Run. The Adorable Cats Are Here. In 20XX, the world is dominated by cats. Nyaight of the Living Cat revolves around a virus which turns anyone who touches a cat into a cat that has spread into a worldwide Nyandemic. Cats rub against people, turning them into cats. Can humanity resist the urge to pet cats and survive in this cat-ridden world? The momentous cat-full comic is getting a TV anime in 2025!
Nyaight of the Living Cat episode one shows the series could be a solid contender for the most wholesome and comedic anime of the year. After seeing one episode at Anime Expo 2025 and Crunchyroll HQ in Los Angeles, I felt like I needed to cuddle each cat through the screen, and I laughed at almost every turn when people were running away from cats like they were zombies. With an already silly premise, the severity of cat cuteness in this world of dwindling humans takes on some serious comedic beats. The zaniness was on par with Golden Kamuy!
One of the main protagonists, Kunagi, must fight his urge to snuggle with cats in order to survive this bizarre and crazy world. Kunagi’s main issue is that he loves cats extremely and worked at a cat cafe before the Nyandemic. What makes the show work at its best is Kunagi’s seriousness. Kunagi’s straight-man humour is intense, and he is always trying his best to survive—while also caring for the cats trying to turn him into one.
Nyaight of the Living Cat’s characters’ colour palette changes, and the shocked faces reminded me of various moments in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Some of Kunagi’s shocked or despairing expressions reminded me of Joseph Joestar screaming, “OH MY GOD!” As Kunagi was in awe, the colouring was a jazzy blue tone—adding to his dreadful emotions of not being able to cuddle cats anymore.
More on the animation and art style, Nyaight of the Living Cat’s cats were beautifully drawn. Even though they are furry creatures, OLM Team Masuda made the cats glisten somehow. It was like watching Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma with the extreme food animation detailing—except in this case, it is cats.
Crazily enough, composer Kōji Endo worked with former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman and Heidi Shepherd (Butcher Babies) on the death growls to create the show’s thematic music beats. The opening theme, Night of the Living Dead, was performed by THE YELLOW MONKEY—and was unnecessarily epic for a horror-comedy show. It went hard against the most adorable showcase of cats for its 30-second opening theme. This showed that even the music balanced the straight comedy elements, too.
“Nyaight of the Living Cat episode one shows the series could be a solid contender for most wholesome and comedic anime of the year.”
As for Nyaight of the Living Cat’s story, I found the Nyandemic to be a gimmick at first. But then, there was a whole explanation for it, which made me think of the Resident Evil films and how the T-Virus spread. Additionally, there was a mystery element to the story. By the end of episode one, I was intrigued to know more about who Kunagi was before he got amnesia and worked at the cat cafe.
Overall, Nyaight of the Living Cat is one of my favourite comedies of the year so far. The show executed the serious tone so well for its ridiculous premise. There were unexpected twists and depth to the storytelling. The cat cuteness overload played well on the comedic beats, but also contained heartfelt moments. If you are a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Golden Kamuy, or Mashle: Magic and Muscles enjoyer who loves a good comedy with some action, this may be your next anime to watch. It’s also a fantastic watch for cat owners!
