Manga Monday: You'd think even Chi would have enough sense to come in out of the rain...

Chi spends a long, wet night outside after she loses her collar in Chi's Sweet Home Volume 7.

Note:  Chi's Sweet Home Volume 7 is, of course, the sequel to Chi's Sweet Home Volume 6. The review of Chi's Sweet Home Volume 1 is here, and the review of Chi's Sweet Home Volume 6 is here.  Otherwise, read on!


Poor Chi!  She lost her new collar and tags in the last volume, and now while she's hanging out with her kitten friend, it starts pouring.


For the first time, Chi has to act like an outside cat and tag along with the kitten to find food and a place to stay dry.  Needless to say, a sheltered pet cat like Chi is singularly bad at that, to the consternation of her new friend.  The outside kitten isn't exactly used to having a snuggle buddy in his little hidey-hole, but being curled up together does remind them both of another presence that they barely remember.


Once back home, Chi now needs to get the family's attention to get let back inside.  Chi sits outside the window, watching the family go through its daily routine, never quite noticing the furry face across the glass.  How will Chi ever get inside to her food bowl?


Daddy Yamada also makes a fairly silly move.  He always wanted a goldfish when he was young, and on the way home from the store, a pretty red fish catches his eye.  He fights valiantly to keep walking, but in the end the fish comes home with him.  Now, Daddy has the unenviable task of teaching Chi that the pretty 'prey' is for looking at, not eating.


Being a pet has many advantages.  Chi has never had to sniff at the food the Yamadas give her to see if it's still fresh enough to eat.  Unfortunately, that means that when Chi and her friend find a piece of fried meat on the ground, Chi gobbles up her piece without thinking, while her friend bats his around before deciding it's no good.  Luckily, Chi has concerned parents at home and when she starts throwing up and hiding, they haul out the dreaded basket and take her to the vet to make sure everything's okay.


Chi learns some valuable lessons in this volume.  The more she gets to go out with the kitten and Blackie, the more 'cat' lessons she learns that the Yamadas can't teach her.  But through it all, she still knows where home is, even if it's not always easy to get there.


Highs:  Bathtime for Chi!



Lows:  I'm surprised it took so long to realize that Chi wasn't around



Verdict:  The same high quality and touching stories we've come to expect



Further Reading:  Bunny Drop, Yotsuba&!