On its surface, it's easy to think this is a kiss kiss fall in love story between coworkers with "secret identities". However, under the cute cats, the heart of the story is much deeper. What happens when people's expectations or presumptions about you are the chains starting to weigh you down? What happens when the only place that feels like an escape from the pretending is invaded by someone who seems to "have it all" which is everything you don't have?

For Kurone, everyone at the office has already written her off as cold and withdrawn. They think she's mean because she's direct and people are consistently thinking she's rude, when in reality she is just absorbed in work. Volunteering with the stray cats is the thing in life that makes her feel at ease, without anyone's perceptions of her. When Mamoru, this princely man everyone is obsessed with, happens upon her thing, she feels that her safe place is threatened.

Mamoru on the other hand is feeling the same way. He feels suffocated by the expectations that others are placing on him. When he encounters Kurone at ease in the park, he finally feels some kinship that someone else may feel the same way. Except for all his trying, he seems to create more distance between Kurone and himself without knowing. While Kurone and Mamoru start letting their guards down around each other, the true work is happening internally as they reflect on themselves and how they really want to live.

Cat-Life Balance does a beautiful job of portraying how much the perceptions others have of us can shape our own self worth. It also let's us know that at any time, we are the captains of our fate and that it's never too late to make meaningful change. I love that I went into this story for the romance and cats (because of course, I LOVE cats) and stayed for the meaningful conversation about self. I'm so excited to see Mamoru and Kurone come together in the future and how they will transform.

Mamoru is a people-pleaser at his job, called the "prince of sales" by his coworkers. But deep down, he tires of being so dependable because it chips away at his own free time. One night, he stumbles across a surprising scene: his standoffish coworker Kurone being all smiles while tending to local stray cats! Soon, the pair are associating outside work. But Kurone is just as hard to approach and befriend as her beloved cats.

CAT-LIFE BALANCE is, in its first volume, a cute and cozy story about what it means to be oneself and how hard it is to relax in the modern world. Besides being a must-read for cat lovers, full of adorable feline art and playtime scenes, it's an excellent read about humanity as well. The protagonists are surprisingly open about their feelings and qualms by volume's end, making for a refreshing read amidst narratives that hinge on secrets and miscommunication. This is a really promising new release for readers looking for a chill series to follow.

I love cats!
My fiancé and I love cats. He was the cat man before I met him and we adore our cats. Seeing two people become friends and find a joy in caring for cats made my heart sing and I ate this up!

This was an absolute DELIGHT to read! I’m so so glad I requested an eARC of this manga because I’m now in love.

First of all, both of our leads are absolutely DELIGHTFUL in their own unique ways, and I would do anything for them.

Kitaohji is in a prison of his own making as the office “prince” who is a yes man. You have too much work on your plate? He’ll help you complete it. You’re dealing with an unreasonable client? He’ll smooth things over. You need help changing a lightbulb? He’ll do it. The consequence of this is that he’s overworked, and he doesn’t quite feel like himself at work. He’s built this “perfect” image that he’s scared now of shattering in the minds of his coworkers. In comes Kurone, the office loner. She keeps to herself, hardly speaking to another soul at work, and is often the object of scoldings at work despite not being to blame for half of what she’s being chewed out for. She’s anxious and skittish around others—often coming across as aloof.

Kitaohji and Kurone are brought together when, by chance, Kitaohji finds Kurone at the park with a huge smile on her face as she plays with some kitties.

These two warmed my entire SOUL! I loved every single panel of them feeding the kitties, playing with them, and getting to know each other better. Kurone is extremely standoffish because she’s always internally freaking out about any interaction she has with other humans, and Kitaohji’s goal becomes to develop a genuine friendship with her. He doesn’t always understand her boundaries or why she reacts the way she does, but he tries his best to be considerate and kind while trying to spend more time with her.