With the 2025 Winter anime season officially inaugurated, we’re off to a promising start. Why? Because the MVP that is HIDIVE aired the uncensored version of Beheneko: The Elf-Girl’s Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster! And the show has an almighty level of plot!!! So we’re in for a sexy, dungeon-crawling, adventure-filled show.
What’s Beheneko Episode 1 About?
Reincarnation is more problematic than one may think. You’re not always reborn as someone your former self would accept. You might even be reborn as someone completely opposed to your former self. This scenario unfolds in Beheneko. When a knight gets another chance at life, he does not experience a joyful reincarnation. Where he once devoted himself to ensuring the prosperity of humankind, his rebirth as an S-class behemoth suddenly makes the same goal quite problematic.
When he begins accepting his newfound reality, he receives another shock as he notices his body is that of a kitten. Despite that, when other monsters try to prey on him, he easily overwhelms his foes and assimilates their skills. So he rampages and defeats as many enemies as possible to level up. But his dungeon crawl almost costs him his life when he faces another behemoth. As he lies dying, a hot elf named Aria picks him up and nurses him back to health.
Now named Tama, the former knight appears ready to live a slow life with his newfound hottie. Although Aria may not be the most proficient fighter, she manages to maintain a good home and gear, earning the adoration of those around her—perhaps even too much adoration. Her eye-catching looks and popularity have earned her a stalker who’s trying to force her into a party. When Tama defends her from his no-no touch, it ends with a duel for his life. A fight that will determine his life and Aria’s chastity. And when the two triumph, their adventures begin.
Beheneko: Initial Thoughts
So it seems like we’re getting the slightly uncensored version of this show. I emphasize ‘slightly uncensored’ because the promo art blatantly covers up some characters. Fans of the source material have pointed out that even the guild receptionist’s bulge has been removed. Stuff like this always prompts the question, “Why animate an ecchi show like Beheneko if you’re going to tone it down?” Talk about pandering to people outside the intended demographic.
That’s not to say the show is devoid of lewdness. We did get an uncensored bath scene that lasted the whole of five seconds. I can’t recall who imparted this knowledge to me, but elves are canonically supposed to be flat. Lithe bodies and small chests help them be nimble and keep perfect posture. That’s a memo that Aria completely missed. She’s so stacked that I can guarantee she’ll constantly suffer from back pain. And if you thought dealing with back pain for a few years was a drag, imagine dealing with it for centuries.
Plot-wise, Beheneko seems entertaining. However, I can’t see it winning any awards this coming season. Though be warned, Beheneko may trigger lingering My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog PTSD. I don’t focus on animation quality as much as others. If it’s visually appealing and not glaringly bad or jerky, it gets a pass from me. So, Saber Works and Zero-G’s works so far have no complaints from me.
The score of the show and the music are decent enough. In terms of voice acting, the main characters are in good hands. Hinaki Yano of Love Live! and Uma Musume fame voices Aira. Tasuku Hatanaka (Ranga Crimson and MF Ghost) voices Tama. They’re both expressive VAs, so there are no concerns in that department. I doubt we’ll get any heavy drama or tear-filled moments from Beheneko, but it will be a fun, plot-heavy, ecchi watch.
Additional Info
HIDIVE, ABEMA, and Muse Asia will stream each episode of the show a week ahead of its Japanese premiere. Beheneko: The Elf-Girl’s Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster! is adapted from the manga by Nozomi Ginyoku, which featured art by Tarou Shinonome. The anime counts Tetsuo Hirakawa as its director. Kanichi Kato handles the show’s script, while Tomoyuki Abe designed the characters.
The rest of the show’s voice cast includes:
- Hitomi Ueda as Stella
- Tomori Kusunoki as Vulcan
- Nobuyuki Hiyama as Arnold Holzweilnegger
- Yasuhiro Mamiya as Kussman
- Yuu Wakui as Feri
- Nonoka Oobuchi as Lily
- Maaya Uchida as Alisha
© Taro Shinonome, Nozomi Gintsuba, Mitsuki Yono / Hakusensha / Behi Neko Production Committee
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