Book Blurb

Matoi Souta is an overworked office worker tired of his life. Then, on his way home from a long day of work one day, he decides to watch a traditional Japanese play. But something strange happens. He could have sworn he saw one of the actors has cat ears.

It turns out that the man is actually a bakeneko — a shapeshifting cat from Japanese folklore. And then, the cat speaks: "From now on, you will be my mate."

(Source: goodreads)

My Review

TW: Attempted suicide

The Cat Proposed by Dento Hanye is a riveting story about two people who are specifically different but finding themselves fill in each other's void with a blossoming love that hardly anyone could achieve but them. It's a sweet kind of love that tethers to a linked fate in which you will undoubtedly cherish their relationship on and on.

All's started when Matoi Souta, a deprived workaholic, who's always consumed by suicidal thoughts, begin to think that there's no valid reason for him to live again. These thoughts slowly eating him from the inside by embedding the nauseating line on his mind that everything will be at ease if he were to end his life. Get run yourself by a train then poof - you're in afterlife, easy right? Fortunately, the fate leads him to walk away from the brink of death to the Kodan Storytelling. Little did he know, his plight all this time slowly unravels when he comes across the storyteller, a Bakaneko to be exact, a shapeshifting cat whom people believe it's a myth but actually he's living among us for real.

Bakaneko is a Japanese Folklore that I've never heard so it's such a blessing to be able to read this. In this story, we're introduced that Bakaneko has its own community with a few adamant rules. To whoever breaks the rule shall face a death sentence. One of the renowned rules is that they must never allow humans to know about them. From here on, Hayane successfully created a conflict between Souta, a human and Kihachi, a Bakaneko. Considering both of them are practically different, they begin to harbour doubts that this relationship won't make it. However, the plot is coordinated nicely. Suffice to say, readers would be absolutely enticed by a pure love ignited between Souta and Kihachi.

Character-wise, every character Hayane has coined is absolutely mesmerising as all of them are likeable. Souta's characteristic is soft and gullible, perhaps it stems from the struggles he has with his life. On the other hand, Kihachi is a strong and optimistic one but who knows on the inside that he's struggling too. Through the course of the story, their character arcs are getting better and very well-developed.

Hayane's spellbinding recreation of this folklore brings about the meaning of life, the beauty of redemption and the definition of a true love. I recommend this manga to those who seek out for these values.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the e-arc of The Cat Proposed in exchange for my honest review.