Aku no Himitsu Soushiki Neko/ The Evil Secret Society of Cats has worked its wicked spell on me, because this series is as addictive as it is adorable (literally their superpowers.)
SPOILERS
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You know, I’ve reviewed a number of manga like this from Chi’s Sweet Home to Wonder Cat Kyuu-chan and there’s not a lot I can really say about the cuteness of cats that is groundbreaking. As a cat owner–or am I a member of the human arm of the Evil Secret Society???–I have to say that this one had some real laugh out loud moments for me. I was particularly charmed by the evil society’s ability to make tough guys melt.
If you’re in the mood for something simple, funny, and wholesome, I fully recommend this series. My only caveat being that if you have never read a 4-koma manga before, they do take a little getting used to. Not much? But, like that first time you picked up a manga, you just have to orient yourself to the direction of the story. It becomes natural after only a few pages.
The whole series is just this, on repeat, with wonderful puns like, “There’s a Mew Villain in Town,” and “The Pawful Truth!”
Why would you not love this?
I think that that only thing that American audiences have to contend with is that, unlike our Japanese counterparts, we have to go into the children’s section of the library (or bookstore) to read this. In Japan, The Evil Society of Cats was published as josei. Josei was traditionally marketed to MATURE WOMEN, though the category has become slippery over time. Still, The Evil Society of Cats, at worst would be in the pile with any number of manga for women and girls. In Japan, I wouldn’t have to feel like some kind of creeper sneaking into the juvenile area without a kid in tow.
…And, once again proving that I’m certain librarians (or English language publishers) never read the manga they buy:
Because, you know, my kindergartener was always thinking about the sweet release of death.
Anyway. Please enjoy responsibly.
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