Neko no Te datte Yaku ni Tatsu - Ch. 301 - ...is no longer Useful

[Angelonius]

Now that they're at this point they need to make a whole litter.

FOR ABE AND THE HORDE!

 

[Nosebleed]

And so it ends.

T'was alright but I'm gonna be honest, this series really didn't do much for me. (sorry for the long rant in advance, I just wanted to share my full thoughts somewhere)

Let me be clear, it was not a bad manga by any means. It did it's job okay, didn't commit any grave sins, and had several cute moments and a decently happy ending all things considered. So please understand this is not coming from a place of hatred. But as a fan of Nobel (both Boku to Uchuujin and Mousou Telepathy) I really feel like this one was one of her weaker works and that kinda blows.

Compared to her other stories, the main characters in this felt very... Surface level? They weren't cookie cutter necessarily but I never got a sense that they had much to explore compared to her other stories where each main and even side character could legit have its own dedicated manga. Takase's core issue was very simple and dealt with pretty promptly (it was almost jarring considering how much they built up to it), and same with Mitsuki's (literally 1 conversation and most of her abandonment and family issues were sorta solved), and the last conflict of Takase wavering on how to treat Mitsuki was also solved pretty nonchalantly because, as it turns out, Takase is still attracted to human women and Mitsuki is cute, and that's basically it.

You could argue that that's more realistic, that not every problem needs to be some intricate drama web, and I'll give you that. But at the same time, there was quite a bit of build up to many of the issues in this manga, so when they just sort of waved them all off in conversations it doesn't feel entirely fitting either. I think there was a middle ground where their issues could have been dealt with across a longer span of time via words and actions to make them feel more genuine and also engaging to follow. As it stands, most of this manga was just having a conversation to solve one issue and then rinse and repeat. I really hoped to see our main cast do things together in order to evolve, but that rarely happened, especially toward the end. Show don't tell, y'know?

Romance wise, Mitsuki and Takase could have also had several arcs where they properly developed their relationship and learned to be close to one another which would tie into the overarching narrative, but we never got to have that, only conversations of promises of things to happen and then a time skip that didn't show any of those things.

And the rest of the cast was hardly involved, with the only other decently prominent character, Mr. Tiggy, not even getting a comeback moment besides this one final scene. Sure he was always meant to be a cat and didn't want to be human, but as a reader I still cared about what he felt/thought and the manga clearly did too since he was directly involved for half of it, so excuse me if I feel kinda blue balled that he was just permanently gone with no warning and I'm expected to just assume he was always a mere cat with no thoughts, feelings, or agency.

For the author who wrote Boku to Uchuujin, where almost every single character ever mentioned gets multiple dedicated arcs, and Mousou Telepathy, where the main cast and at least the best friend gets a sizeable chunk of development and involvement, and time spans across multiple months with several events happening in between, it feels like both the main and supporting cast of this manga was really underdeveloped and under utilized, as was the setting.

The story also felt a little incomplete. Nobel introduced a bunch of lore and then just kinda let it go. Immortality can be such a complex subject and all we got were a few nice words of hope and that's that. The curse afflicting the manager and the dad could have been such an interesting subject to delve deeper into as well.

Both could also have had really interesting arcs after their back stories, but they were almost relegated to the background after speaking their mind. What happened to Mitsuki's mom and dad's relationship? Is there a possibility the curse can be dispelled? What about the rest of the cat staff? Guess we'll never know.

Okay, so maybe the goal wasn't to discuss or delve into such heavy topics, that's fine (even though most of the manga was characters discussing their problems), but then why make them such a big drama point only to then basically shrug them off? It's like the story is practically begging the reader to be interested in more only to then ignore them and undermine their expectations.

But even if we ignore all this and assume the sole goal of this manga was to just gush about cats, it still kinda failed at that since after the first few cats were introduced they were all side stepped by the whole immortality drama and Mitsuki's issues, so I don't even feel like this is a manga I'd recommend to someone who likes cats and is just looking to turn off their brain.

And lastly, we have this absolutely bonkers time skip that I think not a single person saw coming. Even if you disagree with everything I've said so far, I think I speak for a lot of readers when I say that this time skip was kind of underwhelming and felt extremely out of left field after everything we had. We don't get to see friends, family, or the cat staff, nothing. Just Mitsuki and Takase's couple (not even engaged smh) life for like 5 pages and that's that. Yay they're happy, but I still cared for the rest of the cast and story. I'm sure the volume extras will include some more but man, when this chapter first came out a month ago I remember audibly saying "that's it!?" and had to double check on Twitter that this was, in fact, the end.

There was so much in this manga that could have bloomed into something but instead everything just sort of quietly flopped, leaving you grasping at straws for stuff that you will never get.

