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If the Cat Faces West #2
貓往西走 2
Hirota est un spécialiste des flows, ces phénomènes bizarres qui déforment l'environnement. Il traque leur source pour essayer de les faire stopper au plus vite avec l'aide de son assistante Chima et de son chat Shachô. Chima a, en fait, été victime d'un flow, elle aussi ! Elle est agée de 35 ans alors qu'elle en paraît 12. Et elle espère que son travail pourra l'aider à régler les conséquences de ce flow qui la touche personnellement. Dans ce boulot pour le moins étrange, il faut s'attendre à tout !
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2020
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Yuki Urushibara
34 books218 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 27, 2022
Shacho and his humans are once again attempting to go with the Flow. Especially Hirota, who isn’t too interested in doing his job without some prodding. Chima, of course, is always there to help him, until her age reverts to normal. Has life finally restarted for her?
I bet you can answer that question, but such is the nature of that sort of tale, which still remains the most interesting of a pretty good batch in this ongoing anthology of weird science.
Chima goes out drinking with her friends and has to acknowledge all the ways that her 12-year-old body is leaving her 35-year-old self in the cold as far as moving her life forward is concerned. It’s a nice reminder that this situation has a very nebulous time limit on it and Chima could be stuck like this for years.
The way the story constantly shows how Flow has been addressed by the government - Chima has a special license with her actual age that lets her buy alcohol, for example - are some neat little bits of world building that help make this world feel a bit more lived-in.
Which then lets the story upset the apple cart when Chima wakes up partially aged back to 20 years old and decides to get on with her life. This leads to her getting a job, nearly finding a husband, and leaving Hirota behind (who might care, but is far to laisser-faire for that).
Suffice to say, such change is fleeting, and it might be coincidence, but it sure looks like the more normal her life gets, the sooner Chima reverts to her younger age. There’s probably a lesson in acceptance and finding your place mixed in there.
The rest of the stories continue the usual series antics - Flow shows up, something weird occurs, it resolves. It’s not going to wow anybody who wasn’t impressed before, but as an anthology of weirdness, it’s pretty fun.
There’s a particularly neat story about a series of stairs that has a solid message about not judging other people and another about an alleyway that takes people where they want to go, but comes up against a very sheep-like teenager. The latter one probably has the most emotional resonance of anything outside the Chima chapter.
One story involving fireflies would probably get the ‘most emotional’ title, except it has its legs cut out from under it at the end just in favour of a lame joke about semantics. Even Hirota gets ticked off about that one and it’s hard to blame him.
Most of these are pretty good and, honestly, remind me of old ‘Monster of the Week’ episodes of The X-Files, except they’re far more laconic and deal with how society handles being annoyed by Flow far more than death and mayhem. The overall disconnect of no apparent connecting thread is the same though.
Like I said, if the first book wasn’t your cup of tea, this is just the first book but more of it. I can see this getting stale, but since the series wound up being a short one, I suspect it might wind up being the perfect length when all is said and done.
4 stars - nothing extraordinary here: a collection of enjoyable sci-fi weirdness anchored by a couple of good leads and one very helpful cat. Definitely worth a look if you liked the first one.
I bet you can answer that question, but such is the nature of that sort of tale, which still remains the most interesting of a pretty good batch in this ongoing anthology of weird science.
Chima goes out drinking with her friends and has to acknowledge all the ways that her 12-year-old body is leaving her 35-year-old self in the cold as far as moving her life forward is concerned. It’s a nice reminder that this situation has a very nebulous time limit on it and Chima could be stuck like this for years.
The way the story constantly shows how Flow has been addressed by the government - Chima has a special license with her actual age that lets her buy alcohol, for example - are some neat little bits of world building that help make this world feel a bit more lived-in.
Which then lets the story upset the apple cart when Chima wakes up partially aged back to 20 years old and decides to get on with her life. This leads to her getting a job, nearly finding a husband, and leaving Hirota behind (who might care, but is far to laisser-faire for that).
Suffice to say, such change is fleeting, and it might be coincidence, but it sure looks like the more normal her life gets, the sooner Chima reverts to her younger age. There’s probably a lesson in acceptance and finding your place mixed in there.
The rest of the stories continue the usual series antics - Flow shows up, something weird occurs, it resolves. It’s not going to wow anybody who wasn’t impressed before, but as an anthology of weirdness, it’s pretty fun.
There’s a particularly neat story about a series of stairs that has a solid message about not judging other people and another about an alleyway that takes people where they want to go, but comes up against a very sheep-like teenager. The latter one probably has the most emotional resonance of anything outside the Chima chapter.
One story involving fireflies would probably get the ‘most emotional’ title, except it has its legs cut out from under it at the end just in favour of a lame joke about semantics. Even Hirota gets ticked off about that one and it’s hard to blame him.
