English Title: The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today
Japanese Title: デキる猫は今日も憂鬱 [lit. capable cat is today also depressed]
Director(s): Kudo Susumu & Yokomine Katsumasa
Screenwriter(s): Yanagi Tamazo
Studio: GoHands
Released: 2023
Runtime: 13 episodes, ~23m each.
Starring: Ishikawa Yui, Yasumoto Hiroki, Konishi Katsuyuki
Based on the ongoing manga of the same name by Yamada Hitsuji that began in 2018, the story follows 27-year-old Fukuzawa Saku, an office worker, and Yukichi, her giant black cat.
Whilst Saku can be very competent at the office, she is hopeless with domestic affairs. She cannot cook or clean, even at the most basic level. Yukichi does it all.
Yukichi is highly intelligent, has good dexterity and is a very good cook. He can read and understand Japanese but he cannot speak. He communicates using his hands and facial expressions, presumably inspired by the likes of Totoro. He does sigh and grunt and even his ears twitch, which enhances the drama and comedy.
There is no arc that spans the series which is its greatest weakness, so the characters do not develop much. Each episode focuses on a particular problem but there is also enough day-to-day events so that the series mostly avoids feeling episodic and repetitious. In this regard, it is balanced.
Obviously, Yukichi is the star. Setting aside his personality and intelligence, he is taller than Saku and is the size of a bear when standing on two feet. From some angles, his nose even vaguely resembles a bear. He is in essence the “giant and cute teddy bear” but the series does not cheaply rely on this. It works all the more because of his character.
Perhaps the most annoying thing is that Saku makes too little effort to take care of herself. Even for a comedy, this goes a little too far. She is not ungrateful, she does not take Yukichi for granted and she is kind but she is just hopeless in this regard.
Initially, it may seem like she takes Yukichi for granted but, either way, Yukichi does stand up for himself by not letting her get her way. The comedy plays on reversed roles: Saku is the lazy cat at home whilst Yukichi is the master of the home. And they both know it.
Since Yukichi is such a strong character, the story would work better if Saku does a little more for him. It would be interesting to see if this development occurs in the manga (which I have not read).
Although Yukichi does not speak, he does narrate the flashbacks. There is also the occasional internal speech. Whilst the latter, however rare, may seem convenient, they are arguably for dramatic moments that need it so it still provides a sense of relief from his usual non-speech. The corresponding text superimposed on the screen is used for good comical effect.
Visually, the environment and characters are very cleanly drawn. The environment, such as buildings, is even too clean and crisp, taking full advantage of CG. The first episode overuses low-angles and high-angles to emphasize the busy city life, but is mostly just to show off the animation. Thankfully, it is more measured in subsequent episodes.
The music by Kojima Ryosuke includes balladic themes such as the piano typical of the slice-of-life genre. It may be “typical” but it is tastefully fitting, and that’s all it needs to be.
On balance, despite lacking an arc, it is still a decent and enjoyable slice-of-life anime about a young woman and her cat sticking together through life.
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