Sorry, I didn't want to be a big downer in the finale, I just can't help but feel disappointed that an author I love and that I know has the talent to write a lot more interesting stories spent 3 years on such an average one that will likely be forgotten in a few months, whereas something like Mousou Telepathy probably still resonates in the minds of most of its readers (I still think of Mana half the time I grab a croissant).

Yes I know that even a good author isn't bound to write amazing memorable masterpieces each time, and I also know that a manga doesn't always have to be some deep, philosophical outlook on a particular subject, but when looking at Nekotete at a first glance I do see the potential for more. It did have the elements to develop a more intricate plot, or at least an equally diverse story like the previous works did, it just very clearly wasn't given the chance to, and that's what's ultimately frustrating to me.

Maybe it was the publisher that canned it, maybe this is what Nobel planned all along, idk, but I wish I hadn't finished it with so many mixed feelings.

I do admit it's partially my fault for placing certain expectations on the work that maybe shouldn't be there (though I do genuinely feel the manga created at least part of them and then didn't really deliver). I'm sure many readers who followed this just took it as another one of those dime-a-dozen Twitter comics with no depth and didn't have many serious considerations or qualms about it. If girl cute then manga good, amirite? But to me this was the next promising work from an author I really love. It didn't have to be the next Mousou Telepathy, but damn, I was really hoping it at least left a mark. I didn't want this manga to be lost in the already endless, bottomless, milquestoast sea, but I think that's sadly where it will be swimming.

Do I regret reading it? No. Like I said at the start, it's an okay manga, especially if you don't think too hard about it. I'm not angry about reading it or anything. I've also read many other manga with similar quality so it's not like I think this one deserves particular scorn, nor do I think it is somehow wrong for a manga to simply be average and not do anything special. It's just that, in the broader context of the author's works, it does feel like it didn't have much, if any, of her magic, and that's extremely regrettable to me as a fan.

I blame FFXIV.

Hopefully her next manga hits the mark better. Or maybe just continue Boku to Uchuujin wink wink.

 

[blablablub]

The end? With no kittens? C'mon...

 

[Netik765]

Thanks for translating this series! It was really fun to read, hope to see you all at another series. <3

 

[Meijin]

So no more acts of public indecency then eh. Good for them.

 

[TiggyCat]

END OF SERIES NOBEL NOTES

(Also, please support the official volume releases! Volume 3 will be released on 23 January 2025!
Link: https://www.hanmoto.com/bd/isbn/9784065379929)

Hello! NOBEL here!

This blog is available to view for all (however, from 2025 onwards, it may be limited to supporters only).

Thank you so much to all the readers who have supported 'Even a Cat's Paw can be Useful (Nekotete)' until the end! It was a short story with only 3 volumes, but I'm still really glad that I managed to finish it properly! I'm so happy that Mr Tiggy has a family now.

Just so you know, I have not included any extra stories, character/story tidbits, or background settings in this blog. (I've included those in the official volumes as extra content, so if you have the money, I'd be happy if you could purchase the volumes!)

In short, this is just a review of my experience finishing this series.

With my previous work 'Mousou Telepathy', I had already felt firsthand how restricted the structure of a 4-koma manga is. Limited to just 4 panels and released at a pace of 1 page per day, it was not easy to introduce multiple characters and build up the series, showcasing their various changes and growth. The readers could only provide feedback based on what little content they had every day, too. (Fufu)
Thing is, I had to take a very long hiatus from my previous work, which caused a lot of trouble for the editorial department. So this time, I wanted to finish this series cleanly with Twi4.

To be honest, for this series, I think I was whining every day about how "I really want to release 5 pages all at once to explain the plot, but like, how can I keep the story going for 5 days without a punchline... Gosh, someone help me think of a proper structure for this..." Now that I look back at it, this series made me scrap so many names (storyboards) and it's definitely a work that has many areas for improvement.

Those are the kinds of things I'm reflecting on. Besides that, there was a huge change to my working environment. Recently, as a popular Vtuber... not, I'm not one, but I've been streaming online, chatting with viewers while working on manuscripts. Surprisingly, talking to people helps me concentrate better without unnecessary thoughts. I was able to spend my time better instead of falling into the trap of social media—searching for comments from readers and getting depressed over negative posts from anons. I think that's how I was able to stay mentally healthy.

Some of the viewers were readers from my previous works since 'My Alien Days', and they kindly provided me with encouragement. It's thanks to all the kind readers including from this work (Nekotete), that I'm able to write in a warm and supportive environment. Thank you so much.

Now, regarding my next work...

Ever since I started working in commercial media, I've pretty much been only drawing in 4-koma. However, I originally worked on manga with regular panelling, so I'm hoping to deliver a new work that is not limited to the 4-panel structure.

With that being said, and you might have guessed it since it's not going to be a 4-koma, but my next work will not be serialised on Twi4. I know people look forward to reading a new page each day, but I felt what I wanted to express was too limited with the progression of 1 page per day, plus...

