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Riko, a twenty-nine-year-old office worker with an obsession for video games, finds her quiet life upended when she takes in a stray cat!

Her coworkers can’t quite figure her out—she never talks about her personal life, she never works overtime, and she never joins them for happy hour. Is she antisocial? Nope, she’s rushing home to play video games! One day, a stray cat is found in the office parking lot, and before Riko knows it, the cat has moved in with her! Having no experience with pets, Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care, while her cute companion tries to understand her behavior through a cat's worldview.

200 pages

First published May 17, 2019

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About the author

Wataru Nadatani

31 books89 followers
Name (in native Japanese): 灘谷航

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5 stars
1,998 (40%)
4 stars
1,889 (38%)
3 stars
865 (17%)
2 stars
114 (2%)
1 star
18 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 857 reviews
Profile Image for destiny ♡ howling libraries.
1,895 reviews6,113 followers
March 14, 2023
Vol. 1 ★★★★★
Vol. 2 ★★★★★

Oh my god, this was SO adorable and I loved it so much. All I needed to hear was that the series is about a gamer girl and her newly adopted kitten, and I was sold! Musubi the kitten is so precious and perfectly depicted, right down to his goofy little poses and movements, and it was so fun to see things through Riko's oblivious perspective as she tries to figure out his quirks and personality. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys cutesy slice-of-life manga and cats!

(And if you can read it like I did with a cozy kitten sleeping on your feet, even better)

———
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Profile Image for Alexander Peterhans.
Author 2 books268 followers
October 15, 2022

The love story of an office worker called Riko and the cat she adopts, much to her own surprise. She likes to game, runs home from the office to play some kind of MMORPG, gaming is basically her life. Then a kitten is found in her workplace's carpark and she takes him in.

So now you get all kinds of variations on gaming terms but applied to cats, and that does sound a bit naff, but it isn't! It's quite charming. (And the book does explain those gaming terms, btw.)

It does help that the art is excellent. The drawings of the kitten are exquisite.

I've said it before, cats and manga are a marriage made in heaven, and this book proves it.

(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)







Profile Image for Alwynne.
816 reviews1,178 followers
March 21, 2024
Very simple and very sweet, obsessive gamer Riko adopts a stray kitten on a whim and they form an inseparable bond. Although the kitten finds it hard to respect Riko's game times because he wants to play games with her too. Austere but arresting artwork and a cat that is beyond cute.

Rating: 3 to 3.5
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
6,571 reviews241 followers
December 10, 2022
Riko Kozakura keeps her office coworkers at a distance, avoiding personal talk and after-work gatherings, in order to rush home and dive into her video game worlds. But one day she impulsively adopts a cat, and her perfect work-life balance starts to sway.

Gentle and cute cat humor. I'm a dog person, but the nice art and steady chuckles will have me trying the next volume.
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,758 reviews230 followers
July 31, 2022
This was such a cute and relaxing read!

I'm not a huge cat person nor am I a "hardcore" gamer, but the super cute cover and the fun-sounding title made this a manga hard to pass on! I'm really glad I picked it up from my library and gave it a try because after a really busy day, I found this a great manga to read and unwind.

I found our main character, Riko, to be an interesting character and loved seeing her gaming habits right from the beginning because it really helps show how different things are once she takes in this stray.

And oh my goodness, he was SOOOOO cute!! Seriously, cat themed manga like this one really make me want to get a cat again! LOL! I thought the art was wonderfully portrayed of how cats act and deeply enjoyed the bonus chapters since they were always from the cat's perspective.

I think the "selling point" of this story is that Riko raises the cat using her experience and knowledge from gaming to make sure the cat is being taken care of properly. I think it's a strong and accurate selling point because it was part of why I enjoyed this story as much as I did. While Riko may seem "air headed" in taking care of a new pet, I thought it interesting how she was able to make parallels between gaming and raising a cat. On the other hand, it was hilarious when her gaming did nothing to help her raising her cat! A great example of this is when she says how if she spends more money on an item (cat toy), the more satisfying and powerful the item (cat toy) will be. When Riko brings the expensive cat toy home and her cat only plays with it for 30 minutes compared to the cheap toy that has instant success and played with much longer, it really made me laugh because it was the *opposite* of what gaming taught her.

