Chi's Sweet Home, Volume 4

チーズスイートホーム [Chi's Sweet Home] #4

by Kanata Konami, Ed Chavez (Translator)

Chi is a michievous newborn kitten who on a leisurely stroll with her family finds herself lost and alone. Seperated from the warmth and protection of her mother, desperately attempts to reunite with her family of feral cats. When the kitten feels all hope is lost, she is found in a park by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. After taking a tumble Yohei feels just as distraught as the kitten he sees before him, and he quickly takes comfort in feeling a sense of sympathy with the cat. And before she could even know what hit her, the little kitty was picked up and soon under the protection and care of Yohei's family--the Yamada's. Every moment of their daily life is filled with something we can all cherish.

In the fourth volume of Chi's Sweet Home, Youhei's actions at the end of volume three has motivated his parents to look for a new home for their kids.  Chi is moving to a new address; someplace where cats can play to their heart's content without having to worry about nosey managers and mean hungry bully cats.

But moving alone will be something of an adventure for Chi.  While the Yamada's can handle changing their environment now and then, for a kitten their home means much more than just a place to sleep in.  When the old apartment starts to disappear, suddenly Chi starts losing all of her favorite toys and her naps spots.  She knows they should be in specific places, the smell is still there, but her nappy spot is gone and so are her favorite scratching areas.  And what are all those boxy things?  Why are they all stacked so high up?  And what's up with all the noise around them?  Are there dogs behind all of this?!?

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

147 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2007

About the author

Konami Kanata (jp. こなみかなた), is a Japanese cartoonist best known for her cat characters Chi's Sweet Home. Her works revolves around the daily life of house cats.

She went to Futaba-Kōtō Academy in Suwa, Nagano Perfecture. Her first published manga as a profesional manga-ka was the short story Puchi Neko Jamu Jamu in Nakayoshi Manga Magazine in 1982. The magazine is a part of Kodansha Publishing, in which she published her works ever since her first debut.

[From English and German's Wikipedia]

Reviews

[MissAnnThrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

30 April 2013

The Yamadas can finally relax as they move into a pet-friendly apartment in Chi's Sweet Home, Volume 4. I guess "relax" wouldn't be quite the right word when you've got a troublesome kitty on the loose, wreaking havoc all while giving you some 'tude.

For anyone who has pets, you will absolutely relate to Chi adjusting to her new surroundings. Chi gets to meet her new neighbors and makes some new furry friends. I love the interaction with David in the yard. So cute!

The baby-talk seems to have been toned down quite a bit. I never minded it since it adds to Chi's charm. It's entertaining to see her irritable while spouting out her fwustwations in her baby tawk.

This is another fun installment to this adorable series. There weren't as many laugh-out-loud moments, but it still made me really happy. Looking forward to the next one!

[Laura Munsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lu avec ma petite choupette ❤️
Elle adore toujours autant (pour elle ce serait un 5 étoiles).

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hilarious volume! The Yomadas move to a new home where they are allowed to have pets and the focus of the entire volume is Chi's reaction to moving. If you have ever moved with a cat you will relate to Chi's total freak-out at all the new-ness she has to deal with. Extremely funny. As far as the plot, the move encompasses the entire book though two new characters are introduced who will most likely continue on. There is a rambunctious dog living next door to the Yamadas and one over from them is a long-hair regal, queen/king of the world cat (complete opposite of Chi!). Looking forward to the next volume.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that my eight year old niece loves Chi's Sweet Home. She is reading these on her own, and not only reading them, begging me to supply her with another. I can't get them for her fast enough! I hadn't seen the child for five days, and when I picked her up today, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Auntie, do you have another Chi book for me today?!" She informed me that, "All the Chi books get five stars."

Oh, and I like these books, too. The author has really studied cat behavior, and has done an excellent job of showing us the world through a cat's eyes!

[Natalie Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom took this out of circulation at the library and brought it to me thinking I might like it- sooo cute and quick to read!

[Nadia Jane Dominic · Rating 5 out of 5]

В цьому томику немає Чорниша🙈, Чі адаптується в новій домівці та пробує знайомитися з іншими тваринками, нові запахи вперемішку зі старими здаються Чі незвичними, Чі сумує за Чорнишем. Чи зустрінуться вони знову...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might just be that I'm enjoying finally finding a manga I can read in the original Japanese (the target audience is small children, so it's not that great a feat!), but I really loved reading the six volumes of this one. Chi is an adorable character and you really end up liking her and the people around her (I confess I bawled like a baby at the end of volume 3)...I'm still hoping she'll find her lost family and that's not resolved yet, but I'm looking forward to volume 7!

