Chi is adorable. And curious, which gets her into trouble sometimes. But mostly adorable.
In case you missed the first volume’s release, Chi’s Sweet Adventures is an adaptation of the Chi’s Sweet Adventure CG anime. Except for the final one (which is double in length), each chapter is seven pages long with two full-color 4-koma strips each. As in the original manga, the stories focuses on Chi the kitten’s life with the Yamada family as well as her cat friends Blackie and Cocchi.
Chi’s Sweet Adventures perfectly captures Konami Kanata’s original Chi’s Sweet Home: little kitten, big world. Chi is full of boundless energy befitting her young age, and her days are full of excitement — both good and bad. There are life’s little hiccups like a power outage and sudden rainshowers. The happy days scratching the couch or snuggling with Yohei. Lessons from Blackie and playdates with Cocchi. Whether at home or out and about, every day is truly an adventure for Chi.
For me, the stories in the second half are better than the first half. My favorite involved Yohei Holmes and Dr. Chi Watson tracking down a hopping green intruder. There were a few too many strips about Chi forgetting about her lessons with Blackie, but the bigger disappointment is that the whole volume ends too soon.
Also, while this may be clear already, Chi’s Sweet Adventures is not a sequel or even a midquel to the Chi’s Sweet Home manga. It’s essentially a reboot that didn’t start at square one. Quite frankly, in some ways, this one is better. While the part about Chi hazily remembering her mother is okay (and is still part of this manga), Chi’s Sweet Adventures otherwise skips ahead to when Chi is comfortable and happy at the Yamada home. Plus, as a fan of both Blackie and Cocchi, I loved how they’re both around in this one. But despite these improvements, for readers of the original, some of the strips will feel like an abridged version.
Speaking of the original series, the goofy animal faces that made readers smile in the original series are recreated faithfully and will delight both new and returning Chi fans. But while Chi’s Sweet Home was like soft watercolors, here the visuals are bright and crisp. This may not be surprising considering this is adapted from an anime, but remember Chi’s Sweet Adventure is a CG production. This is the best of both worlds: Konami Kanata’s 2D cuteness combined with bright colors and crisp lines that look as if they were screencapped from an anime episode. The night scenes are colored in a way to make the all-dark Blackie stand out in the evening light. Even the Yamada family gets in on the visual fun as Mom and Chi get into a yoga pose-off.
Still, no matter if you’re a returning Chi fan or just want something for the cat lover in your life, Chi’s Sweet Adventures is a light and fun read. In this high-stress world we live in, keep calm and carry Chi’s Sweet Adventures with you.