is a three volume

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

series written and illustrated by

Motofumi Kobayashi is a Japanese manga artist. His works include military comics such as ''Panzergrenadier'' (装甲擲弾兵), ''Warrior in Flames -Jochen Peiper'' (炎の騎士　ヨーヘン・パイパー戦記) & ''Unternehmen Blau'' (ブラウ作戦). Works ...

. It was published in North America and the United Kingdom (printed in Canada) in 2004 by

ADV Manga A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gre ...

. It was also released in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

in 2006, also under the title ''Cat Shit One''. It has been released in France, Belgium and Spain, as ''Cat Shit One'', by Glénat in 2006. In 2008 Kobayashi released a follow-up to Cat Shit One – ''Cat Shit One 80''. Currently four volumes have been published in Japan. A computer-generated

original net animation An original net animation (ONA), known in Japan as , is an anime that is directly released onto the Internet. ONAs may also have been aired on television if they were first directly released on the Internet. The name mirrors original video animati ...

series of ''Cat Shit One'' by Studio Anima began release on IDA Entertainment's

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

channel in Japan from July 17, 2010, and in North America, Australia and New Zealand on February 5, 2011. The animated version is set in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

rather than Vietnam, and a trailer indicates that the action takes place after 1991.

Plot

The manga follows three American soldiers (who are

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

animals) in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

named Botasky, Perky and Rats. All three are in the

recon Recon may refer to: * Reconnaissance, a military term for gathering information * '' Halo 3: Recon'', a standalone expansion for the video game ''Halo 3'' * "Recon" (''Lost''), the eighth episode of the sixth season of ''Lost'' * ''Recon'' (ro ...

team called "Cat Shit One". Each mission (or chapter) shows the daily activities of the reconnaissance group in Vietnam. There are sections of the manga which give brief history and truths behind the war, such as the types of weapons used by different countries and the activities of forces in the war. At the end of volume one there is a chapter called "Dog Shit One"—separate from the main story—showing human characters. In ''Cat Shit One '80'', the story continues to follow the three main protagonists as they became involved in various

low intensity conflict A low-intensity conflict (LIC) is a military conflict, usually localised, between two or more state or non-state groups which is below the intensity of conventional war. It involves the state's use of military forces applied selectively and with ...

s in the 1980s. Perky, now a member of the elite

Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), referred to variously as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), Army Compartmented Elements (ACE), "The Unit", or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Task Fo ...

, was attached to the

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-ter ...

and was involved in various SAS operations while Rats and Bota were involved with the US operation in Afghanistan against the Soviet invasion. An animated adaptation of ''Cat Shit One'' was released in 2010.

Character depiction

The manga depicts the characters as different animals according to their

nationality Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a ''national'', of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is th ...

as follows: *

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

–

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit s ...

(from the Japanese word for rabbit: Usagi ("うさぎ"): USA G.I.) *

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

ese –

Siamese cat The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand ( ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

–

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus ''Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

(from pigs used to hunt

truffle A truffle is the Sporocarp (veggie), fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber (fungus), Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truf ...

s) *

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...

–

panda The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes use ...

*Japanese –

Japanese macaque The Japanese macaque (''Macaca fuscata''), also known as the snow monkey, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species that is native to Japan. Colloquially, they are referred to as "snow monkeys" because some live in areas where snow covers the g ...

and

gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four ...

*Russian –

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

n –

nureongi The Nureongi are mongrel, spitz-type dogs with yellowish coloring endemic to the Korean peninsula.Lee, Bria"Dogs May Be Designated as Livestock" ''JoongAng Daily'', April 12, 2008 The term is the transliteration Transliteration is a type ...

(from the ''dog dish''

bosintang Bosintang (boshintang) () or called gaejangguk () in South Korea, or called dangogiguk () in North Korea, is a Korean soup that includes dog meat as its primary ingredient. The soup has been claimed to provide increased virility. The meat is b ...

) *

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

–

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' ( pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandico ...

(from

The Desert Rats The 7th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army that saw distinguished active service during the Second World War, where its exploits in the Western Desert Campaign gained it the ''Desert Rats'' nickname. After the Muni ...

) *

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal ...

–

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...

and

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the ...

The following are new animals depicted in Cat Shit One '80: *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

–

Fennec fox The fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') is a small crepuscular fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and l ...

(from

Desert Fox Desert fox may refer to: Animals *Fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda''), the world's smallest canid *White-footed fox (''Vulpes vulpes pusilla''), also known as the desert fox Games * ''Desert Fox'' (computer game), a 1985 game for the Commodore 64 *''The ...

) *

Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

–

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of ...

and

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sh ...

Afghan Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity ** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pa ...

camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. ...

Latin Americans Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-et ...

