There’s really only one problem with Doukyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.. And truthfully it’s unfair to the show to even call it a “problem”, because it’s all on me. The fact is, watching this series every week makes me all too aware of my current cat-free existence (apartment rules) and the hole it leaves in my life. Cat cafes are too expensive to visit more than occasionally (on my salary, anyway) and even that’s not really the same. More than ever, though, I appreciate the thought that went into their creation in a country full of people living in no-pet apartments.
The reason for all that, of course, is that Doukyonin wa Hiza is so damn good at what it does. Sure there’s a dose of magical realism thrown in, but ultimately this is a series with a very keen eye for what goes into the relationship between a cat and its pet. I was thinking to myself all week about where the show would go next with the new cat experience, which of course I’ve been through many times (though never as a total newbie like Subaru is). And one recurring thought was that while it was great that Subaru and Haru finally bonded last week, he really needs to start thinking about her more practical needs.
That’s a problem of course, because Subaru isn’t going to know any of that stuff. Kawase-sen would of course, and sure enough it was he who insisted that Haru get a collar (though she seems to be an indoor cat for now). But I was thinking more in terms of a bath and a checkup – and it’s the pet shop lady who steps up there, when Subaru is in buying the collar (with Hiroto tagging along). She has a name as it turns out – Ookami Nana (Anzai Chika, who definitely has something as an actor), and yes, Nana is definitely going to be important as more than just a clerk. A feline spiritual advisor at the very least, and maybe more – and the fact that she lives in the neighborhood only strengthens that impression.
I wasn’t sure how all this was going to work out, and to be honest the episode downplayed just how traumatic it could have been. Many if not most cats hate the vet (even getting them into a carrier can be a nightmare), and for a noob with no cat experience? Oy. But it’s needed – as a stray she’ll need vaccinations, and she’d very likely have worms (I’m actually glad the episode didn’t go down that road, though). I was thinking the vets would give her a bath too (they can, usually) but nope, Haru is still a scruffy little canelé. But she (and Subaru) survived the experience (though Subaru is vexed at once again being the one examined rather than Haru), so count your blessings I suppose.
In a sense, one could say many domestic cats are a lot like people with social anxiety disorders. Nervous in public places, agitated by people they don’t know, plagued by insecurity. Haru is perfectly normal in that sense, especially as a former street cat, but she actually holds up pretty well at the vet. And most importantly, just by her existence she’s forcing Subaru to poke his head out the shell a little. First involuntarily, like the emergency cat food run, but ever so gradually less so – like asking Nana for advice on diets (yes, ex-strays – unlike more settled cats – will tend to eat everything you put in front of them because they don’t know where their next meal is coming from). Both Kawasae and Hiroto are well aware of this, obviously, and see it as the positive that it is.
Haru’s perspective once again adds a delightful coda to the episode. We can never know with certainty of course, but her thoughts come pretty close to what I’ve hypothesized after observing felines up close my entire life. I thought the whole sequence with the collar was especially nice, from both sides. Nana is right that some cats absolutely hate collars, but others just don’t give a crap. As Nana says, they’re all unique (something the haters will never understand). For Subaru this is a role reversal, flashing back to times with his mother (with all that implies about his relationship with Haru). For Haru it’s the bell on the collar she likes, because in her mind words and memories are always associated with moments in time – “Haru” means food, and the sound of a bell is the pretty house cat she observes from the street. So she’s fine with the collar – it makes her feel pretty.
Buying a collar with a bell, by the way, is a mistake I would never make twice, and Subaru figures out why. He and Haru are a perfect match in so many ways, but there is the fact that for a lot of cats the act of reading or working at a computer is a personal affront that demands a swift and stern response. So Subaru’s lifestyle will cause some friction, but his lifestyle could use a little disturbing if we’re honest. And maybe Haru eventually befriends the neighbor dog she met at the vet’s – despite her initial “You wanna go?” she didn’t seem too freaked out by him (many cats are quite blasé‘ about dogs) and he’s certainly a harmless doof with a suitably straightforward canine worldview…
Simone
January 31, 2019 at 11:16 pm“As Nana says, they’re all unique”
And not just them. I keep bringing it up to people because I loved that book, but when I read Carl Safina’s “Beyond Words”, about the notion of consciousness and self in animals, he made a very good point that a lot of behavioural research on animals may as well be skewed by us assuming that individuals of the same species share more than they do. Especially in highly intelligent mammals, such as dogs and cats, but even more wolves, elephants, cetaceans, apes, and so on, just as it happens for humans, personality matters a lot. While we can never prove it for sure (but then again, we can’t for other humans either…), they certainly act very much like there’s *something* going on into those heads – a mix of highly personal likes, dislikes, fears, desires and quirks. Hard to say how much can they conceptualise of all of that, but I can’t imagine that it doesn’t feel like *something* to be each of them, individually.