Most of these are pretty good and, honestly, remind me of old ‘Monster of the Week’ episodes of The X-Files, except they’re far more laconic and deal with how society handles being annoyed by Flow far more than death and mayhem. The overall disconnect of no apparent connecting thread is the same though.
Like I said, if the first book wasn’t your cup of tea, this is just the first book but more of it. I can see this getting stale, but since the series wound up being a short one, I suspect it might wind up being the perfect length when all is said and done.
4 stars - nothing extraordinary here: a collection of enjoyable sci-fi weirdness anchored by a couple of good leads and one very helpful cat. Definitely worth a look if you liked the first one.
November 14, 2021
I like this series, it’s interesting, but it feels a bit “meh.” I suspect that the woman (lol I can’t even remember her name) is behind her flow— bc otherwise why would she change to 20 when she’s feeling so stressed about it and then turn back the moment she gets scared when the guy mentions marriage?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2023
Summary:
Flow is a (natural?) phenomenon that the city has been forced to deal with for years. Where it appears, everything can change, oddities arise, people disappear, and the rules of physics alter. That's where the Flow Disposal department comes into play. It's their job to find the Flow source and help resolve it when possible.
Hirota has made it his life's work to help others cope with the changes Flow brings. Sometimes, he can help them find normalcy again. Other times, he has to help them wait it through. For example, his employee – Chima-chan, looks significantly younger than she is, thanks to the effect of Flow.
Review:
I forgot how much I loved this series. Why did I take so long to read the second volume?! (Note to self: go buy and read the third volume asap). When a Cat Faces West Vol. 2 is such a fun and entertaining read for various reasons.
Yes, there is a bit of a lesson to be learned in each slice-of-life-style adventure. Sometimes we're meant to learn about patience, or sometimes to teach us about going with the flow (sorry, I couldn't resist).
There's also something so human about how Yuki Urushibara portrays the characters. Ironically, I still feel like we need to learn about Hirota. However, I wouldn't mind seeing more of Shacho (the cat). He's adorable.
There are some somber notes in When a Cat Faces West Vol. 2. Chima's story, for example, has some highs and lows. Likewise, one of the little adventures Hirota goes on hits hard until the big reveal, at least. I wasn't expecting that, but I'm not complaining.
Highlights:
Slice-of-life
Fantasy/Sci-Fi
“Flow”
Cat!
Monster of the week vibes
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Flow is a (natural?) phenomenon that the city has been forced to deal with for years. Where it appears, everything can change, oddities arise, people disappear, and the rules of physics alter. That's where the Flow Disposal department comes into play. It's their job to find the Flow source and help resolve it when possible.
Hirota has made it his life's work to help others cope with the changes Flow brings. Sometimes, he can help them find normalcy again. Other times, he has to help them wait it through. For example, his employee – Chima-chan, looks significantly younger than she is, thanks to the effect of Flow.
Review:
I forgot how much I loved this series. Why did I take so long to read the second volume?! (Note to self: go buy and read the third volume asap). When a Cat Faces West Vol. 2 is such a fun and entertaining read for various reasons.
Yes, there is a bit of a lesson to be learned in each slice-of-life-style adventure. Sometimes we're meant to learn about patience, or sometimes to teach us about going with the flow (sorry, I couldn't resist).
There's also something so human about how Yuki Urushibara portrays the characters. Ironically, I still feel like we need to learn about Hirota. However, I wouldn't mind seeing more of Shacho (the cat). He's adorable.
There are some somber notes in When a Cat Faces West Vol. 2. Chima's story, for example, has some highs and lows. Likewise, one of the little adventures Hirota goes on hits hard until the big reveal, at least. I wasn't expecting that, but I'm not complaining.
Highlights:
Slice-of-life
Fantasy/Sci-Fi
“Flow”
Cat!
Monster of the week vibes
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
June 15, 2022
Le premier tome, lu en début d’année, avait été une véritable belle surprise. On a un univers particulier mais qui est vraiment fascinant. J’avais beaucoup aimé le premier tome, l’intrigue, les personnages etc. C’était une belle lecture et je dois avouer que j’étais assez impatience de découvrir le second tome. Et bien, je trouve que ça reste dans la lignée du premier et que ça m’a vraiment beaucoup plu. Je suis impatiente de découvrir la suite de ce manga.
Dans ce second tome, on retrouve Hirata spécialiste en flow, ces phénomènes bizarres qui déforment l’environnement. Il traque leur source pour essayer de les faire stopper au plus vite avec l’aide de son assistante Chima et son chat Shachô. Chima a toujours la même apparence. Victime d’un flow, elle a beau avoir 35 ans elle a en vérité l’apparence d’une jeune adolescente de 12 ans! Et elle espère que son travail pourra l’aider à régler les conséquences de ce flow.
