annoyingtiger888's Reviews (344)

I was drawn to the cover of this book, and the book itself is quite nice, plus I was interested to learn more about ridiculous superstitions that people have believed or still believe.

Reading this, however, it was very hard for me as it wasn't nearly as interesting as I was expecting. While there were a few interesting facts and I did learn quite a few things, I found myself growing tired as I read through it. While it's nice to learn the origins of some widely spread superstitions, some of which I didn't even realize were superstitions, you quickly start to realize how... stupid, for lack of a better word, they really are.

Most of these superstitions have religious backgrounds and origins, which is something I tend to avoid. It started to make sense to me, though - only religious folk would be crazy enough to believe in some of this stuff. I don't want to be mean, but it honestly felt like an 80-year-old history professor was slowly droning through a lesson until the whole class was ready to jump out the window.

I found myself having to force myself to keep reading or to go back to this book after a break. It was hard for me to get through and was quite boring. I had to re-read the same paragraph over several times because my brain just wasn't having it.

Even though I've already seen the episodes, granted it's been a while, I still couldn't put the book down. I was only planning on reading one chapter before going back to playing my game, but instead, I kept reading and finished the book. I love this series so much, words can't even express it!

As for this volume, I forgot that the men in black re-appear, it was a total shock for me. We also get the first introduction to the little ones, which they do kind of annoy me, but at least I don't have to hear Amy's English voice!

Can't wait for the next volume~

"Just try it - try pulling me out by force from this basket and I swear I'll scratch so many lines on your face you'll be able to play checkers on it for the next three months."

Let me start by saying that I'm a bit biased - I love cats and I love all things Japanese, so this book had me pretty excited. When I started the book, all I could think about was how cute it was; I was hooked from the very first paragraph! Part of the book is written from the perspective of the cat, Nana, while the rest is written from a third person point of view explaining Satoru's life and the lives of his friends and family.

Even though I'm extremely empathetic, easily connecting to others even when they don't exist, I always stand by one rule when it comes to media - if something can connect with you and invest you so strongly in the story that it can make you cry and tug so forcefully on your heartstrings, that's a sign that it's a damn good piece of art, whether it's a book, a movie or something else. This book has the ability to make you smile, laugh, and even cry. The characters are beautifully crafted and the story is wonderful.

"I have everything I need in life, so why am I such a mean, small person? Why can't I be kinder than Satoru, who has so much less?" Honestly, I felt such a strong urge to respond to this quote. From my own personal experience, those that have lost so much and felt so much pain and sadness, they are typically the ones that smile the brightest and have the kindest hearts. I believe they are like this because they don't want to worry or burden others, and they don't want others to feel as low as they have felt or may still be feeling.

This book reached out to me on so many levels. It warmed my heart, broke it, filled it with laughter, broke it again, and then warmed it again. The feels here are real, my friends. When I first bought the book, I thought the cat would be the main focus - that it would only follow the cat, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it explored his owner, Satoru, and his life as well as those that have entered his life. I'm not disappointed that the cat wasn't the only focus. Not one bit.

This next paragraph may contain a spoiler. From the start, I wondered why Satoru wanted to give away Nana so bad when he clearly loved his so strongly. It wasn't long before my worrisome mind started picturing a bunch of different scenarios as to why. Deep down, I knew why he was looking for a new home for Nana, but I had grown to love Satoru so much that I didn't want to admit it. The book hadn't openly stated it at first, so I held onto hope. Then, towards the end, they finally said it; Satoru was dying. It broke my heart. To think he had been so sick for so long but all he did was smile and act like he was okay...End spoiler

I would have finished this book sooner, to be honest, but I recently started playing World of Warcraft again and I'm a bit addicted. Plus, I was pretty sure how the book was going to end and I was trying to avoid that. By the way, Noriko, Satoru's aunt, drops a huge bombshell towards the end. Like holy hell, my jaw literally dropped open, I couldn't believe it!

So I finished the book last night, it's finally come to an end. How can something so sad be so damn heartwarming at the same time? If I knew what I was getting into, I wouldn't have bought this book solely because I try to avoid anything that's sad, but I have no regrets. If I could go back in time, I'd read this book again. It's the most beautiful story I've ever read in my life and it will forever stay in my heart. In the end, everyone's life must come to an end, but that's not the end of your book, it's just the end of a chapter. This book helps you to re-evaluate life and death in the best way possible.

Satoru. Nana. You'll both be in my heart forever. Thank you for sharing your story, I'll never forget the lessons you taught me.

What can I say about volume one? It has everything I love all rolled into one giant, juicy bread roll! Comedy, crack, and school, three of my favorite genres. It's light hearted and easy to get lost in the insanity.

If you like comedy or school manga, or just want something that's not bogged down with drama, this may be the manga for you.