Hey there, doods! It’s your lucky day. Starting December 23rd, Disgaea 7 Complete Ewwdo Edition, Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless, and Disgaea 6 Complete will all be on sale until December 31st! Save $20 when you purchase any of these fantastic games from the NIS America Online Store.
In celebration of this fortuitous news, we figured it was the perfect time to talk about the symbol of luck himself: the Lucky Slumber Cat! One of these adorable figurines is included in every copy of the Disgaea 7 Complete Ewwdo Edition.
Are you familiar with "maneki neko" statues? Are you a fan of the adorable Slumber Cat? Read on, and by the end of this short blog you're sure to be!
What is a Maneki Neko?
Chances are good you may have already seen a "maneki neko", possibly out front of a store or even in a movie or game set in Japan. But there's quite a history behind these cute little felines, and we're here to give you a quick primer!
The name "maneki neko" literally translates to "beckoning cat", referring to the way that the statues beckon passersby towards them by waving their paw. (If you grew up in America, you might be a little confused by this, as we beckon people with the palm facing upward. However in Japan, the same idea is conveyed by making a beckoning motion with your palm facing downward instead!) These figurines are thought to bring good fortune, and are displayed outside of storefronts to "beckon" customers in.
There is evidence of "maneki neko" statues being made as early as the mid-1800s, but the history goes back much further than that! One legend of how this statue came to be centers around a Japanese lord–or daimyo–traveling with his retainers past a temple. As they were passing by, they saw a cat in the temple beckon them over with its paw, and the daimyo, taking this to be something of an omen, decided to stay at the temple for a while. That same night, an unexpected thunderstorm suddenly started pouring down, and the daimyo gave his gratitude for the cat who beckoned them inside. While there may not be any evidence that this story actually happened, it certainly gets across the idea of a cat beckoning you towards good fortune!
Who is Slumber Cat?
If you're a fan of the Disgaea series, then Slumber Cat will be a familiar face, but in case this is your first time seeing them, here's what Slumber Cat is all about! Slumber Cat is a recurring unit class in Nippon Ichi Software's strategy RPGs, first making its debut in Phantom Brave. As of Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, Slumber Cat has been a mainstay of the Disgaea roster, even taking a featured role in the opening of Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten as a sardine thief taken into Valvatorez's custody to be reformed into an upstanding citizen of the Netherworld. And of course, Slumber Cat returns as a recruitable monster-type unit in Disgaea 7 Complete with a slew of fun special attacks to learn and utilize!
Slumber Cat has a cuddly appearance and cute voice, but do not be fooled: that lazy exterior hides razor sharp claws! Just like any cat, those claws can come out at a moment's notice, especially if you're holding something the Slumber Cat wants, like a fish or a ball of yarn. In Disgaea 7 Complete, this disarming cuteness is represented in-game with a unique Evility that reduces the damage Slumber Cat takes from humanoid units. It's just so cute that you can't bring yourself to hurt it. (A limitation the mischievous Slumber Cat will take full advantage of!)
Class Dismissed!
If you've read this far, then congratulations! You're now a bona fide expert on Slumber Cat! (With some impressive credentials in Japanese culture!) You can get the Lucky Slumber Cat and the Nethertime Support Force Folding Fan as part of the Disgaea 7 Complete Ewwdo Edition, exclusively available via the NIS Online Store!
