学園創世 猫天！ 1

Cat Paradise #1

by Yuji Iwahara, 岩原裕二

いにしえの呪いが封印された“叉美学園”に入学したユミと猫の勘助。そこで、大妖怪“火焔”と“双籠の姫”との争いに巻き込まれ、不思議な力を得ることに!!　猫がしゃべって、少女が戦うドラマチック・アクション!!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Cats, Fiction, Animals, Graphic Novels, Friendship

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

IWAHARA Yuji
Japanese Name (岩原裕二)
Associated Names:
ИВАХАРА Юдзи
IWAHARA Yuuji

Blood Type: B

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this ridiculous-sounding manga about a silly girl who goes to a boarding school where students can bring their cats because I enjoyed the author's much darker King of Thorn series. I would never have guessed reading in a void that it was the same author; the only thing remotely similar is the fairly creepy mutated-looking monsters.

Here even the monsters are less serious. The threat is real but they're a tad silly so far: the giant rampaging anger hog and the fox-creature (it is called a fox but I wouldn't have guessed from the appearance) obsessed with hair. There is a so-far slight but interesting back story with some bad magic that happened in the previous century and the school being set up on the spot to guard against the return of the animal monsters. Otherwise it is pretty fluffy: the heroine is a kindly nitwit and none of the other students stand out much yet. My favorite character so far is the heroine's cat, grumpy but devoted to the dumb girl who rescued him from the street.

[Diana Dang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matabi Academy is known for allowing its students to bring their pet cats. Yumi Hayawa, a new student who's hobby is to make cute outfits for her cat Kansuke, soon realizes her new school is unlike anything she has seen before.

After she and her friend got attacked by a demon, she learns that the founder of Matabi Academy sealed away the great cat demon Kaen a 100 years ago. Now Kaen is back, ready to cause chaos on Earth.

I thought I wouldn't enjoy this series but surprisingly it grabbed my interest pretty quickly. Yumi is one of those clumsy female characters you would find in some mangas but is one that doesn't tick off the readers. The student council of her school plays a huge role also because each of the members are chosen to stop Kaen. Thus far, the first volume only gives insight on one of the members, Kotori. I am assuming that every volume will reveal more about the student council.

One of the most unique aspects of this novel is how the mangaka uses cats as part of the main focus of the story. Those who are "chosen" have the ability to communicate with cats and they have a magical bond to their own pet cat. This bond will enable them to use some sort of magic and that could either be the cat or the owner their self. It may sound a little childish, but the concept is not as bad as you think it is, considering that I'm giving it a 4.5 so far. The mangaka made it work with the plot and fun.

There is a lot of inking so the black and white stands out in the art. Characters such as Yumi and Kotori are drawn with big eyes and has cute demeanour attached to them but it does not scream shojo. Most of the time, the characters are drawn with simple expressions and clothing, keeping everything neat. I think the mangaka did well with the cat drawings and they seem to be accurate to their breed. Overall I like Iwahara's artstyle because it is clean and simple, but nice to look at the same time.

I recommend this manga to cat lovers and those would would like a series about demons in a school location.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I am a sucker for anything cat. This did not disappoint on that end.

Anyway, this was pretty much your basic shounen. It felt very familiar, but with enough twist and turns that you didn't go, "Ugh, I've seen this already." It's also interesting to note that, despite this being shounen, the main characters are a girl and her magical cat.

I like how they portrayed the demons. I especially liked the fox with all that hair. His design was cool-looking, and then the personal quirks (OMG! SPLIT END!!!!! *flips out*) just made it as endearing as it was evil.

My only complaint is that he art is all black-and-white without much in between. It feels like the series was drawn with a couple of black sharpies. No screen tones, no gray scale, No crosshatching. This made things a touch two-dimensional.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuff I Read – Cat Paradise Vol 1

So yet another new manga series, and yet again dealing with animals. Coming off of Wolf’s Rain, though, it is easy to see that this is entirely different from that series while still maintaining more of the mainstream manga feel. At least, the way in which the manga is presented isn’t incredibly different than something like Bleach or Naruto, as it involves students with powers. Where Bleach has students that have swords that give them powers, though, Cat Paradise has, you guessed it, cats. And that is the more enjoyable thing, really, because the cats are characters too, and each feels interesting, though many of them haven’t been fleshed out yet. And instead of the main character being the impatient and foolish “wants to be the strongest” type, it is the main character’s cat, where the main character is more clueless. She likes to knit and is a bit naïve, coming off as capable if a bit clumsy. And, like any manga like this, they fight demons. But, to be fair, the demons are also rather impressive.

