Underwear and 1,000-Yen Bills Spilling Out! Chainsmoker Cat Illustration Drawn by Creator of Minami-ke Draws Reactions: "Too Cute" and "A Pure Chainsmoker Cat"

On the official X account for the TV anime Chainsmoker Cat, a support illustration by Koharu Sakuraba, the creator of the manga Minami-ke, was revealed to celebrate the broadcast of Episode 5. The release of an illustration crossing series boundaries by a popular manga artist has generated significant buzz among fans.

The revealed illustration depicts Yani-neko, complete with cat ears and a tail, holding white trash bags in both hands with a cigarette in her mouth. Light blue underwear, 1,000-yen bills, and cigarette butts are spilling out from the trash bag held in her left hand, while she wears a flustered expression upon noticing it. Despite her casual appearance of sweatshirt and bare feet, she is portrayed with the soft, distinct touch characteristic of Sakuraba.

Chainsmoker Cat is a manga series created by Nyan Nyan Factory that has expanded across various media, including an anime adaptation. Minami-ke is an everyday comedy series by Sakuraba that has recorded long-running success, having been adapted into anime multiple times over the years. In fact, a connection between the two works has existed for a long time, with a guest comic by Sakuraba included in the first volume of the Chainsmoker Cat tankōbon.

In response to this post, comments flooded social media, such as "I thought this was a world line that would never intersect with Minami-ke lol," "Yani-neko in the Minami-ke world... Just taking out the trash makes her look strange...", "Sakuraba-san's Yani-neko is way too cute!!!!!!", and "A pure Yani-neko." Additionally, manga artist Mikiro, one of the members of Nyan Nyan Factory, reacted via a quote retweet: "She draws Minami-ke, an absolute senior in Young Magazine in the same genre of female-led comedy, so as expected she's just so cute...!"

(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