Hidekichi Matsumoto once again regales readers of her days with her pets Inu the dog, Neko the cat, and occasionally Leopa (Tokage) the lizard. Okay, so, the first couple volumes of With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun were fun, but have the jokes about Inu’s energy and Neko’s moodiness become stale?
Good news: the laughs just keep on comin’!
The manga continues to follow the format of an Inu-centered page followed by a related Neko-centered one. Scattered between the chapters are various bonuses like photos of the real-life twosome and 4-koma comics, and then there are additional comics at the end.
It’s these extras that I want to talk about first. With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun volumes are on the short side, and so you really want to enjoy every page. Unfortunately, I’ve found these sections to be the weakest part of the manga. Psychics and the pain of losing a pet just didn’t jive with the main sections.
Fortunately, I found these extras much better than in the first two volumes. Okay, volume 3 had a historical fiction tale about pets making a spiritual journey on behalf of their owners using Inu and Neko avatars, but otherwise, I didn’t have to deal with a sudden shift in tone or a lack of laughs as before. In fact, some of these are just as good or even better than some chapters. For instance, there is a real-life picture of Inu and Neko kissing (be still, my heart!) and Matsumoto admires a fashionista in Milan only to be even more enthralled when the woman turns around. These really help anchor the rest of the manga as a fun ride. Animal and pet lovers already would have a hard time not enjoying With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun with Neko and Inu’s Garfield and Odie dynamic, but now, these releases feel like they have a little more bulk than the author’s Tweets compiled into one book.
Speaking of a little more bulk, Matsumoto mentions in volume 4 the manga versions of her pets have gotten chubbier. I think it’s more evident in Neko, with his head seeming to be significantly smaller compared to the rest of his body than I remember. In a gag manga like this with exaggerated expression, it doesn’t really matter, but some readers may prefer their earlier incarnations. Also, is it just me, or was there more poop talk now as well?
Otherwise, the little episodes cover everything from those bathroom horrors to games to strange behavior and more. The author pokes fun at herself as well, but it’s hard to not enjoy Mom’s appearances. In one example, Matsumoto imagines her mother would comfort her after being injured by a stray cat, but instead, Mom seems ready for war. And Matsumoto thinks Neko may be doing his own test of courage by simply staying by Mom’s side. Just too funny.
With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun volumes 3 and 4 are both great entries, but I’d have to give the edge to volume 4. If only because you get some better photos of the real-life cat and dog, including ones where they’re with their plush merchandise selves! And Neko’s is dead-on…I’d pay for a photobook of the two Nekos facing off. With how good these extras are — not to mention the author perfectly capturing pet ownership in manga format — maybe I can hope!