An internet meme meets a romantic comedy, with cats. And it’s everything you could have hoped for.
4/5 stars.
ebook, 416 pages.
Read from November 02 to 03, 2016.
As I was perusing through the available titles on Netgalley I stopped at this colorful cover and read the title. That was enough for me to request to read it. It’s been a long while since I have had the pleasure of reading a graphic novel so it’s good to read one of quality at our chance meeting.
This graphic novel is an autobiographical story of Ananth, the writer, and his girlfriend Yuko, who is the illustrator. The two of them detail the quirks of their young adult lives. From numerous moves to prominent cities, persistent and hilarious remarks about how Yuko looks much younger than she is, to acquiring new roommates and friends, both human and feline. They also show the intricacies of being a poor young adult and artist as well as the strange things that happen when you live with roommates. The novel is also about their relationship and how the two of them grow together.
The comics are short, a page or two each, but they all tie in together to create the story. The images in the first portion of the novel are done in one color while the second half gets more colorful. Perhaps that is an intentional metaphor for the couple’s lives? The artwork also marries well with the narrative and captures every individual character well. Yuko has a defined style that is clear of the work she has invested in it. While admittedly, it took me a while to warm to the writing style, it didn’t take long to get acquainted to it.What is also welcomed, are the few Japanese recipes and culture tidbits that are mixed in the book giving insight to not only Yuko’s cooking abilities but heritage.
Overall this is a solid graphic novel that I would recommend to either a newbie graphic novel reader or a veteran. Light-hearted and easy to follow, I feel this is just the beginning for this couple and I believe can expect more good things from them in the future.
The Pluviophile Writer 
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