Riko is a studious, bustling office worker but won’t socialise with colleagues or tell them anything about her life outside work. On the dot of five she rushes home to lose herself in computer games, losing hours to these epic adventures.
Then one day a security guard comes into the office with a stray cat he found in the car park, and Riko falls for it at first sight and takes it home. She will treat the cat like a quest in one of her games: she will max up this cat.
Things do not run smoothly. The cat is manic, interrupts Riko’s games and won’t stay still long enough to be photographed. But Riko gets help from a nice young woman at the pet shop and some very patient vets, and she and the cat generally have a good if chaotic time.
It’s nicely observed and very warm-hearted, with Riko anxious and socially awkward but brought out of herself by this cat (whether she likes it or not). They’re both great characters. Each chapter is told from Riko’s perspective but with a coda from the point of view of the cat.
By the end of this first book, the cat has a name and an online profile of cute pics — but Riko’s colleagues have found the site and are close to realising that this is Riko’s home. Will she die of cringe?
I’m hoping LadyVader enjoys this enough to justify getting the next volume so I can find out.
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