Cat Beastfolk Diplomat Takes on Omega Servant
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Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series My Mate is a Feline Gentleman. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to confinement, prejudice, racism (in the form of humans vs a fictional beastman race), sexism (specifically based on secondary sex), classism, sex work (including forced), child labor, mentions of slavery, self-deprecation, kidnapping, violence, sexual assault (including attempted gang rape), mentions of suicide, power imbalance, and corruption, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Note: This is a series made up of four volumes. Most places list all four under the single title My Mate is a Feline Gentleman, but each has a different subtitle and is a self-contained narrative that builds on the previous one like a sequel series/spin-off rather than continuing an ongoing plotline like a second or third volume. As such, each title will be reviewed separately.
In this world, there are humans, and there are beastfolk. After generations of these two separate races intermingling, some of the beastfolk‘s traits have begun to manifest in humanity. Namely, the manifestation of secondary genders. As such, there are alpha humans and omega humans, both of which go through animalistic mating periods known as heats or ruts. Regular humans are simply betas. Beastfolk, having had these traits from the beginning, have long since developed medications and vaccines to control these beastly qualities, but none of these solutions work on humans.
As a result, certain parts of the world have clear hierarchies in place based on a person’s secondary sex. Unfortunately for Toushirou, an omega in Japan, omegas are seen as tools. They are kept as pets and servants, usually to be used as escorts and prostitutes by their masters in exchange for room and board. Because they go through uncontrollable heats, they are perceived as less-than and a burden, and they sell themselves as that is the only way they can exist in the world. Toushirou’s existence is no different.
Thankfully, he’s been spared from selling himself for a while, but that is about to change. He is being sent to work as a servant for a beastfolk diplomat, and his instructions are clear: seduce him and make him happy. Toushirou doesn’t want to, but what else is he supposed to do when this is the only life he knows? What Toushirou doesn’t know is that not every omega has to live this way, and his new master, Alex, intends to show him a better world.
Review:
The art in this is interesting. Unfortunately, it isn’t the prettiest. I dislike a lot of the panels where Toushirou is facing forward, as he has a very antiquated anime face with eyes so far apart that it gives fish vibes. I also am just not fond of his haircut – I know that is such a petty thing, but it is what it is. There is a soft quality to the general style, though, which is nice. I also have to admit that I am not fond of this level of beastman. It is just a bit too animalistic for my liking, but the designs are very unique and interesting, which I can appreciate. Overall, it’s very inconsistent, but it’s not the worst.
Now, on to the story. If you read the synopsis in this review, it is probably pretty apparent that this is a very sad story. Much of the time, we are seeing Toushirou dealing with the expectations and pressures that have been placed on him because of his secondary gender. Seeing him slowly dismantle those feelings or explore things he was too afraid to do before, within the safe space Alex created for him, is very nice. Admittedly, while this all has a very sad undertone, it is generally very fluffy. Seeing the difference between the life he had experienced before versus what he experiences with Alex creates a very interesting dissonance and shows just how different their worlds are. Alex’s home becomes an isolated oasis, and while it may seem confining in its own way, this isolation gives the space Toushirou needs to breathe, something he didn’t have in his original home.
However, as much as I like exploring the differences in what Toushirou has experienced as an omega and how Alex treats omegas, Alex does come off a bit preachy. He is very much a knight in shining armor, jumping in to explain to multiple people that omegas shouldn’t be treated any differently. Part of this, we learn, is that he has also experienced immense prejudice as a beastfolk in human communities, which is a powerful parallel. Still, there is something about these monologue moments that feels a bit corny to me. We do see Toushirou mirroring this when defending Alex after humans gossip about him and share bigoted views of beastfolk, and that feels a bit preachy, too. I am just not fond of how this establishes that Alex isn’t prejudiced against omegas so blatantly and overtly.
Before I close out this review, I do want to make sure I note some intense things in this that might not be for everyone. Of course, I try to be thorough with content warnings, but sometimes context can help clarify whether something will be triggering for someone. I especially want to point this out because I see this recommended a lot as a fluffy read, and while I would agree that most of it is on the lighter side, it would be dangerous to say it is entirely fluffy without providing some details. So let’s get into some things. There are multiple depictions of Toushirou participating in forced sex work. It doesn’t go into intense detail, but there are panels that show it, so there is that. There is also an attempted gang rape scene near the end, where a very scary assault takes place. These things don’t bother me, but in case depictions like this might bother you, now you know to avoid this one. Much of the darker content is shown as flashbacks and does not take place in the present, nor with Alex, but it is still shown, and I think that is important to point out.
Results:
This was very okay. I have read almost the entire series at this point (the last one is still a surprise to me at the time of writing this), so I can say it is a bit weaker than the later titles. It isn’t horrendous by any means, and for those seeking unique omegaverse titles, especially ones with unique beastman designs like this one, it may be worth a read just to see something new and different. However, the art isn’t the best, and the tone can be a bit preachy and corny at times, but it is still a nice read. I look forward to reviewing the rest and sharing how this world and these characters grow and change.
Have you read My Mate is a Feline Gentleman? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