J’ai bien cru que Chima allait enfin pouvoir retrouver sa véritable apparence. Mais il semblerait qu’il faille attendre le troisième et dernier tome pour être véritablement fixé sur son cas. Elle n’a pas une vie facile à cause de ça justement. Avoir l’apparence d’une enfant de douze ans alors que vous en avez 35… Elle a du quitter son emploi, elle doit toujours prouver qu’elle a vraiment l’âge qu’elle dit, elle galère à trouver des habits qui lui plaise sans que ça fasse vraiment enfant. Bref, sa vie n’est clairement pas la meilleure vie que l’on puisse avoir. Mais c’est aux côtés de Hirata, elle arrive tout de même à s’épanouir un peu. Combattre les flows est loin d’être de tout repos.
Il me tarde vraiment de découvrir le troisième et dernier tome. Je me demande si Chima va enfin pouvoir reprendre sa vie normale. Si elle va enfin pouvoir reprendre son apparence de femme de 35 ans. J’adore le personnage de Hirata, il me fait beaucoup rire et forme un très bon duo avec Chima. L’univers de ce manga est vraiment très plaisant, j’aime beaucoup le côté fantastique de l’histoire. J’aime surtout le fait que les flows prennent vie souvent grâce aux sentiments des personnes. Je trouve ça plutôt chouette! Il me tarde vraiment de découvrir le dénouement de cette histoire.
Dans ce second tome, on retrouve Hirata spécialiste en flow, ces phénomènes bizarres qui déforment l’environnement. Il traque leur source pour essayer de les faire stopper au plus vite avec l’aide de son assistante Chima et son chat Shachô. Chima a toujours la même apparence. Victime d’un flow, elle a beau avoir 35 ans elle a en vérité l’apparence d’une jeune adolescente de 12 ans! Et elle espère que son travail pourra l’aider à régler les conséquences de ce flow.
J’ai bien cru que Chima allait enfin pouvoir retrouver sa véritable apparence. Mais il semblerait qu’il faille attendre le troisième et dernier tome pour être véritablement fixé sur son cas. Elle n’a pas une vie facile à cause de ça justement. Avoir l’apparence d’une enfant de douze ans alors que vous en avez 35… Elle a du quitter son emploi, elle doit toujours prouver qu’elle a vraiment l’âge qu’elle dit, elle galère à trouver des habits qui lui plaise sans que ça fasse vraiment enfant. Bref, sa vie n’est clairement pas la meilleure vie que l’on puisse avoir. Mais c’est aux côtés de Hirata, elle arrive tout de même à s’épanouir un peu. Combattre les flows est loin d’être de tout repos.
Il me tarde vraiment de découvrir le troisième et dernier tome. Je me demande si Chima va enfin pouvoir reprendre sa vie normale. Si elle va enfin pouvoir reprendre son apparence de femme de 35 ans. J’adore le personnage de Hirata, il me fait beaucoup rire et forme un très bon duo avec Chima. L’univers de ce manga est vraiment très plaisant, j’aime beaucoup le côté fantastique de l’histoire. J’aime surtout le fait que les flows prennent vie souvent grâce aux sentiments des personnes. Je trouve ça plutôt chouette! Il me tarde vraiment de découvrir le dénouement de cette histoire.
April 1, 2024
When a new flow takes effect, it’s time to call Hirota and Chima! While dealing with seemingly random cases of flow is Hirota’s life, Chima is ready to ditch it and return to her regular life as soon as she returns to normal. While Chima has yet to figure out the cause for flow making her a pre-teen again, she and Hirota deal with a drying rack floating around town, a steep set of stairs turning onto a hike, and a mysterious ghost in the fog.
So far, I’ve been really enjoying this series. It’s a slow burn, but I like that about it because it’s not like flow is going to be stopped all together, so it isn’t building up to a huge flow blow out. It’s very character driven, so we really get to know Chima and Hirota more and more in addition to seeing there’s a lot of depth to each of the characters affected by flow. Now that we’re in the second volume, we get to see more about this world and how everyone is dealing with flow.
There’s little details that really make the story realistic. In the first volume, we saw that people had to fill out flow paperwork so the government could deal with how cases of flow affected people. It initially pertained to things like housing and work, but now we see that it’s much more complex than that. For example, Chima has a flow ID to show that she’s 35-years-old and physically affected by flow. Then there’s a flow case in the story that’s a time warp all tied into a character’s failed relationship.
It’s also nice to see that the characters who are most experienced with flow don’t always recognize when something is flow or not. We’ve got the ghost on the bridge, who Hirota believes is actually a ghost when everyone else can see they’ve got another case on their hands. Then we have Chima, who hasn’t realized that her feelings are the cause of her own case. We get to see her suddenly jump to appearing in her twenties only for her to revert back once things like marriage get brought up. All in all, this was another great read. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story continues to develop!
