My Roommate Is a Cat explained

Ja Kanji:同居人はひざ、時々、頭のうえ。
Ja Romaji:Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue
Genre:Iyashikei[1] [2]
Type:manga
Author:Minatsuki
Illustrator:Asu Futatsuya
Publisher:Flex Comix
Demographic:Shōjo
First:June 2015
Volumes:10
Volume List:
  1. Manga
Type:tv series
Director:Kaoru Suzuki
Music:Kotoringo
Studio:Zero-G
Network:AT-X, ABC, Tokyo MX, BS11
First:January 9, 2019
Last:March 27, 2019
Episodes:12
Episode List:
  1. Anime

is a Japanese manga series written by Minatsuki and illustrated by Asu Futatsuya, serialized online via Flex Comix's Comic Polaris website since June 2015. It has been collected in nine tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Zero-G aired from January to March 2019.

Characters

A 23-year-old introverted mystery writer, who adopts Haru by chance. While he initially remains distant, they gradually bond with each other. Part of the story is shown from his point of view. Initially before the death of his parents he was always reluctant to visit crowded places, but after Haru entered his life, he understood the real value of love and started to interact with people better.
A stray Tuxedo cat, adopted by Subaru. Her life prior to being adopted was rough; she was trained by Miz Tora to survive in this harsh world and she took care of her four younger siblings and struggled to feed herself and them. She and Subaru rarely understand each other, but their misunderstandings lead to a common goal. Part of the story is shown from her point of view. She initially believes that her name is a sign for food as that's the name of the girl who once gave her food.
Subaru's editor at the publishing company. He tries hard to get Subaru to get out of the house, but often to no avail. He is fond of cats, especially Haru, and frequently visits the two.
Clerk at Sunny's Pet Store with a fondness for cats. She helps Subaru learn to care for Haru. Has two cats. One cat is Haru's younger brother.
Subaru's childhood friend. He often visits unannounced to drop off food for his friend, since Subaru doesn't cook and rarely has any food in the refrigerator.
Nana's younger brother, a 2nd-year high school student, and a fan of Subaru's novels. He visits his elder sister Nana and also loves cats.
Nana's Tuxedo Cat and Haru's brother.
Nana's 3-year-old cat.
A happy and friendly Golden Retriever who lives next door to Subaru and Haru.
Hiroto's 17-year-old sister who has a crush on Subaru.
Female Tiger Cat who taught Haru and her siblings to survive on the street.
  • [3]
  • Narumi's classmate and Haru's namesake. Her family runs a chūka restaurant.
    Haru's mother.
    A stray black cat who was friends with Tora.
    Narumi's twin brother.
    Hayato's twin sister.
    Hiroto's 3-year-old sister.
    Subaru's neighbor and Taro's owner.
    &
  • Subaru's parents who were killed in a tour bus collision before the story begins.

    Media

    Manga

    The series has been licensed in English by Lezhin Comics.[4]

    Anime

    The anime adaption aired from January 9 to March 27, 2019 on AT-X, ABC, Tokyo MX and BS11.[5] [6] The series is animated by Zero-G and directed by Kaoru Suzuki, with Deku Akao handled the series composition, and Masaru Kitao designed the characters.[7] Schrödinger's Cat and Kotringo performed the series' opening theme song, while Yoshino Nanjō performed the series' ending theme song .[3] The series ran for 12 episodes.[8] Crunchyroll streamed the series,[9] while Funimation produced the English dub.[10] Following Sony's acquisition of Crunchyroll, the dub was moved to Crunchyroll.[11]

    Reception

    Anime News Network had five editors review the first episode of the anime:[12] James Beckett found the first half with Subaru the weakest part, but praised the second half when moving from the cat's perspective; Theron Martin praised the "technical merits" of the premiere for showcasing a "more balanced and natural portrayal" of the cat and its point of view; Paul Jensen was critical of Subaru's introduction and a lack of "emotional drama" in his arc, but was hopeful of his growing development in the series and his adventures being retold from the cat's perspective, calling it "an enjoyable slice of life story" that will grab viewers outside of its core audience; Rebecca Silverman wrote that: "I'm not sure it will be able to sustain itself, but if a pet's ever made a difference in your life, this is worth checking out." The fifth reviewer, Nick Creamer, felt that Subaru's story contained "superfluous" interactions with other people, "insubstantial" humor and "purely functional" animation but gave praise to the cat's retelling of the events, concluding that: "In the end, My Roommate is a Cat is too lukewarm in its comedy and limited in its aesthetics to really grab me, but still offers a fairly reasonable premiere. If you're a big fan of all things cat, maybe give this one a try."[12]

