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Cat Man
A poignant story that exposes the cognitive bias rampant throughout modern society--from the point of view of a man who happens to be a cat!
In a world where humans and humanoid cats coexist, shy cat man Hachisuke struggles with being seen as just a "cute" object. Trying to fit in among humans who don't fully understand him, he faces society's hidden biases head-on. With wit and warmth, this story challenges us to see the world differently--through the eyes of a cat who just wants to belong.
In a world where humans and humanoid cats coexist, shy cat man Hachisuke struggles with being seen as just a "cute" object. Trying to fit in among humans who don't fully understand him, he faces society's hidden biases head-on. With wit and warmth, this story challenges us to see the world differently--through the eyes of a cat who just wants to belong.
176 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 1, 2025
This is a strange concoction - a world with cat people, who are fetishised by humans. There's a strong satirical bent to the story, basically with the cat people being inserts for people of colour and/or women in a patriarchal society (with the added touch that all the main cat characters are male). That's not the strange bit, it's more having these half human/cat people with five fingered hands with a cat's beans on the fingers, there's something queasy about their depiction. The manga's metaphor is apt, but also dominates the book, blocking out more personal stories and characterisation.
The art is uniformly excellent - you too will find these cat men very cute, and there's something decidedly off about that.
(Thanks to Seven Seas for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
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December 29, 2025Cute cat books=emotional harm. One day I will remember that.
January 1, 2026
An interesting, if blunt, look at discrimination and societal bias. I really liked the different ways of looking at how people respond to bias against them.
May 18, 2026
When I first saw this book, I looked at the cat man on the cover and thought, “Wow, he’s so cute! I bet this book is adorable!!”
-- This is a book about the impulse of judging someone by their looks.
In fact, I think that this book’s cover is a stroke of genius. It’s pretty impossible not to look at this cover and think that it looks like any other adorable, cutesy cat manga out there. This cover actively makes the reader complicit in the discrimination that this book is about. I was really wowed at how such a simple design choice could actively contribute to the theming of the book like that.
To put it simply – this is a book about discrimination that uses cat people as a metaphor. It very candidly (and maybe a bit heavy-handedly) tackles the experience of what it’s like to be in an oft-fetishized and -objectified minority group, and the very different responses that people in an oppressed group can take to that discrimination. I was surprised and delighted at how nuanced this story was, dealing with characters who react with hatred and violence against an oppressor, who fawn after their oppressor in order to protect themselves, who go along with the objectification in order to carve out a place for themselves in the world, and those who fit into none of the above categories. Not to mention how those in the minority group can disagree about these reactions and butt heads, accusing each other of worsening the problem.
I think that protagonist Hachisuke’s friend group each representing one of these reactive categories also represents how we can all be in community with each other and protect each other regardless of our varying reactions to discrimination (I’m only saying ‘we’ in my being a queer person in the queer community). I thought that black cat Kurono and calico cat Mike’s relationship showed this really well, because they have very opposing viewpoints about how to react when being discriminated against, yet they manage to come to a realization that they aren’t each other’s enemies, and it makes them all the stronger. I was very touched.
This book also tackles allyship in a really nuanced way, I felt, too. When you’re allies with a group that have completely different life experiences from you, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’re going to slip up and say or do something offensive (though what human character Hitomi did in this book was a lot worse than just that, touching Hachisuke without his consent).
Point is, even good people with good intentions can do really bad things without meaning to. I really like that this book makes a point that even if you mess up badly, even if you hurt others and it feels like you’ve embarrassed and humiliated yourself, you should never stop being an ally. Running away from being an ally is the worst option you can take in that situation. You should always run towards apologizing and learning and understanding more, because through your whole life, you can keep becoming a better and better supporter of minority groups.
This book emphasizes that, although the human allies of cat people are clumsy, awkward, and make many faux pases, they’re still the curious, earnest, empathetic, and understanding individuals who can at least use their privileges and stand by cat people's sides to help make the world a safer and better place for them.
Much like all human beings, this book has so much going on inside it that isn’t visible on the surface.
It was such a pleasant surprise. Although I really liked it and was touched by it, I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a bit emotionally taxing to watch characters in a minority group be assaulted and harassed quite a lot. Someone gets touched, harassed, verbally assaulted, insulted, condescended to, etc., seemingly every other page in this book. It wasn’t for nothing – there were many points made and clear themes, it isn’t supposed to be a light-hearted or easy read, necessarily – but by the end, I felt a bit bogged down and sad. Yet I’m glad that this book has a hopeful tone that with all of us in community together, we can make the world a kinder place for future generations.
-- This is a book about the impulse of judging someone by their looks.
In fact, I think that this book’s cover is a stroke of genius. It’s pretty impossible not to look at this cover and think that it looks like any other adorable, cutesy cat manga out there. This cover actively makes the reader complicit in the discrimination that this book is about. I was really wowed at how such a simple design choice could actively contribute to the theming of the book like that.
