Let me pour my soul out, because this manga deserves a positive, well-written review that many of the recent ones have not been. This manga was, still is, and always will be my life saviour. I've read this manga about, what five times? Maybe even more. It is one that I hold very dear to me due to the sheer amount of heart and encouragement embedded into its writing.
About 4 years ago, I was in a very, very bad place in my life, where I was severely depressed and, very similar to Keito in the sense that I was not attending school properly. I had so many absences from refusing to attend school that I was almost held back a grade... Yes, it was that serious. My relationship with my parents was also at an all time low, and every night I would cry myself to sleep because of a fight with my parents or simply just being depressed and anxious about my life. Thoughts similar to suicide such as "I wish I could fall asleep and never open my eyes again," were so constant that I would spend my free time sleeping because I felt that dreams were more beautiful than reality. That's how bad my depression was.
So, one day after one of the worst fights I've ever had with my parents, I remember laying on my side in my bed with tears streaming down my face and into my pillow, trying to find something to take my mind off the anger and sadness from the fight that just occurred. At that time I began reading a lot to take my mind off of reality and escape. "Cat Street" happened to be a manga saved on my tablet at the time, so in desperation I opened it and began reading it. Immediately, Keito's story, her emotions, her life were so similar to mine at that time I instantly connected with her on an extremely deep level. Her journey, was my journey and the many words and realizations Keito has during her healing and re-entrance into life became words that I latched onto for dear life. Small quotes like "Please capture your own happiness" moved me, a young, impressionable, sad girl, so incredibly much. By the end of the manga, I felt like I was reborn and I needed to begin taking steps to begin healing myself instead of wallowing in my own sadness like I did before. Reading that manga became a turning point in my life, and since then I have not once thought that I should ever stop improving my life and myself. And whenever I feel down, and at a point in my life where I felt so battered by the world I would sit down and reread this manga and come out feeling refreshed and motivated.
Now to touch upon the more technical points of the manga, and ignore my sob story for a bit, I still think this manga was still impeccably written and planned out perfectly. Every time I reread this story I have never felt once that the pacing was wrong. Admittedly I wished the story wasn't so short, but it needn't be any longer than it is now. And people who complained the pacing of the story increased near the end; it increased because Keito was already walking down the right path. And once you realize you've walked down the right path in life, that walk becomes a sprint and life becomes much brighter than you will ever imagine. Or at least that was what the mangaka intended. And for those who didn't like that the romance was very downplayed, it was done that way so it wouldn't steal the spotlight from Keito's story. The story wasn't one of Keito's romance, but rather it was a story of Keito's healing and her journey from an overgrown grade schooler, to a successful, beautiful and shining woman. The story is rather unrealistic because opportunity does not present itself that conveniently in the real world, but the message is still there. To work hard and strive towards your goal no matter how many times you've been knocked down. And I believe the mangaka did a beautiful job at expressing that. All the characters were loveable, if not relatable, and all the challenges Keito faced were ones that helped her grow, no matter how small that growth was. Its every page teaches individuality, kindness, forgiveness, and most of all: perseverance. It is written beautifully, and I find it appalling that others do not see the worth of this manga past many of its technical flaws (such as many of the unrealistic events that happen).
To end this incredibly long review, this is a manga that should be read by lost souls, and people who desperately need a pick-me-up in their life. It is a manga that saved me from myself, and I believe that it can save others as well. Call me immature, gullible or any other name, however I believe that work simply is a masterpiece and one that can be enjoyed by anyone who has experienced the pain of feeling inadequate and useless. Because if a girl who couldn't even read her own first language could find success and happiness on her own, Kamio Youko wants you to know you can too. Never give up, and always keep being your best self!
(Thanks to anyone who actually read through this entire review. Congratulations!)
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