ふくふくふにゃ~ん いの巻

Just a cat doing cat things.

I expect most people pick this up having read チーズスイートホーム and hoping for something similar, which will probably leave them disappointed. Although both series are by the same mangaka, this was written in the mid-80s, and there are some significant differences; a better choice for those looking for something akin to チー would be the author's newest work, スーと鯛ちゃん.

That's not to say this series isn't enjoyable, but if you've read the mangaka's more recent works, it helps to go into this series with adjusted expectations and an open mind. Unlike チー and スー, the cats in this series don't "talk", they merely meow, so the story is conveyed through the images. ふくふく's owner and other humans that occasionally appear have the odd line of speech, but otherwise there isn't much language in the story; however, there is a of onomatopoeia.

Another noticeable difference is the episodic nature of the stories: each chapter is a snapshot of ふくふく's day, without any overarching plot. I found these vignettes of cat antics surprisingly enjoyable, and the short chapters coupled with primarily visual storytelling means it's easy to devour a whole volume in a sitting.

It's probably not going to improve your language skills, but if you are a cat lover, it's an easy, relaxing, enjoyable read.