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That Darn Cat

That Darn Cat
怪猫・明
Kai byo * Min

In this autobiographical tale, Rumiko Takahashi recounts having to take care of a friend's cat while they were out of town. Ms. Takahashi talks about how the cat uses the bathroom where it pleases and runs around while she tries to work. This could be considered as part of Takahashi's biographical series of early 80s works alongside Diary of Kemo Kobiru and ?'s Illness, but was the only work collected with her short stories.

Published In:
  • Kazuo Koike Gekiga Sonjuku Vol. 4
  • Shonen Sunday Graphic Urusei Yatsura Vol. 5
  • Rumic World Vol. 2
Publication Date: 1981
Pages: 4 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
  • Originally this was published in issue four of Kazuo Koike Gekiga Sonjuku (not to be confused with Comic Gekiga Sonjuku for which Rumiko Takahashi provided cover art) which was originally only for students of Koike's Gegika Sonjuku manga school. However the fourth issue was given away to 50 readers as part of a contest in Big Comic Spirits 1981 Vol. 19.
  • On the wall of Takahashi's home she draws an image of Kyoko Otonashi from Maison Ikkoku jumping over a tennis net. This is an actual promotional poster for Big Comic Spirits.
  • The editor is not named here, but sharp eyed readers of Takahashi's other works can deduce that this is in fact her second editor, Oshima.
  • Additionally while the assistants are only identified as A-ko and B-ko they are Makiko Nagano (long hair) and Kuniko Saito (short hair), Rumiko Takahashi's documented assistants from this era.
  • The final fate of Min was revealed by Takahashi years later in an interview, unfortunately two weeks after going back home, he was hit by a motorcycle and died.