In June Tokyopop is publishing the first volume of Kenji Sonishi’s Neko Ramen manga.  Neko Ramen Volume 1: Hey! Order Up! ($10.99, rated 10+) is a collection of yon-kama (4-panel strips) about a cat named Taisho who operates Tokyo’s only feline-run ramen shop.  Taisho wants to make great food, but it’s not easy for a fur-covered chef to keep hairs out of the noodles, and he is easily angered when his customers are dissatisfied (which tends to be quite often). 

Sonishi’s cute and very funny manga appears in Mag Garden’s seinen monthly Comic Blade.  It has been made into an anime series by Think Corporation, which was the most watched short animation series on Yahoo Japan’s streaming site in August of 2007.  Tokyopop has created a Neko Ramen Website with links to the Crunchyroll site where fans can watch the Neko Ramen anime and with a sign-up so fans can receive a Neko Ramen 4-panel strip via email every day.  A Neko Ramen Facebook page includes the same features along with links to Neko Ramen contests.