Kanade runs into his supposed rival, Kanda, at the most unlikeliest spot possible: the pet store! Thinking about the time Kanda left his concert and knowing how good Kanda is, Kanade is more than a little taken aback at the fervor Kanda displays when talking about cats. And that only continues when Kanda asks Kanade to let him stop by his place so he can see Kanade’s new cat.
Rivalry? What rivalry indeed!
A Man and His Cat has been a warm and engaging series since debuting last year, and volume 4 continues to be so while also engaging with Kanda and each character’s past. This includes Fukumaru of course, but in this volume we meet Marin, a cat who indeed is a relative of Fukumaru, and Kanda was very determined to find out if they essentially knew each other. The two cats getting along with each other signifies they were. But it’s not just the past of those two cats that are tackled — the history between Kanade and Kanda prior to them meeting again was essentially not acknowledging the other. Though we know why for Kanda, Kanade was able to discover Kanda’s past through the two being cat lovers and a random meetup at a rock band concert.
Yes, a random meetup at a rock band concert — as you know Kanda isn’t able to be in a concert hall due to his trauma, so would going to a nearby rock concert affect him in any way? As it turns out, he was able to enjoy it like the best of them! Considering this series has been about cats and his interactions with them, the human side has been fairly compelling stuff too. This also includes the time where he’s so beloved at work his boss actually comes out and says she’d be sad if he resigned…and so would his co-workers.
But don’t worry: if you thought the interactions between Kanda and Fukumaru didn’t dominate this volume, rest assured, there are plenty. From the 4-koma panels of Kanda either playfully trapping Fukumaru with his legs or the range of seemingly mundane activities that happen when Kanda’s doing some work or eating, there’s much joy and entertainment to be had with these two. And now we have basically the tsundere Kanade joining in with Marin! Two humans, two cats, and all four being blessed with love and affection. Will enjoy discovering what other moments these characters will share with each other soon enough, and also wonder if Fukumaru’s attempts to be a ninja work out next time.