This will remain the most important comic to me. I read an array of work by Nekojiru many years ago, and the consequences of that decision still ripple in my life (most apparent being my tattoo of Nyako). When I was at my lowest I found comfort in the bizarre, funny, and often morbid stories centering primarily two cat siblings. There is a sense of these stories existing out of time. Children don't tend to be concerned with the world of adults, which is apparent in the antics of the kitty kids. While I never held a kangaroo court for insects in order to execute them, the cruelty and innocence of the characters are relatable on a deep level most don't often think about. I honestly think everyone can relate to these kids.
I've seen the cat siblings being called evil, and its not difficult to see why, but I would disagree with such a shallow interpretation. For a different perspective one just has to take a look at my favourite story: 'Invisible'. This story makes me want to cry every time I read it. Like a dream, the story is seemingly nonsensical and mostly comprised of wondering around and suppressed desires being embodied in bizarre ways. Nyako backs out of crossing a bridge after a ghost of herself phases through her, and she meets a clown who teacher her how to become invisible. When I first read it I saw a lot of my own feelings regarding taking my own life be shown here, a desire to cross to the other side and a mischievous force leading you to hurting yourself and being alienated from everyone. Nyako is not misanthropic out of an ego, but rather out of suffering.
Boiling down this collection, or any work of Nekojiru to being about mental illness and trauma is as reductive as saying they're just stories of funny sadistic cats. The Christmas story showcases the toxic environment the two cats grow up in but simultaneously is one of the stories the kindest to the two kids. This is a fun story with a wonderful ending, its shows that even in a difficult situation there is fun and beauty to be found. And on a whole different spectrum there are stories that feel more observational, or ones meant to disturb be reader, and illustrated pages of a journal of the author. I could talk endlessly about any one of the collections but I'll end it here.
I avoided talking about the tragic life of the author as I feel its not my palace to, and I did not know it when I first discovered these. I highly recommend the animated series "Nekojiru theatre" and the stellar short simply called "Nekojiru"