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If the Cat Faces West #3
猫が西向きゃ 3 [Neko ga Nishi Mukya 3]
Hirota est un spécialiste des flows, traite les phénomènes bizarres provoqués par ceux-ci. Il est secondé par son employée Chima (35 ans, mais qui en paraît 12), et par son chat Shachô. Dans leurs activités un peu particulières, l'action ne manque pas !
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2021
2 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Yuki Urushibara
34 books215 followersYuki Urushibara (漆原友紀) is a Japanese manga artist from Yamaguchi Prefecture.
She is best known for the series Mushishi, for which she received an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga.
She is also known by the pen name Soyogo Shima (志摩 冬青 Shima Soyogo).
She is best known for the series Mushishi, for which she received an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga.
She is also known by the pen name Soyogo Shima (志摩 冬青 Shima Soyogo).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 16, 2022
While I echo other reviews that say that this wrapped up awfully quickly, I don't think that takes away from the surprising reveal that shouldn't have been a surprise if I'd thought about it: . There's a charm to that that I wasn't expecting, and I suspect I'll think about this series on foggy days in the future.
July 26, 2022
Apartments keep moving, doppels keep gangering, and cats are, in fact, fairly irritable. It’s just a day in the life for Chima and Hirota, working away at their jobs. Oh, also the series is over, so hold tight for all the twists you never knew were coming.
Three volumes of low-key sci-fi about a world where emotions can cause things to go out of whack so you never know what to expect conclude in this one with the same sort of tales it’s spent time spinning already.
Lots of hay is made about how people just have to live with flow (you had to wait for it, but ‘go with the flow’ is finally uttered) and how it has made everybody much more flexible when it comes to change. It’s an interesting idea that I wish had been more fully explored.
Still, we get some fun stories about cats and one very cute May-December something that isn’t actually illegal for a change, plus a rather hilarious story involving the priest guy that Hirota has an adversarial bromance with and some fish that might be the best the series ever did.
I’m not exactly invested enough to check, but I would wager quite heavily that this was cancelled rather than reached its natural conclusion. After two volumes where the most overarching story was, well, not much of anything (fine, the one story where Chima turned back into an adult), we get ALL the explanations here.
The last story in particular feels like it’s absolutely flying through things the author wants to make sure we get appraised of before we finally conclude with a conclusion that I do rather like, simply because it isn’t much of one at all.
It’s not bad, there’s even a good twist that I’m sad isn’t given as much time to breathe even though it’s essential to what happens in the finale. We even get a reasonably excellent explanation of Chima’s age regression and she’s probably going to be like that for a while yet.
There’s just a choppy feeling to this volume though, like it started out normally and then hits the gas before careening to its ending. It’s probably for the best, every story was kind of similar, but the things we learn hint that a much better narrative was kind of just waiting to happen and never really did.
Still, for three volumes we had a quiet, lackadaisical look at some crazy phenomena through the eyes of two people who were fun to spend time with (and we manage to end with them as friends rather than lovers, which is kind of a nice change of pace). It’s not bad stuff.
3.5 stars - I think I’ll let this one round down, just because it feels like it doesn’t quite hold itself together as it cobbles a conclusion from its finishing stories. Still, if you’re in the mood for some quiet fantastical weirdness full of creativity, this wouldn’t be a bad place to go.
Three volumes of low-key sci-fi about a world where emotions can cause things to go out of whack so you never know what to expect conclude in this one with the same sort of tales it’s spent time spinning already.
Lots of hay is made about how people just have to live with flow (you had to wait for it, but ‘go with the flow’ is finally uttered) and how it has made everybody much more flexible when it comes to change. It’s an interesting idea that I wish had been more fully explored.
Still, we get some fun stories about cats and one very cute May-December something that isn’t actually illegal for a change, plus a rather hilarious story involving the priest guy that Hirota has an adversarial bromance with and some fish that might be the best the series ever did.
I’m not exactly invested enough to check, but I would wager quite heavily that this was cancelled rather than reached its natural conclusion. After two volumes where the most overarching story was, well, not much of anything (fine, the one story where Chima turned back into an adult), we get ALL the explanations here.
