Yuri Sonoda

Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 4) / Yuri Sonoda

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Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 4)
By: Yuri Sonoda
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 160
Published: August 5, 2025
Publisher: Seven Seas
Dates Read: August 9, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

The street cats get moved to a larger room where they meet two kittens and an older senior cat. As the care for the felines continues, so does the readers’ understanding of everyone’s past, including Yasuo and his love for cats.

I absolutely love learning more and more about our beloved characters as we get further and further into this series. We learn about Yasuo and his past and his first cat love. We also see Hachi getting more and more comfortable with humans (which reminds me of how my cat took 3 years to really warm up to my partner). I also love his patience with the kittens – like, he’s still annoyed with them, but he doesn’t really take offense to their young craziness.

Oh, I learned a bit more about baby kittens (and their poop) than I did before, so there’s that.

Overall, another cute and adorable volume of this series. Cat lovers will still enjoy it.

Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 3) / Yuri Sonoda

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Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 3)
By: Yuri Sonoda
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 160
Published: April 15, 2025
Publisher: Seven Seas
Dates Read: August 2, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Stray cats Maruru and Hachi now live in the shelter where Yasuo the Catnapper works. They adjust to shelter life, but that doesn’t mean Hachi lets his guard down. They’re joined by some new (old) friends as they get a new lease on life.

Why must I get teary eyed while reading this series?! Learning Kedama’s back story was like stepping into a room full of cut onions!

I love how gentle Yasuo is with the cats and how he’s never upset with the cats, but will reevaluate and try again with a new tactic.

Overall, anyone who loves cats, will love this series; you get perspectives from both the cats and the humans in this.

Have 3 Reviews: Two Cat Manga and a Cat Novel

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Is the plural of manga “manga” or “mangas”? Does anyone know? I feel like “manga” is to be used as both singular and plural buy my brain is arguing with me about it. Please comment if you totally know the answer!

I’m dropping 3 Reviews in one here. Mostly to finish up my end of the year books (finally) as well as not flood anyone’s inboxes with the very short reviews that you’ll see below.

Now, it’s on to write my week late STOKED FOR THIS post 🙂

Cat + Gamer (Volume 6)
By: Wataru Nadatani
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 168
Published: October 29, 2024 (1st Published May 18, 2021)
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
Dates Read: December 31, 2024
Format: Library Book / eBook

Musubi and Soboro continue to team up with Riko, “leveling up” in everyday life.

Oh my goodness, I so very much love this series. Especially as a (small) gamer with two cats. 

I love the small snippets from the cat’s points of view at the end of each chapter. It makes them even cuter.

Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 2)
By:Yuri Sonoda
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 168
Published: December 17, 2024
Publisher: Seven Seas
Dates Read: December 31, 2024
Format: Library Book / Paperback

When the older lady who fed the cats in the park stops coming, Maruru and Hachi must find food elsewhere. While in the search, Hachi gets gravely injured – to ensure their survival, he makes a surprising decision.

Cats.

Animal rescue.

Grumpy accepting help.

That’s all you need to know.

It was beautiful.

I gasped, “Oh no”ed, and goofy smiled about 1,000 times.

Meow
By: Sam Austen
Genre: Fiction, Humor
Number of Pages: 346
Published: June 24, 2023
Publisher: Meow Library
Dates Read: December 31, 2024
Format: Library / Paperback

A book written for your cat in their language.

My favorite part was when they said,

“Meow?”

“Meow meow meow.”

“Meow meow.”

If you can’t tell, it’s an entire book written with just the word “Meow”.

Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi, Volume 1 / Yuri Sonoda

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Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 1)
By: Yuri Sonoda
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 176
Published: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Seven Seas
Dates Read: December 29, 2024
Format: Library Book / Paperback

One day, Maruru finds himself living on the streets as a stay. He encounters Hachi, a boss cat, who says he doesn’t need a spoiled house cat on his territory and chases him away. A few days later, Maruru helps Hachi out of a situation and the duo begin to tackle the struggles of Third Street together.

I can’t remember how I found this manga, possibly while looking at Cat + Gamer. But, I’m also always on the lookout for cat manga so, it could have been from a few places. Regardless – I absolutely loved this story and immediately fell in love with Maruru and Hachi. Their grump and sunshine friendship is amazing.

I appreciate how the author told the life of a street cat in the way that it is not sugar coated: their search for food, water, shelter, health, and territory is an everyday struggle.

So now, this is going to another manga series I’m going to start collecting.