The Cat Who Saved Books

Rintaro Natsuki, a reclusive (or hikikomori) high school student, has been left to manage Natsuki Books after the death of his grandfather, who raised him. His aunt, whom he has never met, arrives to handle the funeral arrangements and informs him that he must close the shop and move in with her. Overwhelmed and detached, Rintaro oversees the shop’s closing sale and prepares to move in with his aunt. During this time, a schoolmate, Ryota Akiba, and their class president, Sayo Yuzuki, visit Rintaro and express concern for him since he has not been attending school. One evening, after Ryota leaves, Rintaro is sitting alone in the darkening shop when the front-door bell chimes, though no one has entered.

A talking ginger tabby cat appears in the shop, introduces himself as Tiger, and asks Rintaro to help him rescue imprisoned books. Rintaro follows him through a magical passageway into a labyrinth, which leads to a large mansion. Inside, a man (the Imprisoner of Books) boasts of having read his entire collection of thousands of books exactly once, keeping them sealed in glass cases as trophies. Rintaro confronts him, arguing that a true love of books involves rereading and understanding them, not just collecting them.