I genuinely hate Twitter right now.

That's the big thing....
(Besides the generative AI, I'm honestly just so fed up with the algorithm constantly bombarding me with posts that try to garner views with intentionally controversial opinions and how the Internet that once had actual freedom is just catering to a world where only capitalism matters. And I know very painfully well how hard it is to run a business without money, but still...!)

So I thought, I'm going to find a new place to serialise my next work!

That said, I've been writing on Twi4 for 8 years so I have no connections with other editorials. Even the editors who contacted me during the serialisation are probably... I don't know, I mean that's just how long time has passed. Even so, I visited the editorial department at Comitia recently... it's been years since I've had someone read my storyboards and provide me criticism/suggestions for fixes so I was extremely nervous, but also grateful. Currently, I'm working with the editors there who contacted me. Our direction can be summed up as "let's shoot straight for serialisations and one-shots!" I'll do my best!

I'm working hard to deliver my next work to all the people who have kindly said that they are looking forward to it!!

I'll see you again in the monthly and miscellaneous notes at the end of the month (only available to supporters)!

Once again, thank you so much for a wonderful serialisation and for reading this blog!

-NOBEL

NOBEL Fanbox: https://nobel.fanbox.cc/posts/8930971

 

[champbaka]

Awwww, sad it’s over now. Still quite a satisfying ending I must say, even though I wouldn’t mind a couple more chapters of them being lovely dovely.

 

[Draggador]

@TiggyCat, thank you very much for your hard work!

 

[Kurshir]

It has been a fun ride, glad to be here with u boys. Thanks you for the translation o7

 

[knismaps]

Anyway, title desc says: " Final Chapter Volume 3, Chapter 309". Are there more pages, or you need to change desc? Which one?

Neither, Twi4 and the translator numbered them differently. When there were things like a two-page spread or a full page panel, Twi4 split them up but the translator combined them.

 

[Ryougaru]

it's been a fun ride

 

[AnimeJ]

Casually covering up Tiggy's chocolate starfish there at the end.

 

[xanon]

It was fun, thanks for seeing it to the end.

I just hope that Sakura finally found her furever home where she was treated like the lazy queen she is.

 

[eviljackspicer]

And so it ends.

T'was alright but I'm gonna be honest, this series really didn't do much for me. (sorry for the long rant in advance, I just wanted to share my full thoughts somewhere)

Let me be clear, it was not a bad manga by any means. It did it's job okay, didn't commit any grave sins, and had several cute moments and a decently happy ending all things considered. So please understand this is not coming from a place of hatred. But as a fan of Nobel (both Boku to Uchuujin and Mousou Telepathy) I really feel like this one was one of her weaker works and that kinda blows.

Compared to her other stories, the main characters in this felt very... Surface level? They weren't cookie cutter necessarily but I never got a sense that they had much to explore compared to her other stories where each main and even side character could legit have its own dedicated manga. Takase's core issue was very simple and dealt with pretty promptly (it was almost jarring considering how much they built up to it), and same with Mitsuki's (literally 1 conversation and most of her abandonment and family issues were sorta solved), and the last conflict of Takase wavering on how to treat Mitsuki was also solved pretty nonchalantly because, as it turns out, Takase is still attracted to human women and Mitsuki is cute, and that's basically it.

You could argue that that's more realistic, that not every problem needs to be some intricate drama web, and I'll give you that. But at the same time, there was quite a bit of build up to many of the issues in this manga, so when they just sort of waved them all off in conversations it doesn't feel entirely fitting either. I think there was a middle ground where their issues could have been dealt with across a longer span of time via words and actions to make them feel more genuine and also engaging to follow. As it stands, most of this manga was just having a conversation to solve one issue and then rinse and repeat. I really hoped to see our main cast do things together in order to evolve, but that rarely happened, especially toward the end. Show don't tell, y'know?

Romance wise, Mitsuki and Takase could have also had several arcs where they properly developed their relationship and learned to be close to one another which would tie into the overarching narrative, but we never got to have that, only conversations of promises of things to happen and then a time skip that didn't show any of those things.

And the rest of the cast was hardly involved, with the only other decently prominent character, Mr. Tiggy, not even getting a comeback moment besides this one final scene. Sure he was always meant to be a cat and didn't want to be human, but as a reader I still cared about what he felt/thought and the manga clearly did too since he was directly involved for half of it, so excuse me if I feel kinda blue balled that he was just permanently gone with no warning and I'm expected to just assume he was always a mere cat with no thoughts, feelings, or agency.

For the author who wrote Boku to Uchuujin, where almost every single character ever mentioned gets multiple dedicated arcs, and Mousou Telepathy, where the main cast and at least the best friend gets a sizeable chunk of development and involvement, and time spans across multiple months with several events happening in between, it feels like both the main and supporting cast of this manga was really underdeveloped and under utilized, as was the setting.

