If you love cats, this is a Manga series for you! Chi is a very cute little kitten that has lost its way. On an outing with her mother and siblings, Chi becomes separated from them. Realizing that she is lost, she desperately searches and encounters all sorts of scary things out there- like dogs and speeding cars! Exhausted and scared, Chi wanders into a park, and with a thud falls down, tears streaming down her face. This just tugged at my heart! At the same time a very young boy named Yohei falls with a thud right across from Chi, crying. The two look into each other's tear filled eyes and Chi thinks, "You don't know where your home is either, huh?" And then Yohei's mother comes to help Yohei up. Yohei tells his mother that the kitten fell down too, and asks his mother what they should do. Well, how can you leave a cute little abandoned kitten all alone in a park? They bring Chi home...Although there are complications... the Yamada family lives in a building that doesn't allow cats... And Chi still yearns for her family, especially her mother. But after failing to find a good home for Chi, the Yamadas decide to keep Chi as part of their family, and hide her from the neighbors. This makes for some very entertaining stories, one of which is how the Yamadas solve the problem of Chi showing herself to the neighbors after learning to jump onto the window sill so she can get a look at the whole world!
Chi's Sweet Home is written by Konami Kanata. In volume 1, there are 20 short chapters that see Chi learn to use the litter box, learn what taking a bath is all about, learn what the vet is and other cat like adventures. It is a very sweet, very cute Manga that even Publisher's Weekly picked as one of the best Manga in 2010...
"This manga has got to be the cutest thing 2010 has seen. Kanata gets inside the head of a tiny lost kitten who has a mind of her own which gets her into all sorts of wild adventures. Full color fun and a perfect reminder of why cats are adorable."
There are currently 4 volumes available, with the fifth volume coming this february. Nice features of Chi's Sweet Home is that it is written in a western style, which means you read it like a normal graphic novel. AND, it is in full color! Another nice touch, because most Manga is in black & white.
This is a Manga series that all ages can enjoy. In Japan this Manga is popular with adults as well as children. Chi is a sweet kitten, but she does have spunk and a mind of her own! If you've ever lived with a kitten you will really appreciate this story, but it's a universal story about finding ones place in the world and being part of a family. I really enjoyed reading this first volume of Chi's Sweet Home and look forward to the next volume!
*P.S. I read this as part of The Manga Reading Challenge 2011!
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