|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||
|
|
Reviewed by Victoria Martin Animal lovers wear their hearts on their sleeves, at least when it comes to their critters. This is particularly true in the case of cat people. I speak from experience in this matter, so my interest was piqued when I heard about Chi's Sweet Home, which tells the tale of a kitten who is lost and found, and of how life changes for both cat and her human servants. I mean owners. However, I have to say that I found these two volumes on the whole underwhelming, and in the end nothing more than a pleasant diversion. Before we dig into the books, I should take a moment to address why this review is of volumes one and three. These volumes were the ones which I was sent and so, while I have read up on what happens in volume two, I have not actually read it. However, given the nature of this series, I was able to follow the events in volume three without difficulty. As stated above, the story is about a cat that eventually comes to be named “Chi,” and how she comes to join the Yamada household. Right at the beginning of the story, Chi finds herself separated from her mother and siblings and hopelessly lost. Eventually she collapses in a park, where Yuhei—the Yamadas' young son—discovers her. They take the kitten home, despite the fact that pets are not allowed in their building, and hijinx ensue. And ensue. And ensue. There are some very good jokes in the series—enough to inspire small chuckles to full-out laughter. In particular, Chi's reaction around anything she deems “prey” tends to be quite fun and very recognizable to anyone who has found their feet turned into feline targets. However, there are two things in the story that work against it: the main one is the lisp that Chi is given, in an effort to linguistically reveal her age. As usually happens when such a tactic is used, it becomes annoying very fast. The second is the plot concerning how the Yamadas have to hide Chi from their neighbors and the “nosey” super (who is, of course, just doing her job). Given that this situation is completely of the family's own making, it can be frustrating to watch because there are two obvious solutions: 1) get rid of the cat or 2) move someplace where you are allowed to keep her. Thankfully, by the end of volume three it looks as though this plot has finally run its course. The use of the lisp also decreases, though it is still present in this volume. Overall, the series is cute fluff and it shows definite signs of improvement. The book itself is also a rare treat for manga lovers, as the entire volume is in full color (though the art is flipped to read left-to-right, something generally frowned upon these days). However what the series does lack, at least so far, is heart. Recent bestselling books such as Marley & Me show that animal hijinx can be hilarious and heartwarming. Chi's Sweet Home has the first part at times but is lacking in the second. It is still an enjoyable read but not as memorable as I had hoped it would be. To end on a brighter note, here is a picture of my own darling kitty, named Elphaba. As you can see, she loves books just as much as I do (though I apologize for the lack of manga on the shelf).  Review copy of this title provided by Vertical If you'd like to read more of Victoria's work, check out her blog: Hues of Indigo. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line!
Charles Webb
Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com
Share |
5 November 2010
|
||||
 |
| home | reviews | news | features | about us | advertise | privacy policy | contact us |
