It’s not often that you hear “wholesome comedy,” and “Junji Ito” in the same sentence. Known for disturbing horror manga stories like Tomie, Uzumaki, and Gyo, Junji Ito is the last person you’d expect to create a hilarious, slice-of-life manga about domestic life with cats — yet Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu exists and it’s perfect.
Cat Diary is a self-parody telling the real-life story of Ito and his wife Ayoko (called J-Kun and A-Ko in the manga) living together with their two cats named Yon and Mu. Yon is a family housecat that initially belonged to A-Ko’s parents, and Mu is a kitten the couple adopted to keep Yon company.
In Cat Diary, Ito illustrates the typical awkwardness and confusion that comes with being a first time cat owner, but he does so in a way only an artist like him could. The same dark, unsettling art style he uses to creep out his fanbase is instead used to induce laughter.
For example, one of my favorites moments from the manga comes shortly after Ito introduces Mu. When the young Norwegian Forrest cat is brought home, J-Kun becomes so overwhelmed with love for Mu that the man’s face starts to contort into a drooling, monstrous creature and he yells “I’m going to gobble you up!”
For a moment, I thought I’d been tricked into thinking this was an innocent story about living with cats when in it’s really much more sinister (I mean, it is Junji Ito after all). But it turns out J-Kun said the phrase in the same way an excited parent would say it to their young child. Instead of eating Mu, J-Kun showers Mu with kisses.
Moments like this happen throughout the manga. Ito will use an art style that leans more into realism during mundane scenes like setting up cat trees and kitten-proofing his home. But for comedic effect and exaggeration, he’ll then switch to his signature horror-tinged surrealist style.
Ultimately, the constant shift in style and tone sends a message that while cats can be a bit weird and creepy on their own — humans are just as weird and creepy for being so obsessed with them. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you’re a Junji Ito fan who wants to see his versatility as both an artist and storyteller, then I definitely recommend picking up Cat Diary. However, it probably wouldn’t suit your palate if you’re looking for genuine horror. If possible, I also recommend picking up the collector’s edition, which includes an exclusive interview with Ito, a bonus farewell comic to Yon (the cat passed in 2011), and photos of the real-life Yon and Mu who inspired the manga.
TsundEri 