The Count is the male calico that belongs to the two Fujiwara sisters: the younger Yumeko and the older Shizuka. Some time ago, Shizuka became a shut-in and rarely ventures outside, preferring to instead livestream as an internet idol with a “normal” life.
But both their lives, normal or not, cause the Count quite a bit of frustration on a daily basis.
I think Yen Press’s decision to publish Count Fujiwara’s Suffering a single omnibus instead of three, single releases was a good idea as I certainly wouldn’t have read the first volume and then felt interested enough to continue with volumes two and three otherwise. Then again, this semi-raunchy comedy where the comedy is only pulling half the weight it should isn’t to my taste; I do wonder how large an audience Yen Press was expecting for a series that seems rather mediocre in 2019.
Shizuku and Yumeko are both two note characters: Shizuku is both teen streamer who gets caught up in things way too easily and also a girl who felt so hurt by the world that she doesn’t want to engage with it anymore; Yumeko is both a diligent student and she also has a tsundere complex for her big sister, which manifests itself in unfortunate ways like secretly longing for her underwear. I know that aspect is supposed to be comedic but it’s a combination of this series’ inability to create actual humor with the intensity of her feelings that, instead of making me laugh, made me think that someone needed to call the Child Protective Services to get Yumeko into some deep therapy. Although she’s not the only character who could use some counseling — the Count (who, the story reminds us almost every single chapter, is a male calico, a genetic rarity) is the butt of many of the chapters’ “gags” which range from the inoffensive to “being groped by an octopus in a sexual manner.” Cat lovers beware.
Perhaps worst of all, this series is simply repetitive. I don’t think it would have worked as a one volume series; Shizuku does make progress in venturing out into the world again that I don’t think would have worked nearly as well if the story was only one volume long, but I think two volumes would have been a fine length for the story and three volumes was really pushing it. I felt like the series strongest material came at the very end of the story when, ironically, the comedy is almost completely reduced and the story addresses why Shizuka became a shut-in in the first place. At that point it becomes a story about how imposter syndrome can eat away at you especially when your job is to be an entertainer of some kind, like an idol or a streamer. Like in My Dad’s the Queen of all Vtubers?! those are feelings I would be interested in seeing a story devote itself to exploring but that’s not what Count Fujiwara’s Suffering was about.
Instead, it’s a comedy that goes so over the top to be uncomfortable and is sure to be forgotten about quickly.