Kanda saw an exotic cat at a pet shop, picked him up, and has been thriving personally ever since.
In volume 2, that doesn’t change!
As Kanda continues to try and move on following the passing of his wife, Fukumaru continues to be a warm, healing cat in his life. We have Kanda becoming increasingly happier as Fukumaru snuggles into his bed; Fukumaru sleeping on top of Kanda, whether it’s on his back, side, or stomach; and there’s a part where Fukumaru ends up just stepping on and over him, like he doesn’t exist…and Kanda’s happy about it!
I’m serious when I say this happens!
A Man and His Cat volume 2 doesn’t really move at a rate where there’s a consistent story. We simply have two characters that found a connection, and the adorableness of that is what it all comes down to. I’m not a pet owner so I can’t relate, but there’s a number of things in this volume (and the first) that I’m sure reminds them of their experiences. In manga form, seeing it is great. From how Fukumaru’s emotions sway from being content to fighting a foe in the mirror (a.k.a himself!), the art is lovely and also hilarious each time his face changes. You’ll likely also smile whenever Kanda’s face is smushed by Fukumaru’s big body.
While this manga is endlessly positive, it does continue to devote time to not just Kanda trying to move forward with his life but also Fukumaru. As someone who had been rejected due to his ugly shape, it’s a new experience for him to find someone who truly cares for him. This volume introduces us to a cat who took care of him well before Kanda took him, and in a few pages you can see how that experience stuck with him for a while.
But this manga is about Kanda and how he’s able to deal with a significant loss. This volume has him continuing to think about his wife — even writing about it in his journal — but there’s one moment where not even Fukumaru being there can help stave away the tears. The volume also goes into his upbringing, how he was raised by his mom, and his prior experience to pets in general. This explains just a bit why, in his old age, he was able to connect with a cat like Fukumaru.
This volume wasn’t as strong as the first one for me, but every page turn means an opportunity for us to see Kanda falling in love with whatever Fukumaru does. Heck, this volume shows he’s so much in love his co-workers become concerned because of how fast he leaves the job and how often he looks at his phone! (They end up believing he’s dating.) One of the rare manga where doing one thing over and over again certainly can work.