Being a battle manga, there are a lot of conventions that the manga sticks to, including normal people not being able to see the demons or the powers. This I think is supposed to add a level of superhero-ness to the proceedings because it is like a secret identity thing that can be played with. But I just find it a bit of a convenience and not really that necessary. I mean, why keep up the façade of the school if the purpose of the school is already fulfilled, basically. But the manga is still effective in the battles and the tension, moving right along and getting to the battles and back-story in the first volume. There is still some mystery because most of the characters aren’t featured heavily, and we really only get the origin of one of the characters (well, and the main character). But this isn’t like Wolf’s Rain where the reader has no idea what is going on. The volume is rather upfront about the story and it seems, while not groundbreaking, at the very least entertaining.

I mean, if nothing else this is a traditional battle manga but with cats, which makes it unique and makes it more appealing to me. I mean, my main problem with battle mangas is that they are very repetitive sometimes, and with series like Bleach and Nartuo going to dozens and dozens of volumes, it just gets to the point where I don’t care anymore. On top of that is that swords are just not as cool or cute as cats. Simple math. But I’m just hoping that this series doesn’t drag on and on like many other battle manga. But I don’t get that feel from it. It seems like all the characters have been introduced and the villain is already known. I just don’t think the series would drag on. Especially as we have already seen the powers of one of the characters. Normally the way these series drag is by adding new powers and new characters and on and on. This is more streamlined and sleek, cat-like if you would. And it remains rather funny and cute. I can hope at some point it gets a little more serious and maybe deals with something a little more unique than “I want to be the strongest” but it is fine as is.

And the art is great. The cats look like cats, and are adorable. It is funny to see the ways the cats are given personality, and how they interact with their owners. It does seem like there will be a bit of the pure breed versus mixed breed thing going on that happens with most battle manga (naturals versus people who have to struggle) but that is to be expected. Really it is a battle manga for people who like cats. So it is right up my alley. I’m enjoying it so far and will definitely be picking up the rest of the series, as long as it doesn’t have a billion volumes. As for this volume, I give it an 8/10.

[woo lit sooie (Kaylyn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️

My first manga ever. Enjoyed this quick read. Looking forward to continuing the story. Of course I loved that it includes cats as I am a cat mom to 4 of the cutest cats around

[Ottery StCatchpole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Yuji Iwahara's artwork, so that's easily the draw for me. The fact that everyone of the good guys have cats is too cute a premise to resist as well. Its a very cute story, very manga in that the cats talk and everyone has weird superpowers, even the cats. I would heartily recommend this series to cat lovers, people who love Iwahara-sensei's work and anyone who just likes weirdly bordering on horror, action comics about the supernatural.

The artwork is awesome, if a bit different for Iwahara-sensei, the story is fresh and not like anything I've ever read before. Its cute, its funny, even if we still get the air-headed schoolgirl heroine cliche, and the pissy, arrogant, shoot first ask questions later cat boy hero. I really loved it, and its on my Christmas list. Definitely a good read.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, it was cute. I wanted it to be more cat-centric and cuter, but it was fine for what it was. Which was a (typically) airhead-ish girl with a cat who go to a school where they end up getting enlisted to fight a powerful evil. And she gets to communicate with her cat.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story if you wish your cat could be a forever companion, and not-to-mention have supernatural powers. Since it's only five volumes, it's quite a quick read and action-packed. I loved the contrast of characters.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and fun! It has me imagining what my cat would like if she suddenly had super powers!

[Allison Seyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as easy of an entry to Manga as I had hoped...but very endearing! I love the relationship between a girl and her cat, can't lie!

[Romany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Harry Potter with cats.

[SwedishGeekGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga feels like you are watching an anime and even though Im more of a dog person this story is highly enjoyable ;)
Cat paradise by Yuji Iwahara get a 9.1/10 stars.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was fun. A little like Harry Potter but with more cats. Lots of cats. Cats for everyone.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not to be confused with Nekopara, a shortening of the same title about a boy and his two catgirls running a bakery, Cat Paradise is one big bag of shonen tropes. "I wanna be the strongest to protect the people I care about!"? Check. Main characters that accidentally get caught up in a battle between magical beings, and receive powers as a result? Check. A 100-year-old prophecy, set to come to pass? Check. A wish that gets granted to the person who defeats the Big Bad? Check. It's like Shonen Bingo, with "obligatory high school setting" as the free space. It's incredibly average and pretty derivative, but there are a few things that kept me from rating it lower.

