Pets can change a person’s life. Not in some huge, lifesaving way, but in many small subtle ways. We sometimes wonder why our pets act a certain way. What if our pets were wondering the same thing about us? My Roommate Is a Cat is a show about a young man and the stray cat he brings into his house. There is nothing magical or strange about these two. The show takes a look at life through four pair of eyes.
Subaru Mikazuki is just fine writing his mysterious novels and leaving the real world outside. A chance meeting with a stray cat has the writer adopt the feline to share his home. The cat, later named Haru, begins to have a positive effect on Subaru. Haru also tells her side of the story, unheard by any human characters, as she recounts her history and tries to figure out this strange human.
The shifting perspective is what give My Roommate a lot of charm. Scenes are played out from two points of views which give a better understanding of what is going on. Subaru does not understand why Haru is spilling food outside his office door and then reacting angrily when he throws it in the trash. Haru cannot understand why this human does not eat they food she is bringing him because he is working very hard and then throwing it away. It’s almost a comedy of errors with one human and one cat.
The supporting characters give the story more room to grow outside of the two main characters. Nana Ōkami runs the pet store where Subaru goes and has a connection to Haru. Atsushi Kawase is Subaru’s editor and loves the new addition to the house. On the animal side, there is Tarō the dog neighbor who has no problem with Haru. Hachi who is Haru’s brother and has also found a home. Humans talk to humans and animals talk to animals.
One thing worth mentioning if scenes of animals in peril bother you, there are a few in this show. Haru lived as a stray with her family for a while and there is one episode that deals solely with this time period. It’s not graphic, but it does show how what happens sometimes to strays. It is important because it shows why Haru acts like she does. It was a hard episode to watch, however.
My Roommate Is a Cat is funny and touching because it does not try to be more then it is. Haru is not here to save the world, she is just looking for food and place to say. Subaru becomes more outgoing as having a pet forces a person out into the world. The two are different and damaged, but in the end, they are better together.