[Laurel Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful diversion. Yohei and his family move to a new home - one where cats are allowed. I've moved with cats, so it's all familiar - the disruption of packing, exploring boxes, being shut in the bathroom so the cats don't get lost or hurt, sniffing out and slinking around the new place and getting used to it, hiding in a dresser drawer, etc. Chi also gets her(?) claws clipped, makes friends with a dog, and misses her old pal, Blackie.

[Mika · Rating 2 out of 5]

This time the book was medium paced again, not fast like the previous one but also not slow like the 2nd volume (at least for me). The Yamada's moved and Chi needed to adjust to her new environment. I didn't like about this book that they fed her quite often human food. Even meat can't be given to cats as they can't digest it cooked, only raw and WITHOUT any extra flavour.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only new thing I can say about this that I haven't already said is that it's interesting to see how consistent this series has been so far. This still makes me laugh, is still cuter than anything else in print, and, well, yeah. Just tremendous.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest kitten story continues!

Pretty true on the cat front, as usual, and really adorable as always. Cat lovers must read this series!

...And I believe this is the first time a manga has become a "New York Times Best Seller."

[Ｂｅｅｌａｈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keluarga Yamada pun akhirnya berpindah ke rumah sewa baru yang mesra haiwan peliharaan. Mula2 Chi keliru dengan persekitaran baru dan selalu ajak keluarga Yamada balik rumah lama. Tapi lama2 dia pun teruja dengan rumah baru ni. Mudah sangat hidup Chi ni haha.

[Julie (Let's Read Good Books)]

Chi is the cutest kitty in town. What an adorable, sweet series. Even hardened dog lovers will be moved by Chi's antics.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary
Finally! The Yamada family has found a place where they can live with Chi without the worry of being forced to get rid of her or being evicted. As the Yamadas prepare to move, Chi explores the packing boxes, while also trying to make sense of the move. The author illustrates beautifully just how stressful moving can be for pets. The author shows us the moving process from Chi's perspective by illustrating Chi in excitement, terror and all in a panic frantically running around, trying to detect familiar smells and objects and not understanding that the place they go to is their new home and not just a visit. The Yamadas try to make Chi's new home more comfortable and familiar to her, but just end up stressing her out more! Will Chi be able to make sense of her new home and find comfort?

My Rating:
5 stars

My Review:
Chi is just as adorable as ever. While the Yamadas are busy packing, Chi climbs in the boxes and even gets stuck! So funny and cute! I died laughing when the Yamadas can't find Chi and are afraid that they packed her up by accident. The Yamadas frantically search around and open every box, just to find Chi asleep on a blanket in the one box that never got taped! It's hilarious as you can see Mr. and Mrs. Yamada exhausted with relief.

Once all the boxes are packed up, Chi gets really confused because she senses and maybe even smells that all of their things are in the boxes but they aren't in their normal spots. I loved seeing her run around freaking out, just like a real cat would do! It gets even better as she hears all of the stomping feet from the moving men and imagines and relates the sounds to be from a giant dog with many feet. Hilarious! I love how the author pictures how a cat would react to moving by showing Chi all in a panic and trying to relate the sounds she is hearing and the smells to something that makes sense to her.

The Yamadas try to show Chi around as I think most pet owners would do to try and make their family pet(s) more comfortable. But I love that the focus is all on Chi while doing this! Being shown her surroundings just makes it more confusing and stressful for Chi! For example, Chi freaks out when Mr. Yamada trys to show Chi the doggy/cat door but instead of putting Chi before the door to explore it herself,swings the door right in front of her face and trys to shove her through it! Chi is traumatized and I was dying laughing!

Anyone who has ever moved with a pet will be able to relate to these experiences.

As the Yamadas get settled in and start unpacking familiar objects to Chi, Chi starts to explore and smell familiar objects that she recognizes with her own scent, but is still somewhat confused when she knows that the floors and carpets are not known to her. Chi's resolves her conflict by marking her smell by rubbing and rolling on the floors, marking that her new surroundings belong to her.

For anyone who has ever cut a pet's toenails or claws (despite what pet you have) you will be able to relate to the experience of Chi having her claws cut. w Chi's claws are getting too long and she is scratching the Yamadas. Ouch! Mr. Yamada is in charge of cutting Chi's claws with some clippers, and the funny thing is that Mr. Yamada is just as stressed out about cutting Chi's claws as Chi is to have them get cut! It is true that if you get too close to the colored part on a pet's nails or claws that they will bleed. I remember the first time cutting my bunny's nails. It was nervewracking for both of us because she was freaked out because I can't hold her normally (her eyes were all bugged out) and I was so afraid of cutting them badly and making them bleed (out of all the times trimmed them, I only made her bleed once and it wasn't very much. Most of the time I did great!). I loved that the author included this scene because it's very realistic and not only do we get Chi's perspective of this stressful process, but readers can relate to their own experiences as well!