To put it simply – this is a book about discrimination that uses cat people as a metaphor. It very candidly (and maybe a bit heavy-handedly) tackles the experience of what it’s like to be in an oft-fetishized and -objectified minority group, and the very different responses that people in an oppressed group can take to that discrimination. I was surprised and delighted at how nuanced this story was, dealing with characters who react with hatred and violence against an oppressor, who fawn after their oppressor in order to protect themselves, who go along with the objectification in order to carve out a place for themselves in the world, and those who fit into none of the above categories. Not to mention how those in the minority group can disagree about these reactions and butt heads, accusing each other of worsening the problem.
I think that protagonist Hachisuke’s friend group each representing one of these reactive categories also represents how we can all be in community with each other and protect each other regardless of our varying reactions to discrimination (I’m only saying ‘we’ in my being a queer person in the queer community). I thought that black cat Kurono and calico cat Mike’s relationship showed this really well, because they have very opposing viewpoints about how to react when being discriminated against, yet they manage to come to a realization that they aren’t each other’s enemies, and it makes them all the stronger. I was very touched.
This book also tackles allyship in a really nuanced way, I felt, too. When you’re allies with a group that have completely different life experiences from you, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’re going to slip up and say or do something offensive (though what human character Hitomi did in this book was a lot worse than just that, touching Hachisuke without his consent).
Point is, even good people with good intentions can do really bad things without meaning to. I really like that this book makes a point that even if you mess up badly, even if you hurt others and it feels like you’ve embarrassed and humiliated yourself, you should never stop being an ally. Running away from being an ally is the worst option you can take in that situation. You should always run towards apologizing and learning and understanding more, because through your whole life, you can keep becoming a better and better supporter of minority groups.
This book emphasizes that, although the human allies of cat people are clumsy, awkward, and make many faux pases, they’re still the curious, earnest, empathetic, and understanding individuals who can at least use their privileges and stand by cat people's sides to help make the world a safer and better place for them.
Much like all human beings, this book has so much going on inside it that isn’t visible on the surface.
It was such a pleasant surprise. Although I really liked it and was touched by it, I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a bit emotionally taxing to watch characters in a minority group be assaulted and harassed quite a lot. Someone gets touched, harassed, verbally assaulted, insulted, condescended to, etc., seemingly every other page in this book. It wasn’t for nothing – there were many points made and clear themes, it isn’t supposed to be a light-hearted or easy read, necessarily – but by the end, I felt a bit bogged down and sad. Yet I’m glad that this book has a hopeful tone that with all of us in community together, we can make the world a kinder place for future generations.
December 1, 2025
Going to be completely honest, I didn't know a thing about this book before I started reading. I thought it was going to be a cute/interesting story about a humanoid cat. I mean, I was right that it was a story about a humanoid cat.
This was a really interesting approach to biases and harassment and how people can react to it in different ways. And not just the main characters. We saw how it was discussed in the community and the debates that were had. (Also, I liked the little nod to itself) I recommend this book because it can help young readers understand what bias and harassment can look like but have it explained to them gently.
This was a really interesting approach to biases and harassment and how people can react to it in different ways. And not just the main characters. We saw how it was discussed in the community and the debates that were had. (Also, I liked the little nod to itself) I recommend this book because it can help young readers understand what bias and harassment can look like but have it explained to them gently.
November 2, 2025
"Oh look! A cute book about cats! Surely this will be a light read for a Saturday afternoon."
lol.
A really interesting book, definitely not at all what I was expecting. It's less of a fun read and more of a social commentary on racism and prejudice and different approaches/reactions. This one will definitely stay with me for a while.
lol.
A really interesting book, definitely not at all what I was expecting. It's less of a fun read and more of a social commentary on racism and prejudice and different approaches/reactions. This one will definitely stay with me for a while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 26, 2025Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the DRC!
I started reading this thinking, “This looks so cute” and then the topics got dark and really reflective of issues currently in the world. I really enjoyed how everything played out and will for sure continue this series.
I started reading this thinking, “This looks so cute” and then the topics got dark and really reflective of issues currently in the world. I really enjoyed how everything played out and will for sure continue this series.
July 21, 2025
Genuinely unsure how to feel about this book. 😅
May 27, 2025
Cat Man by Parari
Writing: B
Story: B-
Characters: B
Setting: B
Best Aspect: A different story with a good message.
Worst Aspect: A bit corny.
Recommend: Yes.
Writing: B
Story: B-
Characters: B
Setting: B
Best Aspect: A different story with a good message.
Worst Aspect: A bit corny.
Recommend: Yes.
January 28, 2026
First note: I was sort of surprised to discover, toward the end of the book, that this is only one volume! (I don't always pay attention when I pick up new titles.) That said, it only NEEDS to be one volume, since it says pretty much all it needs to say in one.
