The Summer 2026 season has begun, and Netflix‘s lineup of new anime is already here, further proving the streaming platform’s status as one of the biggest destinations for anime. While many new series are set to release this season, including Bleach’s final season, one particularly strange anime has already arrived on the platform, perfectly complementing Netflix with its unconventional narrative. That anime is Chainsmoker Cat, which premiered on July 2, and after its first episode, fans are divided on whether to love it or hate it for valid reasons.
The anime is based on the manga of the same name by NyanNyanFactory, which is serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Seinen magazine. The adaptation was announced in February 2026 and immediately caught attention online because of how crisp it looked, something no one expected from an anime that doesn’t feature a major fictional narrative. It follows a cat girl named Yani, who is obsessed with smoking and spends her last dime buying cigarettes, a habit that constantly lands her in trouble. Knowing this, many assumed the anime would simply be about dealing with a smoking addiction. However, the lengths the premiere episode goes to portray this obsession, combined with its impressive animation quality, have left fans both loving its execution and disgusted by its premise.
I don't know if Yani Neko is supposed to make me laugh at the titular cat's drug-induced hijinks or make me sad about how much her nicotine addiction has her stuck in this self-destructive loop. Although I guess such opposing feelings are what define dark comedies like this. pic.twitter.com/DxVTZ0fser
When the initial trailers for Chainsmoker Cat were released, it was evident that the anime was going to be one of the best-looking series of the Summer 2026 season. However, the scale of its animation wasn’t fully clear until the anime premiered. The opening itself is on another level, featuring references to many iconic scenes from Hollywood and various other films, much like the opening of the Chainsaw Man anime. Fans are collectively searching for all the references and actively discussing the opening, as well as the animation quality, which never falters. Yet, the anime’s premise, centered around Yani’s obsession with smoking, is portrayed on a scale that is genuinely disgusting.
Yani is depicted as a depressed adult who relies on smoking to relieve her stress, and her portrayal is that of a clear addict who will do anything for a cigarette. The first episode even shows her picking up a cigarette from a trash bag that has been sitting in her house for a while, which eventually makes her sick, and the anime doesn’t shy away from showing how that sickness affects her life. It visually pushes viewers to feel concern for the character while also being disgusted by her habit.
This isn’t everything the anime has going for it, though. It also features Yani’s sister, who is worried about her and is rooting for her to quit smoking. By the end of the episode, the anime implies that it will be about Yani overcoming this habit and becoming a new person, but the comedic element of her inability to give up smoking is still there. Essentially, the anime presents an interesting way of depicting a bad habit, and while fans are surprised by how beautifully it is animated, they are also disgusted by Yani’s addiction, which is a good sign, as this strange adult Netflix anime may at least encourage some viewers to quit smoking or never start in the first place, given how perfectly it portrays the side effects of smoking.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum
