What's Michael?, Vol. 6: A Hard Day's Life

What's Michael? #6

by Makoto Kobayashi, 小林まこと

Described by Wizard magazine as "Japan's version of Garfield, Heathcliff, and Krazy Kat all rolled into one," What's Michael? is graphic fiction like no other, blending slice-of-life comedy, both subtle and slapstick, with off-the-wall flights of fancy. But whether the situations are believable or bizarre, the giggles are real and rapid-fire. From the horror of guests who won't leave to Michael's night on the town, all paths lead to laughs!

Genres: Manga, Cats, Humor, Graphic Novels, Comics, Comics Manga, Japan

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Makoto Kobayashi (小林 まこと, Kobayashi Makoto) is a Japanese manga artist.
Kobayashi's professional career in comics started in 1978, when he won the 'Shōnen magazine New manga artist' award for his work Grapple Three Brothers.
Over the years Kobayashi has published a number of sport manga, specifically about Judo, starting from his first serialised work Sanshiro of 1, 2 (1981-1984), winner of the 1981 'Kodansha Manga Award'. However, his best known comic book, especially in the West, is What's Michael? (1984-1989), a humour strip about an orange cat, for which Kobayashi won another 'Kodansha Manga Award' in 1986.

Reviews

[PVLD Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

What’s Michael?: A Hard Day’s Life Volume 6 is a sweetly humorous collection of day-in-the-life-of comic vignettes told in classic panels of stylized pen and ink drawings. A particularly humorous set of dialogue-less panels depicts Michael getting his claw stuck into a length of ribbon. In an effort to free himself, the chubby cat whips and flings the ribbon in what can only be described as Olympic medal worthy rhythmic gymnastics dance. Cat and dog people will relate to the character's antics with nods of understanding and snorts of laughter.

Reviewed by Aliza, Library Clerk. Find it at the library here.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of cartoon stories about cats.

I didn't love this one. To me, they're not funny. I wasn't even clear if they were the same cats - sometimes they seemed to belong to different people? The author does nail cat behavior quite well. I'll definitely be skipping others in this series. If you want something like this, try "Chi's Sweet Home" by Konami.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so hard. Slices of life in a cat-friendly version of Japan where even tough Yakuzas with deep cat fears take absurd measures to disguise their weakness rather than like, I dunno, throwing the cat out a window or something more hardass. Absurd and silly and wonderful.

Also have read
vol. 7 Fat Cat in the City
vol. 8 Show Time
Vol. 9 The Ideal Cat
vol. 10 Sleepless Nights
vol. 11 Planet of the Cats

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

it would be hard to get tired of this mix of gentle, twisted and sometimes plain weird humour. particularly liked the origin story for catzilla in this volume. could wish the translations weren't quite so americanised occasionally, but i guess this is earlier dark horse.

[christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Japanese comic/ graphic novel series that Lilly and I found at the library.

It is excellent, bizarre and funny, words not combined enough when praising children's books!

[Chriss · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite short story in this volume is about a yakuza, who's afraid of cats, coping with his girlfriend's new kitten.

[Deborah Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet and so funny!