Cat + Crazy Volume 2

ねこったけ! / Nekottake! #2

by Wataru Nadatani, Susie Lee (Contributor), Zack Davisson (Contributor)

From Wataru Nadatani, the creator of Cat + Gamer, comes Cat + Crazy, a humorous cat manga for all animal and cat lovers!

The journey to become a cat whisperer is long, but full of feline fun!

High schooler Kensuke Fuji loves cats, but can’t have any of his own. Recently, he’s made the acquaintance of a local cat whisperer, Nekoya Jin, who seems to know everything about the feline realm! Kensuke’s made it his goal to study under this Ultimate Cat Whisperer and learn all about cats. Their adventures continue, with Kensuke and readers delving deeper into the enigmatic world of cats and the humans who wind up obsessed with them!

A silly but sincere look at people who adore cats—and seek to learn more about these mysterious creatures—Cat + Crazy is another impressive series from Harvey Award nominated manga creator Wataru Nadatani (Cat + Gamer, “Best Series”)!

Genres: Manga, Cats, Graphic Novels, Animals, Fiction, Humor, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2016

About the author

Name (in native Japanese): 灘谷航

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!!

this was another fun-filled volume, and we’re introduced to a potential villain?!

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m very supportive of a secret cat cabal ruling the world 😸

[kristyn ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

tama wanting to go on just for fuji is probably the sweetest thing to happen to anyone ever

[Laura Cns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Très bonne suite ! De plus en plus prometteur cet univers ! 😁

[Kierston Foutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so stinkin cute!

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this volume more than the first. We got to see Fuji learn more about cats, and it even taught me how to be better around cats. They like what they like. It was cute and this was also funny. It's ridiculous but enjoyable!
Also liked how Joe the St Bernard and Tiger the cat started to get along. It was cute.

[Sol · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Sometimes, she’s cold, and not eating the fanciest meals… but she keeps walking the path she loves. A familiar path. The path of freedom. That is Tama’s idea of ‘home’.”

3.5 ⭐
I think that absurdist comedy manga is really hard to get right, because a lot of times, you have to straddle this thin line between ‘funny’ and ‘completely stupid’. And I could see a world in which someone reads this and thinks that it is 100% on the stupid side– but personally, that just hasn't been my experience with it. There's something weirdly lovable about this manga that causes me to giggle rather than to roll my eyes.

I think there's something just so wholesome about loving animals so much that you dedicate your entire life to making their lives better. And so, this is the type of book that just puts me in a good mood when I read it, even though it's overly silly most of the time. In fact, its silliness is something I find refreshing and comforting, rather than something that demeans its own audience’s intelligence.

Indeed, this can pretty much only be described as a manga in which shenanigans ensue, very rarely to be taken seriously, if at all.
But it is absurdity that has a really sweet, gooey center that I enjoy, and that allows me to enjoy the more campy and unserious moments. Not to mention, this manga volume has an arc in it that takes place inside a cat cafe, and it really reminds me of Hachi & Maruru - Chats des rues (which is one of my favorite cat manga ever).

I especially liked the final chapter(s) where Fuji schools a very haughty actress about how to behave with cats– I thought that it was a great interaction. It made me think a bit about how we take interacting with cats for granted so much. After alyou wouldn't approach an animal in a zoo all willy-nilly without knowing how to interact with it; I think it's sweet that this actress actually humbled herself enough to learn how to interact with the cat properly.

Overall, it was a very sweet volume that centered on the happiness of cats, with the main characters taking more of a backseat. I feel like this series is just the right amount of funny and heartfelt to feel really healing after a long day of work, and I'm enjoying it immensely.

[Tara Cignarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat + Crazy by Wataru Nadatani
Writing: A-
Story: B+
Drawings: A-
Characters: A-
Setting: B+
Best Aspect: It will always be the cats.
Worst Aspect: Not as cohesive a story as Cat + Gamer so far.
Recommend: Yes.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for this free eARC! All opinions are my own.

Fuji continues to learn about cats from the master and even teaches a celebrity!

[Becky Steinhauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAT Café!!!!

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

Adorable and hilarious.

Kensuke Fuji continues his training to become an Ultimate Cat Whisperer, meeting new friends, outsmarting new foes, and answering the ultimate question: which is better for cats, indoor life or the freedom of the outdoors?

Great humor. Fun artwork.

This is such a fun series. Can't wait to see the next step in Kensuke Fuji's quest to become an Ultimate Cat Whisperer.

[Emily Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books! They’re SO cute!

[Katell BOUALI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le synopsis :
« Kensuke Fuji est un amoureux inconditionnel des chats, cet amour n'est cependant pas réciproque, les chats ayant tendance à le fuir comme la peste. Il fait un jour la rencontre de Jin Nekoya, un « maître-chat » prêt à lui enseigner ses techniques secrètes pour se faire aimer des félins. »



Le deuxième tome nous en apprend plus sur Jin Nekoya qui n’apparaîtra plus aussi louche que cela aux yeux de Koharu. Il dirige une organisation étonnante : la WWOP, ou Fédération Internationale de Protection des Chats. Ses membres sont persuadés que les chats ont beaucoup à apprendre à l’humanité. Ce qui ne pourrait pas être aussi incongru que cela, non ?
Il y a toujours autant d’humour un brin déjanté, les chats sont toujours aussi mignons et bien dessinés, Koharu est désopilante à vouloir en être sans trop s’impliquer, Kensuke est craquant dans son rôle de disciple que rien ne fera dévier du but qu’il s’est fixé.
Tout shonen rencontre un rival ou entre en rivalité que ce soit sur le plan personnel ou idéologique. Jin Nekoya n’a pas la même vision du mode de vie félin que sa rivale Yoneko Nekoyashiki propriétaire de nombreux bars à chats où les gens peuvent venir se détendre en prenant soin d’un ou plusieurs chats. Elle est absolument délirante avec son chapeau sur lequel se love un chat siamois.
Le premier prône la liberté de choix pour les chats des rues : le confort ou la liberté dans la rue, autrement dit le droit de disposer d’eux-mêmes.
La seconde estime que les chats des rues ne peuvent trouver le bonheur que dans la domestication afin de pouvoir être choyés, bien alimentés et soignés, et vivre plus longtemps. Raison pour laquelle elle a enlevé tous les chats errants du quartier.
Chacun, à leur manière, ne souhaite que le bonheur des chats. Et chacun alimente le débat, vieux comme le monde, de savoir si l’épanouissement personnel passe par le confort matériel ou le confort spirituel. Un chat « sauvage » est-il moins heureux ou plus heureux qu’un chat « domestique » ? Les contraintes de la domesticité entravent-elle le libre-arbitre des chats ? Ayant quatre chats à la maison, maison dotée d’un grand jardin, mes compagnons à pattes de velours sont libres d’aller et venir à leur guise. Une des chattes, il y a quelques années, avait fait le choix de « disparaître » quasiment deux mois car, je l’ai appris plus tard, elle accompagnait un voisin en fin de vie. Pour me rassurer elle faisait de brèves apparitions, mangeait quelques croquettes avant de filer.
Mais reprenons le fil du billet.
Un autre épisode aussi amusant qu’édifiant : celui de la rencontre entre Tora, le chaton qui ne peut sortir tant qu’il n’a pas atteint l’âge adulte, et Joe l’immense chien Saint-Bernard de Koharu. Les premiers instants de la rencontre sont agités et angoissants pour s’achever dans une atmosphère apaisante. L’épisode montre combien les chats et les chiens peuvent bien s’entendre, surtout quand le chat est jeune et le chien placide. Ils sont capables de s’entendre comme larrons en foire et faire les quatre cents coups ensemble.
Une épreuve sera imposée à Kensuke : travailler dans un bar à chats. Et qui verra-t-on entrer avec deux amies ? Koharu, bien entendu ! Notre jeune padawan sera confronté à la gestion de cinquante-et-un minets, gestion troublée par un geste maladroit d’une star qui doit se mettre dans la peau de son prochain rôle, une amoureuse des chats. Une bataille rangée impressionnante provoque la panique parmi les clients. Pourquoi les chats se sont-ils battus ? Kensuke, grâce à ses nombreuses notes prises sur le comportement des chats de l’établissement, remarquera qu’il y a trois types de caractères chez les chats et surtout cinq règles à respecter. Il réorganise le planning des chats en fonctions de leurs affinités.
Mais quels sont les fameux trois types de chats selon les observations de notre héros ? Il y a les chats qui aiment leur indépendance, ils aiment être seuls. Il y a les chats qui aiment les chats, ils apprécient vivre au contact de leurs congénères. Enfin, il y a les chats qui aiment les humains, ils préfèrent vivre avec les humains. S’ils sont contraints de cohabiter les uns avec les autres, la moindre étincelle peut provoquer un carnage.
Quant aux cinq règles, les voici : ne pas regarder un chat que l’on ne connaît pas dans les yeux, ne pas faire trop de bruit, ne pas le regarder d’en haut, ne pas faire de gestes brusques et ne pas trop se parfumer.
A bon entendeur….

