Junji Ito’s Cat Diary is unlike any of his other works. While the art retains his trademark eerie style, it doesn’t feature the typical horrifying images his fans expect. There’s no cosmic terror twisting human bodies, no supernatural beings, and not a single undying beauty. Instead, this story tackles a more relatable fear: pet ownership. Cat Diary is somewhat autobiographical, chronicling Ito’s experiences with his wife’s two mischievous cats, Yon and Mu. Of all his works, this one struck me the hardest.
Part Biography, Part Comedy, All Cat
The story of Cat Diary begins with Ito’s character, J-kun, moving in with his wife and her cat, Yon. Initially, J-kun is skeptical about the idea, describing himself as “more of a hamster person.” Over time, we see him slowly won over by Yon’s quirky charms. Later, J-kun’s wife, A-ko, adopts a kitten, Mu, to keep Yon company. J-kun, who still harbors a distaste for cats, dreads Mu’s arrival. He even believes he’s cursed due to a striking skull-like pattern on Mu’s back. Though played for laughs, the real-life photos Ito shares show a spooky resemblance to a skull.
When Yon falls ill from the stress of the new environment, J-kun’s defenses break down, and he begins to embrace his role as a cat dad. From there, the manga offers a series of humorous and heartwarming anecdotes: J-kun’s futile attempts to get the cats to share his bed, his struggles to play with them, and Yon’s escape attempts. Any cat owner will undoubtedly see themselves in these moments. However, what makes Cat Diary special are the genuine character growth and emotional beats that J-kun experiences as he navigates the ups and downs of pet ownership. Small moments, like learning that cats aren’t worse than dogs—just different—hit home, while the larger moments can be real tear-jerkers.
The Fluffy Warmth of Cat Diary
Much of Cat Diary revolves around J-kun’s desire to win the cats’ affection. He feels jealous of how close they are to his wife, and the humorous situations stem from his deep desire to be loved by them. J-kun is a kind soul, and watching him evolve from someone who dislikes cats to someone who shares tender moments with them is touching and relatable. This transformation humanizes J-kun—and, by extension, Ito—more than anything. If you’ve seen interviews or videos with Ito, you’ll know he’s something of a lovable dork, which contrasts starkly with his reputation as a master of horror.
Where Cat Diary really pulls at the heartstrings is in its surprising emotional depth. At one point, J-kun becomes obsessed with the idea of having Yon suckle on his finger after his wife teases him about it. Initially, he’s rejected, and this upsets him. But one late night, while working on a stressful deadline, Yon climbs into J-kun’s lap and begins to suckle. Ito gives pause to his work, savoring this shared moment. It’s worth noting, Ito presents this event with the significance and pacing similar to a romantic manga’s first kiss. It’s a beautifully tender moment and the way Ito illustrated it shows how much the moment meant to him.
Humanizing Juni Ito
Later, Mu becomes attached to J-kun. During a business trip, A-ko sends a heart-wrenching photo of Mu curled up in a pile of J-kun’s used clothes—classic cat behavior when they miss their owners. Shortly after, Mu is neutered, and both owners experience the familiar anxiety of any pet parent. Though neutering is generally safe, complications arise, and Mu doesn’t wake up immediately from the anesthesia. As they both sit in deafening silence on the drive home, J-kun’s mind races with fear. A brief montage shows the memories they’ve shared, as a tearful J-kun pleads out loud for Mu to survive.
Fortunately, Mu recovers, but the bond he once shared with J-kun is no longer there due to some memory loss. J-kun reflects on this and concludes that Mu wasn’t attached to him specifically, he just seems to randomly attach to anyone. J-kun seems deeply hurt by this somewhat self-deprecating line of thought.
The other chapters of this brief series show more lighthearted antics, with the series originally ending in a scene depicting J-kun going as far as altering his workspace with some DIY safeguards for the cats. There’s a sweet, uniquely human warmth to be found in inconveniencing yourself for the things you love. It shows how much Ito grew both as a pet owner and person.
The Bittersweet, Beautiful Memories in Cat Diary
However, a somber note is introduced in the new final strip of the book edition: Yon becomes ill after the family moves. Despite their best efforts, on February 3, 2011, Yon passed away. Ayako, in a letter included in the collection, shares her side of the event. She reveals that she had never seen Ito cry so hard in all their years together. As someone who has done rescue work for years, this part of Cat Diary never fails to bring me to tears. We’ve lost a few pet friends ourselves, and it wrecks us every time. That said, it’s strangely comforting to know that, on the other side of the world, a man known for crafting some of the most disturbing horror stories can love his pets as deeply as we do. Losing an animal is always painful, but the way Ito honors Yon and Mu in this collection is beautiful.
Despite the bittersweet ending, Cat Diary is a touching story of bonding, growth, and the real challenges of pet ownership from start to finish. It’s a must-read for any pet owner or Junji Ito fan who wants to see the softer side of this horror legend.
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