Mayoi Neko Overrun! (迷い猫オーバーラン!) is a Japanese light novel series written by Tomohiro Matsu. Twelve volumes were published by Shueisha between 2008 and 2012 under their Super Dash Bunko imprint. The first nine feature illustrations by Peco, with Yasu, Hekiru Hikawa, and Misato Mitsumi then illustrating one each. "Mayoi Neko" translates as "Stray Cats", referring to the name of the cafe around which the story develops, and alluding to the orphans and other "stray" characters who collect there. It is also the name of a school club for helping people in the story. The Mayoi Neko Overrun! novels have sold over two million copies. A manga adaptation by Kentaro Yabuki was serialized in Shueisha's Jump SQ. and Jump SQ.19 magazines from January 4 to October 4, 2010. An anime television series adaptation animated by AIC aired on Tokyo MX and BS11 from April 6 to June 29, 2010.

Plot

The story revolves around Takumi Tsuzuki, who spends his days with his childhood friend Fumino Serizawa at the cafe Stray Cats, and with his friends, in the Umenomori Academy. One day, his older stepsister Otome brings home a strange girl named Nozomi Kiriya to live with them. When his other friend Chise Umenomori starts a Stray Cats Club that helps people, Takumi's life is filled with new activities.

Characters

Main

Supporting

Media

Light novels

The Mayoi Neko Overrun! light novels were written by Tomohiro Matsu and published by Shueisha. 12 volumes were released under the Super Dash Bunko imprint between October 24, 2008 and February 24, 2012. The first nine feature illustrations by Peco, with Yasu, Hekiru Hikawa, and Misato Mitsumi then illustrating one each.

Manga

A manga adaptation by Kentaro Yabuki began monthly serialization in the February 2010 issue of Shueisha's Jump SQ. magazine, which was released on January 4, 2010. Many characters from Yabuki's previous manga, To Love Ru, make cameo appearances. Due to Yabuki being set to begin To Love Ru Darkness in Jump SQ. on October 4, 2010, Mayoi Neko Overrun! was transferred to the quarterly Jump SQ.19, beginning with the spin-off magazine's Summer 2010 issue on August 19, 2010. Shueisha collected and published chapters in two tankōbon volumes on April 30 and September 3, 2010. In August 2011, the editorial department suddenly announced that the Mayoi Neko Overrun! manga had ended without giving an explanation. It was also stated that the second tankōbon would be its last, leaving several chapters never collected outside their magazine publication.

Anime

An anime television series adaptation animated by AIC aired on Tokyo MX and BS11 from April 6 to June 29, 2010. Each episode was directed by a different person.

Theme music

Reception

The Mayoi Neko Overrun! novels had sold over two million copies by February 2012. The manga adaptation's two collected volumes both ranked on Oricon's weekly list of the best-selling manga. The first volume debuted at number 12 with 91,599 copies sold its first week, but rose to number nine the following week for 151,256 copies sold in total. The second volume debuted at number five with 94,483 copies sold. Reviewing the anime adaptation for Anime News Network, Theron Martin called Mayoi Neko Overrun! a "create a harem romantic comedy by the numbers" due to it featuring the classic tsundere character in Fumino, the classic spoiled princess in Chise, and the classic catgirl in Nozomi. However, his colleague Carl Kimlinger felt that the characters are always one step beyond the stereotypes they first appear to be, and if you add to that "a high cuteness factor, a pleasant visual style, and an unexpected level of emotional maturity", you have a series that "is good (if not great)".