BOOK REVIEW
Zack Davisson’s book “Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats Of Japan” is a Masterpiece.
I loved everything about it
It’s not very often that you find a book which combines two of your obsessions.
And given how such a special occurrence creates insanely high expectations — it’s even rarer to see the book actually live up to the hype.
But Zack Davisson has done it! “Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats Of Japan” is magnificent and I loved every single page.
You have probably guessed by now that one of the obsessions I mentioned above is cats. The other one is Japanese Folklore — more specifically, yokai. Without getting into too many details — yokai are supernatural creatures and phenomena. Whereas many of them are fairly close to what might be called demons, monsters, or spirits, there are also yokai which are a lot less tangible — a mysterious occurrence, an eerie sound, an uncanny experience. A number of classifications have been suggested, and there’s some disagreement over the inclusion of yurei (ghosts/spirits), whether or not yokai need to be connected to folklore that is specifically Japanese, or whether recently invented creatures (like Gojira/Godzilla or creepypasta characters) should count.
But whatever stance one might take in either of those debates, it will be hard to argue the exclusion of bakemono or obake. These terms refer to shapeshifting yokai, and some of the most popular examples can be found in this category — kitsune (foxes) are shapeshifters, as are tanuki (racoon dogs).
And, to finally bring us back to the start, Bakeneko are cats that have been turned into yokai.
I have mentioned two of my obsessions above, and I’m going to get a little more obscure and maybe a little nerdy for the third one. I love nonfiction writing and one thing that always puts a smile on my face is when you can tell that the author is simultaneously an expert and a fan. That is — they’re not interested in presenting their “quite intriguing object of study” in a professional and proper way — they want to geek out! They have this thing they love that gives them joy and fascinates them to no end — and now they want to share their passion with you! But they do so in a way that makes it readily apparent they’re also a true expert on the topic in addition to their genuine enthusiasm!
Zack Davisson is an author like that. If you have ever seen any of his lectures on yokai on YouTube (or read his book on yurei), you will be familiar with the style — this masterful interweaving of expertise and passion, the ability of the prose to draw you in and keep you hooked. It doesn’t matter whether you were interested in the topic before — you will be after finishing the book.
“Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats Of Japan” has all of those qualities. Plus, you know — cats.
In addition to the shapeshifting cat yokai mentioned above, many other supernatural and folkloric felines get their chance to shine. Aside from the excellent chapters on those various creatures, the book features gorgeous reproductions of woodblock prints, stories featuring kaibyo protagonists, and an overview article about the history of cats in Japan. (This chapter reminded me a bit of the short historical background articles about Shigeru Mizuki that Zack Davisson has written for his translations of the GeGeGe No Kitaro manga, and it was equally illuminating).
At this point, I would normally say “If you’re obsessed with cats or Japanese Folklore, get this book!” But I already know the first thing to be true — and chances are you’ll be 2 for 2 after picking up “Kaybio. The Supernatural Cats of Japan”.
Thank you for reading my article. I hope you enjoyed it! If you would like to read another one of my cat stories, please click here:
