With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun has always split time with Inu and Neko, and it’s obvious the author loves both of them equally. But as characters in the manga, it’s always been Neko who stole the show. Moody, tsundere, whimsical, proud, and, at times, unreadable Neko. If he has been your favorite in the series or the primary draw for you, volumes 5 and 6 provide perhaps the best Neko content since the opening pages of volume 1 where readers were first introduced for him.
Because otherwise, these two volumes are just not quite as fun as their predecessors.
All forms of storytelling media have a risk of feeling too repetitive after a while, especially in a comedy. This manga is a series of essays on real life, so this is not really a case of jokes getting stale. Inu and Neko are just still themselves, and at their age (seniors), it’s unrealistic to expect them to act differently. Of course, a lot of these stories are from years ago, but the point still stands.
If you enjoyed the previous volumes, it’s not you won’t have a good time again. You get to see Inu enjoy his new clothes and daily walks while Neko pretends his not interested in toys and getting petted. Plus there are the occasional comics where the ditzy reptile, Mom the boss, or kind Dad get to be involved in the punchline. Matsumoto’s art (and occasional photos) are still as engaging as ever with lots of goofy faces.
Neko in particular shines in both story and art. The horror of thinking he had an unusual case of gas and his scary leering of the others in the household are delightful. The latter in particular is exactly what I, as a dog lover, think life with a cat would be like. We also learn some interesting new facts about the feline, like he secretly wants to be a gamer and loves Dad.
It was these that I wish Matsumoto had dove a little more into. True, the majority of these volumes are made up of two-page Twitter drawings, but the author surely has some great stories about Neko staring at the Wii U screen or his relationship with the father who secretly spoils him. Neko is presented as an enigma, so a lot this information adds a whole layer to life with Neko. I mean, it has been obvious that Neko isn’t as independent as he acts, but more like these versus being too lazy to do anything about a fly.
Also, some of the bonus sections are almost like full comics…but stuffed onto one page. I know these are bonuses, but for some of them, it’s just not as easy to read and plus there’s wasted space versus her normal chapters. There were also a couple of confusing ones. Like, Matsumoto is inspired to create a poodle song after meeting one on a walk, but was this something sang at home? A little ditty made for the manga? Just not sure.
Also, shout out to the editor for the comment about a lot of Matsumoto’s memories involving poop! I guess it wasn’t just me thinking that!
Anyway, as the title indicates, while all days are lively with pets around, some days are a little more enjoyable than others. And that’s the case here, with these two just a step down from the previous set. If nothing else, With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun volumes 5 and 6 prove that Matsumoto’s days must be entertaining if I still want more!