Chainsmoker Cat
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Chainsmoker Cat(Japanese: ヤニねこ, Hepburn: Yani Neko) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by NyanNyanFactory. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine since February 2023. An anime television series adaptation produced by Bibury Animation Studios is set to premiere in July 2026.
Plot
The series follows Yaniko, a catgirl who lives in a small apartment building in modern-day Japan and is addicted to smoking, regardless of the damage to her environment, her psyche, or her family. Almost all money she gets goes towards buying new cigarettes, and when she cannot buy new packs, Yaniko resorts to reusing spent cigarette butts or salvaging loose smokes off the street. As the series progresses, more catgirls are introduced with their own issues, along with their human landlord who tolerates their antics, and hints of an old civilization of cat-people capable of making their own tobacco products.
Characters
Yaniko Satō(佐藤 ヤニ子, Satō Yaniko) / Yanineko(ヤニねこ)
Voiced by: Yūko Natsuyoshi
The titular Chainsmoking Cat. Yaniko is so addicted to cigarettes that she will do anything for another smoke, no matter how degrading or gross it may seem, and attempts by others to help her quit smoking never last long.
Masuko Etsushimaru(越司丸 益子, Etsushimaru Masuko) / Yakuneko(ヤクねこ)
Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka
A girl who looks up to Yaniko as her senior. She secretly uses harder drugs in her apartment.
Yurufuwa Tenshi Hameko(ゆるふわ＊天使 ハメ子) / Hameneko(ハメねこ)
Voiced by: Yurie Funato
Yaniko's high school classmate who loves playing fighting games, livestreaming, and uploading videos on her "Hame Channel." Easily angered and flustered when things do not go her way.
Kaoruko Nishi(西 薫子, Nishi Kaoruko) / Kansaineko(カンサイねこ)
Voiced by: Ayaka Shimizu
A college student and amateur comedian from the Kansai region.
Aruko Sakai(酒井 アル子, Sakai Aruko) / Aruneko(アルねこ)
Voiced by: Shiori Izawa
A college student despite looking like a small girl with a massive hairdo. An alcoholic with a habit of wandering off to distant places when drinking outside her home.
Saori Tatsuno(辰野 沙織, Tatsuno Saori) / Ochinpo Tatsuro(おちんぽ達郎)
Voiced by: Riko Akechi
The only human neighbor of Yaniko's apartment and a fellow smoker who works as a manga artist under a pseudonym, though her manga does not sell well. She sometimes asks Yaniko or other Beastfolk to assist with her manga, with mixed results.
Landlord Otani(大谷おう也, Ōtani Ōya)
Voiced by: Tetsu Inada
The landlord of the apartment building where most of the main cast live. Often the victim of Yaniko's laziness, but very levelheaded despite his intimidating appearance.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by NyanNyanFactory, Chainsmoker Cat started in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine on February 20, 2023. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes, with the first one released on August 4, 2023. As of February 6, 2026, eleven volumes have been released.
In February 2025, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that it had licensed the series for English publication, with the first volume released in December that same year.
Volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 4, 2023 | 978-4-06-532350-2 | December 9, 2025 | 979-8-89561-435-8 |
| 2 | November 6, 2023 | 978-4-06-533630-4 | March 17, 2026 | 979-8-89561-436-5 |
| 3 | February 6, 2024 | 978-4-06-534615-0 | June 16, 2026 | 979-8-89561-437-2 |
| 4 | May 7, 2024 | 978-4-06-535598-5 | September 15, 2026 | 979-8-89561-438-9 |
| 5 | August 6, 2024 | 978-4-06-535598-5 | December 15, 2026 | 979-8-89561-439-6 |
| 6 | November 6, 2024 | 978-4-06-537452-8 | — | — |
| 7 | February 6, 2025 | 978-4-06-538464-0 | — | — |
| 8 | April 28, 2025 | 978-4-06-539491-5 | — | — |
| 9 | August 6, 2025 | 978-4-06-540533-8 | — | — |
| 10 | November 6, 2025 | 978-4-06-541400-2 | — | — |
| 11 | February 6, 2026 | 978-4-06-542531-2 | — | — |
| 12 | May 20, 2026 | 978-4-06-543541-0 | — | — |
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on February 2, 2026. The series will be produced by Bibury Animation Studios and directed by Taku Kimura, with Takashi Aoshima writing the scripts, Riki Matsuura designing the characters, and Keiichi Suzuki composing the music. It is set to premiere on July 3, 2026, on Tokyo MX and other networks.
Reception
The series ranked 12th in the ninth Next Manga Award in the print category in 2023; it ranked 13th in the 2024 edition in the same category. The series ranked 18th in Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2024 for male readers.
Notes
External links
- (in Japanese)
- (in Japanese)
- (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia