Nekopara, Episode 1: Welcome to La Soleil!

Chocola and Vanilla live and work with their master at his sweets shop. While running an errand, Chocola meets a stray kitten.

Episode 1 – “Welcome to La Soleil!”

First Thoughts.

After seeing the video games and watching the OVA from a few years back, I wondered what kind of anime Nekopara would turn out to be. Slice-of-life? Yes. Cute cat girls doing cute cat things? Of course. Harem romantic comedy with feline sexy time? Uh… maybe? Today’s anime production culture doesn’t have the appetite for turning an eroge or visual novel into twelve half-hour episodes, so I found my answers by the end of the first episode. It’s not pure slice of life comedy, because there is going to be a dramatic story arc to cover character development with the addition of a stray kitten into the extended cat family of Nekopara.

This is nice, because we’ve mainly seen the other cat girls of Nekopara grow up through flashbacks. A little kitten will let those girls play big sisters, relive their kittenhoods, and the audience will get to see the world of Nekopara fleshed out more through the eyes of this new character.

Still, this is Nekopara, so there will be plenty of scenes for fanservice, adult humor, and even some yuri! Kashou, Chocola, and Vanilla’s master might not be getting any sexy time this season, but it looks like Cinnamon just might with the help of Maple. Let’s hope!

Heh.

Chocola covers her head, Vanilla tries to turn off the alarm. The struggle in Nekopara is real. Don’t cats hate having their bellies rubbed? Vanilla is going to get scratched. Oh, it’s supposed to be the breast-kneading when kittens want mommy’s milk. Chocola will get up now that her own breasts are threatened.

This is quality slice of life. Here are some quick flashbacks to show the cat girls growing up and stowing away to live at the restaurant with Kashou.

Aw. Shigure is getting bored because the cats are doing chores without her help. Except Coconut. She can only watch the rice cooker. Coconut is younger than Azuki? She got big because she’s a Maine Coon.

These cats talk about wetting themselves a lot in Nekopara. Ah. Here’s the exposition on why cats have to wear bells if they travel by themselves. Cat licensing. The Nekopara OVA covered this bit dramatically with a rainstorm and anime death fever.

The eye catches look like they’ll be fun to look at during the season.

Chocola shouldn’t drool at a customer’s table. She’s just doing her best fighting her hunger instincts to pounce. Oho. Cinnamon has yuri in her heart for Maple! I can watch this kind of Nekopara slice of life.

A cat has to do cat things even when running errands. Walking on walls, rooftops, and through backyards. Aw. This little stray kitten got scared. Here we go. Chocola’s trip to get vinegar starts the plot development. A stray kitten followed her home!

These end credits are fun. Kashou and Shigure have kitten pictures of each of the cats as they grew up.

Artist Takahiro Tsurusaki gives us his version of Vanilla and Chocola in the end card.

Nekopara premiered on January 9th, and is currently streaming in North America on Funimation.