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Celebrate Cat Day With Anime, Manga & ANN Staff Kitties!

posted on by Lynzee Loveridge

It's February 22, Japan's dedicated day just for felines. The date's designation goes back at least to 1987 with the establishment of Japan's Cat Day Executive Committee and fans of furry friends have enjoyed reading the date as "nyan nyan nyan" ever since. We here at Anime News Network are no strangers to the friendship of cats, so in honor of Cat Day we decided to introduce our hardworking "staff" of support cats, recommend some cat-spirited anime to tune into, a collection of cat-centric manga to read, and show how anime staff in Japan spent the day.

ANN Adjunct Feline News Division

Name: Kyo
Parent: CEO & Publisher Chris Macdonald
Age: 15
Favorite things: Finding a nice warm spot to sit in the sun and contemplate the end of the human race.

Name: Boston
Parents: Editorial Executive Editor Zac Bertschy & Editorial Assistant Editor Jacob Chapman
Age: 7
Fun facts: Was found by a shelter beneath a freeway underpass, apparently abandoned by people who did not understand his beauty and power. He meows a lot, has big feelings, and is a good boy.

Name: Philadelphia (Philly)
Parents: Editorial Executive Editor Zac Bertschy & Editorial Assistant Editor Jacob Chapman
Age: 2
Fun Facts: She was found on the street with a burned face and permanently damaged vocal chords, but has since recovered. She still can't really meow, but she can definitely make her little voice heard. She is a spoiled, sweet cat who is greatly loved by her owners.

Name: Isidore Drinks Darjeeling (Izzy)
Parent: Interest Managing Editor Lynzee Loveridge
Age: 8-ish
Favorite Things: Sleeping on her parents' chest, standing in front of the computer monitor, zooming through the house at 8pm, stealing chicken in the middle of the night, and hiding in piles of fabric. She will daintily drink your tea with her paw if you put milk in it. She has brought multiple snakes into the house and won. A sassy lady.

Names: Zephyr (black and white), Loki (white Japanese Bobtail), Lily (tabby and white), and Boo (black fluffball)
Parent: Newsroom Associate Editor Jennifer Sherman
Ages: 8, 9, 14, and 9
Fun Facts: Zephyr and Loki came to the States straight from the streets of rural Japan. When not napping, they enjoy snacks and meowing. Zephyr has been known to steal bread off counters. Loki has one blue eye and one yellow eye. Lily and Boo also enjoy naps on Caturday or any day. Typical nosy neighbors, they often stare obsessively out windows to make sure their feline brethren don't invade their territory. Both unleash death rays from their eyes when humans wait too long to provide meals.


Looking for a surefire playlist to watch with your cat today? Here's our list of anime recommendations to stream, all centering on or around mischievous cats.

The Purr-fect Anime Recommendations for Cat Day

My Roommate is a Cat

A stray cat finds an unlikely home with an isolated novelist name Subaru who doesn't care much for people or anyone, really. The unexpected companionship helps teach Subaru the value of friends and family and reconnect to others. Also, each episode contains two parts with the second taking place purely from the cat's point of view.

She and Her Cat -Everything Flows-

A tear-jerker to be sure, this four episode series expands Makoto Shinkai's previous black and white animated short. The anime follows a college age woman and her black cat as they face everyday emotional trials.

The Cat Returns

This story-within-a-story by studio Ghibli brings to life Whisper of the Heart character Shizuku Tsukishima's novel. A 17-year-old girl named Haru finds herself whisked away on an adventure by the Prince of Cats after she saves him from a traffic accident. However, that decision causes Haru to become trapped in the world of cats and only the cat-man Baron Humbert von Gikkingen and Muta can save her.

Chi's Sweet Home - Chi's New Address

The daily adventures of a kitten named Chi and its equally adorable animal friends play out in this heartfelt, low-stakes series.

Samurai Pizza Cats

Revisit the anime of your childhood! It's super-powered felines fighting in Little Tokyo, that is when they aren't cooking up delicious pizza. Things can't stay peaceful for long with plots by the nefarious "Big Cheese" around every corner.