So far, I’ve been really enjoying this series. It’s a slow burn, but I like that about it because it’s not like flow is going to be stopped all together, so it isn’t building up to a huge flow blow out. It’s very character driven, so we really get to know Chima and Hirota more and more in addition to seeing there’s a lot of depth to each of the characters affected by flow. Now that we’re in the second volume, we get to see more about this world and how everyone is dealing with flow.
There’s little details that really make the story realistic. In the first volume, we saw that people had to fill out flow paperwork so the government could deal with how cases of flow affected people. It initially pertained to things like housing and work, but now we see that it’s much more complex than that. For example, Chima has a flow ID to show that she’s 35-years-old and physically affected by flow. Then there’s a flow case in the story that’s a time warp all tied into a character’s failed relationship.
It’s also nice to see that the characters who are most experienced with flow don’t always recognize when something is flow or not. We’ve got the ghost on the bridge, who Hirota believes is actually a ghost when everyone else can see they’ve got another case on their hands. Then we have Chima, who hasn’t realized that her feelings are the cause of her own case. We get to see her suddenly jump to appearing in her twenties only for her to revert back once things like marriage get brought up. All in all, this was another great read. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story continues to develop!
Read
November 2, 2025It's a therapeutic fantasy manga.
In each episode, Hiorta Flow Inc. solves a "Flow" problem for their client. A strong emotion can change terrain features and make illusions appear.
I think the one of the more long term story is Chima Kondo's problem. She is a 35 year old woman but Flow made her being stuck in her 12 year old body. So she can't find a job or do the "normal" things that her friends would do. She works at the flow company.
Korean version.
In each episode, Hiorta Flow Inc. solves a "Flow" problem for their client. A strong emotion can change terrain features and make illusions appear.
I think the one of the more long term story is Chima Kondo's problem. She is a 35 year old woman but Flow made her being stuck in her 12 year old body. So she can't find a job or do the "normal" things that her friends would do. She works at the flow company.
Korean version.
July 15, 2022
Ah this is hitting its stride now.
For some reason I really loved the segment about the steep steep stairs. (I lived at the midpoint of some stairs like that once, except being not Japan it was dirt and gravel path, encroaching bushes, tree roots, and NO lights.)
For some reason I really loved the segment about the steep steep stairs. (I lived at the midpoint of some stairs like that once, except being not Japan it was dirt and gravel path, encroaching bushes, tree roots, and NO lights.)
July 25, 2025
Cats go with the Flow
Wonderful quirky stories involving cats and the Flow of Space and Time! Rather paranormal and supernatural in a nice way! Love the quirky science fiction style of Japanese short story fiction!
Wonderful quirky stories involving cats and the Flow of Space and Time! Rather paranormal and supernatural in a nice way! Love the quirky science fiction style of Japanese short story fiction!
August 20, 2025
Like the first volume, this one has a few simple and cute stories about "flow". Also, like Mushishi, it has a very cozy, slice of life vibe. I'll read the third volume soon. It's not my favorite series, but it's also a nice brain break from real world crap.
September 3, 2019
Nice!
Need more!
Really has a mushi-shi feeling
Need more!
Really has a mushi-shi feeling
March 19, 2022
toujours un peu décevant lorsqu'on le compare à Mushishi
June 4, 2022
Este manga animado, sería genial como Mushishi.
August 4, 2022
Una lectura relajante, que estoy disfrutando mucho
October 2, 2022
More fun with physics (and cats)
This next volume is as good as the first - possibly even better. From the bittersweet return of old age to the dangers of being a snob this volume covers the many ways that life can play tricks on us. The mangaka has created another lackadaisical “hero” but actually is the real protagonist his assistant Chima or perhaps it’s his remarkable cat?
Whatever, this is a beautifully drawn and well-written manga and I will certainly be following the adventures of Hirota Flow as they appear. #recommended
This next volume is as good as the first - possibly even better. From the bittersweet return of old age to the dangers of being a snob this volume covers the many ways that life can play tricks on us. The mangaka has created another lackadaisical “hero” but actually is the real protagonist his assistant Chima or perhaps it’s his remarkable cat?
Whatever, this is a beautifully drawn and well-written manga and I will certainly be following the adventures of Hirota Flow as they appear. #recommended
November 6, 2023
Les històries que se'ns presenten en aquest volum són més profundes del que podia semblar, però tot i així no acabo de fer clic... Suposo que em costa sentir-me connectada als protagonistes quan se'ns dona tan poca informació i a cada capítol tenim un episodi nou, com si fos un recull de relats. Sort que només són 3 volums! ^^'
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews