My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman Volume 1 deals with love between a servant and their master—their words, not mine. The story and world aspects are interesting, especially the two leads, Toushirou and feline diplomat Alex. So it’s easy to read through. Where the story goes next could force it to fizzle out or be an incredible story about growth and love. As it stands, My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman Volume 1 is a steamy LGBTQ2S+ romance opener, making you wonder about the world where humans and animal people coexist.
Created by Arata Asanae, translated by Leighann Harvey, and lettered by Chiho Christie, the story opens with a grim image of a young man, Toushirou, trapped behind wooden bars. Think brothel or harem, and you would not be far off. In this Yen Press manga, other people look down and abuse Toushirou because he is an Omega. His luck changes when he meets diplomat Alex, a person he is assigned to work and serve. After Toushirou moves in, the two learn about each other bit by bit, and love develops. But there are some hurdles.
My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman Volume 1 Has Two Adorable Main Characters
Anyone who crushed on the gargoyles in the animated series might have fun here. Alex, a Nyartigian, has the physical attributes of a cat—ears, fur, tail, etc. But he moves upright and talks like any person. Between him and Toushirou, he’s in a better situation, given his diplomatic status. Still, Alex remembers that though Nyartigian’s position changed, people still view them as beasts. As Toushirou’s an Omega, people look down on and mistreat him. When they meet, it’s apparent that Toushirou’s boss gave him to Alex with ulterior motives. The two circle each other, particularly Toushirou, because he is scared. He fears Alex will assault him.
My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman Volume 1 captures that fear to a degree, but as this is also a love story with fantastical characters in a fictional world, it’s hard to understand some of the reasoning. Toushirou’s building affection for Alex is understandable as Alex’s kindness shines through. He views Toushirou as a person with a mind of his own. Though Toushirou’s an adult, there is a master/servant or senpai/kohai dynamic between the pair. Alex cares for Toushirou but also teaches him things he never got to learn. The lovemaking is explicit, but it’s also sweet. It’s easy to root for this pair’s success.
Unnecessary Scenes of Abuse
At first, the manga implies what Toushirou suffers, or the reader hears it from Toushirou. Unfortunately, later, there are depictions of abuse, as a group of men attacks Toushirou. Alex saves the day; however, seeing this in any world or story is tiresome. I get it drives home how the people in this world view Toushirou and makes Alex’s kindness an even starker contrast, but readers do not need it. Hopefully, My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman focuses more on Omegas, Nyartigians, and the politics and dangers for them both.
The information on Omegas is scant, but Omegas can get pregnant and go into heat. Yes, heat. Omegas are the result of breeding between humans and beastfolk. As Toushirou is sentient, he tries to avoid people because he does not want to have sex with anyone or for anyone to attack him because of the pheromones Omegas give off. Even Alex has a hard time resisting, but he does resist.
It’s the “she dressed a certain way, so it’s her fault” excuse in this new world. These tidbits, though relatable, feel frustrating. A fictional world does not have to adopt the awful actions from this world to be believable. While Toushirou and Alex are cute, and their romance brims with innocence and sexiness, it’s hard to overlook these parts of the story.
Steamy Read But Challenging Parts
My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman Volume 1 has a lot going for it. The artwork is lovely, and there is an endearing central relationship. But they need to leave the scenes of assault out of the story. Toushirou’s societal status is clear. So, it’s easy to imagine what he went through without letting it play across the page. There’s also the issue of whether a slave can consent to a relationship. It’s clear Toushirou cares for Alex and vice versa, but the slave/master relationship weakens their love. My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman Volume 1 engages the reader, but they need to focus more on the relationship between the main characters to maintain interest.