There are similar scenarios that unfold throughout this volume, but that is one that made me laugh the most I think! But overall, yes, I really enjoyed this first volume! Hoping my library will get volume two as I think its a series I would enjoy reading from time-to-time!
Profile Image for chelsea.
172 reviews16 followers
July 26, 2022
i walked back into the library to pick this up last second bc it was on a stand in the new books section & im so glad i got it :-) a wholesome read for all cat lovers & gamers !
Profile Image for Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin).
889 reviews114 followers
June 3, 2023
I'm screaming, crying, dying from the cuteness and how relatable this manga is! This is a wholesome manga about a twenty-nine year old, who's secretly a gamer, and one day when an stray tuxedo kitten shows up in her office, she decides to take him home. I have two tuxedo cats of my own and both of them have acted like Musubi does in the manga. It touched the most softest parts of my heart and the bonus panels we get from Musubi's perspective is so precious. The main character, Riko Kozakura, is one of the most relatable characters for me. As a long-time gamer and having cats who like to be all up in my gaming business, it was so nice to read about a main character who hits close to home. Plus, if any readers are new pet parents, I think this manga is going to hit all those first times for you especially if you've taken in a stray animal or recently rescued a pet. This was just a really sweet, wholesome, slice of life manga and I can't wait to continue on with the series. I highly recommend to anyone who's looking for a light-hearted read, with humor and cuteness sprinkled throughout.


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.


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Profile Image for Abbie.
449 reviews28 followers
August 28, 2022
This book is basically the kitten being bored and destructive because the girl is too obsessed with her video game. This is an adult woman yet she talks like a child, using gaming language in every day life. A little cringe 😬

Will I read the next volume? …yes
Profile Image for Mark.
2,401 reviews216 followers
January 25, 2024
A hyper efficient employee, Riko is finished on time and never does anything except rush home to game. Until a stray kitten shows up in the parking lot and nobody else will take it. Riko’s about to learn the joys of pet ownership and that some things defy gamer logic.

I’m a pretty easy mark for these ‘hey, a cat is doing cute stuff’ manga and this one especially hits close to home as I’m a pretty heavy gamer with an aging ball of fluff that likes to collapse on my legs while I game.

The basic notion that this cat brings companionable joy to Riko’s life as she learns how kittens work is a good one. The wee beastie slowly draws her away from games and she learns the balance of caring for something and also having hobbies.

If anything, the part where she directly tries to contort her gamer ways into cat care, framing things as quests and referring to the pet store employee as shopkeeper, are a conceit that doesn’t totally work. Riko isn’t incapable of human interaction, she’s just got her own priorities.

Still, the cute factor wins out. Any manga where the author ended up adopting a similar looking cat for research is going to nail the adorable side and this black and white beastie is charming as all get out. It also makes this really sharp at its portrait of cat behaviour.

And Riko is brand new to owning pets, so it makes sense that she is fascinated by their endless cardboard box love, or loses it when it might have a few fleas. The two of them make a good double act - it turns out that both of them are very new at this.

The other secret sauce is the bonus manga after each chapter, which show things from the cat’s viewpoint. It’s certainly no highly intelligent being, but there’s something cute at the way they write its dialogue.

I would put this below my favourite in the genre, The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today, but that story has a fantastical side that won’t be for everybody. This one is more grounded and realistic and it makes a nice little alternative. Or addition. They both have merits.

3.5 stars - rounded up for targeted cuteness and me being an easy mark for it. If you like cats, this is a light-hearted no-brainer that gets a lot right and makes a strong first impression.
Profile Image for JW.
546 reviews2 followers
May 10, 2022
Riko is a devoted office worker, hard core gamer, and new cat mom. The manga follows the exploits of Riko's life with her cat, Musubi. This was an oddly entertaining read. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Profile Image for Haylee Perry.
281 reviews
August 11, 2024
My first manga. It was hard to get used to reading it the right way. I only read it because the cat looks like my cat, and the storyline ended up being similar-ish to me getting her and trying to figure out how to be a cat mom for the first time. I loved the scenes from Musubi’s perspective!!
Profile Image for Rebecca.
3,882 reviews71 followers
April 28, 2022
No one is more surprised than Riko when she volunteers to take home the stray kitten building security found in the parking lot. Riko's life revolves entirely around gaming and what she knows about non-gaming fits comfortably under the heading of "work." But Musubi turns out to be the best thing since the PS5 for her, and Nadatani absolutely understands the realities of living with those weird little bendy creatures called kittens, from the way they sit on the absolute worst things to how a fancy cat toy dies in seconds while a cardboard box is forever. Riko herself is kind of annoying, but it's worth dealing with her for how right this book gets all things kitten. It's like A Man and His Cat where you don't cry every chapter.
Profile Image for Brandee.
305 reviews27 followers
July 20, 2024
3.5 for sure. Love this manga series and definitely want to read more. Just so cute and adorable


