Catnaps, Catnaps Everywhere! Manga Review (Minor Spoilers)

Synopsis

Necchi is a large tuxedo cat who belongs to the cat manga creator Pandania. Told in a series of single page, diary-like comics, Necchi’s cute points are highlighted and put on full display in this full color manga. Whether he’s napping, chasing tissues, gently pushing away things he doesn’t like, or blocking his owner from making cat manga, Necchi’s everyday antics (and catnaps) are captured in this collection.

Cutest in all the world

Pandania has quite a few cat manga titles, such as Cats With Jobs and The Evil Secret Society of Cats. Catnaps, Catnaps Everywhere! is specifically told as more of a diary comic. The glue that holds the manga together is Pandania imagining why Necchi the cat does the things he does. Even when Necchi steps on her ribs, she imagines Necchi on a log staircase, complete with hiking backpack. She imagines Necchi as a large benevolent cat that lords over her, and it is with this hierarchy that Necchi and Pandania co-exist. It probably comes as a miracle that comics get made when Necchi chooses the best spots to sleep (on the drawing tablet) or summons his human to bed with meowing. How can a tired manga artist resist? (Spoiler: She doesn’t, and acknowledges it as an excuse to not work on her manga.)

I am not a “pet” type of person. Sometimes people show me photos of their pets and exclaim how they are the cutest in the world, and most of the time, I smile and nod along, as I know it makes the other person happy. But in this case, Pandania has successfully won me over with this manga. Necchi really is the cutest in the world. Each page, with a self-contained gag or insight, was like cat paws gently kneading me into the form of a Necchi supporter. Necchi’s antics are perfectly captured in Catnaps, Catnaps Everywhere! with a mixture of Pandania talking to Necchi, and captions that show her thought process into making this and her other cat manga.

The art is very simple, but very expressive. Pandania draws herself as a doughy white marshmallow person with two slanted lines for eyes and a flat line as a mouth. Necchi is a black and white cat made with round shapes. Necchi’s eyes are sometimes slants, sometimes round sad voids, and sometimes open with the most judging expression you can somehow draw on a cat. Necchi’s smugness (and good sides) come through, and you can see the love that Pandania has for Necchi. Necchi doesn’t talk except for all the cat sounds that he makes, but Pandania’s commentary into Necchi‘s behaviours blends it all together with her drawings.

Other people that Pandania knows or meets also appear in this manga. In one short comic, a mail courier comments on how cute Necchi is and Pandania is really happy because she doesn’t have too many opportunities to show Necchi off to others. Cat owners will be able to relate, and even former non-believers like me will too.

The manga doesn’t just chronicle everyday activities with Necchi. There is also some backstory on how the manga creator became a part of what some people call the “Cat Distribution System.” The CDS is where a cat suddenly appears in one’s life without warning and stays. It’s a familiar story, but even when told for the millionth time, Pandania makes it fresh.

I also liked that the tone of Pandania’s writing was consistent for the entire volume. At the end of book, Pandania mentioned that drawing the comics has given her a better understanding of Necchi, and I’m glad that we’re allowed to come along for the ride catnap.

The Verdict

You probably don’t know it yet, but you need to read this cat manga. I know that sounds cliché, but I need you to experience meeting Necchi through the eyes of cat fan Pandania. You will have your heart warmed by the antics of a very sweet cat and the imagination of Necchi’s owner. The cat paw beckons…become a fan of Necchi…the longest of tuxedo cats…the cutest of cats… While Necchi may not be as cute as your own cat (if you have one), this manga will be right at home on the shelf of cat fans and people that enjoy diary comics.

If you like Catnaps, Catnaps Everywhere!, you might also like…

• A Man and His Cat by Umi Sakurai
• Cthulhu Cat by Pandania

Credits

Story and Art: Pandania
Translation: Minna Lin
Lettering: Carl Vanstiphout
Cover Design: H. Qi
Copy Editor: Leighanna DeRouen
Proofreader: Danielle King
Production Designer: Christina McKenzie
Editor: Linda Lombardi
Published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment

Thank you to Seven Seas Entertainment for providing a review copy. Receiving this copy did not affect the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here.

Article edited by: Anne Estrada