At the end of the novel, we see Chi continue to explore her surroundings and begin to accept playing in the back yard (peek-a-book) withe the neighbor's dog and playing hide and seek with Yoshei. As she has finally become comfortable with her new home, she is reminded that she doesn't have any of her own friends to play with and remembers Blackie. Will we ever see Blackie again?

I give Chi's Sweet Home another 5 stars for beautifully illustrating the perspective and view of life (especially the moving process) from a cat's eyes, as well as connecting readers to their own experiences with pets.

[leynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viele von euch wissen, dass ich die Chi's Sweet Home-Reihe eigentlich auf Russisch lese. 2019 war ich auf einem Austausch in Minsk und habe dort als Andenken den ersten Teil dieser Mangareihe gekauft, gelesen und lieben gelernt. Kanata Konamis Zeichnungen sind einfach suuuuper süß und ich habe die kleine Katze Chi und ihre found family (die Yamadas) sofort in mein Herz geschlossen. Der Manga kommt mit wenigen Dialogen und Beschreibungen aus, weswegen er perfekt für mich und mein brockenhaftes Russisch ist.

In Deutschland musste ich leider feststellen, dass es nahezu unmöglich ist, die Folgebände auf Russisch für einen annehmbaren Preis zu kaufen. Viele Läden und Onlineshops bieten den Manga gar nicht erst auf Russisch an (was ich natürlich verstehen kann – es ist schon wirklich special interest) oder verkaufen einen Band für 20-50€ (...was ich für einen 150-seitigen Manga wirklich unverschämt finde). Mit viel Glück habe ich den zweiten Band bei murawei.de für knapp 10€ ergattern können. Und als ich letztens sah, dass es den vierten Band über Amazon Marketplace für 8,50€ gab, habe ich natürlich auch sofort zugeschlagen. Den dritten Band konnte ich leider nirgends für einen annehmbaren Preis finden, weswegen ich ihn dann einfach auf Englisch las. Im Juni mache ich ja einen Kindle Unlimited Probemonat (den ich natürlich sofort wieder gekündigt habe – ich habe kein Interesse an dem Programm, möchte aber die Chance nutzen, 30 Tage diverse Comics und Mangas für lau zu lesen) und lustigerweise war Chi's Sweet Home #3 über Kindle Unlimited erhältlich.

Der vierte Band kam vor einer Woche hier an und nach der Lektüre des dritten Bands konnte ich natürlich sofort einsteigen. Der vierte Band handelt ausschließlich davon, wie die Yamadas (mit Chi im Tau) in ihrer neuen Wohnung ankommen und sich einleben müssen. Für die kleine Katze sind die neuen Eindrücke und Gerüche natürlich viel und es dauert ein bisschen bis sie sich eingelebt hat. Da im neuen Gebäudekomplex ja Haustiere erlaubt sind (der Grund für den Umzug der Yamadas; in der alten Wohnung waren Haustiere verboten), lernt Chi viele neue Tiere kennen. Ein Nachbar hat einen Papagei, der andere eine Katze (in die Chi sich verguckt?), die eine Familie einen Hund (der Chi eine Heidenangst einjagt) etc. etc. Es ist wirklich sehr süß gemacht! Mein Lieblingspanel ist das, wo Chi nichtsahnend ihren Kopf durch die Hecke steckt und der Hund aus dem Nachbarsgarten auf sie, mit full speed, zugesprungen kommt. Einfach nur iconic!

Diesen Manga auf Russisch zu lesen, bereitet mir einfach große Freude. Zum einen liebe ich es, Kyrillisch zu lesen (weil ich es mittlerweile kaum noch mache) und zum anderen habe ich großen Spaß dabei, mir russische Wörter zu erschließen bzw. an bestimmte Redewendungen erinnert zu werden. Es ist einfach faszinierend, wie viel ich von dieser Sprache behalten habe, obwohl ich sie nur vergleichsweise kurz (und auch nicht besonders intensiv) lernte. Mein letzter Russischkurs ist ganze sechs Jahre her und es ist noch wirklich viel (für meine B1-Verhältnisse...) da, woran ich anknüpfen kann. Weitere Bände des Manga auf Russisch zu finden wird vermutlich ein Kampf, aber ich werde weiterhin Ausschau halten.

[Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chi and her family finally move into their new home where Chi doesn't need to hide. Chi meets her neighbors, a parakeet, a bunny, a fellow cat and a dog!

At first Chi was confused because there were new smells and familiar smells. So Chi decided to make all unfamiliar smells familiar by making them hers! A trick she learned from Blackie!

