WHAT'S MICHAEL? is the title of a series written and drawn by Kobayashi Makoto. Inquisitive readers may astutely continue to inquire "So who is Michael?" Michael is a rotund tabby cat who is often likened by Americans to the comic strip character Garfield. WHAT'S MICHAEL? has been lauded and critically acclaimed by numerous reviewers for its humorously accurate description of feline behavior. In 1990, it was a New York Library book award winner.
Cat aficionados will definitely appreciate the depiction of felines in this book. From their playful nature, to their smallest idiosyncracies, it is obvious that Kobayashi has long observed their behavior and is himself quite a lover of cats. WHAT'S MICHAEL? is a collection of short stories which will give readers humorous insight into the minds of cats, and in particular, of Michael.
In some stories, Michael is shown as a creature of nature, and Kobayashi expounds on the virtues of cats in the wild, often with surprising conclusions. Michael is also shown in a number of stories with different owners. It is apparent that these stories are not connected, with each one having a completely different set of supporting characters. After all, one aspect of the domesticated cat is the cat owner. The owners are occasionally more interesting than the cat. From the overbearing, over- affectionate owner to the neglecting owner to the Japanese Mafia cat lover, there is sure to be someone with whom the readers will identify.
Occasionally Michael will also gain the ability to speak. Kobayashi will mix in stories in an anthropomorphic fashion. In one story, a few law enforcement cats are grilling Michael about a certain stolen fish. Although they can speak, they still retain feline reactions to outside stimuli. This causes mixed results, which are amusing, to say the least.
Kobayashi's talent for understanding and depicting feline behavior is apparent. The art style is rather minimalist, with few lines and backgrounds. It seems that he is more of a "caraciture" artist, with disproportionate heads and exaggerated facial expressions dominating the frames.
Dark Horse has released a quaint, enjoyable manga based on the antics of an animal protagonist. Another company, Paradox Press, has previously released a similar title based on the life of an imaginary diminutive dinosaur living in the present, entitled GON. This reviewer feels that animal lovers should make their way towards a copy of GON rather than WHAT'S MICHAEL. The wildlife creatures are drawn in their natural habitats with visually stunning accuracy. However, for those who tend to prefer to the company of cats, perhaps WHAT'S MICHAEL will be more pleasing to read. And the fact that Dark Horse has chosen to call this Volume One seems to be indicative of future publications.
All in all, $5.95 is a reasonable price to pay for this delightful square-bound book. It may be a short read, but it is quite entertaining despite, or perhaps because of, its brevity.

WHAT'S MICHAEL? Volume One - MICHAEL'S ALBUM Written and Illustrated by Kobayashi Makoto Released in North America by Dark Horse Comics English Translation by Dana Lewis and Toren Smith of Studio Proteus ISBN: 1-56971-247-6 $US 5.95 / $Can 8.35