Ani-One Asia Pulls Chainsmoker Cat Across Its Streaming Regions
The service cited local regulations after Bahamut Animation Crazy stopped streaming the show in Hong Kong over tobacco advertising rules.
Ani-One Asia removed Chainsmoker Cat on Thursday across all regions carrying it, citing local regulations. Separately, the anime delayed episode nine until September 2, without saying whether the overseas removals were connected.
Medialink Entertainment’s Ani-One Asia removed the television anime Chainsmoker Cat (Yanineko) from its lineup on Thursday. The service said the decision followed local government regulations in the affected markets.
The Hong Kong-based company withdrew the adaptation of Nyan Nyan Factory’s manga from every region where it carried the show, including Southeast Asian regions.
Taiwanese service Bahamut Animation Crazy had stopped streaming the anime in Hong Kong on Monday after receiving a letter from Hong Kong’s Department of Health. The letter said the show violated the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, which bans internet advertisements for smoking products.
Lo Su-ying, head of the Taiwanese Health Promotion Administration’s Tobacco Control Division, said images in the anime could also violate Taiwan’s Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. That law prohibits tobacco promotion through television, films, recordings, the internet and other methods.
The anime prominently depicts real cigarette brands, particularly Japan’s Mevius brand.
Separately, the anime’s official X account, formerly Twitter, announced Friday that episode nine would not air until September 2. A special program featuring the cast will air next week instead.
The announcement did not say whether the delay was connected to the recent removals from overseas streaming services.
The anime comes in two versions. The “Evil Dragon Unleashed” edition preserves the intended direction of certain episodes, while the “On-Air” edition is prepared for terrestrial television.
In Japan, the “Evil Dragon Unleashed” version is available through:
- AT-X, a premium subscription channel
- AnimeFesta
- DMM TV
- Fuji TV On Demand
- Hulu
- Netflix
- Anime Times
AnimeFesta and Anime Times also offer the “On-Air” edition. Another 16 Japanese streaming services carry only that version. OceanVeil streams the “Evil Dragon Unleashed” edition.
The anime debuted on Tokyo MX and BS11 on July 2 at 24:30, effectively July 3 at 12:30 a.m. AT-X began airing it on July 25. WWWave Corporation’s anime streaming platform OceanVeil also carries the series as it airs.
The cast includes:
- Yūko Natsuyoshi as Yani Neko, whose real name is Yaniko Satō
- Misato Matsuoka as Yaku Neko, whose real name is Yakuko Koshimaru
- Yurie Funato as Hame Neko, whose real name is Yurufuwa*Tenshi Hameko
- Ayaka Shimizu as Kansai Neko, whose real name is Kaoruko Nishi
- Shiori Izawa as Aruko Neko, whose real name is Aruko Sakai
- Riko Akechi as Tatsurō Ochinpo
- Tetsu Inada as Landlord
- Rina Honnizumi as Imoko
- Niina Nakabayashi as Jikaki Neko
- Yū Kobayashi as Penpen Neko
Seven Seas publishes the manga in English. Its synopsis describes a comedy world shared by humans, catgirls and similar species.
Yani is a catgirl whose heavy smoking leaves her apartment smelling of ash and covered in cigarette butts alongside other rubbish. Whenever she tries quitting, cravings quickly overwhelm her. The story asks whether she can put her life in order or remain a chain-smoking slob forever.
The original manga features toilet humor, gross-out comedy and characters who regularly use drugs, drink alcohol or both.
Nyan Nyan Factory serializes the manga in Kodansha’s Young Magazine. Kodansha released compiled volume 13 on August 6, while Seven Seas published English volume three on June 16.
The anime’s principal production staff and theme performers are:
- Director: Studio Lemon’s Taku Kimura, whose credits include Kairyū to Yūbinya-san and Star Wars: Visions’ “Tattooine Rhapsody,” at Bibury Animation Studio
- Scripts: Takashi Aoshima, whose credits include Himouto! Umaruchan and The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You
- Character design: Riki Matsuura
- Music: Keiichi Suzuki, whose credits include Saint Young Men and Tokyo Godfathers
- Opening theme: “Nanmonee,” performed by rock band Wasureranneyo
- Ending theme: “Kemuri to Blue” (Smoke and Blue), performed by Necry Talkie
Additional staff members include:
- Art directors: Atelier Musa’s Yukiko Maruyama and Shōtarō Yoshino
- Color key artist: Yuiha Ōta
- Compositing director of photography: Hisashi Yonezawa
- Editing: Mutsumi Takemiya
- Sound director: Takatoshi Hamano
- Sound production: Magic Capsule
Source: ANN
