The top manga launch in Japan in the first half of 2018, A Man and His Cat was also voted one of the Top 10 manga of 2018 by Japanese bookstore employees nationwide. Having won hearts and topped charts in Japan, this hotly anticipated series about an older gentleman and his unique, adorable cat is available in English for the first time! Mr. Kanda knows loneliness all too well. But thanks to a little help from his friends—furry and otherwise—he's come back out of his shell and into the world, where he touches the lives of those around him too. So when Mr. Kanda beholds his fellow music teacher and Fukumaru fanboy Mr. Moriyama standing frozen onstage after having been deserted by his bandmates mid-gig, Mr. Kanda must overcome his own trauma-induced stage fright to help his friend. Will the courage and determination Mr. Kanda has regained with Fukumaru's help be enough to put on the ultimate performance and rescue Mr. Moriyama from a potentially disastrous turn of events?!
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21 books in catalog
Slice-of-life manga focusing on human-animal companionship has found wide international popularity through heart-warming stories of second chances and quiet everyday moments. Japanese mangaka Umi Sakurai achieved widespread recognition through the series A Man and His Cat, which follows an older widower and an unwanted shelter cat who find comfort and healing in each other's presence.
Sakurai made her debut in 2014 with the manga series Kami to Yobareta Kyuuketsuki (The Vampire Called God). She later created A Man and His Cat (Ojisama to Neko), initially sharing the comic independently on social platforms Twitter and Pixiv starting in 2017. The webcomic gained rapid popularity among readers, leading publisher Square Enix to pick up the series for official serialization in Monthly Shōnen Gangan.
Following its commercial publication, the series earned critical recognition, including selection for the Next Break category at the 2020 Tsutaya Comic Awards. In 2021, the narrative was adapted into a 12-episode television drama series featuring puppet work to bring the protagonist cat to life, further expanding the readership across multiple media formats.
Sakurai's work relies on sensitive characterization and accessible slice-of-life storytelling, blending quiet humor with emotional depth. The central narrative of A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1 explores themes of grief, loneliness, and mutual redemption through the bond between an elderly gentleman and an unadopted cat named Fukumaru. This tender dynamic continues through subsequent installments, including A Man and His Cat, Vol. 2 and A Man & His Cat, Vol. 11, maintaining a focus on empathy and small daily joys.
In addition to the main manga volumes, Sakurai expanded the universe into illustrated picture books centered on Fukumaru, demonstrating a versatile visual style suited for diverse reader demographics while retaining core themes of care, trust, and gentle companionship.
おじさまと猫 [Ojisama to Neko]
