Forehead Withheld, and the Result Is... Flat!? 'Chainsmoker Cat' Illustration by 'Forehead Fetish' Artist Soichiro Yamamoto Draws a Flood of Reactions

On the official X account for the 'Chainsmoker Cat' TV anime, a cheer-on illustration by Soichiro Yamamoto—the creator of the manga 'Teasing Master Takagi-san'—was released ahead of the broadcast of Episode 2, becoming a major talking point among fans.

The illustration shows Yani Neko (voiced by Yuko Natsuyoshi), the beast-person protagonist, lying on her back in her room with several cigarettes in her mouth as she goes to light them with a lighter. On the smoke-filled window in the background, the words "Congratulations on the anime adaptation" are written in red. Yamamoto is known for the meticulous care he puts into his characters' foreheads—so much so that people say "you can tell who drew it just by looking at the forehead." This time, however, Yani Neko's bangs are pulled firmly down, making it a rare piece in which the forehead is hidden—an unusual sight for one of his works.

'Chainsmoker Cat' is an anime based on the original manga of the same name by Nyan Nyan Factory. Set in a world where humans and beast-people coexist, it depicts the everyday life of Yani Neko—a beast-person and hardcore heavy smoker who leads a slovenly lifestyle—along with the colorful characters around her. Living in a trash-strewn room where she smokes, drinks, and tends to fall behind on the rent, her surreal, comedic exchanges have won a following among fans.

The illustration drew a flood of playful reactions about the hidden forehead and the character's figure: "A rare Yamamoto piece where he doesn't use his signature forehead!", "What did they have to take hostage to get that forehead covered up…?", "It must have been tough for him to hold back on the forehead", "That forehead's so tiny! Is she feeling okay?", "Her chest got nerfed, lol", "Sacrificing the forehead to shrink the chest, huh", and "Looks like holding back on the forehead left her flat." Fans also weighed in on the smaller details, with comments such as "That ashtray totally captures the real solo-living days, love it" and "Yamamoto's illustration has that gentle Takagi-san touch, but the way he draws the cigarettes looks so cool," adding to the buzz.

(C)にゃんにゃんファクトリー・講談社／ヤニねこ製作委員会