Cats are weird. I should know, seeing as how I live with three of ’em. They’re adorable little critters who love laps and claw at the curtains. I’ve sometimes imagined that it is a very real possibility that cats are actually some sort of low-level demons sent to live in our world. And, seeing as how demons are little tricksters, cats have taken it upon themselves to not only work their way into our lives, but to fool us into bending to their every whim. Now, as outlandish as that may seem, I know I’m not the only one who’s had that thought, especially after having read “Junji Ito’s Cat Diary.”
Written and Illustrated by Junji Ito
Hell-o-kitty! Master of Japanese horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hissterical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know … his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow—Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purrsuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends.
Regular readers of the site will surely know who Junji Ito is. We’ve talked about him a few times before, piling heaps of praise on his work. Ito’s comics, which could mostly be filed under ‘body horror,’ are truly the stuff of nightmares. The way he bends and twists the human form is both inspired and disturbing, as he’s able masterfully render figures in whatever horrific way the he can imagine. Not only that, but he’s also proven himself to be an incredibly powerful writer as well. Every one of his stories are filled with this looming sense of dread, which seems somehow worse when there aren’t even any monsters around. Like the hum and rattle of an old refrigerator, the impending sense of doom and despair that underlines Ito’s comics becomes even more pronounced in the quiet moments.
So, with a name so firmly entrenched in the world of horror comics, Junji Ito began work on something no one saw coming: slice-of-life stories. That’s right, Ito decided to take a break from dishing out psychological torment in order to make comics that are more inline with the works of Jeffery Brown and James Kochalka than Lucio Fulci. But, as can be imagined, Ito would approach this style of story with the same dramatic art he is so well known for.
“Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu” is a collection of strips chronicling the artist’s first experiences living with feline friends. Readers witness Ito’s anxiety over his fiancé’s desire to bring two cats into their home, which is only compounded by the ‘cat proofing’ that precedes their arrival. From there, anxiety gives way to acceptance and, eventually, a deep bond between the artist and his new companions.
Ito is a strong enough writer to make this sort of story stand on its own. His ability to manipulate reader’s emotions is by no means limited to inducing terror. He’s also able to play with feelings of love and affection, succinctly conveying the rapid change and growth in his feelings for the titular Yon and Mu. And as good as all of that is, it honestly isn’t where the magic in this story comes from.
To say they the art is what makes this story special would be a bit of an understatement. Ito’s idiosyncratic approach to drawing these strips is unlike anything I think I’ve ever encountered. The tone of the story is ernest and loving, but if you removed all of the lettering, it’d seem obvious that this is unquestionably a horror story. In the book’s opening chapter, when Ito first realizes that he thinks Mu is adorable, his eyes become bulged and bloodshot, perspiration rolls down his face and his jaw becomes unhinged. He draws himself lunging for the tiny creature as if to devour it, an act which would befit his wretched, twisted body. He declares, “I’M GOING TO GOBBLE YOU UP!” which would seem to support the art, if it weren’t for the, “smoochy, smoochy, smoo!” in the following panel. This dramatic, borderline absurd juxtaposition between art and narrative combine to add yet another layer to this story: comedy.
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My biggest takeaway from this book is that it is incredibly funny. There were more than a few points where I found myself laughing out loud, which doesn’t usually happen with Junji Ito comics. I mean, there are darkly-humorous parts in each of his works, but to call any of them a comedy would be a mighty big stretch. And that’s one more way that “Cat Diary” is different. At the end of things, this feels like a comics that’s supposed to be funny before anything else.
All in all, this is not only an outside-the-box story for an established cartoonist, it’s also a hilariously heartwarming tale of love and companionship. I think that, in a way, this whole book is a sort of metaphor for living with cats. If you remove the dialogue and observe it from a distance, having a cat would seem like a horror show. “You mean they poop in a box and destroy your furniture?!” some unattached observer may exclaim. But then, given context and a closer look, said observer will find a genuine affection that goes in both direction, which enriches the lives of all involved.
