Cinnamon helps Maple practice for a singing contest, as both relive memories of growing up together.
Episode 9: “True Feelings”
Hmm.
Slice of life continues this week on Nekopara as we see how much best friends Maple and Cinnamon care for each other. It was good to see the origin of their pairing, how Maple welcomed new kitten Cinnamon to the Minaduki house, and how Cinnamon got her chance to repay Maple’s kindness. Fans of the Cinnamon and Maple couple will love this episode.
Nekopara does healing anime well and the producers knew when to step up the animation quality for an emotional scene between Cinnamon and Maple towards the end. Maple gave us a nice song for the end credits too, while scenes of her and Cinnamon’s kittenhood played in the background. One scene solved the mystery of how Maple became a scaredy-cat and why she has such a nervous bladder. Maple and Cinnamon make a great pair — one gets moist while the other wets herself. They are true cat partners!
Heh.
Aw. Cinnamon and Maple as kittens. Cinnamon used to be so shy. Hand holding!
Back to the present day Nekopara. Everyone’s at the amusement park. Kashou took a day off! Oh dear. Cinnamon got moist looking at tentacles. Coconut doesn’t like long drops. Chocola plays the big sister to Cacao, wiping her face, but Vanilla still wipes Chocola’s face. Does Cacao like scary things? Maple, not so much. Ha. Cinnamon liked the hugging, though. I haven’t heard that tsundere excuse before. Maple “acted scared” for the ghosts’ sake. Cinnamon is a genius at rephrasing normal things into their vulgar versions. Just what is Maple “spreading wide open at night,” Cinnamon?
Oh, good. For a second, I thought we were going to get another Nekopara episode with a lost Cacao. This week is a Maple-Cinnamon character study. Ah. Ranger show? No. Magical Girl show! Cat Witches! It’s Maple and Cinnamon’s favorite anime. Look at those intricate cosplay outfits. Shigure must have made them. Anything for her cute kittens.
That yell scared me. Maple got lost in her memories and suddenly Cinnamon is on stage getting moist, er, tied up as part of the show. The power of song will save Cinnamon, but who has that? Kids these days are very shy, says… Shigure? I guess she’s the expert about shyness in Nekopara. Wow, Maple was very reluctant to get up there. Good to know. Cinnamon is a Scottish Fold, which explains her unusual ears, and Maple is an American Curl, which also has unusually shaped ears.
Nice insert song. Just a reminder of why Maple has musical notes on her underwear.
Maple is about to embarrass herself more moistly in the first eye catch. I feel that Cacao will outgrow messy icecream eating before Chocola does in the second eye catch.
Something has changed with Maple. She’s ditching Cinnamon after working at La Soleil and coming home late. Cinnamon goes into stalker mode. Of course, her mind goes straight to the unseemly possibilities in this part of town. Is the Nekopara anime finally going there? Hostess Maple giving me whiskey? Yes, please! Oh. She’s just working at a music store.
Working a part-time job to earn money on her own fits Maple’s personality. She’s an independent perfectionist, or tries to be. The Yamaneko music shop is an authorized “Nyanaha” dealer. Nekopara even has Cinnamon making sexual innuendoes out of selling musical instruments. That’s good wordplay. Making things sound “raunchy” is Cinnamon’s superpower. Kashou gets why Maple wants to achieve her goal of being a singer on her own. She wanted to buy a guitar with her earnings. Well, this is the more entertaining way of getting that guitar instead of the boring way of slowly saving up — win a guitar in a singing contest! Maple better wear a nice dress at her performance.
Training montage. The musical score sounds like the Rocky theme. Nekopara reminds me again that we’ve had so few bath scenes or swimsuit episodes.
Maple’s bladder is extra small on the big day. No pressure. Shigure is going to put her performance on her cat blog. The annual “Song Paradise!” singing contest. Utapara, like Nekopara… There are a lot of industry pros here for an amateur contest where the grand prize is an acoustic guitar. Aww, I wish the catgirls’ fan signs for Maple weren’t in the dark. Well, I suppose the cats can see them, but those spotlights should ruin Maple’s night vision. Maple’s red gown looks almost like the one from the Nekopara game. Uh oh. Maple is feeling big performance anxiety.
Ah. I see a repeat of Cinnamon’s scene in the prologue, except she will reverse roles. That slap wasn’t what Maple did to the Cinnamon kitten! It got her attention, though. This is good scolding on Cinnamon’s part too. Hand holding! Nice symbolism of Maple reentering the light with Cinnamon from the darkness of her despair.
Oh? Aren’t they going to show her sing? Congratulations, anyway. That’s a good-looking guitar. Oh, this is better. Let’s have Maple sing over the Nekopara end credits! Aw, look at the cute little kittens Cinnamon and Maple used to be. I knew it! Azuki is the one who gave Maple a traumatic ghost scare and made her wet the bed! This whole episode was fan service appreciation for those who like Cinnamon and Maple. Well done.
Artist Yuuki Hagure gilds the yuri lily for Cinnamon and Maple in the end card.
