first published 2026/09/27 on Anilist
2012 r/dankmemes called, they want their anime back
You don’t need to be told that the world is a cruel place. War, genocide, famine, modern slavery, child labour, societal unjust is everywhere for those with eyes to see. Even in the most developed of countries, homelessness, addiction, and violence are so commonplace that no one bats an eye in case after case of tragedy. Where I live, the UK, heatwaves this year from fossil fuels-induced climate change have killed almost 2900 people in just two months, I cannot begin to imagine how lives are for people around the world who are vastly less well off. So, what does that have to do with a show about smoking anthropomorphised cat girls?
In Chainsmoker Cat’s universe, catgirls are viewed as the inferior race compared to man: humanoid mammals born without last names, go-to candidates for exploitative labour, and overall alien beings that are unserious, unhygienic, and unsociable. The attempt at social commentary is so palpable you can physically feel it oozing out of the screen. Not a second goes by without some mention of the disregard towards society’s permanent underclass, the discrimination towards minorities, or the disdain towards those suffering from addiction and mental health issues. The show’s social commentary is so palpable you can physically feel it oozing out the screen.
Yet, every facet of the show’s being rejects this reading. As if trying to appease the otaku zeitgeist, characters that lust over, objectify, and sexually abuse the catgirls are portrayed in a sympathetic (or at least humorous) light. The landlord’s omnipresent lust and the mangaka’s sexual/financial abuses are always played for laughs, and whenever given the chance, the camera prioritises tits and ass above all else. Seriously, I cannot stress this point enough: there’s no place worse to show young boys perving on cleavage or a landlord jerking it after seeing a tenant’s half naked body than a show that postures itself to highlight societal injustices. If there’s an attempt to make this to be the meta-layer of the allegory to stoke anger or reflection in the audience, it’s entirely lost in the omnipresent pee and poop jokes that make the mere thought of taking the show seriously nigh impossible.
Chainsmoker Cat accurate portrays the despair many experience in their daily lives. No one ever struggles from substance abuse, financial hardship, or racial discrimination because of their sole personal responsibility. The question is, what then? It does nothing beyond telling the audience that, yes, these things exists, and decides to stop there. Throughout the entire show, the catgirls are nothing but the butts of the jokes, and the punchlines just keep coming and keep coming and keep coming, as though if it ever slows down for just a moment to reflect on the issues it has presented, it will die.
Bibury has proven itself capable of creating something from nothing at all in the past. The stop-motion animation in episode 2 is a feast for the eyes, and its opening with references to various Kinos, though shallow, still lends an aesthetic sensibility that the show itself severely lacks. But the rot of comes from inside the house (pun intended). Chainsmoker Cat is a confused slew of childish humour, faux political rhetoric, and unapologetic fan service that no amount of eye candy can fix.
Now if you would excuse me, I’m tuning into BBC News and Al Jezeera to catch up on the very real tragedies that’s happening all around the world.
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