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Watching 'My Roommate is a Cat'

A Look at the 2019 Manga Adaptation of a Guy and a Cat Living Together

By BoblobV2Published 5 years ago 4 min read
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My Roommate is a Cat is a slice of life comedy, that aired in the winter season of 2019. The show was produced by relatively new studio, Zero-G, that was established in 2011. Their first animation was Battery The Animation, and was also responsible for the TV adaptation of Dive!!. The series was directed by Kaoru Suzuki, who also directed Dive!!, and was an episode director for Inuyasha, Prince of Tennis, and Psycho-Pass. My Roommate is a Cat is based off of a currently ongoing manga, written by Tunami Minatuki, with the art being done by As Futatsuya, published in Comics Polaris. The anime ran for 12 episodes in total.

The narrative revolves around a mystery author who is not good at talking to people, and takes in a cat he finds in the cemetery, when visiting the graves of his parents. After the meeting we see how the two interact with each other, and how it affects them both as individuals, allowing them to grow and open themselves up to others.

While the central premise of the show does not inspire a great amount of interest when it is looked at, what we end up getting is a surprisingly heartfelt narrative of two individuals who learn to depend on each other in a positive manner. Whats more is that we actually get to spend each half of the episode in both characters perspectives, seeing the mentality of both of them, as opposed to just one of them. As the narrative progresses there is visible organic growth in the part of both characters, and this is exemplified by the fact that the cast of characters that they end up spending time with gets larger, and the time they spend together is increased. By the end of the show the amount of change that they have gone through is completely believable. In addition the narrative is both heartfelt and emotional, as we see the hardships that the characters go through, both in the lives that they live, and the feelings they have festered up as a result of their actions.

The visuals are quite simple, and it is not as sakuga heavy, as much of the show is set in a house with very simple movements. What makes the visuals stand out is how vivid the picture is, as the colour is vibrant. The detail that is in the surroundings makes the house feel very much like a home, and when more and more people are coming in to spend time with the two central characters, there is also a feeling of warmth that permeates from the frame.

The characters are all distinct, with different distinguishable characteristics. They also have distinct designs, which makes associating them with their personalities that much easier, as you do not have to think hard about who they are. As a result of the cast being as small and intimate as it is, we get a real feeling of friendship from each of them, and a genuine earnestness to them that is refreshing to see. Plus the interactions they all have with the cat, Haru, is fantastic to see, especially when the narrative is told through her perspective. As the show goes on we get an extraordinary amount of, both, character development and character progression in every episode for the two leads. This is helped by the fact that all, save for the final two, episodes have a contained narrative that serves the purpose of progressing the characters forward.

While the music that is in the show is not all that impressive on its own, it does the intended job, by being an accompany piece for the anime, which helps to elevate the emotions of the scene. The opening theme, on the other hand is fantastic. There is an energy to the opening, with an upbeat tone that really sets you in the right mood to watch this show, and is great track to listen to on its own.

In closing this is not a show that I would recommend you to go out of way to watch, however if you are looking for a feel good anime that looks good, is heartfelt, and earnest. I would recommend you to see it. An added benefit is that it ends with a definitive. There is no set up for future installments, or a massive cliffhanger to drive you towards the manga which is a massive bonus. The show is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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About the Creator

BoblobV2

Writing about anime, and anything else I find interesting.

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