Guardian Enzo
February 1, 2019 at 8:28 amNo question whatsoever in my mind, and I think even science is largely on board with this idea by now. I haven’t read the book you mentioned but it sounds interesting.
Simone
February 1, 2019 at 4:08 pmIt’s really interesting, though unfortunately it doesn’t touch on cats specifically. The author seems more of a dog person!
Marty
February 1, 2019 at 6:30 amThis show right here is the definition of “surprising” for me. Did I expect it to be cute? Definitely. Did I expect it to have adorable shenanigans? For sure. But did I expect it to be as well written as it actually is? Hell no.
Before seeing the first episode, I honestly thought the human characters were going to drag down the show while Haru’s POV segments would be the main selling point, but Subaru is rather impressive as an MC in his own right, this episode a perfect case-in-point.
The bond showcased between Subaru and Haru might be gradual but is genuine. I didn’t realize how much Subaru has grown as a person until I realized that other than himself, he has no tangible reason to hold on to Haru. There’s no law (that I know of) for abandoning cats in Japan, he’s got no children attached to Haru nor has he had her for THAT long a time. Hell, he originally got her on a whim because she inspired him off his writer’s block.
But no, despite all the hardships, Subaru’s actions have basically said that Haru is worth keeping. That shows real attachment and development; no need for monologues, no need for a gigantic emotional OST, or over dramatic moment, the actions speak enough for themselves.
Subaru also was not only willing, but desperate to get advice on controlling Haru’s eating habits when in the first episode he stubbornly refused any advice for the sake of researching it himself. At the core, Subaru will remain the same (book-loving and introverted), but he IS growing as an individual (in just 4 episodes no less).
Guardian Enzo
February 1, 2019 at 6:46 amWell, they’re only getting 12 so they’re going to cram as much development into them as they can. I suspect they’re moving faster than the manga but don’t know for sure.
Another of those “don’t judge a book by its cover” shows, like Udon no Kuni and Shounen Maid.
Ronbb
February 1, 2019 at 11:16 amI love this show, and I love the how the bond between Sabaru and Haru progresses — you can feel the love that is transmitting through the gentle touch and the friendly eyes. Little by little, they warm each other up. We will see how they will change and become happier and more complete, but it’s such a joy to ride along and feel each moment.
I’m totally in love with Haru. She’s like a little girl exploring what is put in front of her — it’s so adorable to see how she imagines and interprets things. I’m with Kawase…if only I could take her home…
Rasu
February 2, 2019 at 3:33 amGood thign he get rid of the bell, it’s cute but the constant sound near a delicate ear such as the feline one tends to make them a bit deaf, it’s a cute common trope, but is a very harmful one just like the “feed them with cow milk”, and sadly, ignorant people tend to copycat those when handling with cats, glad Subaru didn’t end up on those…
Guardian Enzo
February 2, 2019 at 9:44 amGood point.
Jennifer Alpuche
March 1, 2019 at 1:55 pmI had recently adopted a cat from a roommate (and coincidentally before this anime aired at that) when I watched this episode. After a week and a few days, I finally decided to buy a collar since he’s been wanting to explore more of our backyard and outside in general. Our previous cats never had collars because they were well-trained and indoor majorly. Yes it was ignorant and we had a harsh reminder with one of our cats.
Since he’s about 8-9 months, I thought it would be fine but oh boy he did NOT like collars. At first we bought him a cheap one, but he struggled to get it off that I got 2 more breakaway collars for safety. Again, he broke it off thanks to the breakaway feature and since then, has learned the trick. This time I’m waiting on a reflective collar that will hopefully, not be easy to houdini out of.
It’s been a few years since we’ve had a cat, much less a kitten, but this show would probably make me feel a cat-less void without one. Now I watch this show every time with my cat and its a blast (even if he sleeps during it).
Guardian Enzo
March 1, 2019 at 2:46 pmI wish I could do the same. The only downside of this series is that it makes me feel the absence that much more.
Cats and collars are a crapshoot – it’s the same with trimming their claws. Some are totally blasé about it and some just freak out.