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A review by katharine_opal
When a Cat Faces West, Volume 1 by Yuki Urushibara
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
When a Cat Faces West, a new series from Yuki Urushibara, the author of Mushishi, follows the employees of Hirota Flow Inc. Chima Kondo becomes a Flow Disposal contractor and begins working with Hirota and Shacho of Hirota Flow Inc. after an incident where Flow changes her from a thirty-five-year-old woman to a twelve-year-old girl. The entire world of this manga is affected by a phenomenon called Flow, which occurs when matter falls out of balance and changes form. Flow creates oddities big and small that can be disruptive or delightful in equal measure, and it's up to Flow Disposal departments and independent contractors to shepherd the Flow back to its natural form.
This manga is completely a slice-of-life story, with a slow and relaxed plot. The way chapters are broken up makes each chapter feel like it's an episode of an anime. One of our main characters, Chima, is very interesting. Prior to her flow accident, she was a businesswoman. But due to the incident changing her into a twelve-year-old, her clients and coworkers stopped respecting her or trusting her, even though mentally she is still very much a thirty-five-year-old adult. The first volume didn't dive too deep into this plot point, though hopefully, it will in later volumes. The small parts I did see, of Chima having to try to balance the fact that she's got a thirty-five-year-old mind in a twelve-year-old body is an interesting struggle. Hirota, the owner of Hirota Flow Inc, is an incredibly laid-back guy. Seeing the way that he handles Flow incidents, and his way of correcting Flow errors, all done in a completely relaxed manner, was interesting. I do love the small plot point of cats being able to sense Flow. It reminds me of a bit of myths about cats in real life, where it's commonly believed that cats can sense or "see" the supernatural. This story is a lovely blend of slice of life, with supernatural and fantasy elements. Also, the author's note where she mentions that "it's the kind of manga that features a lot of evocative scenery...like traffic mirrors, rusty guardrails, narrow alleys, and dirty concrete." was so charming. I also personally love that type of style in manga, so I completely understand where she is coming from! The art style itself is also really nice. Simple but charming, and the scenery is just so good to look at. Looking forward to volume two when it releases!
When a Cat Faces West, a new series from Yuki Urushibara, the author of Mushishi, follows the employees of Hirota Flow Inc. Chima Kondo becomes a Flow Disposal contractor and begins working with Hirota and Shacho of Hirota Flow Inc. after an incident where Flow changes her from a thirty-five-year-old woman to a twelve-year-old girl. The entire world of this manga is affected by a phenomenon called Flow, which occurs when matter falls out of balance and changes form. Flow creates oddities big and small that can be disruptive or delightful in equal measure, and it's up to Flow Disposal departments and independent contractors to shepherd the Flow back to its natural form.
This manga is completely a slice-of-life story, with a slow and relaxed plot. The way chapters are broken up makes each chapter feel like it's an episode of an anime. One of our main characters, Chima, is very interesting. Prior to her flow accident, she was a businesswoman. But due to the incident changing her into a twelve-year-old, her clients and coworkers stopped respecting her or trusting her, even though mentally she is still very much a thirty-five-year-old adult. The first volume didn't dive too deep into this plot point, though hopefully, it will in later volumes. The small parts I did see, of Chima having to try to balance the fact that she's got a thirty-five-year-old mind in a twelve-year-old body is an interesting struggle. Hirota, the owner of Hirota Flow Inc, is an incredibly laid-back guy. Seeing the way that he handles Flow incidents, and his way of correcting Flow errors, all done in a completely relaxed manner, was interesting. I do love the small plot point of cats being able to sense Flow. It reminds me of a bit of myths about cats in real life, where it's commonly believed that cats can sense or "see" the supernatural. This story is a lovely blend of slice of life, with supernatural and fantasy elements. Also, the author's note where she mentions that "it's the kind of manga that features a lot of evocative scenery...like traffic mirrors, rusty guardrails, narrow alleys, and dirty concrete." was so charming. I also personally love that type of style in manga, so I completely understand where she is coming from! The art style itself is also really nice. Simple but charming, and the scenery is just so good to look at. Looking forward to volume two when it releases!