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Why Chainsmoker cat is special (ani.social)
submitted 2 days ago by to c/anime@ani.social
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This is a bit of a long read, which is why I prepared a clip for y’all as a present.

Yanineko is a show that, at first, is a crass slapstick comedy like many others. Panty & Stocking immediately comes to mind. What you don’t realise, though, is that the show is a social commentary in the garb of palatable (intellectually, not literally) comedy.

It’s no secret that Japanese society isn’t perfect, but like India, people that call it out are looked down upon. Yanineko gets around that by concealing these topics until you think about them subconsciously.

The show follows a cat girl, they’re known as beastfolk, treated as sub human (issue 1), who has a crippling cigarette addiction (issue 2), but cannot find a good job (issue 3) and lives in filthy conditions (issue 4). She is also constantly sexualised by children and old people alike (maybe issue 5). This simple show with farts and drugs and puke is able to dismantle society’s deepest secrets. The last time a show did this was NHK, but back then media literacy was high, so it didn’t need to be funny. Chainsmoker Cat is taking us back to when anime was more than just empty entertainment, and I’m all for it.

Here’s the clip, you’re welcome ;)

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[–] 6 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I've been avoiding this one because I find smoking repulsive and I would rather not watch a show that focuses on that. Is there really that much substance to this show that would make it worth watching anyway?

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  • [–] 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    If you've ever been desperately poor and lived at the whims of your vices it's very relatable. I feel like the social commentary is actually extremely heavy handed and not really that deep. I need to finish but it exists as kind of an artistic capture of a type of life we try to ignore but very much exists all around you, and maybe it's privledge and a cerrain amount of arrogance that lets you think you can just ignore it because of 'taste'.

    Although yeah it's a bit of a gross out show and I find it hard to get through. It's not the slapstick kind of gross like, say, Ping Pong Club (look it up), but definitely more leans on the shock value when it can.

    People do live like this though it's upsettingly accurate. Don't ask how I know.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 days ago (1 child)

    yeah the part where it's upsettingly accurate is the part that puts me off. I've known some of these people. I've been some of these people, at particularly low points in my life.

    I get that it's meant to be a comedy but I couldn't get past the first episode because I spent most of it really sad, remembering some of the worst parts of my life.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 days ago

    It's a particular flavor of comedy that's pretty dark at times and exposes some societal issues and the unappealing side of humanities vices. It really isn't for everyone and I can understand it being an uncomfortable watch for people who may be able to empathise a bit too much with it. I respect it for really hammering home how disgusting smoking is and I don't think the show should be criticized for being icky, but I would not recommend this to most people.

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