This Manga is the Cat’s Pajamas (Happy Cat Day!! ≽^•⩊•^≼)

Catboy lovers and BL readers looking for something both heartwarming and a little frisky, have I got the purrfect pick for you! (=^･ω･^=)

Read on Renta!:
Choose Me And Avoid Cat-Astrophe [Plus Renta!-Only Bonus] by modu9

Japanese Title:
崖っぷち猫は指名がほしい
Gakeppuchineko ha Shimei ga Hoshii

Links:
(Author) modu9’s Twitter

If the title of this post is giving you a little déjà vu, it might be because we’ve already made a “Cat Day” post this year — on 2/22, specifically, as that’s the day it’s celebrated in Japan. But, as it turns out, August 8th is International Cat Day. And hey, you can never have enough cats, or opportunities to appreciate them, right? Plus, it just so happens that one of our latest Renta! releases, featuring a cat-human hybrid young man (who is very cute) recently caught my eye and didn’t let go till the very end. So, the timing was perfect to write a review for this BL that’s paws-itively remarkable!

What we’ve got here today is a story about a very dumb (but lovable) catboy overcoming the challenges of discrimination and a demanding job, and finding love in an unexpected way…

Our story takes place in a world of both humans and “non-humans,” with the focus of the latter being the “pussycat” race of people. Pussycats are basically regular humans, but with cat features like ears, tail, fangs, rough tongues (), etc., which makes them quite popular with the general population for… various reasons.

Our main boy Sabi works at a “Café Kitty,” an aptly named establishment where customers come to relax with both regular cats (which are drawn adorably, I might add) and the attractive pussycat staff. However, after getting violent with one customer too many, Sabi’s faced with a looming threat from his boss — if he can’t get his sales up pronto, he’ll be out of a job and a home! What’s a feisty pussycat to do??

Now, I can’t stress how much I love Sabi. He’s so much more than just a tsundere catboy. His wild appearance and brash attitude paint him as a bit of a troublemaker at first, and that image is only boosted by his boss’s ultimatum right at the beginning of the story — but you soon find out that he’s actually a Very Good Boy who’s just a bit (read: extremely) socially awkward and has a zero tolerance policy for bullshit (anyone who pulls a cat — er, pussycat’s tail DESERVES to get scratched, IMO ). The café is the only true home he’s ever known, and his fellow pussycat staff are like his family. Needless to say, he’s desperate to get his numbers up and (wait for it…) avoid cat-astrophe.

That’s where regular customer and chronic pain in Sabi’s ass Hazama comes in. Hazama’s a mysterious dude who seems to have it out for Sabi — why else would he visit the café so often just to see Sabi, take every chance to strike up a conversation with him, and constantly ask him out? He must really hate him or something! (Remember, Our Boy is very dense.)

Since Sabi’s less-than-stellar customer service isn’t likely to earn him much in the way of tips, he instead has to rely on customers ordering off a “secret menu” of sorts — with the “item” they order being him. That’s right — Café Kitty offers a service to only their most trusted customers, through which they can enjoy some special alone time with the pussycat of their choice… and you can imagine all that entails.

When Sabi learns that he’s been specifically requested to service a customer one night, he sees it as an opportunity to make some quick cash and possibly save his tail from termination. But, he’s taken by surprise when he finds that the one who ordered him is no other than his least favorite regular, Hazama! Not only that, but he learns a secret about Hazama that complicates things, and ends up having no choice but to strike a deal with him: he’ll keep Hazama’s secret in return for Hazama’s continued patronage, giving him a stable source of income.

(Cue sexy music )

At first, Hazama doesn’t actually demand much of Sabi during their first special appointment together. But, Sabi’s pussycat pride won’t let him take the easy way out. He’s gonna satisfy Hazama to the fullest and make as much bank as he can!

The sex scenes in this book (aside from having that special added factor of Sabi’s cat features to spice things up) are as sweet as they are sensual. Even though it starts out as strictly a job for Sabi, and one he’s not too happy about at that, he finds himself being the one pleasured in the end. We find out through his reactions to Hazama’s gentleness that he’s not used to being treated with any kind of care from customers, which makes it even easier to sympathize with his dislike for humans. But, Hazama’s different. Someone who actually respects his boundaries?? What??

Also, if you like your bottoms on the buff side, Sabi definitely delivers. It’s noted in the story that he’s larger than the typical pussycat (he’s basically busting out of that uniform shirt ), and his well-built body is a feast for the eyes during the steamy scenes. Watch this hunk of a pussycat get (very sweetly) DOMINATED!

Sabi and Hazama end up growing closer as they spend more time together, both during their nighttime appointments and during Sabi’s day shifts at the café. Sabi begins to wonder why he feels so safe around Hazama, and why he doesn’t dislike it when Hazama touches him the way he does with other customers. Does he actually crave something more than the transactional relationship they’ve built out of necessity? His feelings toward Hazama only become more apparent when comparing his gentlemanly sugar daddy, who’s very giving and attentive in bed, with the majority of customers who order him off the secret menu and get rough without a care for Sabi’s well-being.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the story, but I will say things do get a bit heavy. Themes like abuse, trauma, and sex trafficking play pretty major roles in the plot, so be warned if you’re sensitive to such topics. Still, they’re explored in a respectful way, giving the victims plenty of agency rather than making them powerless objects of pity.

Again, Sabi really drives the story forward. I love his character design, and how he’s not afraid to speak his mind — it’s a treat to watch him in action, no matter what he’s getting up to. He works hard at his job despite his fear of humans for the sake of his found family at the café, and all the interactions between him and the rest of the Café Kitty staff show just how close they all are. It’s nice to see a group of people — who’ve all had their share of misfortune in the past — watching out for each other, and wishing for each other’s happiness. As a reader, you can’t help but root for Sabi, too — be it in his noble goals to support the people he cares about, facing his fear of humans, or telling his crush how he feels.

This is the first manga from modu9-sensei that we’ve localized and hosted on Renta!, and I really hope we can welcome more of their stories in the future! I can’t get enough of their dynamic and adorable art style. The little details in the manga, like Sabi’s uniform shirt buttons always looking ready to pop due to his large build, the nostalgic Taisho era-esque aesthetic of the setting, and the accuracy of the cat body language incoporated into Sabi’s posing (resident cat expert Ames can attest to this!) show that a lot of love and attention went into this book. Whether you’re a cat lover, a catboy lover, both, or neither, I’m sure you can appreciate it as a work of art.

Choose Me And Avoid Cat-Astrophe is a must-read for BL fans looking for something cute yet deep, with a bit of angst but uplifting in the end. The plot twists alone give it high re-read value, but so many elements — the beautiful art, the memorable cast of side characters, and, of course, the passionate sex scenes — make this a BL manga worth getting your paws on

Have you read this manga yet? What did you think? How do you feel about catboys and other beastly creatures in BL? How many cat puns can you find in this post?? Tell us in the comments!!