July 1, 2024 – page 13
6.5% "I totally understand why Kozakura wants to finish her work and be done. I would love a job more like that sometimes."
July 1, 2024 – page 39
19.5% "I am shocked too that she would take on this extra responsibility. I am not really a cat person but that cat is so so cute!!"
July 1, 2024 – page 68
34.0% "I am loving the bonus chapters. Seeing things from the cats perspective is so adorable and kinda makes sense too."
July 1, 2024 – page 107
53.5% "OMG! Her reaction was way too over the top but also super relatable. And the vet not understanding a word she said really made me laugh out loud. Her character is changing a bit and clearly because of Musubi!"
July 1, 2024 – page 130
65.0% "Again so relatable!! It is so hard to get good pictures of pets and babies. Right when you think you have it, they move or change their expression"
July 1, 2024 – page 150
75.0% "I am absolutely loving how relatable this Manga is. Of course we would want to buy the more expensive item but it is hilarious to see something small or inexpensive work even better. And her obsession with gaming even in interactions with others is just so perfect for her character!"
July 1, 2024 – page 200
100.0% "Such a cute book. Definitely going to read more in this series. Her reaction to her coworker is hilarious. I don't know what she is so worried about. Also the back cover is in color and I kinda wish some of the story could be too. It would probably be amazing."
Profile Image for Mike S..
139 reviews
January 13, 2024
Baby's first manga. I've been trying to raise the level of discourse with the youth surrounding me through the introduction of fine literature, thrash metal, and terrible puns. And they in turn have thrown this at me, and I caught it, and here we are. Reciprocity. It's a kitten so I had no argument against, anyway.
Profile Image for Gabriel Little.
14 reviews1 follower
July 23, 2023
Other than Musubi the black and white tuxedo cat and his moments, I did not like anything about this book. The MC's unnatural dialogue makes her come across as more like a robot than a human being. She says things like "I've completed every mini-game and sidequest and all my characters have the best stats" to herself, though behind the veil she is really talking to the audience. She also discusses a certain sword with a shopkeeper who doesn't really know much about the RPG she is playing, if at all. Riko is just one of these stereotypical otaku characters with little to no social skills and has a hard time remembering people's names.

There's also some proportion errors in a few drawings, like in page 21, where the man announcing that a stray cat is taken in Riko's workplace for adoption, his arms seem contorted, like he has a dystonic arm. At the end, Riko sent pictures of her cat Musubi to her coworkers through her alt account, and somehow they don't immediately see that it is her account. I am not going to deal with this any longer. I'm not reading the sequel.
Profile Image for Daniel Shellenbarger.
464 reviews19 followers
January 16, 2023
A charming and humorous manga about Riko, a young Japanese office lady-by-day and ultra-gamer-by-night, who unexpectedly takes a cat home and becomes a pet owner for the first time. Our heroine is clueless about how to take care of her new cat and resorts to RPG concepts to try and figure it out (and with occasional visits to the "shopkeeper" at the local pet store for expert advice). Riko is likewise unprepared for how having a cat will affect her daily life. Fortunately, Musubi (her cat) is a perfect companion for a cat neophyte like her, being a sweet pwayful wittle snookie-wookems... AHEM... sorry, lost it for little bit there. There's not really much here in terms of story or characters (as you'd expect from a slice of life manga), it's just vignettes of Riko learning the ins and outs of having a cat interspersed with her gaming and work and Musubi being cute and hilarious, and why would anyone not want that?
Profile Image for Rachel.
949 reviews137 followers
Read
January 7, 2023
definition of cute and wholesome!!!! this is EXACTLY as advertised — a plot-less manga that surrounds how an office working gamer woman learns how to love and take care of a cat. no stress, no stakes, just kitty
Profile Image for Papieren droom.
273 reviews78 followers
December 3, 2022
If you love cats, you will definitely enjoy this one. It was funny to see someone with 0 experience with cats and a bit socially awkward 😅, trying her best to raise a cute stray kitten. I liked it and I immediately ordered the second volume, which has the cutest cover 😍.
Profile Image for Emily.
90 reviews48 followers
May 9, 2024
Although I don’t own one, this cat is precious! And it makes Riko’s life so funny! I recommend this for all cat lovers, but also for some laughs! I need this in my life!! Definitely reading vol. 2 soon!! 🐾🐾
Profile Image for Tori.
719 reviews15 followers
July 17, 2022
This was puuuurfect and I want to read volume 2 right meow.
Profile Image for Gillian.
12 reviews15 followers
September 12, 2024
What an absolutely delightful manga from start to finish.

Riko keeps it a secret from her coworkers that she is a serious gamer after she's clocked out. One day she decides to take home a stray kitten from her employer's parking lot. Musubi quickly becomes a household sensation, even taking Riko away from her games from time to time.

There isn't really much of a plot in this first installment. We're just getting to know Riko and Musubi and their life together. There are a lot of adorable, tuxedo kitty stretches and playfulness, and Riko balancing her time for Musubi with time for gaming.

My library has the next three volumes so I will definitely be continuing this series.

Highly recommend if you like being bombarded with cuteness.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 857 reviews

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