‘Nyaight of the Living Cat’ Episodes 1-4 review | Fantasia 2025

If Nyaight of the Living Cat has convinced me of anything, it is that we would all be doomed. An obvious homage to George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, this latest apocalyptic comedy series from animation studio OLM (The Apothecary Diaries) and directed by the legendary Takashi Miike brings the level of chaos, kookiness, and love of cats as would be expected from its premise. However, some confusing animation and storytelling choices detract from its momentum. Thankfully, before you can think too deeply about it, some cats do some cute things to distract you, much like they do with the series’ characters.

A good apocalypse starts in progress.

Nyaight of the Living Cat Episode 1 plunges viewers immediately into the horror of this nyanpocalypse. Our main group of characters, the amnesiac Kunagi (Masaaki Mizunaka), the high school student Kaoru (Reina Ueda), and the musclebound Tanishi (Hiroki Yasumoto), are running for their lives. From what exactly? Well, cats. Which, if there are any cat owners out there, you know when a cat starts running at you, it’s kind of scary. In numbers? Even scarier.

The first half of Episode 1 immerses viewers into the immediacy of the situation, while also showing us in real-time how these cats are multiplying. One of the party ends up in the paws of the cats, and, with the group of cats touching him all over, we see how quickly a human being can transform into one of these cats. It’s a fascinating take on the “zombie virus” concept from Night of the Living Dead, but with more conflicted emotions as these cats chase down any remaining human beings. 

From the second half of Episode 1 onward, the story takes a step back in time, revealing how everyone’s lives have been upended. The transition from the present to the past isn’t smooth. It’s quite jarring in execution and puts a break on the balls-to-the-wall pacing the opening episode sets up. However, when taking into account the entirety of Nyaight of the Living Cat Episodes 1-4, it all serves a complete, albeit choppy, story arc before the series moves onto the next phase.

A real CATastrophe.

Story-wise, the remainder of Nyaight of the Living Cat Episodes 1-4 runs through how our initial set of characters got into the situation. Before the events of Episode 1’s opening scenes, Kunagi suffers an injury and is abandoned in an alleyway. All he can recall is an obscene amount of information about cats before Kaoru encounters his unconscious body. She helps her brother run a cat cafe (an awful place to be during the start of a nyanpocalypse) and gets Kunagi a job there. That’s where they meet Tanishi, one of the regulars of the cafe, before the paws hit the fan.

Once the cats start multiplying, turning humans into fellow feline compatriots, the group moves from one location to the next. Interspersed throughout Nyaight of the Living Cat Episodes 1-4, short clips show how humanity reacts to this dilemma. Cats are beloved creatures. And, when this particular pandemic-like scenario confronts the general population, the fight-or-flight response is reasonably non-existent. In the face of such diabolical cuteness, how would any of us survive?

Cat puns and other wordplay.

It is moments like these that provide much of the humor in Nyaight of the Living Cat. Not everyone will vibe with this particular brand of comedy, especially since so much of it relies on cats. From a helicopter pilot crashing out over a cat to Kaoru, Tanishi, and latecomer to the group, Tsutsumi (Yū Serizawa), whipping out their phones to capture a photo of an adorable sleeping cat, these moments punctuate the ridiculousness of the situation but also how completely defenseless humanity is when up against these creatures. 

Dialogue also plays a role in the hilarity in Nyaight of the Living Cat. There’s a whole debate early on about whether or not cats are a liquid (they totally are, and I don’t care what anyone says). Once the cat makes it through the tiniest little hole (horrifying considering the circumstances), the debate goes out the window in favor of running away. The existential crisis all characters have when they confront these creatures, particularly Kunagi when he feels like he’s frightening them, makes for great beats. Unlike zombies, this is a world in love with the creatures who spell their doom.

Inconsistent animation styles is distracting.

Unfortunately, what really brings down the series so far is the inconsistent animation. There’s a constant switch back and forth between a 2D animation style and 3D animation style for the cats. Initially, it seems like the 3D animation style is for the bigger group shots (depending on how fluid the action needs to be). However, as Nyaight of the Living Cat continues onward, this isn’t always the case. The consistency between the two animation styles breaks down. 

Of the two styles, the 2D animation style aligns better with the world of Nyaight of the Living Cat. Barring an action sequence involving a motorcycle and a super Seinan white demon cat, which incorporates a mixture of both animation styles, the animated renderings of the cats just don’t mesh well aesthetically. The 2D animation style better captures not only the fluidity of the cats’ movements, but also each cat’s respective personalities. If it were a time-saving measure, that would be understandable, but OLM has done better. And the execution and lack of consistency are glaring. 

A unique spin on the end of the world.

That all being said, Nyaight of the Living Cat Episodes 1-4 is a fascinating introduction to the world overrun by cats. What would be a cat lover’s dream immediately turns into a nightmare in Takashi Miike’s capable hands. If the storytelling and animation can become more fluid and consistent, it may be able to address some of its issues. Even still, the series may not be for everyone, given the cat-focused humor and quirkiness throughout. Oh, and be sure to stick around to the end of the credits to see special cat tip-oriented cutscenes.  

Nyaight of the Living Cat Episodes 1-4 played as part of the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival. Nyaight of the Living Cat Episodes 1-2 are streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll, with Episodes 3 and 4 soon to come. 

Sarah Musnicky