I had to scrap my plans this morning and write a new post after seeing several people talking about Chainsmoker Cat. A lot of them were sharing the opening sequence and pointing out all of its pop culture references. I stopped everything I was doing to watch the first episode. This is exactly the kind of off-the-beaten-path catgirl anime I love covering.
Before talking about the episode itself, I have to mention the opening. While many people have compared it to Chainsaw Man, it actually brought back nostalgic memories of Great Teacher Onizuka. GTO was the first manga I ever owned and read from beginning to end. Looking past all the references, the opening has a distinctly late-’90s to early-2000s anime vibe. The main character’s outfit even reminded me of Eikichi Onizuka, often wearing nothing more than a plain white shirt, jeans, and a cigarette in hand. It was obvious I was about to watch something unconventional, but I still wasn’t prepared for what the first episode had in store.
The first episode introduces us to Yaniko Sato, a catgirl who doesn’t have much going for her. She lives in a rundown apartment, struggles to hold down a job, and spends what little money she has feeding a nicotine addiction. She immediately reminded me of the “girl failure” trend that circulated on Twitter a while back. If you’re looking for cute or sexy catgirls, you’ve come to the wrong place. This anime is raw, unfiltered, and sometimes downright disgusting. Yaniko’s life is an even bigger mess than her apartment.
That’s also where the show’s charm comes from. Chainsmoker Cat doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts of life and society. While I can’t personally relate to Yaniko’s addiction or the struggles she faces, I appreciate seeing those experiences represented in anime. This kind of gritty dark comedy holds up a mirror to the darker parts of society, and to ourselves. I’m all for it, and I can’t wait to see where Chainsmoker Cat takes us next.
That said… I really did not need to see the scene of Yaniko on the toilet.
So what do you think?