The story also felt a little incomplete. Nobel introduced a bunch of lore and then just kinda let it go. Immortality can be such a complex subject and all we got were a few nice words of hope and that's that. The curse afflicting the manager and the dad could have been such an interesting subject to delve deeper into as well.

Both could also have had really interesting arcs after their back stories, but they were almost relegated to the background after speaking their mind. What happened to Mitsuki's mom and dad's relationship? Is there a possibility the curse can be dispelled? What about the rest of the cat staff? Guess we'll never know.

Okay, so maybe the goal wasn't to discuss or delve into such heavy topics, that's fine (even though most of the manga was characters discussing their problems), but then why make them such a big drama point only to then basically shrug them off? It's like the story is practically begging the reader to be interested in more only to then ignore them and undermine their expectations.

But even if we ignore all this and assume the sole goal of this manga was to just gush about cats, it still kinda failed at that since after the first few cats were introduced they were all side stepped by the whole immortality drama and Mitsuki's issues, so I don't even feel like this is a manga I'd recommend to someone who likes cats and is just looking to turn off their brain.

And lastly, we have this absolutely bonkers time skip that I think not a single person saw coming. Even if you disagree with everything I've said so far, I think I speak for a lot of readers when I say that this time skip was kind of underwhelming and felt extremely out of left field after everything we had. We don't get to see friends, family, or the cat staff, nothing. Just Mitsuki and Takase's couple (not even engaged smh) life for like 5 pages and that's that. Yay they're happy, but I still cared for the rest of the cast and story. I'm sure the volume extras will include some more but man, when this chapter first came out a month ago I remember audibly saying "that's it!?" and had to double check on Twitter that this was, in fact, the end.

There was so much in this manga that could have bloomed into something but instead everything just sort of quietly flopped, leaving you grasping at straws for stuff that you will never get.

Sorry, I didn't want to be a big downer in the finale, I just can't help but feel disappointed that an author I love and that I know has the talent to write a lot more interesting stories spent 3 years on such an average one that will likely be forgotten in a few months, whereas something like Mousou Telepathy probably still resonates in the minds of most of its readers (I still think of Mana half the time I grab a croissant).

Yes I know that even a good author isn't bound to write amazing memorable masterpieces each time, and I also know that a manga doesn't always have to be some deep, philosophical outlook on a particular subject, but when looking at Nekotete at a first glance I do see the potential for more. It did have the elements to develop a more intricate plot, or at least an equally diverse story like the previous works did, it just very clearly wasn't given the chance to, and that's what's ultimately frustrating to me.

Maybe it was the publisher that canned it, maybe this is what Nobel planned all along, idk, but I wish I hadn't finished it with so many mixed feelings.

I do admit it's partially my fault for placing certain expectations on the work that maybe shouldn't be there (though I do genuinely feel the manga created at least part of them and then didn't really deliver). I'm sure many readers who followed this just took it as another one of those dime-a-dozen Twitter comics with no depth and didn't have many serious considerations or qualms about it. If girl cute then manga good, amirite? But to me this was the next promising work from an author I really love. It didn't have to be the next Mousou Telepathy, but damn, I was really hoping it at least left a mark. I didn't want this manga to be lost in the already endless, bottomless, milquestoast sea, but I think that's sadly where it will be swimming.

Do I regret reading it? No. Like I said at the start, it's an okay manga, especially if you don't think too hard about it. I'm not angry about reading it or anything. I've also read many other manga with similar quality so it's not like I think this one deserves particular scorn, nor do I think it is somehow wrong for a manga to simply be average and not do anything special. It's just that, in the broader context of the author's works, it does feel like it didn't have much, if any, of her magic, and that's extremely regrettable to me as a fan.

I blame FFXIV.

Hopefully her next manga hits the mark better. Or maybe just continue Boku to Uchuujin wink wink.

I'm on the same page. Really wanted this story to have more substance. Really wanted to experience all of these characters in their totality and their growth together. It was cute and sweet, but one can hardly make a meal out of cotton candy.

 

[Falatharo]

LET'S FUCKING GO!

 

[chipusu]

Not sure what MC-kun is doing with his right hand but Tiggy-kun looks oddly happy here...

 

[LTalon]

Not sure what MC-kun is doing with his right hand but Tiggy-kun looks oddly happy here...

Supporting Tiggy's butt. Cats tend to want you to hold whatever surface is facing down or else they feel insecure (like, literally insecure, like they're about to fall).

 

[Weenaru]

I want to fall in love.

https://imgur.com/EAIeXQE

 

[kopikiadu]

He now gets his fill of Mitsuki pussy another way.

why did you have to say it like that

 

[flimkrimbly]

thanks for all the hard work