Since the earliest days of civilization, humans have adored the cuteness and inscrutability of cats. Humans have welcomed cats into their homes as furry, four-legged members of the family. Yet throughout all of that time cat lovers have struggled to understand what cats are thinking, struggled to comprehend cat psychology. From the Egyptian cat god Bastet to the concept of the “cat burglar” to modern manga’s fascination with cat girls, humans have always wished for a breed of cat that was more human-like, which could communicate its thoughts in words that people could understand. Manga artist Iro Yugi used that inspiration to create his charming, easygoing slice-of-life manga series Nukozuke! One Peace Books will officially translate the manga for English-speaking cat lovers beginning September 24th.
The Nukozuke! story begins when perpetual part-time job-hopping Yuya Amane finds two stray cats on his way home from work. Except these two cats turn out to be nuko, a new species of “neko” (“cat”) that have evolved to adopt human-like characteristics. Yuya agrees to adopt the two evolved cats, and from there the peaceful lives of the new pet owner and the two house-cats becomes warmer, happier, and more fulfilling than ever before.
Young man Yuya lacks ambition but not talent. He’s friendly and well-liked, a good cook, a responsible dad to his two new pets, and also a bit of an irresponsible layabout, prone to sleeping in and frequent naps at wherever the impulse finds him at. So his new pet cats, the female black kitten Sasame easily mistaken for a boy, and the feminine-looking adult male calico nuko Kei, find that they have to take care of their owner just as much as he has to watch over them. Yuya gets just enough characterization to function as an endearing protagonist. The manga’s focus sits squarely where it should on the innocent and naïve Sasame and the cynical & short-tempered tsundere Kei. The majority of the first manga volume focuses entirely on the routines of Yuya and his new family members becoming more familiar with each other. Yuya learns the various ways in which nukos are cat-like and also human-like while the nukos themselves learn what life is like with a caring, considerate owner providing for them. The first manga volume doesn’t even begin to expand its cast until near the end of the book when Yuya’s next-door neighbor Yamato Kishimoto is introduced in chapter 19.
To be expected of a cute comedy manga, Iro Yugi’s illustration emphasizes cuteness within the artist’s loose, quick-sketch illustration style. Backgrounds are effectively drawn when necessary but sparingly used. The manga does a good job of keeping the eye engaged by employing extensive screen-tone and simple background effects that give the panels a sense of fullness and activity. One Peace Books’ localization retains Japanese visual sound effects with in-panel translations. The translation by Laura Egan is fluid and natural while still retaining some of its original Japanese flavor in the form of references to Japanese culture including dekopons, tsukimi, hina-matsuri, nekojita, and the rabbit in the moon, and occasional unique phrasings such as, “Alarm of cuteness blast!” The translation includes two instances of the word, “assh*le!” but is otherwise entirely all-ages friendly. The 168-page book contains the manga’s first 24 short 8-page chapters, the additional 2-page story printed on the covers of the tankouban release, a bonus 10-page chapter of one-page strips, an author’s afterword, and a 2-page glossary of Japanese terms and references that appear within the book.
Readers who enjoy gentle, whimsical, slice-of-life comedy will settle into Nukozuke! instantly. Tonally readers that have enjoyed titles including Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto, My Roommate Is a Cat, Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost, and Poco’s Udon World will find similar pleasure in Nukozuke!