Poyopoyo

Sometimes a cat only becomes more endearing the more ridiculous it looks. Poyopoyo is a light-hearted comedy starring a spherical orange tabby and its cuddly adventures.

Natsume's Book of Friends

Not strictly about cats, but the show wouldn't be the same without the Nyanko-san, a powerful yokai that looks like a beckoning cat. He's always right along side Natsume on his quest to obtain the names of various other yokai (so long as he gets to inherit the book in the end).

Curl Up With Your Cat & A Good Manga

Plum Crazy: Tales of a Tiger-Striped Cat
Plum, as her family calls her, is a tiger-striped cat that lives with Miss Nakari, a single mother to her teenaged son, Taku. Plum can understand what people say to her, and she can even tell what's in their minds. She also has many friends among the neighborhood cats. All is well in her everyday life, until the day a mischievous kitten named Snowball joins Plum's happy household. Will the naughty little newcomer turn Plum's world completely topsy turvy? Or will Snowball make her life even sweeter?

Cat Paradise

Nine lives might not be enough to survive this catfight! At Matabi Academy, students are allowed to bring their pet cats to the dorms. For Yumi Hayakawa, whose favorite hobby is making clothes for her kitty Kansuke, Matabi seems like a sure bet. After all, nothing can possibly go wrong with her best friend at her side! But on the first day of school, the two find themselves face-to-face with a murderous demonic minion on campus! Will Yumi and Kansuke be able to defend themselves and their school against an ancient cat demon's thirst for vengeance?

Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai

In medieval Japan, it's a hard life for a stray cat. Every day is filled with struggles and prejudice, from oppression by fellow cats working for cruel masters to extortion by catnip druglords. But being a stray also means incredible pride and independence. The wandering samurai Norachiyo has no master, though he still wears the telltale bell of a cat who has a “person.” This rogue warrior travels across Japan, protecting the weak and cutting down those who have forgotten the virtues of being a stray—all with unrivaled swordsmanship. Although Norachiyo leaves little trace but his fearsome reputation, this enigmatic warrior has made plenty of enemies who are more than willing to get their claws on his head. Will Norachiyo's past catch up with him, or can he spend his nine lives in freedom?

Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu

Hell-o-kitty! Master of Japanese horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hissterical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know … his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow—Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purrsuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends.

Milkyway Hitchhiking

There are as many people on Earth as there are stars in the sky. Milkyway--a peculiar cat with a pattern of the Milky Way splashed across her back--travels across time and space; sometimes to observe, other times to interact with an unfolding story. From Sirial, the creator of One Fine Day, comes the full-color tale of Milkyway hitchhiking across the bright stars of people's lives, loves, tears, and laughter.

Nyankees

Ryuusei's a drifter, living life as it comes and taking things as he finds them. He's just wandered into a new city and is trying to get a feel for the situation, which is complicated when he runs afoul of Taiga and his band. When Ryuusei unexpectedly defeats Taiga, he's offered leadership, but before he can decide, things heat up with a neighboring gang. And did I mention that all of these characters are cats?

Industry Celebrates Its Beloved Cats

Here's a collection of social media posts from anime staff, companies, and talent celebrating Cat Day.

Mr. Osomatsu mobile game

Bungo Stray Dogs

Hozuki's Coolheadedness app

Yotsuba@!

My Roommate is a Cat

Dimension High School

Umi Sakurai (Oji-sama to Neko)

Pokemon

Cinnamon

Rilakkuma

Takara Tomy

Atsushi Kousaka

Junichi Suwabe

Jouji Nakata

Wataru Hatano

Daiki Hamano

Natsuki Hanae

Yusuke Shirai

Shūta Morishima

Daiki Yamashita

Jun'ichi Fujisaku (scriptwriter)

I hope you enjoyed this special cat post! Share your favorite kittens in the forums!

[Via Nijimen]

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