First, the art has a lot of character. I'm pretty sure it's hand-drawn, and it's easy to forget how much personality that can impart, considering so many series are computer-assisted nowadays. It's less clean than many contemporary manga, but that roughness gives it character. Plus, the facial expressions here are full of life, giving a bit of spark to what otherwise would be a very trope-y cast.

I'm going to talk a bit about the plot, before I go into the next saving grace. Yumi and her cat, Kansuke, have just enrolled in a high school that allows each student to have a pet. Specifically, a cat. The reason for this is that a century ago, a priestess and her cat sealed away a spirit beast on the school grounds, and she apparently only passes along her powers to other people with cats. These powers are more interesting than your usual super strength/flight/super speed/etc., and that is another thing that makes me at least a little curious to read more. Heck, Read or Die was almost entirely built around the idea of unusual superpowers, and I really liked that show, so there's precedent for a simple concept turning into something great.

The final thing that gives me a bit of hope is that the characters might not be quite as flat as they seem at first. When Kotori (one of the student council members charged with keeping the spirit beast sealed away), uses her powers, we're given a look at why she ended up with the abilities she did, and...it's actually pretty interesting. She's kind of at odds with herself in a way, and while this reveal happens in the last chapter or so of the volume, it's enough characterization to catch my interest. I just hope the rest of the cast has as much to offer.

All in all, this first volume of Cat Paradise isn't much to write home about. But I did pick up three volumes of this when I saw them cheap at Half Price Books awhile back, and there's just enough positive elements toward the end to keep me reading. Though, if I'd bought just this volume at full price, I don't think I would've continued, in all honesty.

I seem to have ended up reading a lot of lackluster or very average books lately. I think I'm going to have to heavily scrutinize my to-read pile in an effort to change that....

[Nina (Death, Books, and Tea) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a school set manga with a difference. At Matabi Academy, students can bring pet cats to school. And it's set on a site where a princess and her cat died after a fight against a demon. And the student governers and their cats have special powers enabling them to protect the school from said demon, and its henchmen. But apart from that, it's your typical gakuen(school) manga. Girl, in this case, Yumi, starts at new school, settles in, plot moves on in some way and she falls in love. In Cat Paradise, the love interest is Tsubame, a fairly interesting boy in that, like the rest of the student council, he and his cat can do something special to protect the school. The way the plot moves on is that a demon, not the one mentioned earlier, who is called Kaen,but another one, shows up and wants to eat Yumi, along with the other humans. And then various things happen, Yumi and her cat gain special powers and by the end Yumi and her cat have to save the school.
This was a fun interesting plot. The back story provided was good, and the things happening in the present day happened fast enough to keep you interested.
Some of the things are hard to remember, such as the names of minor characters and their cats. This is only to be expected as a lot were introduced in a short period of time. However the plot in general was easy to follow and understandable.
The characters aren't exactly the best, but they're fun and have distinctive personalities. I like the way the cats have their own personalities too, that match or otherwise compliment the owner's.
The art is realistic, for the humans and cats anyway. I don't particularly like the shading style- ie mainly pure black and white, with greys thrown in every now and again. It works for single pieces of art, but for 200 pages worth it gets boring easily. However the fantasy creatures are drawn very well and are very imaginative.
Overall: Strength 3 tea to this fun quick read that isn't really the best thing ever but you might enjoy it.

[Madelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not at all what I thought it would be like; I was pretty disapointed. I thought it was going to be so cute with a young japanese girl named Yuki, who loves to make clothes for her cat Kansuke-who is a male. She goes off to a school that allows cats, everyone in the dorms has a cat. The student council takes care of the school in every aspect, including guarding it from kaen, an anciet battle that has not been won over yet between Kaen, an evil cat demon and a goddess. With that being say the cats of the school form a "clan" themselves and help their owners during battles. They have a symbol that connects them so when they are together they can form up and produce an ubeatable power that reflects on thier personal talents. Since Yuki likes to make clothes for her cat her power is a ball of yarn that can be made into anything! As for Kunsake he turns into a human-I really didn't like that! He just a little boy who pouts and throws a fit everytime he doesn't get his way. They should have had the CAT has special CAT powers...As I got in the middle I just wanted the book to be done and over with. The battle they fit is with a "fox demon" who steals beautiful hair....so the "fox" is just a lean creature with a pointy noise covered head to toe with hair. Honesly it looks like Cousin Itt from the adams family just taller than your average human and with a very large and abnormally long nose.

