The Crooked And Creepy Universe of Nyata and Nyaako: Nekojiru
Nekojiru Udon seems to be a manga that has been kept on a bookshelf collecting dust for years, only seeing a hand reach for it on rare occasions. It has been kept in the circles of those well-versed in manga culture, though its release marked an era in the history of these Japanese comics.
In 1990, Japan was introduced to the gleefully horrifying and ironic universe of the manga Nekojiru Udon, written and illustrated by the elusive Nekojiru. The manga itself was first seen in the alternative and artsy monthly manga anthology Garo and was applauded by a teenage audience.
The author, Chiyomi Hashiguchi, born in 1967 in Saitama, went by the penname Nekojiru and married her mangaka spouse at 18 years old. Not much is known about her as she actively hid from the spotlight, only allowing one picture of her to surface, and Nekojiru was known to be eccentric, aloof, and seemed to have struggled a lot with connecting with people. It is said that she believed that the world leaned more toward evil than good, which reflects almost naturally in her work. Unfortunately, she committed suicide at 31 years old, leaving behind many uncompleted works, her husband, as well as unsettling notes that suggested to “forget [she] even lived.”
Nekojiru Udon was met with many succeeding works, all of which were popular within the avant-garde nihilistic manga scene. The main characters are Nyaako and her little brother Nyata, two anthropomorphic cats and their emotionally turbulent parents. The kids seem to lead a normal life in the city, viewing brutality and sadism as completely normal. The illustrations of the cute characters create a gap between the storyline, transforming an innocent-looking manga into grotesque, unpredictable, and disturbing stories.
Though Nekojiru Udon and the likes were lost in time, many fans across the world are keeping Nekojiru’s legacy alive, even if it’s against her wishes. A short animated film, called Cat Soup, was also made in 2002 based on Nekojiru’s earlier work.
Scanlations by @translatingnekojiru on Tumblr.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