The last story in particular feels like it’s absolutely flying through things the author wants to make sure we get appraised of before we finally conclude with a conclusion that I do rather like, simply because it isn’t much of one at all.
It’s not bad, there’s even a good twist that I’m sad isn’t given as much time to breathe even though it’s essential to what happens in the finale. We even get a reasonably excellent explanation of Chima’s age regression and she’s probably going to be like that for a while yet.
There’s just a choppy feeling to this volume though, like it started out normally and then hits the gas before careening to its ending. It’s probably for the best, every story was kind of similar, but the things we learn hint that a much better narrative was kind of just waiting to happen and never really did.
Still, for three volumes we had a quiet, lackadaisical look at some crazy phenomena through the eyes of two people who were fun to spend time with (and we manage to end with them as friends rather than lovers, which is kind of a nice change of pace). It’s not bad stuff.
3.5 stars - I think I’ll let this one round down, just because it feels like it doesn’t quite hold itself together as it cobbles a conclusion from its finishing stories. Still, if you’re in the mood for some quiet fantastical weirdness full of creativity, this wouldn’t be a bad place to go.
March 2, 2023
It's a real shame that this series ended so quickly. This was such a unique mix of comforting slice-of-life pacing and a low-stakes sci-fi concept. The premise was fairly simple: all physical objects in the world are unstable, so feelings ranging from a mild passing thought to strong desires or a negative outlook can physically change the world around you in weird ways (a phenomenon known as "flow" in-world). This left room for almost anything to happen, and it was a lot of fun to see how the author explored human feelings and behaviors through this framework. Keeping the world grounded in a reality much like our own and making sure the danger/risk of the cases the characters encountered at basically zero made this series a very relaxing read.
The final chapter explaining how and why one of the main characters ended working in the flow business was very strong and an excellent ending to the series (hint: it involves ), but it definitely leaves room for more exploration in this world. Yuki Urushibara please give us more Shacho the cat!!! The people are asking for more!!!
The final chapter explaining how and why one of the main characters ended working in the flow business was very strong and an excellent ending to the series (hint: it involves ), but it definitely leaves room for more exploration in this world. Yuki Urushibara please give us more Shacho the cat!!! The people are asking for more!!!
April 3, 2024
Hirota and Chima are more than familiar with flow as everyone’s favorite flow experts. Just when they think they’ve seen everything, they find a new case caused by cats in the worst of places… or best of places if you’re Hirota!
I had a feeling that this would be the final book in the series and I was right! This is both a good and a bad thing. I really enjoy this series, but it also feels right to end while it’s still in a good place. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, which is why I was delighted to finally learn Hirota’s backstory. What a twist! It was also great to see how each of the characters bonded even if they didn’t particularly care for each other.
I don’t want to say too much because then it’d spoil the story, but this was an excellent way to wrap up the series. I also enjoyed the author’s note at the end and getting to learn what inspired the story. Between this series and what inspired them to write it, I really want to check out their other publications.
I had a feeling that this would be the final book in the series and I was right! This is both a good and a bad thing. I really enjoy this series, but it also feels right to end while it’s still in a good place. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, which is why I was delighted to finally learn Hirota’s backstory. What a twist! It was also great to see how each of the characters bonded even if they didn’t particularly care for each other.
I don’t want to say too much because then it’d spoil the story, but this was an excellent way to wrap up the series. I also enjoyed the author’s note at the end and getting to learn what inspired the story. Between this series and what inspired them to write it, I really want to check out their other publications.