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kensuke Fuji is continuing his training in the way of the cat under the tutelage of master cat whisperer Jin Nekoya. When local street cats start disappearing, he and Nekoya and Yamad investigate where they have gone. Yamada also tails Nekoya to see if she can figure out what his deal is, and discovers a secret society. And then Fuji volunteers at a cat shelter and takes it on himself to find the best combination of cats for the cat cafe rotation that will prevent fights.

Well, the secret society revealed in this is absolutely bonkers, especially their revisionist history about how cats are the secret to every major discovery and event. I liked the cat rescue story as it debates whether stray cats should be homed or spayed/neutered and returned to the streets which is an ongoing debate in the cat rescuing world that it would be good for readers who love cats to think about before they get into cat rescue themselves.

Notes on content:
Language: A couple minor swears, I think it was around 12 max.
Sexual content: None
Violence: Just cats fighting cats. And a few humans getting scratches.
Ethnic diversity: Japanese humans
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Nekoya believes some crazy revisionist history that readers really shouldn't take that seriously. Fuji goes a bit extreme in his work at the cat cafe and pushes himself to the point of exhaustion.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just recently(-ish) finished reading the end of Cat + Gamer, I can now put a finger on what's so weird about Cat + Crazy—the cats are IMPECCABLE but the people look... weird. I suppose it looked less weird in Cat + Gamer because Riko still leads a more or less normal life.

Nekoya has no such claim.

Granted, what should I honestly expect, given *the title*?? It's practically REQUIRED for the characters to be a little unhinged! But the secret lair and the old guy... uhhh??? haha (at least he gets a bonus page!)

So, I like but don't LOVE this volume, at least. Can't remember what I thought about the first book, but this one rubbed me slightly the wrong way. It definitely has some good points, but it feels like it goes through some questionable places to get there. About the most unexpectedly best chapter has to be Joe's, haha. Imagine, already bringing A DOG into a CRAZY cat story! (Although, Nekoya's reaction is... peculiar.)

Recommended for... crazy cat fans?

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fuji's cat training continues with his observation skills being particularly tested as he must solve the mystery of all the stray cats in town disappearing and help a cat cafe that is getting a reputation for cat fights instead of friendly felines.

So the "real world" stuff is fun and interesting and brings up good debates (though with the inside or outside cat question they do not take the ecological effect of free range cats into the debate, which they should have). But the "crazy" stuff is really out there (like Fuji's sensei mentioning he wandered into a proto cat/dog temple and ended up kinda cursed?) and though it's meant for laughs it's a little jarring and puts the very good debates and cat instruction into question (are these things for real or are they also random weirdness?). The time spent with the cats (and dog!) is wonderful, but I wish the crazy was more people being cat crazy than X-files type weirdness.

Content notes: No language, sensuality or violence issues; readers may be very concerned at first when the cats start disappearing because we know it is people doing it, but we don't know why (it isn't anything bad in the end, but it could be stressful for sincere animal/cat lovers).

[Drine Psylook · Rating 2 out of 5]

C’est comme si l’auteur n’osait pas aller jusqu’au bout, et je trouve ça énervant ! C’est un peu contradictoire parce que ça me déplairait que ça parte en sucette et que j’aime bien les passages plus classiques, mais ça me saoule de n’effleurer que la folie de Jin et des membres de son association.
Sans surprise, je me suis ennuyée… probablement plus que dans le premier tome, au point que j’ai mis plus de deux heures à le lire… tout ça parce que je me suis endormie à quatre reprises.
Je n’ai pas aimé cette lecture et je ne lirai pas les prochains.
https://psylook.kimengumi.fr/2021/05/...

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy my library had volume 2 available as well!
Here we go deeper into the craziness, crazy in the sense of love obsession for cats!
Yamada gets a bit more involved, at least her curiosity leads her to meet more strange people.
And Kensuke is growing in his training with the cat whisperer.
His hard work as an observer of cat behavior brings a major help to a cat shelter.
There are also interesting pages about cats vs. dogs

I’m looking forward to book 3. I assume we’ll have seat type of romance at some point.
I hope the weird people wont multiply though.
Volume 3 will come out in English end of April. But it’s already available in French (with a cool title for the series with a play on words : Féllin pour l’autre), so I may go on in French.

[Jenny Quigley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cats guiding humanity is such a funny concept. I get why Nekoya thought taking cats off the streets would make them happier. We think because we want to live indoors. So do cats, but many cats prefer to be outside. That does not mean I think that owners should let their cats outside unsupervised. Hoshino thinking that she can treat a cat the same as a dog is so common; so many people think they can be aggressive with cats, and when the cat runs away or hisses at them, they blame the cat. I do like that Hoshino tried again and actually listened to Kensuke.

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think I'm just not connecting with the characters in this, it's basically a gag manga with action beats. I think it's a good "shut off your brain and enjoy some silliness" manga for someone else but whatever the reason, it's just not hitting for me. For better or for worse, it's a very different beast than Cat + Gamer was.

[Ylenia Damiani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok fine I’m hooked. This needs to spin into an anime.

POV: a cat lover villain is asking you to consider if cats desire to live outside or if they were made to be pampered. You are the neighborhood stray cat whisperer. The villain begins to take some of these strays to test the theory.. What will happen next!?

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

72%

First half of this volume had less cute cat moments compared to the first volume, so tbh I wasn’t as interested. But then, the cat cafe chapters were peak… so it balances out. Love seeing the MC learn more about cats. I also learned that cats groom themselves to relax / relieve stress, not just to get clean, lol. This series is pretty fun so far imo.

[Joan Pault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adorable volume! I’m really enjoying Kensuke’s journey as he learns more about cats and what it truly means to understand and care for them. Volume 2 balances wholesome comedy, heartwarming moments, and surprisingly useful insights into feline behavior. If you love cats, this series is an easy recommendation, cute, funny, and impossible not to smile while reading.

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I learned different perspectives about how cats behave, which is very interesting. Of course, there was the occasional crazy stuff happening, but this series has been fun to read!

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Not really a fan of the Maestro character/storyline in the first half, but the 2nd half was cute.

Doesn’t even come close to as good as Cat + Gamer, in my opinion, but I’ll probably keep reading the series.

[Ursula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story took a turn I wasn’t expecting. It’s not bad just kind of weird. Solid 3.5 star read although I’m not sure I will continue on with the series. I may give one more volume a try before I decide.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! When you need a break from life, pick up a cat manga, and you will be smiling and laughing. Loved how Fuji put that actress in her place. I bet her agent was laughing the whole time. Onto volume 3!

[Queerbookdad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love these manga, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one

This one was once again filled with so much love and joy towards cats and the training to become like them sounds and looks very fun in this volume

[Cécé · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai préférée le premier au niveau de l'histoire mais c'est toujours trop bien!!!😁😁

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️