“The world is more interesting from the point of view of a dog. The third installment of the leisurely life at the end of the world with Haru the shiba inu and his odd master.” (Yen Press)
Yu Ishihara's “Doomsday with My Dog” had seemingly already hit its stride, collecting short yet entertaining and informative observations about dogs and Japanese culture in a cartoon strip format. In addition, the series showed Ishihara's willingness to tackle the harsh realities that can come with the pet/human relationship. Now entering its third volume, readers should expect nothing less from Ishihara, yet the mangaka still manages to build on the existing format and improve.
Notably, the third volume contains longer comic strips, which can carry over into a couple of pages worth of content. It is still relatively brief in format across the book. Still, one gets the impression of Ishihara growing with the comic and realizing she can draw out the punchline or moments of endearing reflection with more context–the story “A Night Out of a Horror Film” being a primary example of a longer story within the series that succeeds. Moreover, the final entry in the book continues the trend of heartbreaking thoughts on what it can mean to lose a pet, and this particular tale of losing a pet hits extremely hard.
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With the noted growth of the mangaka along with the series, the other positives already touted in volumes one and two remain relevant. The book is wonderfully insightful and humorous while containing educational material that makes it as informative as it is accessible. The art– presented in full color–continues to impress with the amount of characters and comedy Ishihara injects into the series.
What makes the series the most exciting is the continued improvement by Yu Ishihara. This progression is a joyful prospect for dog owners who prioritize that connection. There are certain manga you get excited to get the next volume, yet “Doomsday with My Dog” goes a bit further in offering a celebration of the relationships between humans and pets with a talented mangaka who has put significant consideration into the subject and also knows how to turn it humorous.
At this point, if you love doggos and you love manga, there is no reason not to be reading “Doomsday with My Dog.” Even those who don't favor the comic strip format will find those concerns secondary as the profundity and humor of Yu Ishihara explores the relationship between pet and owner in an all-encompassing, intelligent, and sincere manner seldom seen in other dog-centric titles.
