Reviews

Sep 29, 2023
Spoiler
Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching The Masterful cat is depressed again today and while care has been taken to minimize story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned.

Based on a popular manga series of the same name Dekiru Neko Wa Kyo Mo Yuutsu or known by Western fans more commonly as the Masterful Cat is Depressed again today is a slice of life and comedy genre anime that gives us a unique opportunity to see what would happen if one day a young salarywoman working her first job in the big city as a foremen for a large company were to one day while walking home from work were to have a chance encounter with a kitten that had been abandoned by its owner. Never in her wildest dream would she expect that this tiny act of charity would result in this tiny kitten would not only becoming her pet but also the treasured flatmate that would help change her life for the better by ensuring that not only does she eat healthily but also that every piece of housework that comes from living in a big city is taken care off by it without question. What's the catch you ask? Why it’s simply that our dear Saku is able to do well in her job and keep both her and her new flatmate fed and sheltered with her salary for without that I'm afraid that both would be living in far less desirable circumstances. A motivation that I feel is more than enough to keep even the most careless of people to shape up and ensure that they are doing their jobs correctly.

Although slice of life anime that features comedy elements are one of the most common genre variants of that genre the aspect that ultimately made this series stand out from its peers to me was its focus on whats it like being a working adult in the modern-day city and what could happen if one day half of the stuff that such an adult has to worry about when working and living in such a setting is effectively dealt with by their flat mate and allow them to focus on living their life and ensure that they are not missing the finer points of life. Because we all know how difficult it is to maintain an effective work-life balance when you do office jobs in a big city where speed and efficiency are everything. That and of course seeing the kind of effects that ensure if a large black cat was to not only take up residence in your area but also start doing things that no cat would do namely shop at supermarkets, help take deliveries and handle the cleanup of trash and leaves that have accumulated in the grounds of the apartment complex alongside the community and seeing the residents’ reactions to it.

It is this unique aspect of this anime that I felt was notable that drew me to this series and as both a fan of anime and also a working adult it was definitely one that makes you realize that in the modern world how much time and effort goes into maintaining the household and in turn how much does this affect the amount of time we can spend with friends and family and enjoy the finer points of life outside of it. So seeing what would happen if one day someone in my shoes were to have such a fantastic helper show up and take care of that was definitely something that I wanted to see.

Saku Fukuzawa

Saku Fukuzawa is one of the main characters of the series narrative and serves as the series' main protagonist. A young salarywoman that works as a foremen for a large company located within the city Saku from her initial appearances was shown to be a polite, friendly, and curious person and was seen by her peers as someone who was kind and honest to a fault. Indeed, to her peers within the office, Saku was seen to be a highly organized, attentive, and reliable person that was able to accomplish any task that she had been set by her superiors flawlessly and was widely seen as being the masterful woman as a result. The only chink that her peers would be able to see within this armour of hers was the fact that she could get excitable when talking about food and talking about cats.

As the series progresses and the focus expands from the office and to Saku’s apartment however it can be seen that when at home Saku in her natural self was a far different person to what her peers in the office are accustomed to. For the home version of Saku while still a relaxed and friendly person was someone that far from how she was in the office was actually someone that was careless, ditsy and was relatively carefree. Indeed, this carefree nature of hers also served to make her lifestyle a worrying prospect as a result of her fondness for excessive drinking and eating unhealthily which on top of her desire to hoard stuff served to make her apartment a disaster that was just waiting to happen. Suffice to say the home version of Saku was shown to be a poor planner and needed a lot of help from her fellow flatmate to ensure that she was able to enjoy a healthy meal every night and able to get to work on time and in prime condition.

As a character Saku I felt was an interesting one that showed well the kind of contrast that can form within people’s personalities when they operate in two different environments in this case being the office and her professional self and the home and her home version as a result of the pressures that modern day workers face as they try to balance their lives. However, what made Saku stand out more within the narrative was the bond that she shared with her flatmate Yukichi and the unique division of labour that was formed between them as a result of both their physical anatomy and their respective skill sets. This bond while based on the simple premise of ensuring that the owner is fed adequately and that she’s able to get to work on time I felt was further enhanced by the emotional bond that was formed between them that while ensuring that each of their interactions were enjoyable also showed well how much each of them have come to rely upon one another as they try and navigate the struggle that is living in the modern world where surface impressions and balance are crucial.

Yukichi

Yukichi is one of the main characters of the series and serves as the flatmate and housekeeper to Saku. A giant cat that Saku had encountered as a kitten back in the distant past that had grown to become one that’s the size of a human being Yukichi from his initial appearances was shown to be a kind, calm and intelligent being that while somewhat intimidating to those that don’t know him was shown to be one that was surprisingly thoughtful and considerate of others which is shown best in not only his bond with Saku but also with the likes of Rio and Yume as well. Though not capable of speech in a traditional sense Yukichi was shown to be a being that was both understanding and quite capable of setting priorities skills that I felt really lent itself to allowing it to support Saku by cooking delicious lunches for her and keeping the household clean and more importantly ensuring that she’s able to get to work and allow both of them to maintain their current lifestyle by having a job. While Yukichi was someone who was quiet by nature he was nonetheless shown to show great pride in both his skills as a cook and as a housekeeper a fact that he never misses the opportunity to display to Saku when the opportunity presents itself.

As a character, I felt that Yukichi was one that was well developed and served both as an effective contrast to Saku and as the foundation that managed to keep her grounded in their mutual desire to earn enough to live comfortably within the city to which they live in. While Yukichi’s skill at housekeeping and cooking was indeed unparalleled what served to make him less of a flatmate but more of a being that was akin to a mother was the sheer amount of skills that he had knowledge off such as sewing and the ability to create tools himself in the form of gloves and plushies that made him both an effective asset for Saku but also for the various people that they would come to encounter over the course of the series.