She even explores the stairs (but is too afraid to go down them), and plays hide and seek with Yohei. She also goes into her own yard and encounters the dog named David!

Overall Chi has had an exciting time moving into her new home and getting her claws clipped!

But she still thinks and misses Blackie/Bear-cat.

I hope she and Blackie/Bear-cat reunite. What about her mommy cat and siblings?! Will she ever see them again?

[Helen (they or he) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't get enough of this cat and its family! This is the cutest series I've ever read and I'll never shut up about this manga, I swear to god.

This volume focuses on the family moving out to a place where they accept pets! Finally we have justice for Chi! It's fun seeing her get freaked out about everything because she doesn't understand what's going on. Freaking out about a cat-door, a cat-shelf, a garden... it's hilarious. I love the artist so much because Chi's face is just this: (O∆O)

Also, I only discovered this series like six months ago? I keep thinking I read this in 2018. Coupvid has aged me (mentally) about at least 4 years.

Sidenote: I've adopted :< and :> as my go-to cat face emoticons ever since I read this series and it's all thanks to Chi. Love this.

[Silas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another volume from this charming series focusing on ordinary experiences of a family with a kitten from the kitten's perspective. This volume sees Chi and her family moving to a pet-friendly apartment, so they no longer have to keep her secret. This has its own set of troubles, though, and we get to see Chi dealing with a new and scary environment, so this volume is full of discovery and accomplishment, and the sort of adorable moments this series does so well. I keep thinking there aren't any new moments of ordinary greatness this series can uncover, but it keeps surprising me by doing just that.

[Veritas666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das ist Band 04 von der "Kleine Katze Chi" Reihe von Konami Kanata.

Das Cover ist bei allen Bänden ja so ziemlich gleich gehalten.
Der Umzug in ein neues und Tierfreundliches Zuhause erfreut die ganze Familie, nicht so Chi denn für ihn ist das alles erschreckend. Die Wohnung ist neu, alles riecht frisch und nicht nach ihm und seiner Familie, außerdem vermisst er seinen Katzenfreund und ist darüber wirklich sehr traurig.

Aber in diesem Band lernt er dafür auch viele neue Tiere kennen, darunter auch einen Hund der ihm nicht ganz geheuer ist. In der Familie läuft es auch hier wieder Chaotisch, schließlich ist Chi noch klein und will alles erkunden.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t been able to easily get ahold of the complete volume 2 but I did find copies of the smaller volumes!

This one was cute, as before, but I found Chi’s nerves and hectic behaviour thanks to the move to a new apartment wore on me after a little while. It was nice to see how a cat may think through the process of moving but after a couple stories of her looking agitated I was ready for something new and more to the story.

Still looking forward to the other comics I have on hold and seeing what’s ahead for Chi and the family!

[Emkoshka · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Yamadas are now living in a pet-friendly apartment; no more hiding, hooray! Chi's new neighbours include a parakeet, a snooty cat and a happy yappy dog. More cute scenarios such as playing hide-and-seek and scent-marking a new home though I could've done without the chapter about Chi's claws being clipped, poor kitten!

[Tetiana St · Rating 5 out of 5]

Том 4 (57-74) — про переїзд та адаптацію киці на новому місці, дуже терапевтичний. Дозволяє прожити всі стадії та емоції прийняття життєвих змін: від заперечення й невизначеності до прийняття й цікавості.
Читали разом з дитиною, співпереживали та веселилися поруч з героями. В зіницях Чі можна прочитати будь-яку її реакцію. Конамі Каната геніальна!

[Honesty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 4 is just as cute as ever, but I may need to take a brief break. Reading this series is like eating a super-sweet dessert; it's so good you don't want to stop eating, but once you've gorged yourself, you can't move and feel a little sick. It's that cute.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chi and her family move into a new house that allows pets. They meet other pets in the building, explore new freedoms and foods, and just enjoy cat life in general. In the end, Chi remembers Blackie and feels lonely. On to volume 5...

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting. These are so flippin adorable and I always have a blast reading about Chi and her family. This one was so endearing and I hope she meets Blackie again!

Read for Otaku-A-Thon March 2019

[Tokyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanta está serie, no solo tiene comedia si no también te deja con sentimientos encontrados. Recomiendo esta serie a toda persona que quiere algo cute y rápido de leer. Con una buena taza de té y en tus mantitas está es la mejor lectura para tener una cómoda tarde.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo amé 😻

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the family move to a new apartment at a pet friendly apartment building. Chi finds it hard to adjust.

[Leslie Jonsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent end to the series, can't wait for the anime to come out.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, light, fluffy reading. Moving can be super stressful for kitties, but loved the claw clipping scenes. My kitty fell asleep the first time I clipped his claws xD