Tsushima the Cat Is the Japanese Garfield - Ore, Tsushima (I, Tsushima)

Welcome to Tsushima the cat's world: he looks through the trash for food scraps and dominates the neighborhood with his large and aloof presence. Lonely Ojii-chan finds him rummaging in the bin and is captivated by the regal-looking feline. Tsushima does not want to admit it, but he loves Ojii-chan’s care, both of them forming a weird and cute little family, with the rest of Ojii-chan’s pet cats.

With an eccentric art style and bite-sized episodes of just one minute each, Ore, Tsushima (I, Tsushima) is a straightforward story of a huge stray cat and the Oji-san who takes him in. Oji-san is actually an old lady, but Tsushima calls him an old man, while he enjoys all the attention, food, and comfort in a totally blasé way. Why is this slice of life winning us over? Let’s take a look!

Perfect for Cat Lovers

Based on a yon-koma (four-panel) manga by Opuu no Kyoudai, I, Tsushima is clearly the work of a cat lover. The manga strips are published on Twitter, under @tsushimacat so you can read them for free and enjoy them over your break. From hilarious trips to the vet to Tsushima’s sneaky way of getting what he wants, and from lazy cat naps to stray cat adventures, you will recognize all these behaviors that make you love feline friends so much, even when they make your life difficult.

Jun Aoki Powerhouse

Jun Aoki and Space Neko Company are behind I, Tsushima’s weirdness. Jun Aoki directed Pop Team Epic, a surreal parody of several anime genres, with a trademark offbeat humor. He’s the perfect guy to direct another eccentric gag comedy with jokes that hit the mark. If the one-minute episodes are not enough for you, there is a TV and web separation, with the web component giving extra snippets into Tsushima’s and Ojii-chan’s lives. You can watch them directly on Asmik Ace’s YouTube channel.

Storybook-like Animation

Only Tsushima gets a different animation style, looking like a storybook cat with a huge head, big body, and intricate detail, while other cats and humans get a minimal depiction. Tsushima’s name comes from Tsushima Island, implying a strong and stern guy. It’s so funny to see that the cat is bigger than his owner, dominating the screen. Voiced by Akio Ootsuka, who has voiced characters like grumpy yet kind old man Zouroku from Alice to Zouroku and strict panda Gouhin from Beastars, Tsushima has the perfect uninterested voice, along with apathetic looks, that make you fall for him.


Final Thoughts

Even if you don’t love cats as much as we do, you’re going to laugh and marvel at this cute little anime series. Check out Tsushima’s adventures on YouTube, on the Asmik Ace official channel, and laugh with the huge cat’s cool and detached remarks. Would you keep a pet like Tsushima around? Let us know in the comments below and thanks for reading.

Ore-Tsushima-Wallpaper-1-700x394 Tsushima the Cat Is the Japanese Garfield - Ore, Tsushima (I, Tsushima)

Writer

Author: Andromache Kokkinou

This is Andromache, nice to meet you! I am a writer, editor, and zinester. I have a knack for research and making connections between anime, so I love writing anime recommendations and top 10 lists! Yes, I do look like my avatar and yes, I base my style off Ami Mizuno aka Sailor Mercury. An Evangelion and Utena fanatic, talk to me about depressed teen heroes and handsome princesses. Avatar by @crazyspacecats

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