Chi's Sweet Home V. 7-10 by Konami Kanata

103. Chi's Sweet Home Volume 7 by Konami Kanata (buy)
Chi's Sweet Home, #7

Rating: (5/5)

Oct 18 2011; Vertical, 168 pgs

Ages: (5+)

"In the seventh volume of Chi's Sweet Home, the titular feline heroine of this series finds herself in her biggest predicament yet. While exploring her new neighborhood with a new young feline peer, she becomes lost as a downpour has masked the scents she was so heavily relying upon for direction. Confused and hungry the two decide to hunt around the community for scraps as substance. After searching for leftovers and meals left for other unaware pets turned fruitless, Chi and her new friend Cocchi resort to more extreme measures to keep their energy flowing."

Purchased a new copy from an online retailer.

It's getting a little difficult to review these books as I just keep saying the same thing.  Cute, funny, great insight into the feline mind and also a look into day-to-day Japanese family life.  Everybody, no matter what age, will love Chi!  For all cat lovers.  Chi spends time outdoors with his new friend Cocchi, gets locked out of the house over night, discovers the fun of a new pet fish, watches TV and gets sick.  The absolute best part of this book is when Chi throws up; the Yamada's absolutely freak out, Chi does it more than once and the parents' reaction is hilarious.  The illustration during this part just emphasizes how good Kanata is at showing emotion in her work.  Loved it!


*****


111. Chi's Sweet Home Volume 8 by Konami Kanata (buy)
Chi's Sweet Home, #8

Rating: (4/5)

Feb 28 2012; Vertical, 160 pgs

Ages: (5+)

"Being a curious and increasingly self-reliant kitty, priority number one has always been locating food sources. Sometimes achieving this is not very easy or safe for kittens, but lessons have to be learned. What Chi will have to soon find out is that doors are made to be closed. Strolling into random homes, sheds or cars is a big no-no because you may never make it out again. In one such case, Chi gets in; finds what’s she was not looking for; is locked in; and eventually has to face off with a grumpy old human!"

Purchased a new copy from an online retailer.

Feel like I'm getting a bit redundant here folks, but these books are just really that good, that, fun and that cute!  I simply cannot rate one lower than 4*, saving the 5* for the volumes that have me either laughing out loud or feeling all emotional about something.  Chi learns he has a cool gift of landing on his feet when he falls, spends a lot of time outside with Cocchi, gets stuck up a tree, and gets locked in someones workshop.  After all this hectic outside excitement he comes home to the degradation of being filthy, being given a bath, taken to the vet, given eye drops for an infection and end ups, poor guy, back ... but with a cone around his head. Hilarious!  This book comes with an origami craft at the back.


*****


116. Chi's Sweet Home Volume 9 by Konami Kanata (buy)
Chi's Sweet Home, #9

Rating: (5/5)

Aug 28 2012; Vertical, 160 pgs

Ages: (5+)

"As Chi Yamada has shown, kittens are a resourceful and strong lot. Through play and exploration they learn to hunt for their food and to define their territory, much like the big cats of the savannah and jungle. Chi's turf now stretches out for blocks. But after a brief sick spell, she is confined to her condo home while her instincts and heart command her to go out to spend time with her stray friends. 

So after a sneaky escape from home, Chi makes her way back to the company of her friends, Cocchi and Blackie, but this time she departs with a better understanding of what it means to be a "cat". What exactly does freedom or being a stray mean, though, is something she will have to learn first hand. And there may be a bit of a kitty culture shock in store."

Purchased a new copy from an online retailer.

This volume was cute as usual but also one of the most emotional volumes to date.  Not sad, just a lot of empathy for the characters, especially the animal ones.   Starts off with Chi mastering her cone and then getting it removed.  But then the Yamadas decide she should be a house cat for her own safety.  Chi is confused, why can't she leave?  This is sad and frustrating for Chi and yet we also feel for the owners. (My personal opinion is that cats should be house cats).  But Cocchi has been waiting for her since the last visit.  Cocchi is expectantly waiting for his new found friend and the stray becomes lonely, hostile and lonely as time goes by and Chi doesn't return.  But after Mr. Yamada's brilliant idea to take Chi for a walk on leash blows up in his face Chi is free and rushes off to find her friend.  Can Chi ever go home again?  Will they now lock her up and not let her out?  She decides to spend the night with Cocchi and try the "free-living life" and emotions are tugged throughout until the heartwarming, and a bit surprising, ending.  A nice change of pace from the other volumes, gives a bit of new life to the series.


*****


120. Chi's Sweet Home Volume 10 by Konami Kanata (buy)
Chi's Sweet Home, Volume 10

Rating: (5/5)

Aug 27, 2013; Vertical, 160 pgs

Ages: (5+)

"It has been a long time coming, particularly in the life of a kitten, but Chi is now painfully close to finally being reunited with her feline family. But there are things that still stand in her way. The most complicated of which is whether the Yamada's be able to part with their youngest family member?"

Purchased a new copy from an online retail store.

There is a culmination in this book or rather more of an apex, monumental changes are happening and are not quite realized letting as know there is another book coming, but the question remains will this be the penultimate book?  Chi finally figures out what a cat is and starts to question whether she really is a cat and if she is whether she'd prefer to just stay and be like the other human cat's.  Chi has bad experiences outside and the Yomada's decide to keep her an indoor cat, which she hates at first but comes to appreciate her home more than the fun outside.  While on the other hand Cocchi is found and brought home to Chi's and given the opportunity to stay and while he likes the comforts, he just can't tolerate the loss of his freedom and so both come to prefer their own state of life.  What will now happen though, that Chi has found his siblings, realizes he has a Mama and the Yomada's have found the poster looking for the missing kitten they have adopted.  Still lots of fun moments with the kitten's exploration of the world around them but an emotional volume as well dealing with different levels of love.

Hang in there until August of 2014 for the release of Vol. 11!  I already have mine on pre-order!

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