–

cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

Main characters

*Sergeant Perkins (aka Perky) : An

American fuzzy lop The American Fuzzy Lop is a rabbit breed recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). It is similar in appearance to a Holland Lop. However, the American Fuzzy Lop is a wool breed and will have wool similar to the Angora breeds a ...

soldier and leader of the Cat Shit One recon team, later receiving the rank of Captain. In Cat Shit One '80, Perky, now a major, continues to serve in the Army under Beck with the newly formed Delta Force. He is attached to the British

under the command of Sir Michael Rose as the American

exchange officer An exchange officer is a commissioned officer in a country's armed forces who is temporarily seconded either to a unit of the armed forces of another country or to another branch of the armed forces of their own country. The exchange officer will u ...

and develops a close personal and professional relationship with

GSG 9 , formerly (), is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police ''( Bundespolizei)''. The state police (''Landespolizei'') maintain their own tactical units known as the ''Spezialeinsatzkommando'' (SEK). The identities of GSG 9 members ...

commander

Ulrich Wegener Ulrich Klaus "Ricky" Wegener (22 August 1929 – 28 December 2017) was a German police officer and founding member of the counter-terrorist force GSG 9. Early life Wegener was born in Jüterbog, Brandenburg. He was conscripted into the Luftwaffe ...

and

GIGN The GIGN ( ; ) is the elite police tactical unit of the National Gendarmerie of France. Among its missions are counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection (s ...

commander

Christian Prouteau Christian Prouteau (born on the 7 April 1944) is a French officer of the ''Gendarmerie Nationale''. He was involved in the organisation of the GIGN and the GSPR. Biography Prouteau graduated from Saint-Cyr, the French army's officers' schoo ...

. Perky is heavily involved in the SAS operations during the Iranian Embassy Siege and the

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territori ...

. *Sergeant White (aka Rats) : A

Netherland Dwarf rabbit The Netherland Dwarf is a breed of domestic rabbit that originated in the Netherlands. Weighing , the Netherland Dwarf is one of the smallest rabbit breeds. Its popularity as a pet or show rabbit may stem from its neotenic appearance. The Net ...

soldier, sniper, and interpreter of English and Vietnamese. Rats, who was born in the Bronx, comes from a humble background and is sympathetic to the plight of those displaced by the war. In Cat Shit One '80, Rats is recruited into the CIA and was sent to Afghanistan to serve as liaison and military advisor for General Massoud and the Mujahideen under his command against the Soviet forces. *Botasky (aka Bota) : A

Dutch rabbit The Dutch rabbit, also known as Hollander or Brabander is easily identifiable by its characteristic colour pattern, and was once the most popular of all rabbit breeds. However, after dwarf rabbits were developed, the popularity of the Dutch rab ...

soldier and the radio operator for the group. In the story he is often portrayed as cowardly and racist. After the war, Botasky made a fortune selling fast food and became the chairman of a multinational fast food chain. In Cat Shit One '80, Botasky begins to expand his business to the Asian market and uses his influence with the Chinese government to smuggle Chinese-made weapons into Afghanistan to Rats and Massoud's Mujahideens. *Chico : A Montagnard (or "Yard") trained by the Americans. He is featured frequently in the story, often bailing Cat Shit One out of jams. *Beckwith : Major Charlie Beckwith, the commander for the Special Force Detachment B-52, is in charge of the recon team operations. Cat Shit One always receives their orders directly from Beckwith himself. In Cat Shit One '80, Beckwith becomes the commander of Delta Force and is forced to retire due to the failure of

Operation Eagle Claw Operation Eagle Claw, known as Operation Tabas ( fa, عملیات طبس) in Iran, was a failed operation by the United States Armed Forces ordered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to attempt the rescue of 52 embassy staff held captive at the ...

. *Misha : Introduced in Cat Shit One '80. Misha is a young brown bear that is an inexperienced Soviet VDV second lieutenant sent to Afghanistan to reinforce the Soviet forces in the region. His position was under heavy suicide attack by the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pas ...

, and he was rescued by Perky and a small SAS detachment. Due to his bravery, he was assigned to a

Spetsnaz Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .) Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the So ...

unit. It is later revealed that Misha is the son of a high-ranking KGB general.

Media

Manga

Anime

A CG animated

ONA Ona or ONA may refer to: Anthropology * Ona people, an indigenous people of southern Argentina and Chile ** Ona language, a language once spoken in Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego * Ona, a pre-Aksumite culture in Sembel, Eritrea Geography * On ...

adaptation of ''Cat Shit One'' was developed by IDA Entertainment. So far, only one episode has been released on Japan's YouTube channel on July 17, 2010, with plans for a 12 episode series currently in production, but , no further news about this sequel was published. An English dub was released on YouTube on February 5, 2011, and will be independently distributed on DVD and Blu-ray Disc via

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

in North America.

Reception

The recent ''Cat Shit One'' adaptation was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short category in the 9th Annual VES Awards.

Notes

For the US release, it was retitled as Apocalypse Meow to parody the title of the film ''

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph C ...

'', which also took place during the

References

External links

* *
IDA Entertainment's Youtube Channel
{{Anima 1998 manga 2010 anime ONAs ADV Manga Comics set during the Cold War Comics about animals Comics about rabbits and hares Comics about cats Comics about dogs Comics about bears Comics about monkeys Comics about mice and rats Comics set during the Vietnam War Comics characters introduced in 1998 Manga series Seinen manga Vietnam War books Vietnam War fiction