Nekojiru Theater: A shocking anime experience with dark humor and a unique worldview

Nekojiru Theater - Nekojiru Theater

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

July 9, 1999 - October 10, 1999
July 9, 1999 - October 10, 1999

■Broadcasting station

TV Asahi

■Frequencies

10 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 27

■Original Story

Nekojiru

■ Director

Hiroshi Fukutomi

■ Production

Produced by: Toyo Yasunari, Masumizu Tsuneo Produced by: Kent House

■Works

© Nekojiru, Yamatodo

■ Story

This is a story about cats who live the same lives as humans in the human world. Born to an alcoholic father, Nyangoro, and a tired mother, Nyasue, Nyako and Nyattaka go out and cause trouble for various people. They treat all living things, both humans and animals, with cold and merciless mercy, rendering them unable to recover.

■Explanation

The cruel and surreal world of two anthropomorphized cats, Nyako and Nyattah. It was broadcast as a segment of the TV Asahi TV program "Bakusho Boss Chara King." This work is an animated adaptation of several excerpts from several comics by Nekojiru. An OVA called "Nekojiru Kusa" was released in 2001, but it is not a sequel to this work.

■Cast

・Nyako/Sakura Uehara ・Nyattā/Naomi Nagasawa ・Dad/Kenichi Ono ・Mom/Misa Watanabe ・Butaro/Uko Tachibana

■ Main staff

Producers: Toyo Yasunari, Masumizu Tsuneo Producers: Seya [with the character for "human" and "true" in the title], Kurihara Masayo, Yoshida Takao Director: Fukutomi Hiroshi Animation Director: Kishi Mieko Art Setting: Nakaza Yoji Digital Coloring: Ito Yukie Digital Photography: Saito Akiko Digital Editing: Shiga Tsuyoshi Sound Effects: Sato Ryosuke Sound Production: Mita Studio Animation Production: Kent House

■ Main Characters

Nyako is Nyatt's older sister. She has a cold personality and has no qualms about hurting others.

・NyattahNyako's younger brother. He can't speak human language, but he can understand what is being said.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: School (1999/07/09)
Episode 2: The FightEpisode 3: The Old Lady Next DoorEpisode 4: The FightEpisode 5: The SlideEpisode 6: The DanceEpisode 7: The RocketEpisode 8: The Pounding BallEpisode 9: Working DadEpisode 10: The OysterEpisode 11: The Tanuki HerdEpisode 12: The ConcreteEpisode 13: The 100Episode 14: The MoleEpisode 15: Grandpa's Wish Chapter 16: The Festival Chapter 17: The Tale of the Tanka Chapter 18: The Idiot Chapter 19: The Jam Bread Grandpa Chapter 20: The Pig Grandpa Chapter 21: The Robot Factory Chapter 22: The Seedfish Chapter 23: The Lost Item Chapter 24: The Haunted House Chapter 25: The Zanpan Chapter 26: The Hide-and-Seek Chapter 27: The Drive Chapter (1999/10/01)

The appeal and reputation of Nekojiru Theatre

Nekojiru Theatre is a short anime series that aired on TV Asahi in 1999, originally based on a manga by Nekojiru. The series depicts the surreal and dark humor of anthropomorphized cats in human society, and is characterized by its unique worldview and storytelling. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of Nekojiru Theatre.

A unique worldview

The greatest appeal of Nekojiru Theatre is its unique worldview. The cats live just like humans, but their cruel and merciless behavior leaves a strong impression on viewers. In particular, the troubles caused by Nyako and Nyattah, the brother and sister, are full of surreal and dark humor, giving viewers a strange feeling of a mixture of laughter and fear. This worldview faithfully reproduces the style of the original Nekojiru work, and the animation adds even more depth to it.

Character Appeal

The characters in Nekojiru Theatre are unique and charming. In particular, the siblings Nyako and Nyatta are portrayed as characters who are both cool-headed and innocent. Nyako is ruthless and can easily hurt others, but she also has a cute side to her. On the other hand, although Nyatta cannot speak human language, he expresses his emotions richly through his actions and facial expressions, making a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the alcoholic father Nyangoro and the tired mother Nyasue are also portrayed as humorous characters, and the dynamics of the entire family add to the appeal of the work.

Story Development

Each story in Nekojiru Theatre unfolds as an independent episode. Each episode is a short 10-minute long and depicts the troubles that Nyako and Nyatta get into, drawing viewers in with the surreal developments. For example, "School Chapter" shows the commotion that Nyako and Nyatta cause at school, while "Rocket Chapter" shows Nyako causing mayhem using a rocket. These episodes are structured to provide viewers with laughter and surprises, making them look forward to the next episode.

Animation quality

Nekojiru Theater's animation faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the original work while also displaying its own unique expressiveness. In particular, the character designs by animation director Kishi Mieko perfectly recreate the worldview of Nekojiru, leaving a strong impression on viewers. In addition, digital coloring and digital photography techniques are also utilized, creating colorful and beautiful images. In terms of sound, the sound effects by Sato Ryosuke and the sound production by Mita Studio add to the atmosphere of the work.

Evaluation and acceptance

Nekojiru Theatre has been praised since it first aired for its unique worldview and black humor, and has garnered many fans. In particular, the surreal storyline and the charm of the characters have made a strong impression on viewers, resulting in many repeat viewers. The release of the OVA "Nekojiru Kusa" also became a hot topic, and interest in Nekojiru's works as a whole increased. However, some viewers were of the opinion that the extreme content and black humor were unacceptable, and the work has been met with mixed reviews.

Recommendations and related works

For viewers who enjoyed Nekojiru Theater, we also recommend the following works:

• OVA "Nekojiru Kusa" - Just like the original work of Nekojiru Theatre, this is a work by Nekojiru, and you can enjoy a deeper story and the charm of the characters.
• Devilman - This is another work with dark humor and a surreal world view, perfect for fans of Nekojiru Theatre.
• "Paprika" - A work that features a surreal world view where dreams and reality intersect, offering a new perspective for fans of Nekojiru Theatre.

Nekojiru Theatre has become a beloved work by many viewers due to its unique worldview, the charm of its characters, and the surreal storyline. If you like black humor or want to enjoy unique animation, we highly recommend you give it a watch.