Holiday Review: NYANKEES

That being said, nothing is more memetic than cats on the internet, so it's no surprise that early this year we got a manga that combined the eternal appeal of cats with an unexpected angle.

NYANKEES, by Atsushi Okada.  First published in 2016 and first published in North America in 2019.

PLOT:

Ryuusei is a tough, street-wise tabby on the hunt for a calico tomcat with a scarred eyefrom his past.  He ends up fighting his way to the top of the local gang, only to find himself a target of another gang that wants to unite the cats of the town by force.  Things come to a head when Ryuusei learns that the gang's new leader is a strange-looking tom with a scarred eye...

STORY:

If there's one problem with Nyankees, it's that the joke inherent in this series is entirely a visual one.  The story on its own is just a modern take on the usual yankii narrative, and your tolerance for that will determine how much enjoyment you get out of this.

It's not like Okada takes any chances with this story beyond the conceit of everyone being a cat.  Ryuusei is a tough jackass with a heart of gold.  There's a lot of talk about the pride of a stray, where hunting for scraps and freedom to roam is a substitute for talk of manly pride in fighting.  There's only a single female present, and her purpose is either as tsundere love interest for Ryuusei or damsel to be rescued.  Odds are good that unless you've never read a manga about gang fights, you've seen these ideas done better or at least with more depth.

ART:

Thus whatever charm and humor Nyankees might possess has to come from the art.  Okada is more than up to the task, as he draws both very charming, realistic cats and gritty, tough-looking dudes punching one another well.  In cat form, they don't tend to do too many actions that are un-catlike which might break the illusion too much.  The most is a chapter splash page where Ryuusei and his gang dance in what is clearly a reference to What's Michael.  He switches back and forth between their yankii forms and cat forms regularly, usually in whichever direction best serves the joke.  That being said, it's hard to tell how long you can mine this simple twist until the comedy is no longer effective.

RATING:


Nyankees is amusing and well-drawn, but neither the comedy nor the story is deep enough to convince me to keep reading.

This series is published by Yen Press.  This series is complete in Japan with 6 volumes available.  3 volumes have been published and are currently in print.

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