The appeal and reviews of Nyankoi!: The harmony of cat ears and youth

Nyankoi! - The charm of a romantic comedy about a cat and a boy

The TV anime series "Nyan Koi!", which aired in 2009, is based on the manga of the same name by Fujiwara Sato. This work is a love comedy that unfolds as a high school student, Kosaka Junpei, who hates and is allergic to cats, begins to understand cat language after a certain incident and makes the cats' wishes come true. Below, we will introduce detailed information and the appeal of "Nyan Koi!".

Broadcast information

"Nyan Koi!" was broadcast on the TBS Television Network from October 1st to December 17th, 2009. The specific broadcast schedule is as follows:

• TBS Television: October 2, 2009 to December 18, 2009, every Friday from 1:59 to 2:29 (late Thursday night)
• Mainichi Broadcasting System: October 9, 2009 to December 25, 2009, every Friday from 1:55 to 2:25 (late Thursday night)
• Chubu Nippon Broadcasting: October 16, 2009 to January 15, 2010, every Friday from 2:00 to 2:30 (late Thursday night)
• BS-TBS: November 1, 2009 to January 24, 2010, every Sunday from 1:00 to 1:30 (late Saturday night)
• AT-X: July 8, 2010 to September 23, 2010, every Thursday from 11:00 to 11:30

Each episode is 30 minutes long and there are 12 episodes in total.

Production information

The animation is produced by AIC, with production support from Pony Canyon, AIC, Flex Comics, and Movic. It was produced by the Nyankoi! Production Committee and TBS. The director is Keiichiro Kawaguchi, the series composer is Shinichi Inotsume, and the character designer is Kazuaki Morita. The copyright belongs to Fujiwara Sato, Flex Comics/Nyankoi! Production Committee.

story

"If you don't grant a hundred cat wishes, you'll turn into a cat."

The story begins when Junpei Kosaka, a high school student who hates and is allergic to cats, becomes able to understand cat language after an incident. As Junpei fulfills the wishes of the cats that come to him, he encounters various troubles and love stories as he develops and then fails to develop a good relationship with the beautiful girl who is his owner and an older woman. Junpei's life with the cats progresses, despite being misunderstood by Mizuno Kaede, a beautiful and innocent girl he has a crush on, and being scolded by his pet cat, Nyamus.

Commentary

"Nyan Koi!" is a romantic comedy about a beautiful girl, a high school boy, and cats. It depicts human society from a cat's point of view and the relationship between cats and humans in a humorous way, making it a must-read for cat lovers. Through Junpei's growth and changes in human relationships, it also depicts the bittersweetness of youth, friendship, and the joys and sorrows of love, making it a story that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Junpei Takasaka: Shintaro Asanuma
• Mizuno Kaede: Yuka Iguchi
• Kanako Sumiyoshi: Ryoko Shiraishi
• Nagi Ichinose: Yu Kobayashi
• Chizuru Mochizuki: Rina Sato
• Cindy: Rina Sato
• Akari Kirishima: Haruka Tomatsu
• Kotone Kirishima: Haruka Tomatsu
• Nyamsasu: Atsuko Tanaka
• Tama, Haruhiko Endo: Jun Fukuyama
• Bear Cat: Yui Sakakibara
• Noir: Yukari Fukui
• Josephine: Koji Yusa
• Keizo Kirishima: Jurota Kosugi
• Takasaka Suzu: Eri Nakao
• Tsukumogami: Eri Nakao
• Shizue Takasaka: Makiko Nabei
• Kota Kawamura: Tomoaki Maeno
• Grandfather: Masashi Yabe
• Eiko Ota: Rie Yamaguchi
• Hinako Hashimoto: Yukari Fukui
• Ken Ito: Yoshihisa Kawahara
• Auntie Cat: Nakagawa Rei
• Hostess Cat: Risa Mizuno
• Masa: Nobuyuki Kobushi
• Komasa: Matsumoto Sachi
• Russian Cat: Jenya
• Mitchie: Shintaro Ohata
• Female stray cat: Ayumi Tsunematsu
• Chatter: Kazuya Tatekabe
• Harumi: Ayano Yamamoto
• Harumi's mother: Rei Nakagawa
• Uncle Cat: Yoshihisa Kawahara
• Kitten: Rie Yamaguchi
• Cat Jizo: Fujiwara Sato

Main Staff

The main staff are as follows:

• Original author: Fujiwara Sato
• Planning: Hitoshi Murakami, Yoko Furukawa, Toru Miura, Seiji Takakura, Naohiro Oto
• Producers: Junichiro Tanaka, Shinichi Nakamura, Niyuu Oki, Naoko Okada, Tomohiro Fujita
• Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi
• Series Composition: Shinichi Inotsume
• Character design: Kazuaki Morita
• Chief animation director: Yukie Sakamoto
• Nyanko Master: Masahiro Yamane
• Prop design: Rie Kawaguchi
• Visual effects: Ryosuke Tsuda
• Art director: Naoko Kosakabe
• Art setting: Masayuki Ogi
• Color design: Rumiko Suzushiro
• Composite Director: Tomoyoshi Kato
• Edited by: Shota Uyama
• Music: Shigenobu Okawa, Manabu Miwa
• Sound Director: Satoki Iida
• Production desk: Kyoko Oda
• Setting production: Satoshi Hirose
• Animation producer: Shigehisa Okamura
• Animation production: AIC
• Production cooperation: Pony Canyon, AIC, Flex Comics, Movic
• Produced by: Nyankoi! Production Committee, TBS

