Nekopara, Episode 11: Cacao Repays Her Debts

Cacao has a sleepover with Chiyo, causing separation anxiety for Chocola and Vanilla.

Episode 11: “Cacao Repays Her Debts”

Hmm.

Nekopara this week showed us just how good a kitty cat Cacao is. She minds her manners. She reads notes from her big sisters. She eats all her vegetables! She still has some trouble with taking a bath, but her friend Chiyo knew how to handle that. Toys. Give a little kitten lots of toys to play with. The problem solves itself.

Also, Nekopara proved that Cacao is a thoughtful and polite child. She writes thank you notes and draws pictures of her big sisters. Chiyo does that for her mom too, so those two are perfectly matched. I remember writing thank you notes for gifts from grandparents, but I can barely muster a thumb’s up emoji on Facebook for my own buddies these days. I am not worthy to be Cacao’s big brother.

There were a couple of parts where the Nekopara episode worried me. The first instance was when Chiyo explained the drawing of her mom. I suspected that Cacao might wonder about her own mother and her foundling experience, but Nekopara went the fluffy slice-of-life route by inspiring Cacao to emulate Chiyo’s gift of gratitude for her mom. We got lots of nice comedy about growing pains from that plot development.

The second part in Nekopara that made my heart drop was showing how much Chocola missed Cacao. I thought the show might be preparing the audience for the final separation of Cacao and the Minaduki family. I’m recalibrating my expectations of that happening now, because Cacao pledged to be with Chocola and Vanilla forever. Will it be only in spirit? I’m not as sure as I used to be, but there’s always room for a fake-out in the last episode. Cacao did thank her big sisters in a way that was a season recap, which could double as an elegy for their time spent together. We don’t get previews for Nekopara, so I’m open to any kind of ending with Cacao in the season finale.

Heh.

Another bright morning in Nekopara with Chocola, Cacao, and Vanilla. Yay! Chiyo and Cacao together again. Ooh, a sleepover! Chocola and Vanilla seem worried. Oh, they’re just overprotective. That is one big backpack… Hilarious. Cacao can’t even stand up. She’s trying so hard!

Oh, good. The adults are in charge. Shigure can be one when she wants. Nice website on Shigure’s business card. Even the QR code works to send you to Nekopara‘s anime website. Aw. Cacao is such a good little kid. It helps that Chocola and Vanilla are nice cats too. Aw, again. The big sister cats miss her already.

Ahahaha! Azuki called it. “A tear-jerking melodramatic separation” is exactly what it was. I’m going to be saying “aw” a lot. Cacao is such a good kid! Funny. When Chocola is preoccupied, her cat accent gets very active. This is bad separation anxiety for both Chocola and Vanilla.

Aw. It’s been a long time since Cacao and Chiyo have been by themselves in Nekopara. Hopefully no crows show up this time. Cacao is still too young for chopsticks. Whoops. Chiyo doesn’t like carrots very much, but she’ll compete with Cacao for eating all her vegetables properly.

Uh oh. It’s Cacao’s nemesis in Nekopara — the bathtub full of water! Toys will help. Water pistol fight! That will make Cacao jump in. Chiyo is a good kid too.

Nice, nice. Bath time with Chocola and Vanilla. They’re still so sad about missing Cacao. Tickles will make those frowns fly away. Nekopara reminds us that Chocola is the “bigger” sister of the two.

That is a nice frame for Chiyo’s drawing of her mom. Cacao looks inspired! Aw. Chocola noticed the bathtub was bigger and now her bed is bigger too. Vanilla knows it’s because Cacao isn’t there. But only for tonight, Chocola belongs to Vanilla!

Chocola and Vanilla hug that big bear in the first eye catch. Chiyo is fascinated by a kitten brushing her teeth in the second Nekopara eye catch. Maybe she’s just impressed by Cacao’s bedhead?

Successful sleepover, so Chocola and Vanilla expect to make up for lost snuggle time with Cacao. Not to be! Cacao has a plan, and she rushes straight under that big box. I love how cardboard boxes figure so prominently in Nekopara. Cacao needs privacy. Back off, Chocola!

Obviously, Cacao is drawing a thank you picture and note for Chocola and Vanilla, but it needs to be a surprise. Of course, Cacao could have waited until Chocola and Vanilla were at work, but she’s a little girl. She can’t think that far ahead yet.

Oh, Azuki. Everything is based on her own experience. Cacao in a box is her rebellious phase, like Coconut had. Nice teenager attitude from Coconut there. See? Cacao is drawing something in that box. Nothing to worry about, but let’s enjoy the Nekopara sketch comedy about the older cats trying to get her out of there.

Ohohoho! Chocola is a bad kitty! She gets the water spritz discipline. Oh no. Grilling saury inside a bedroom is a bad idea. Yup. It was a bad idea. They didn’t even get tasty fish off the shichirin.

Cinnamon thinks Maple singing a song will get Cacao out of the box. She just wants Maple to sing and dance. Finally. Cinnamon got moist about something in this Nekopara episode. Cacao got out of the box just long enough to shush them. Nyanyanya-gan!

Oh no. Chocola is broken-hearted at not sharing Cacao’s meal with her. Well, at least the older cats know Cacao isn’t sick. Oh good. Cacao finished her masterpiece. She’s such a good child! She wrote a thank you note and drew a picture. This thank you note is a good recap for the Nekopara season too. Cute. The whole letter is in hiragana, which is appropriate for Cacao’s reading level. Melt my heart, Cacao-chan! She loves her big sisters. Now they have a framed hand-drawn picture too.

Artist Poyoyon Rock (Front Wing) captured cute bedtime story reading in the end card. I expect Nekopara‘s creator Sayori to have something great for the final end card next week.