June 1, 2025
很喜歡漆原友紀，《貓往西走》買了盒裝版，積讀症頭沒藥醫，端午連假才拿出來看。
日常風景和奇幻的設定搭配得剛剛好，讀起來很舒服，讓我有種在日本街頭漫步時就能遇到伏流的錯覺。
事物時時刻刻在變動，人心亦然，而周遭的環境或社會規範常常影響我們，身邊的人的行為也是，有的時候外在的影響和自身想法交融，會得到更具體且清晰的方向，如果能夠理出來是最好的，但大多數（包括我）的情況是：想像外界的事物和人都是一條條河流，在時間中流動，每一條河流的形貌、前進的方向和流速都不相同，我受到其他的河流影響，誰誰誰的河流波光粼粼，水質清澈，魚蝦等生物在河中自在游動；誰誰誰的河流中躺著大小不一的石頭，河水因石頭激起的水花有多壯闊瀟灑。看著看著便羨慕起來，以為自己也想要、能夠複製相同景貌，以類似的姿態和流速朝相同的方向前行，忽略了自己真正的盼望和嚮往，以及那適合自己的獨一無二的樣貌。
而伏流的產生對我而言像是一種提醒，提醒人們正視內心深處的意念，正視真正的想法，正視被忽略的問題。
看完好羨慕智萬啊，好想跟智萬一樣變成12歲的小學生，悠悠哉哉打工，閒散度日喔。（不行不行，智萬是智萬，我是我，專屬於我的河流就由我來打造！）
日常風景和奇幻的設定搭配得剛剛好，讀起來很舒服，讓我有種在日本街頭漫步時就能遇到伏流的錯覺。
事物時時刻刻在變動，人心亦然，而周遭的環境或社會規範常常影響我們，身邊的人的行為也是，有的時候外在的影響和自身想法交融，會得到更具體且清晰的方向，如果能夠理出來是最好的，但大多數（包括我）的情況是：想像外界的事物和人都是一條條河流，在時間中流動，每一條河流的形貌、前進的方向和流速都不相同，我受到其他的河流影響，誰誰誰的河流波光粼粼，水質清澈，魚蝦等生物在河中自在游動；誰誰誰的河流中躺著大小不一的石頭，河水因石頭激起的水花有多壯闊瀟灑。看著看著便羨慕起來，以為自己也想要、能夠複製相同景貌，以類似的姿態和流速朝相同的方向前行，忽略了自己真正的盼望和嚮往，以及那適合自己的獨一無二的樣貌。
而伏流的產生對我而言像是一種提醒，提醒人們正視內心深處的意念，正視真正的想法，正視被忽略的問題。
看完好羨慕智萬啊，好想跟智萬一樣變成12歲的小學生，悠悠哉哉打工，閒散度日喔。（不行不行，智萬是智萬，我是我，專屬於我的河流就由我來打造！）
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2022
All good things come to an end…
And, sadly, this is the final volume of this rather lovely little jewel of a manga. The detailed art, the amusing (and sometimes too relatable) stories, the clearly drawn characters and the splendid Shacho (the titular cat!) have all combined to carve a little place in my heart and I hope they have in yours too - this being volume 3 and all :)
No regrets at buying these three volumes, they are ones to re-read, for sure.
And, sadly, this is the final volume of this rather lovely little jewel of a manga. The detailed art, the amusing (and sometimes too relatable) stories, the clearly drawn characters and the splendid Shacho (the titular cat!) have all combined to carve a little place in my heart and I hope they have in yours too - this being volume 3 and all :)
No regrets at buying these three volumes, they are ones to re-read, for sure.
November 15, 2021
This was a fun little series. I love the idea and wish more had been done with it, but it was cute how the diff Hirotas switched places and all… though I am a little disappointed that he never told her that she could probably go back if she wanted… I mean she could at least be 20 instead of 12…. Anyway, the very ending was a bit clunky. But it was a nice quick read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2023
Final agredolç i precipitat que desmereix tota la història :( no pot ser que a tan sols un capítol d'acabar s'introdueixi un gir de guió que ho canvia tot (la descoberta d'un món paral·lel d'on prové el prota i que s'acaba intercanviant d'un món a l'altre) i la trama de la nena es quedi sense resoldre. Em sento enganyada, quina ràbia!!!!
October 30, 2025
Alternative Worlds
A story about alternative worlds that are in a constant state of flux that changes how people interact with their environment and other people requiring them to be flexible and adaptable!
A story about alternative worlds that are in a constant state of flux that changes how people interact with their environment and other people requiring them to be flexible and adaptable!
July 3, 2022
Definitivamente los mangas de Urushibara son muy especiales.
July 31, 2023
Should have continued on for another 10 Volumes.
September 17, 2025
I think this was the best volume of the three! I'm sad to see the world come to an end but it was a nice little manga. If you're a fan of Mushi shi, you should definitely try out this series!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews