ROOMMATE IS A CAT

ROOMMATE IS A CAT

Anime based from a manga by Minatsuki published June 2015 and currently with 5 volumes. The anime adaptation came out January 9, 2019 to March 27, 2019 with 12 episodes.

The series follows the relationship of Subaru Mikazuki and his adopted stray cat whom he named Haru. This also follows how Subaru opens up to other people that surrounds him like Atsushi Kawase his editor and Hiroto Yasaka his childhood friend.

He later meets other people like the pet shop clerk Nana Okami and her brother Yugo Okami who were also his fans through his books that were popular.

Subaru was an only child left behind by his parent due to their untimely death in a tragic bus accident when they were on their way to a vacation trip supposedly for the three of them but Subaru decided to stay at home feeling that he is always being forced by his mother every time to go on a trip with them. He grew up surrounded by many books in his room which looked like a mini library. He became friends with Hiroto who was the same age as he is. After the death of his parents Hiroto has been coming to his house visiting him, checking on him, keeping him company as well as bringing him groceries of food made his mother from time to time. He has been making sure that Subaru is not skipping meal too much.

Other than Hiroto, his editor Atsushi has been keeping an eye on Subaru just like what Hiroto has been doing everytime he visits. He also makes an effort for Subaru to come out of his house every now and then to expose him back to society after he had secluded himself from the outside. He was more of a friend than an editor who forces his writers to be on time in submitting their stories.

When he found Haru at his parent’s grave, Haru appeared out of nowhere and began eating his offering to his parents. He later decided to take in Haru thinking that they are the same. Haru has been alone as well after her younger siblings got lost or died in the process of trying to survive for being stray cats. Subaru took her in and kept her as a pet giving her a home, food and warmth.

Hiroto, Atsushi and Haru were the main instruments for Subaru to open up once again to other people and meet new friends. Meeting Nana Okami the pet store clerk whom he met when he went out to buy Haru some catfood and a collar.

Since Haru was a cute little cat she became popular with Hiroto and his siblings as well as Atsushi who was revealed to be a cat lover, Nana and her younger brother who not only was attracted to Haru but were also fans of Subaru through the novel that he wrote.

The novels that he wrote also became a bridge for him to meet new people specially those whom he met in his first autograph signing event at a bookstore. It was also the event when Nana found out that Subaru was the author whom her brother idolizes. This opened another new door for Subaru making him realize that interacting and meeting new people were important not only for interacting but for learning new things as well.

I can somehow compare this series with Garfield an 80’s to 90’s classic cartoon series that has a similar theme of man and a pet cat instead of the usual man’s best friend the dog.  Usually cats are involved as a pet in shows if there are witches since cats are commonly the familiars or animal spirits of the witches that assists them in their magic. Even though there are other shows that presents cats as the main pet of the main character of the series but giving a cat and other animals their own point of views separates from the humans and at the same time giving us what they see and understand humans in their point of view. Also, since animals cannot understand human language, the words that they commonly hear like their supposed names they understand that as if it is a word for food or meal time.

Having two points of views in this series was something else for me although not sure if there are other series that used a similar idea, but this is new to me. This was the main reason for me to follow the series weekly of 12 episodes and was very interesting as well since the growth of the main character was shown in the series from episode 1 from when he was too secluded and slowly grew and opened up to other people.

Highly recommended for all viewers no age restrictions for all viewers specially for pet lovers.


credits Funimation for the video