Cat Man | Review

Cat Man

Story and art by Parari

Seven Seas Entertainment, published 4/29/25

Age rating: Teen (13+)

When it comes to society’s perception of cats, they are often seen as cute and cuddly, but also moody, territorial, and at times standoff-ish. But how do cats see society at large?

In Cat Man, we are given a glimpse into the life of a humanoid cat named Hachisuke. Shy and introverted, Hachisuke wants to fit into the human world, but he finds himself encountering humanity’s biases towards cats. Hachisuke is often called cute, touched without consent, and harassed by humans.

Sound familiar, anyone?

With his fellow feline friends, Hachisuke goes through his day-to-day life while dealing with these microaggressions and learning about human behavior.

Cat Man is a very special piece of realistic storytelling. As a cat mom (I know I talk about this a lot, but my babies are my world), I find cats to be the best teachers when it comes to consent and boundaries. Hachisuke’s friend group is very diverse, from Makio who is similar to a calendar model (which includes some sexy poses that would belong on a romance novel), security guard Kurono who sports a disfigurement on his face, and Hachisuke’s coworker Nekota, who desires to fit in but is very socially awkward. Each cat has different experiences in the human world that are very relatable and at times uncomfortable to witness. While Makio is used to the attention due to his career, Kurono is looked down upon for not being “cute enough,” which causes him to be distrustful towards humans and feel like a loner. 

Again, it’s uncomfortable but very true to life. 

We have supporting characters which include humans who become allies to the cats. These humans speak up when they see their feline friends being harassed. In addition, we witness situations where both cats and humans recognize their previous microaggressions towards each other and learn from them. 

Cat Man is an important read for all ages, and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s the perfect teaching guide to learn about consent, boundaries, allyship, and most importantly, respect. 

And who’s a better teacher to learn those things from other than a cat?

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Manga, Reviews, Young Adult