On the surface while acting as both the housekeeper and surrogate mother for Saku may seem to be an exhausting task for both Yukichi and Saku this division of labour I felt showed well the strength of the bond that had been forged between them as Saku was able to rely on the safeguard that was Yukichi in not only keeping her flat clean but also know that she’s able to enjoy a hot and healthy meal when she returns home from work while Yukichi is able to keep living a good life by maintaining the household and cooking delicious meals for Saku and ensure that she’s at her prime when she departs for work. Though Yukichi may appear blunt at times when dealing with Saku notably when using the shower routine to stir Saku from her lazy self he was someone that was shown to care deeply about her a bond that may surprise outside observers is one that is taken for granted by Saku as while it can be unpleasant being force showered and dressed in the morning the alternative is her laziness affecting their living conditions and that is someone that cannot be allowed under any circumstances.

AMV

Animation wise I felt that the overall animation that was featured within the series was definitely one of the show’s highlights as it not only featured some great detail that did much to enhance the character designs for the series but also served to make the casts facial expressions and their simple but nonetheless crucial everyday actions like cooking, cleaning and prepping Saku for work much more endearing. In particular, this also served to provide a level of enhancement to the special events that we get to witness within the narrative in the form of Saku’s visit to the Aquarium, the scratching stone’s effect on Yukichi and Yukichi’s unique beatboxing that we were blessed to be able to see. The character designs while enhanced by the detailed animation I felt also benefitted greatly from its usage of the twin themes of simplicity and simple but effective colour palettes that served to make them not only easily relatable but served to add a level of cuteness to them as well in the kinds of bonds that’s forged between them and within the narrative this was shown best in the bond that was forged between Yukichi and Dai chan the kitten and the bond that was formed with Yume. One of the notable scenes that I felt was excellently designed from an animation standpoint was the scene that showed how Saku and Yukichi first met at the park a scene that featured an excellent combination of heartwarming emotion and the spark of a new bond being formed between two strangers that unknown to them would serve to change their lives forever.

In terms of locations while the series as a whole did not feature that many locations the ones that were present within the narrative I felt were not only well-animated but also used effectively as a way to build the world around them by defining them as locations that were either crucial to them as a means for survival in Yukichi’s eyes in the form of Saku’s company office and the local supermarket or ones that allowed them to relax, meet new people and improve bonds with others that would allow them to have an easier life in the form of their shared apartment, the aquarium and of course the visit to Yume’s family home that served to introduce a very passionate fan of Yukichi. These locations when used in combination with the episode's unique themes that were featured within the narrative, I felt served to showcase not only the bond that exists between Saku and Yukichi but also the bonds that they forged with those around them as they got on with their lives.

Music wise the series made use of one opening and ending theme which was Ureu Kado niwa Fuku Kitaru (Fortune comes to a worried house) and Hakai Zenya no Koto (Night before destruction) respectively which were performed by Somei and asmi respectively. In the case of the former the song while a very catchy one also showed well not just how bright and colourful the world around them was but also the number of friends and acquaintances that both Saku and Yukichi have as part of their respective lives. At the same time despite their different roles within their unique bond, the visuals for this opening I felt showed well the kind of strong bond that had been forged between them as both have a great deal of trust in one another to accomplish their intended roles successfully and accurately and as a result allow them to enjoy the fruits of their labours and the opportunity to enjoy the joys that life brings you in this case being the car trip in the flashy sports car and being able to watch the fireworks from their balcony when it takes place. In the case of the latter the ending theme for the series I felt was much different in the emotions that it was trying to convey to the viewer in that while still catchy it was far more peaceful in its tone and focused more on the emotional aspect of the bond that Saku and Yukichi have as a result of their chance meeting all those years ago in the park. One that as a result had allowed Saku to gain not only a dear trusted friend but also one that will come to aid her if she gets plastered as part of her job as her guardian cat.

Voice acting-wise wise I felt that overall, the series main and supporting cast all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters with Yui Ishikawa doing an excellent job portraying the series main protagonist Saku. Of the supporting cast, I really liked the dynamic that Saku’s friends and co-workers Yuri and Oshiro who were portrayed by Ai Kakuma and Aoi Inase provided to Saku as they got by their days in the office in the form of their interactions that always provided plenty of laughs. But arguably the seiyuu that made the best impression here was Ayana Taketatsu’s portrayal of the character Yume who I felt served to steal every scene to which she was featured in thanks to how cute her interactions with the cast and especially Yukichi was.

Overall conclusion

In overall I felt that The Masterful Cat is depressed again today was an excellent anime that had among its main strong points an interesting and unique premise, well-designed characters, an excellent narrative, voice acting from a talented voice cast and its usage of simple but heartwarming bonding moments between its two main leads that while using relatively simple situations that one could experience living in the big city in the modern world showed well just how powerful such bonds can become when their assigned roles within their relationship is clearly defined.

And in the modern world more than anything being able to solely focus on your intended role while knowing that when you clock out from work and return home there will be a hot meal waiting for you is in my opinion a very potent motivator that would ensure that you do your very best and ensure that you are able to get to that meal on time every day. And given Yukichi’s mastery of the cooking arts that’s something that would go double for Saku and ensure that she would always be the unflappable Fukuzawa to her peers.

As a final score, I would say that The Masterful Cat is depressed again easily deserves a final score of 8/10 for not just the comedy and cute bonding moments that Saku and Yukichi put us through but also for the sense of calm and relaxation that it provided to people after going through a long day at work/school.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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