Main Characters

The details of the main characters are as follows:

• Junpei Kosaka
  A high school sophomore who hates cats and is allergic to them. After a certain incident, he becomes able to understand cats.
• Kaede Mizuno
  Junpei's classmate and crush. A natural, calming beauty, she loves cats.
• Kanako Sumiyoshi
  A classmate of childhood friend Junpei. Although he has a bad mouth, he also has a kind side, such as loving stray cats. He recently graduated from Mamba.
• Nagi Ichinose
  The captain of the track and field club that Kaede belongs to. He has a very bold personality and is always by Kaede's side. He likes Kaede and likes her. He likes beautiful people who have something he doesn't have, and is a mysterious person with many aspects.
• Chizuru Mochizuki
  A cheerful female college student. Her speech and behavior are a little old-fashioned. She works part-time as a postman, but she often gets lost because she has no sense of direction.
• Akari Kirishima
  She is a first-year student at Junpei's high school and is the younger twin sister. She can apparently use light exorcism just like her older sister. She is hostile towards Junpei because she doesn't want him to take her sister away from her, but she does seem to be a little interested in him.
• Kotone Kirishima
  She is a first-year student at Junpei's high school and the older twin sister. She is the daughter of the head priest of Shofukuji Temple and can apparently use light exorcism magic. She likes people with a disposition towards misfortune, so she likes Junpei.

Main Robot Items

Details of the main cat characters are as follows:

• Nyamsath is the cat of the Takasaka family. She is a big sister type and is relied upon by the surrounding cats.
• Tama is a pet cat at Shofukuji Temple, where the Neko Jizo statue is located. He is a rare male calico cat. He adores Nyamsasu and calls her "big sister."
• Bear Cat A stray cat that lived at the high school where Junpei and his friends attend. During that time, he was looked after by Kanako. After that, the teachers found out about him and he started living at Junpei's house.
• Noir A female black cat bought at Shofukuji Temple where the Kirishima sisters live. Apparently she used to live with Tama...
• Josephine is a male cat kept at Nagi Ichinose's house. She seems to know a cat at Nagi's main house in Kyoto.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Kitty 01! / Ugly Cat and the Cursed High School Student (2009/10/02)
• Kitty No. 2! / Is that man a servant? (2009/10/09)
• Kitty No. 3!/What's your name? (2009/10/16)
• Kitty No. 4!/Beautiful People (2009/10/23)
• Kitty 05! / Love Square (Times Square) (2009/10/30)
• Kitty No. 6!/Milk & Bitter & Sugar & Spice (2009/11/06)
• Kitty No. 7! / Wait until it gets dark? (2009/11/13)
• Kitty No. 8! / Fiery Private Lesson Runner (2009/11/20)
• Kitty No. 9!/Girls in the Water (2009/11/27)
• The 10th Kitty!/What Happened One Night (2009/12/04)
• The 11th Kitty!/Friends (2009/12/11)
• 12th Kitty! / Will Heaven Wait for Me? (2009/12/18)

Theme songs and music

Details of the theme songs and insert songs are as follows:

• OP1 "Nyandaful!"
  Sung by: Yui Sakakibara Lyrics by: Yui Sakakibara Music by: Yoshihiro Suda Arrangement by: Kosuke Oshima
• ED1 "Strawberry ~Sweet and Sad Tears~"
  Sung by Asami Imai Lyrics by Jun Sawamura Music by Riichi Minami Arrangement by Riichi Minami
• IN1 "Neko Neko Ondo"
  Sung by: Yui Sakakibara, Asami Imai, Yukari Fukui Lyrics by: Junya Urushino Composition by: Sadayuki Hisatoku Arrangement by: Sadayuki Hisatoku
• IN2 "I called a cat"
  Sung by: Yui Sakakibara Lyrics by: Junya Urushino Music by: Traditional
  Arrangement: Shinichi Yuki
• IN3 "The Red Knight's Way"
  Sung by Asami Imai Lyrics by Junya Urushino Music by Takeshi Toriumi Arrangement by Takeshi Toriumi
• IN4 "My Own Mirage"
  Sung by: Nagi Ichinose (Yu Kobayashi)
  Lyrics: Kaori Morishita Composition: Riichi Minami Arrangement: Shinichi Yuki

Evaluation and Appeal

"Nyan Koi!" has been highly praised as a romantic comedy that humorously depicts the relationship between cats and humans. Particularly appealing is the depiction of human society from a cat's point of view and the unique characters of the cats. In addition, through the growth of the main character Junpei and the changes in human relationships, the series depicts the bittersweetness of youth, friendship, and the joys and sorrows of love, making it a story that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people.

The quality of the animation produced by AIC is also high, and a consistent world view has been created in everything from character design to background art and music. In particular, the depiction of the cats' movements and expressions is realistic and cute, and just looking at them is soothing. The voice actors' performances are also excellent, and the individuality of each character is well expressed.

Recommended points

The reasons we recommend "Nyan Koi!" are as follows:

• The charm of cat characters that cat lovers will love
• A story depicting the bittersweetness of youth, friendship, and the joys and sorrows of love.
• High quality animation and music
• Unique characters and great performances by the voice actors

"Nyan Koi!" is a work that is recommended not only for cat lovers, but also for those who like romantic comedies and youth anime. Please give it a watch.