the reader likes cats and their cute antics, this manga will probably be enjoyable.
Characters
Riko Kozakura is a twenty-nine-year-old single woman who works at a trading company office. She’s a gamer, and she lives alone.
Kikuta sits next to Riko at work. She’s twenty-three, and while they aren’t exactly friends, they do occasionally converse. Kikuta loves cats, but can’t have any because she’s allergic.
Musubi is the star tuxedo cat of the story. He’s only a couple months old. His exact age is nonspecific since he was a stray.
Miho Obayashi is the recurring pet shop employee. She’s twenty-one, and thinks Riko is an oddball.
Story & Thoughts
This is a really cute series. Riko takes in a stray kitten without even thinking about it. She knows absolutely nothing about cats, but just can’t say no to that cute kitty face.
The majority of the story is through Riko’s perspective. At the end of each chapter, there are “Bonus Stage” comics that show Musubi’s perspective for whatever went on during the chapter. This is reminiscent of Chi’s Sweet Home, in my opinion. If you like either of them, you would probably like the other.
Riko’s life revolves around video games. Whenever she’s not working, she’s at home playing games. The book does a decent job assisting readers unfamiliar with parts of that lifestyle by providing footnotes about activities and terminology. The problems she encounters are definitely relatable.
Overall, I think this is a good book or series to read if you like cats or just want something cute and funny. It was an enjoyable light-hearted read when I had some time to kill. Don’t expect to be blown away, but it’ll probably make you smile. It’s not on my priority list, but I’ll likely be getting more of this series eventually.