A Purr-fect intro to a new series

 

Many delinquent mangas follow a specific formula,  brutally violent  fights between young men and women who put their pride as a delinquent on the line as they protect their ideals, friends, or even an animal in some cases. They usually center around rival crews dealing with the arrival of a new hotshot fighter who wants to make a name for himself or a battle royale type scenario where only one crew can claim to own the “streets”. Despite the serious and violent tones the manga dealing with delinquent stories delve into, there are many moments spread through the story to humanize these characters, such as making them closeted otakus of old-school Gundam models or they enjoy cooking for their little sister whenever they get the chance. The point the author conveys is that though they may be brutal towards their enemies, they are still people, who cry when they forget to stock up on their favorite drink or food, who laugh when surrounded by their friends, and who no matter what obstacles they face; they stand determined to overcome it risking at certain times their very lives.

What the author Atsushi Okada has done is mix the well-developed and successful story formula of delinquent manga and added a surprising comedic twist to it…what if the delinquents were actually stray cats? Nyankees answers that question with flying colors. Mixing the rough and tumble world of street-fights with a comedic twist of watching the panels transition from savage punches to mere cats scuffling around on the ground. It’s like the tag line of the manga in one of the opening pages: “This is a tale of street cats portrayed as hoodlums.”

Our story begins with Ryuusei, a lovable hoodlum with a mysterious past who despite his simple-mindedness, is determined to face a mysterious cat. Ryuusei moves to Nekonaki Town searching for the mysterious cat with a scarred eye but is met with complication after complication such as not being able to find food and managing to anger the local crew of the town. Thankfully after giving them the slip he meets a female cat named Mii, who turns out to be a member of the very gang he ran away from. He professes his desire to “groom” with her (which is apparently cat-speak for intercourse) and she proceeds to show him who he’s messing with. After being beaten by her and the crew, he crawls around looking for a scrap of food and after embarrassing himself he acquires some fatty tuna and manages to beat the crew in hopes of impressing the beautiful Mii. This action just leads to the top cat of the town Taiga to show up and engage in a brutal fight with Ryuusei, after defeating Taiga, Ryuusei decides to rest inside a tight box before leaving for the neighboring town. Only to be ambushed by another rival gang! But luckily Taiga appears out of nowhere to not only rescue him but offer him the position of Crew Leader in Nekonaki Town?!

These are just bits and pieces of the first three chapters found in the first volume of this violent and hilarious story crafted for your enjoyment. Honestly, many mangas try to  mix the funny with the violent portions of their story, but few do it as well as Nyankees, hopefully, this brief recommendation prompts you to read this great manga and follow the adventures of Ryuusei.