A new some amazing George Romero cameos, this subgenre of horror is not slowing down anytime soon. However, the creatures have found a huge influx of popularity in the world of manga and anime.
In Japan, zombies have found various ways to surge into popularity through unique twists on the familiar tropes. One of the most notable examples in recent years has been the series Zombieland Saga which focuses on five zombie girls forming an idol group. It became a beloved anime by fans and even provided one of the best representations for a Trans character among the other likable characters in the main cast. Now, a new manga is throwing its hat in the zombie ring, and the premise alone makes it a must-read.
Night of the Living Cat is a new manga created by Hawkman and Mecha-roots. The series follows a band of survivors as they navigate a horrifying post-apocalytpic reality where humans are turning into mindless beasts. However, instead of zombies, it's cats. Due to a new virus discovered in a cat deemed "The Origin," anyone who comes into close with a cat turns into a cat themselves. It doesn't take a bite or a scratch or other traditional methods to turn into a zombie. All they have to do is lick or rub against a human to transmit the virus and add to their growing hoard. The design of the world is very similar to traditional zombie-fare with dark shadows and nightmarish crowds of cats. It's an interesting subversion of the typical zombie apocalypse, but the story takes things even further with its execution.
Night of the Living Cat Knows What It Is and Rolls With It
The brilliance of Night of the Living Cat is how self-aware it is. While the characters are taking the nightmare seriously because it's their reality, the tone is devilishly funny. No zombie trope is safe as every cliché in the book is skewered. The outbreak is even called a "Catlamity." For instance, one moment has the survivors looking in terror at a group of cats outside the window, pawing to get in. It's a very typical zombie scenario where the humans are cornered, but one of the characters says in total sincerity "That's the universal kitty sign for 'Let me in!'" From there, it just gets sillier. Symptoms are described as having an unquenchable need to clean oneself with their tongue or eating kitty treats. Plus, the main character is a man who's drawn to resemble the typical tough survivor character like Walking Dead's Daryl Dixon, but in reality, he's fighting all of his instincts to go near the cats because he's a huge cat-lover.
Night of the Living Cat is such a clever new take on the zombie genre. It's a perfect read for fans of cats and zombies alike as it satirizes a popular horror monster while still doing a good job being a fun zombie story in its own right. Volume one of the story is available to buy at local bookstores now with more on the way! If the first impression given from this manga's first outing is anything to go by, this subversion of the zombie apocalypse subgenre is sure to become an all-time classic for any manga fan.
Night of the Living Cat Vol. 1 is available now
