OVA
Description
Makoto Kobayashi created the manga series featuring Michael, an orange American Shorthair tabby cat. Michael serves as an everyman archetype representing diverse feline experiences, not a consistent individual. His appearances vary drastically: sometimes a normal house cat with changing owners, other times anthropomorphic—wearing clothes and walking upright—and occasionally meeting unexpected ends like death in specific storylines.
The narrative alternates between two primary modes. One presents realistic scenarios observing authentic cat behaviors and human interactions, finding humor in genuine pet quirks. The other employs fantasy elements where animals adopt human personas, engaging in activities like gang conflicts, police work, mahjong games, or romantic pursuits while retaining feline traits. Recurring human characters include K, a yakuza member secretly doting on cats, and M, another yakuza afflicted with severe ailurophobia.
Kobayashi's art demonstrates precise observation of feline body language, accurately capturing expressions of shock, boredom, or excitement. He juxtaposes this realism with exaggerated human caricatures, particularly grotesque facial expressions and depictions of female characters. Stories frequently transition from mundane cat activities to absurdist tangents, such as Michael performing a bakeneko folk dance after missing a pounce. The tone blends slice-of-life vignettes with genre parodies, including vampire tales, cat food commercials, and inter-species gang conflicts.
Supporting characters include Michael's mate Popo, their kittens, a dog nicknamed Bear, and a rotund female cat variably named Catzilla or Nyazilla. Humans are often portrayed humorously, like tough-looking men frequenting cat cafes or adopting kittens en masse. The manga maintains minimal continuity, allowing Michael to shift owners and scenarios freely between episodes. Kobayashi's creative choices include satirizing human behavior through animal proxies and exploring human-pet relationships without imposing linear character development on Michael.
The narrative alternates between two primary modes. One presents realistic scenarios observing authentic cat behaviors and human interactions, finding humor in genuine pet quirks. The other employs fantasy elements where animals adopt human personas, engaging in activities like gang conflicts, police work, mahjong games, or romantic pursuits while retaining feline traits. Recurring human characters include K, a yakuza member secretly doting on cats, and M, another yakuza afflicted with severe ailurophobia.
Kobayashi's art demonstrates precise observation of feline body language, accurately capturing expressions of shock, boredom, or excitement. He juxtaposes this realism with exaggerated human caricatures, particularly grotesque facial expressions and depictions of female characters. Stories frequently transition from mundane cat activities to absurdist tangents, such as Michael performing a bakeneko folk dance after missing a pounce. The tone blends slice-of-life vignettes with genre parodies, including vampire tales, cat food commercials, and inter-species gang conflicts.
Supporting characters include Michael's mate Popo, their kittens, a dog nicknamed Bear, and a rotund female cat variably named Catzilla or Nyazilla. Humans are often portrayed humorously, like tough-looking men frequenting cat cafes or adopting kittens en masse. The manga maintains minimal continuity, allowing Michael to shift owners and scenarios freely between episodes. Kobayashi's creative choices include satirizing human behavior through animal proxies and exploring human-pet relationships without imposing linear character development on Michael.