    Silverman reviewed the complete anime series in 2020 and gave it an A− grade.[13] While finding the flashbacks "a bit heavy-handed" when depicting both characters' lives before they met, she praised the accurate portrayal of cat behavior and the respectful exploration of both Subaru and Haru's anxiety problems, concluding that: "My Roommate is a Cat is definitely a cat person show, but it's also one for anybody who's anxious or understands the comfort of having an animal to make the world less scary. It has its heavy moments, but that just means that when things get lighter, we can really feel like maybe it'll all be okay."[13] Stig Høgset, writing for THEM Anime Reviews, also praised the series for capturing "general kitty behavior" that's similar to Sketchbook ~full color's~ and utilizing a "restrained tone" when portraying its human and animal cast throughout the episodes, concluding that: "[T]here is a certain delightfulness to the antics of the characters in this show, including the animals, and that's why you should give My Roommate is a Cat a go."[14] The series was nominated for Best Comedy at the 4th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, but lost to .[15] [16]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Orsini. Lauren. 8 Soothing Anime To Help You Relax In Quarantine. Forbes. September 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20200529000745/https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurenorsini/2020/04/27/8-soothing-anime-to-help-you-relax-in-quarantine/#3dd1cb93612c. May 29, 2020. April 27, 2020. live.
    2. Web site: Bridges. Rose. Episode 10 - My Roommate is a Cat. Anime News Network. March 15, 2019. September 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211029012902/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-roommate-is-a-cat/episode-10/.144570. October 29, 2021. live. My Roommate is a Cat is classic iyashikei, healing in the way that it explores real life, but through a rosier and cuddlier version of it than reality..
    3. Web site: 'Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.' Anime Reveals Theme Songs, Additional Cast. Sherman. Jennifer. Anime News Network. November 2, 2018. November 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711213305/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-11-02/dokyonin-wa-hiza-tokidoki-atama-no-ue-anime-reveals-theme-songs-additional-cast/.138999. July 11, 2021. live.
    4. Web site: Hazra. Adriana. Lezhin Comics Releases My Roommate is a Cat Manga in English. Anime News Network. September 14, 2020. September 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113040518/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-09-14/lezhin-comics-releases-my-roommate-is-a-cat-manga-in-english/.164014. November 13, 2021. live.
    5. Web site: Sherman. Jennifer. 'Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.' Anime Reveals More Cast, January Premiere. Anime News Network. October 2, 2018. October 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20211128162451/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-02/dokyonin-wa-hiza-tokidoki-atama-no-ue-anime-reveals-more-cast-january-premiere/.137600. November 28, 2021. live.
    6. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. 'Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.' Anime's Promo Video Reveals January 9 Premiere. Anime News Network. November 30, 2018. November 30, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20210517131853/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-11-30/dokyonin-wa-hiza-tokidoki-atama-no-ue-anime-promo-video-reveals-january-9-premiere/.140179. May 17, 2021. live.
    7. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. 'Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue' Manga About Novelist and Cat Gets 2019 TV Anime. Anime News Network. August 8, 2018. August 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20211109024851/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-08-08/dokyonin-wa-hiza-tokidoki-atama-no-ue-manga-about-novelist-and-cat-gets-2019-tv-anime/.135223. November 9, 2021. live.
    8. Web site: 'Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue' Anime to Have 12 Episodes. Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Anime News Network. January 6, 2019. January 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204024554/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2019-01-06/dokyonin-wa-hiza-tokidoki-atama-no-ue-anime-to-have-12-episodes/.141691. February 4, 2022. live.
    9. Web site: Crunchyroll to Stream Rinshii!! Ekodachan, My Roommate Is a Cat, Rainy Cocoa SideG Anime (Update). Ressler. Karen. Mateo. Alex. Anime News Network. January 7, 2019. January 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113040517/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-01-07/crunchyroll-to-stream-rinshii-ekodachan-my-roommate-is-a-cat-rainy-cocoa-sideg-anime/.141728. November 13, 2021. live.
    10. Web site: Funimation to Also Stream My Roommate Is a Cat, Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan Anime. Mateo. Alex. Anime News Network. January 7, 2019. January 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204024625/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-01-07/funimation-to-also-stream-my-roommate-is-a-cat-rinshi-ekoda-chan-anime/.141738. February 4, 2022. live.
    11. Web site: UPDATE: Funimation Titles Now Available on Crunchyroll (4/19). Crunchyroll. March 1, 2022. April 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220423180633/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2022/03/01/funimation-titles-now-available-on-crunchyroll. April 23, 2022. live.
    12. Web site: My Roommate is a Cat – The Winter 2019 Anime Preview Guide. Anime News Network. January 9, 2019. March 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20201104110129/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/preview-guide/2019/winter/my-roommate-is-a-cat/.141833. November 4, 2020. live.
    13. Web site: My Roommate is a Cat BD + Digital – Review. Silverman. Rebecca. Anime News Network. April 17, 2020. March 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20211117013052/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-roommate-is-a-cat/bd-digital/.158708. November 17, 2021. live.
    14. Web site: My Roommate is a Cat. Høgset. Stig. THEM Anime Reviews. June 3, 2019. April 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20211020003556/https://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=2047. October 20, 2021. live.
    15. Web site: Here Are All The Nominees For The 2019 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Orsini. Lauren. Forbes. January 10, 2020. March 31, 2022.
    16. Web site: Demon Slayer takes home top prize at Crunchyroll's Anime Awards. Goslin. Austen. Polygon. February 15, 2020. March 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220202054317/https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/15/21138116/crunchyroll-anime-awards-best-anime-demon-slayer-mob-psycho. February 2, 2022. live.

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