The core story is about sexual harassment, but with petting cats. One of the human women even chastises herself after being caught inappropriately petting Hachisuke after he gets tipsy and starts purring, then reflexively lashes out and claws her when he comes to, since she committed exactly the same behaviour she had experienced herself and honestly should have known better.
It's actually rather odd that cat-people would come about alongside humans but develop a species-wide inferiority complex that would allow the "cats are for petting" objectification to exist. There's even a "joke" that suggests you should choose a partner who owns cats, because they understand what consent is and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. Don't mess with anything with claws!
(Then again, a lot of racism is based around the idea that black people are bigger and stronger, yet they became slaves for white people... hmm. Seems like that would backfire to SCARE cats into submission using firepower, though?)
On the whole, the art is cute, and I like the idea they were going for. It's a good thought experiment, certainly, and if it makes even one person rethink consent (rather than "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission"), then mission accomplished!
The core story is about sexual harassment, but with petting cats. One of the human women even chastises herself after being caught inappropriately petting Hachisuke after he gets tipsy and starts purring, then reflexively lashes out and claws her when he comes to, since she committed exactly the same behaviour she had experienced herself and honestly should have known better.
It's actually rather odd that cat-people would come about alongside humans but develop a species-wide inferiority complex that would allow the "cats are for petting" objectification to exist. There's even a "joke" that suggests you should choose a partner who owns cats, because they understand what consent is and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. Don't mess with anything with claws!
(Then again, a lot of racism is based around the idea that black people are bigger and stronger, yet they became slaves for white people... hmm. Seems like that would backfire to SCARE cats into submission using firepower, though?)
On the whole, the art is cute, and I like the idea they were going for. It's a good thought experiment, certainly, and if it makes even one person rethink consent (rather than "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission"), then mission accomplished!
September 21, 2025
Hodnocení / Book review / 書評 Cz / En (scroll down for english) / Jp (日本語は下に)
ČEŠTINA:
Velmi roztomilá manga pojednávající o stále velmi aktuálních tématech, ne příliš lehce, ne příliš hluboce. Jemný příběh o boji, internalizované diskriminaci i lidech, kteří udělají něco špatně, uvědomí si to a snaží se to změnit. Upřímně řečeno, text na zadní straně mangy nebo zde na Goodreads shrnuje mangu nejlépe. Můžete proměnit „kočky“ v jakoukoli marginalizovanou skupinu a příběh stále funguje.
ENGLISH:
Very cute manga which touches on ever-relevant topics, not too lightly, not too deeply. A gentle story of struggle, internalized discrimination, and even humans who do something wrong, recognize it, and try to change. Quite honestly, the text given on the back of the manga or here on Goodreads summarizes the manga best. You can change "cats" into any marginalized group, and the story will work.
日本語:
とても可愛らしいマンガで、時代を超えて普遍的なテーマを扱っている。軽すぎず、深すぎず、ちょうど良いバランス仕上がってきている。闘い、内面化された差別、そして過ちを犯した人間がそれを認め、変わろうとする姿を描いた優しい物語であって好きになちゃいました。漫画の裏表紙かここグッドリードスの紹介文が、この漫画��最も的確に要約しています。「猫」をどんなマイノリティーに置き換えても、この物語は通じます。
ČEŠTINA:
Velmi roztomilá manga pojednávající o stále velmi aktuálních tématech, ne příliš lehce, ne příliš hluboce. Jemný příběh o boji, internalizované diskriminaci i lidech, kteří udělají něco špatně, uvědomí si to a snaží se to změnit. Upřímně řečeno, text na zadní straně mangy nebo zde na Goodreads shrnuje mangu nejlépe. Můžete proměnit „kočky“ v jakoukoli marginalizovanou skupinu a příběh stále funguje.
ENGLISH:
Very cute manga which touches on ever-relevant topics, not too lightly, not too deeply. A gentle story of struggle, internalized discrimination, and even humans who do something wrong, recognize it, and try to change. Quite honestly, the text given on the back of the manga or here on Goodreads summarizes the manga best. You can change "cats" into any marginalized group, and the story will work.
日本語:
とても可愛らしいマンガで、時代を超えて普遍的なテーマを扱っている。軽すぎず、深すぎず、ちょうど良いバランス仕上がってきている。闘い、内面化された差別、そして過ちを犯した人間がそれを認め、変わろうとする姿を描いた優しい物語であって好きになちゃいました。漫画の裏表紙かここグッドリードスの紹介文が、この漫画��最も的確に要約しています。「猫」をどんなマイノリティーに置き換えても、この物語は通じます。
May 8, 2025
So, this is an unexpectedly thoughtful read.
In a world where humans and humanoid cats exist, there is something friction.