[Sarai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about a girl going to private school where she can take her cat. Magical powers are involved, and demons. Pretty fast and enjoyable read.


Product Description

Nine lives might not be enough to survive this catfight!

At Matabi Academy, students are allowed to bring their pet cats to the dorms. For Yumi Hayakawa, whose favorite hobby is making clothes for her kitty Kansuke, Matabi seems like a sure bet. After all, nothing can possibly go wrong with her best friend at her side! But on the first day of school, the two find themselves face-to-face with a murderous demonic minion on campus! Will Yumi and Kansuke be able to defend themselves and their school against an ancient cat demon's thirst for vengeance?

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honesty what really drove me to read this book was the cats, because obviously talking cats. After reading this I still love that the story revolves around the bond between talking cats and their humans, but the whole story seems a bit overdone and outdated. There is the typical storyline driven by a calling to save the world, and stereotypical characters, which makes the story seem all too familiar. I am really not a big fan of the main girl's helpless girly character either, being used to strong female characters now. Yet, I still look forward to reading on and getting to know the characters on deeper levels, because there is definitely potential here.

*Jan 2026 update never read more and forgot all about this series...

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this volume. The talking cats in particular are fun, of course only those chosen get to communicate with them.

Yuri is a great girl, a cross between outsider and insider, so perfect from which to learn about the world yet be in on what is going on. As yet we haven't seen much by way of powers but the student council has a great mix and I'm looking forward to reading more.

This is just the setup for the real story so in that it does well. If you expect to learn a whole lot you are going to be flat out of luck. The premise is laid out well though.

I enjoy this drawing style, clean yet detailed. A tad cartoonish but that is part of the fun.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dai, che questa è tanto che aspetta di essere letta. E son solo cinque volumetti!

Certo che ci son molti più gatti nei manga, rispetto ai miei adoratissimi cani. In questa storia c'è addirittura una scuola in cui gli studenti possono portare il proprio gatto. La protagonista, che è affezionatissima al suo micio e gli fa a maglia orrendi maglioni, l'ha scelta solo per quello. Purtroppo la scuola ha qualche problema di demoni e la ragazzina scopre che dovrà dare per forza una mano, insieme al gatto, per sconfiggerli.

Bah, per il momento mi sembra una cosa così. I mostri sono molto particolari e i gatti simpatici.

Vediamo come procede.

[Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for cute/funny and instead I got a battle manga. I probably would've expected this if I had realized this was the same author of King of Thorns-oops. Still, I could be down with the human-cat pairs with superpowers IF the main character's cat didn't turn into a human. It's weird and doesn't sit right with me, especially since none of the other cats with powers don't turn human. There's only 5 volumes though, so I may ILL the rest at some point.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s only a 5 book series, so I’ll probably still finish it. But it’s not as interesting as I thought. The plot is a little weak in my opinion and I’m not too fond of the characters. The main character is just a little too accepting of what’s happened to her. She doesn’t seem to question anything and just goes with it.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yumi and her pet cat Kansuke begin school at Matabi Academy, only to find they have magic powers and must fight off a released cat demon.

This is an intriguing start. Yumi is clueless and will have to learn how to use her ability to knit things out of magical wool (and that's a cool and new-t0-me power). Mostly I'm in it for the cats. I'll definitely be trying the next book in the series.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Very quick in 5 volumes so the characters weren't very fleshed out, plot points (like main villain) came out of nowhere and left just as quickly. Ending was pretty unsatisfying as entire magic system just disappears forever. MS seemed out of place the whole time. Last two books tried to do too much in too little time. Got convoluted.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg I loved this manga. This is the second one I've read and i loved everything about it from the cats to the fun characters. I liked how fast paced it was and bought the 2nd book immediately after I finished reading it.
I CAN'T WAIT.

[Jaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story. But by the time I truly figured out what was happening, the Manga ended. But I do want to know what happens next so I will try the next one. However, I don't think Manga is the format for me.

[Vixenfur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really cool! Excited for #2!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inu Yasha-like, but with cats...sorta...

[Emi えみ Takami 鷹見 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
A bit ridiculous, but who doesn't like ridiculousness now and again?

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

reminds me of the King of Thorn series