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Only cat lovers and zombie heads will find lots to love in the animated series, Nyaight of the Living Cat. The puns are everywhere! And new cat owners can learn a thing or two about why cats react the way they do to certain human behaviors. The creators tacked these bits onto the episode and post-credit sequence. It’s better than what Marvel Entertainment does, since what’s taught can be useful.
As for why this work is a parody, that’s because the adaptation has no shame in subverting the tropes from classic horror and action films! When audiences are supposed to be frightened, we aww or laugh-out-loud instead! This series’ world becomes sillier by the minute and is not afraid to overstate a cliché–cats are cute! From the obvious nya (the onomatopoeia for meow) being used in everyday speech to trying to explain the behaviour of felines, I chuckled at nearly every turn.
In the series, all they have to do is meow and everyone goes aww. They want a human to lick and rub their noses too. However, the big question this series does not answer right away is if they are still human? Based on the behaviour of those transformed, I suspect not. They don’t even recognize their friends and will chase after any human! They aren’t looking to eat brains either. This joke needs telling—some people here may well have nekophilia because of their obsession. They don’t want to harm them despite the risk of being turned.
When they are all “inadvertently” turning the populace over, will humanity survive? As for whether there’s a mad scientist behind this grand plan, but until the five volumes of the manga arrive for me to read ahead, I don’t want to spoil too much about what’s in store. All I can say is that an origin and patient zero story is expected and required. With every new episode, some world building will be offered too.
And the story can’t focus on one or three characters. More heroes are needed, and included in the formula are also revealing their back stories. As for reversing this pandemic, I hope this series has a long run. Because the manga is ongoing, not even the creators have everything mapped out. The best tales need spontaneity to carry it forward and the anime has its moments. For now, these survivors require sanctuary. When Kunagi (Masaaki Mizunaka) is immune to the virus, he can do a lot more than the others can, and in episode one, that’s easily apparent.
Another duo concerns two high-schoolers who may well become a couple by season one’s end; Kaoru (Reina Ueda) and Tsutsumi (Yū Serizawa) do make for a cute couple. Other supporting characters include Tanishi (Hiroki Yasumoto), Arata (Reiji Kawashima), and Masaki (Yoshiki Nakajima) and the list does not end there.
When this series is wildly different from The Walking Dead, it’s easy to get hooked. That’s because I’m tired of the traditional elements often used to describe a zombie environment. Also, when there are unexpected pop culture Easter eggs, what’s presented has to be more than a spotlight on other aspects of pop culture. In episode two, I laughed out loud because I recognized Freddie Mercury before he even said a thing to verify what I instantly knew! And the references do not end there.
And when the soundtrack calls back to Akira Ifukube’s masterful scoring in those classic Godzilla films, even I have to kitty snort. Production-wise, the anime doesn’t limit itself to be drawn out by visual puns. There’s the odd real life photograph included. When recreations are too much, adding that realistic touch makes this series stand out!
When the manga written by Hawkman and illustrated by Mecha-Roots is still ongoing, I’m firmly hooked. To note, they don’t have a personal website or social media presence. The series has been in print since 2020, serialized in Mag Garden’s monthly comic. The individual tankōbon releases took time to get released, and in 2024, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced this series would get made. The wait is certainly worthwhile, and as for how close this adaptation is to the manga, once I find a nyaight to binge through all the volumes, I’ll let you know!
5 Stars out of 5
Nyaight of the Living Cat Trailer
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