While some cat folk enjoy the attention and have found fulfilling careers in entertainment or other notable fields, other cat folk like Hachisuke just want to live their lives without being objectified as “cute things” or fetishized. His reservations often put him on the outs with humans who don’t understand their own biases or how their behaviors can be perceived negatively.
Luckily for Hachisuke, he’s got a small group of furriends who can support each other as they navigate this world and the unique challenges they face.
I liked this story?
I’m sure if I really dig into some of the analogies here to IRL oppression, I may find some things that aren’t exactly cogent. But, at surface level, I think this story holds.
I’m definitely interested in reading more~
In a world where humans and humanoid cats exist, there is something friction.
While some cat folk enjoy the attention and have found fulfilling careers in entertainment or other notable fields, other cat folk like Hachisuke just want to live their lives without being objectified as “cute things” or fetishized. His reservations often put him on the outs with humans who don’t understand their own biases or how their behaviors can be perceived negatively.
Luckily for Hachisuke, he’s got a small group of furriends who can support each other as they navigate this world and the unique challenges they face.
I liked this story?
I’m sure if I really dig into some of the analogies here to IRL oppression, I may find some things that aren’t exactly cogent. But, at surface level, I think this story holds.
I’m definitely interested in reading more~
March 19, 2025
An unique story of equality, personalities and respect. Reminiscent other stories of people who are "other than" the "traditional norm" (fill in the blank) and how they are treated (less than, celebrities, play things, property) with the twist of being a cat. The "extreme opposite" characters (as we as humans do see cats as pets/our property/for our pleasure in both the real world and this alternative reality) helps the reader take a step back and realize how our actions can be taken. Even those who are well meaning. Read via an online reader copy.
August 24, 2025
The first few pages, I was like. Oh it’s kinda uncomfy that we’re sexualizing/fetishizing cats. But it ended up being weirdly relatable, as the cat people are essentially representative of women (and/or people of color). I liked the characters a lot, and how they all had different feelings/ways of interacting with humans in order to feel safe or okay. I dunno. It was weird but really interesting.
January 19, 2026
This manga definitely needs more love. It's a really touching and deep story. We follow a group of cat people and follow their day to day lives. It discusses consent involving touch and personal space. Also, the discrimination they face in the workplace. This book really surprised me with how thought provoking it is. I went into it expecting a cute cat manga and went out thinking about how we can all be better people.
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June 22, 2025I enjoyed this. Thought it was going to be just a cute story but it was much more than that. This was sweet but also had some harsh sides about the cats lives dealing with humans and unwanted attention. The characters each deal with issues and it made me so sad. it ended on a good note thankfully. good read overall.
March 27, 2025
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the DRC. It got a little heavy handed and repetitive at times, but I liked the message and the relationships that are being built. Looking forward to seeing where the series will go!
July 23, 2025
The art style was simple and cute. I enjoyed that the humans were a bit more angler than the round cat men. The story was easily paced and kept me reading wanting to know what was happening next. The topic and themes were a little heavy so be warned (s/a related) but it was handled with grace.
August 7, 2025
One of the best manga I've ever read in my life. Just like it says on page 79: "I thought the story was good. It presented complex topics in an age accessible way."
Highly recommended! I really hope more volumes will come out someday.
Highly recommended! I really hope more volumes will come out someday.
August 10, 2025
This is an intense read; don't be fooled by the cover. The library I borrowed it from had it set for Tweens, but no...older teens and adults for sure. Deals with a lot of tough issues in a unique way concerning sexism, discrimination, abuse, consent, etc. It was also sorta strange...X^D
September 18, 2025
A cute art style and storyline for some heavy topics like bias, consent, fetishizing other genders/races, etc. Definitely for older teens/adults as some parts could be uncomfortable or hard to understand for a younger audience.
October 25, 2025
I thought this would be a fun short little read about cat people. While it was an amazing read, I didn’t realize how I would be truly drawing lines of similarity from this fictional world to stark realities of our own. SO GOOD.
March 28, 2025
I was lucky enough to read this ARC, and it was impactful and wonderful and something I want to read over and over again. Such an important read, I really can't wait to put it on my shelf.
May 12, 2025
Didn't expect this book to be about consent and racism. Great art.
May 23, 2025
An easy, but enjoyable read with a very strong underlying conversation about biases, consent and prejudice from the perspective of anthropomorphic cats.
July 1, 2025
An interesting conversation about consent using anthropomorphic cats.
August 5, 2025
it was better than i thought it would be lmao dove into tough subjects but make it cute and add boundaries✨
August 6, 2025
2.5
Really odd book. I get what it's trying to do but I'm not convinced it's entirely successful at it.
Really odd book. I get what it's trying to do but I'm not convinced it's entirely successful at it.
January 10, 2026
Really cute graphic novel with an interesting premise and a good message about societal perceptions of certain minorities.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews