Anime 51916 Dekiru Neko Wa Kyou Mo Yuuutsu

GoHands going 2-for-2 with a surprisingly good comeback? What kind of world are we living in — a 2.5D animation-cum-3DCG-ready world?!

As you may (or may not) know, GoHands is the studio responsible for the atrocity that was Winter 2017's Hand Shakers, which, over the years, spawned its own series that had the exact same setting and action that never seemed to take off. That is until this season, where GoHands debuted with not 1, but 2 shows: the more popular Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta a.k.a The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, and the less popular one, which is this show right ... here: Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu a.k.a The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today, by mangaka Hitsuji Yamada. And for both shows to really hit the mark when it comes to enjoyability, one would question: How, in the infinite hell, did GoHands manage to produce 2 shows that are both good, considering that their previous shows were mediocre at best?

The anthropomorphic theme in anime form may not have seen better days but shows like Spring 2020's Gal to Kyouryuu a.k.a Gal & Dino, Doukyonin wa Hiza, Winter 2019's Tokidoki, Atama no Ue. a.k.a My Roommate is a Cat, and Spring 2019's Sewayaki Kitsune no Senko-san a.k.a The Helpful Fox Senko-san, which this show has the closest similarity to, do exist. In Hitsuji Yamada's case, it's of a working woman finding a stray cat in the midst of a cold Winter day and then bringing it to her home...which is a literate rat's nest of trash and garbage so foul that I'm surprised that not one of her next-door neighbours filed a complaint against her. Seeing that this woman's room is filled with filth, this stray cat wants out, but something tells it that if his occupant's owner continues her lifestyle as is, it's not going to be good. And so, the time has come for a helper, but not in the way that you expect: the stray black cat, named Yukichi, makes it upon himself to be the masterful cat to be the solution to the owner of Saku Fukuzawa, the typical office worker who, in more of a need for a partner, doesn't have her life together!

Some might say it's definitely the supernatural realm of how Yukichi could evolve into a state akin to a human being, though we don't really need that answer, do we? All you need to know is that Yukichi is the big fat black cat who takes pride in his housekeeping skills, all in an effort to earn the coveted cat can. And to get there, he has to take care of his nonchalant owner, Saku, from day to night, covering her three meals and her small apartment like a maid who is loyal to the one who hired her. From home to the supermarket, everyone knows Yukichi and gets used to his usual shenanigans. With the smug looks of his that he gets to be masterful each and every day! From the usual cashier girl that he meets (Rio Nishina) to his idol interest with the young girl (Yume), Yukichi's life is abundant, fun and fulfilling. All that matters is how his owner Saku always treats him with both goodness and disdain; as the title goes, the Masterful Cat sometimes get Depressed all over again! But in all seriousness, Saku needs a helper to get through her life in one piece, and she should be glad that Yukichi never gave up on her as her personal housekeeping life partner.

Never did I think that GoHands would come back with vengeance for not 1, but 2 shows, but their 2.5D to 3DCG aesthetic is so well-known that you can't unsee it. In this case, it seems to be well produced, and with that fake cinematic production of a weird animation combi that's uniquely GoHands, they did a good job with the adaptation, all things considered, unlike Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta, where they knew that that show would pop more with the audience. Simplicity is best, and this anime has done that.

somei and asmi's OST theme songs as per OP and ED songs, respectively, are good, though I find the songs to be on the slow side, which is exactly what the anime is trying to achieve here. It's decent as far as the typical average Joe is concerned.

All in all, this is a show where comfort takes centre stage, and with a big cat taking care of a young woman who is struggling in life, what more could you ask for from an anthropomorphic caretaker who constantly has smug faces for confidantes but whose owner is a lazy prick whom he doesn't mind taking care of? It's simply fun entertainment, and that's all that matters.

The Maneko of the House.

The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today is the antithesis of a Studio GoHands anime. Not only is it a GoHands anime that is actually watchable without vomiting all over yourself due to the studio's nauseating gimmicks, but it also captures its strengths as an animation studio without relying on those very same gimmicks.

The story is simple. Adult mess and cat lover Saku takes in a stray cat who becomes more than she bargained for when that same cat grows twenty times its size and becomes her live-in housekeeper, chef and emotional support system. She doesn’t understand why her overgrown cat, ... Yukichi acts the way he does or why he looks after her, but she tries her best to understand him whilst keeping him a secret from her work colleagues for obvious reasons.
It's not anything groundbreaking. If you’re not into your slice-of-life, work-life comedies you’ll probably find it difficult to stick this one out past three episodes as the pacing can be a bit slow and aimless, but you might be charmed by the wonderful supporting cast plus Saku and Yukichi’s dynamic which can be described as a proud cat mom being looked after by her actual mom who is also a cat.

I praise GoHands for putting out an anime without the usual GoHands gimmicks shoved into each episode allowing the actual animation talents of GoHands’ animation staff to shine through. With animation and storyboarding that is shockingly on par with some of the upper-tier animation studio's outputs, The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today proves that studio GoHands can be an actual, competent studio! However, that doesn't mean Master Cat is free from the GoHands bullshit. The OP and the intro to the office in the first episode may be less vomit-inducing to watch than The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses but GoHands still tries. There's also the ugly piss-coloured hue filter that gives the show a greenish tinge they use to help cover up the inconsistencies of the line art and the colours which is extremely distracting. However, those little GoHands moments that make you think “Oh yeah, this is a GoHands anime” are few and far between and the show is better for it.

The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today is a delightful anime for those who want something low-stakes and chill. It's not the most engaging show due to how static its cast of characters is, but it's charming nonetheless. GoHands has proven that with restraint (or maybe a lack of resources ironically) it can make a watchable anime.

6/10 It’s Okay.

The animation is good and the characters designs looks great, BUT if there is not going to be a specific plot, at least there should be a character relationship development. However, here we have woman that is a total loser, acts like a spoiled teen, can't hold her drinking and is completely stupid and irresponsible. How is that cute? I don't get these clumsy immature characters at all. People must think that every Japanese person is like this, if this is the message they are portraying on their art. Therefore, if you have time to waste, the art is good, but other than that there ... is nothing else. No plot, no good message, no growth, no value.