SoraRabbit Short Hop 021: Cute Cat Adventures Part 3
And we’re back for more wholesome cuteness in the final (?) installment of this series! After finishing my rewatch of Chi’s Sweet Home, I jumped right into Chi’s New Address, rewatching from the start and binging my way through the rest of it. The previous entries into this series of posts are here:
YAY! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
I wouldn’t suggest diving into this post without reading the other two, but just in case you did for some reason, the very brief recap is that Chi is the cutest anime cat ever and she lives with the Yamada family who took her in as a stray, hid her from their anti-pet super for a season, and finally moved into a pet-filled apartment complex where the cat can have new adventures. With that you’re up to date. It’s not a complicated show and focuses on Chi’s adventures and interactions with other animals and the humans in her life.
The spotlight is a nice touch. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Part 1 covered the first 26 episodes of Chi’s New Address, the characters, and concept. I learned too late that this was actually the second season, a direct continuation to the subject of my Part 2 post, Chi’s Sweet Home. That post covered, in abbreviated fashion, all 104 episodes. So Part 3 will cover Episodes 27-104 of the second season and my final review of everything. I know it’s a weird way of doing things, but I’d already invested myself into covering it and I came into the show sort of backwards, so here we are. Sorry about that.
This show is so freaking adorable. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Anyway, we left off on Chi’s New Address with the Yamada’s finally moving out of their no-pets-allowed apartment building and into one that allows (and encourages) pets. This served two functions in the story… it removed the conflict of having to keep Chi hidden, and it introduced a whole new environment and cast of characters. We got to meet Alice the fluffy cat, Lucky the parakeet, David the dog, Mi-chan the lop-eared bunny, and their owners.
Is this meta? (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Now that I’ve seen how the series starts I can better gauge the continuation. Although this season has a new title (Chi’s New Address) it’s got mostly the same feel as the first season. There is a new theme song but it wasn’t subtitled… thankfully the theme song played with subtitles during the final episode. Speaking of subtitles, they seemed to have been done by a different team from the first season. Julie is now Juri, which is probably a more accurate spelling. Chi no longer talked in baby talk (fwightened, scawy, etc.) Other than those notes, it’s a seamless continuation from season 1.
I wish Mi-chan had more appearances. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Now, in no particular order, I’ll talk about some of the stories. Since the main conflict of Chi having to stay in the house is gone, much of this season involves Chi wandering around looking for new adventures and getting into trouble. Some of her new friends are the animals around the complex. Mi-chan doesn’t have much of a role to play, but she does tease Chi by continuously cleaning her ears whenever Chi looks at her. When Chi looks away she stops, so it’s clear she’s doing it on purpose.
Chi is eternally curious. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Chi is fascinated by Lucky the parakeet, and this is where one of my previous theories kind of got changed up a bit. In the first post I stated that the animals of different species couldn’t communicate. This continues throughout, but one exception was Lucky. Lucky could understand Chi enough to repeat the cat’s words: “What are you?” and “I’m going to eat you!” Chi could tell what she was saying and was scared. The bird then seemingly repeated when Chi said “Just let me go“ loudly enough for the humans to hear. It’s implied that the bird said this in Japanese, but it’s unclear if it was the bird translating or the show. The humans seemed surprised, but they would be just as surprised as if Lucky were meowing. So I’m not entirely sure what happened here, but I suspect the bird’s natural mimicking abilities allowed it to understand Chi’s cat talk and translate it into Japanese. The implications are staggering but are not explored further.
ACTION! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
While she was initially scared of David the dog, Chi eventually started to see that he was not only harmless, he was fun to play with. In one story arc, Chi was teasing David while his owner was walking him on a leash when she realized he couldn’t follow her. She got carried away and fell into a garbage can. On the walk back, David heard her meowing and rushed the can, knocking it over and saving her. Chi adored him after this, even though on their later play date he chewed up her favorite toy and knocked over her milk. He shared his milk with her, so all was forgiven. And then later Mrs. Yamada made her a new toy by hand.
I mainly just got this screenshot because strawberries. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
While the residents of the apartment complex didn’t come into play too often, Chi did have some interactions with them. They all were perfectly fine with Chi wandering in and out of their homes and pestering their pets. They usually gave her treats too. Alice’s spacey owner even dressed Chi up as a princess and tried to get her to take a nap in a cradle. Alice looked on, relieved that she had a reprieve from her owner’s attentions.
Adorable. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
In one of the first story arcs, we get to meet Yohei’s friends from preschool, Ryu and Mayu. Mayu thinks she’s an expert on cats since her grandmother has one. Ryu is terrified of Chi, but tries to not show it since he wants to appear tough and brave. Mayu misreads all of Chi’s signs and accidentally got Ryu bitten.
As a side note, I mentioned in previous entries, this show helped me in my ongoing Japanese studies. However, I did run into a bit of a hurdle this time around. Chi kept saying something that sounded like “nani pun wa” and the subtitles translated it as “what’s going on?” or “what’s the big idea”. I couldn’t find the direct translation anywhere. The closest I could figure is that it could be distorted by Chi’s baby talk or possibly regional slang. It took several searches to come up with the closest approximations: either “nani kore” (“What the hell?”) or “nanda kore wa” (“What is this?”) Both are very casual and less polite ways of expressing confusion.
Now I want a Chi mask. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Although Yohei’s friends have some miscommunications and missteps with Chi, she eventually comes to like them, although Ryu is still standoffish. During Yohei’s birthday party, Mayu gifts him a mask she made of Chi. This arc is where we learn several facts about our favorite anime kitty. Chi is afraid of masks, loves cake, and has been with the family for less than a year.
Ryu gets over his fear. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Ryu’s fear of cats comes to a conclusion in an arc where Chi gets stuck up a tree. (She was chasing cicadas and apparently forgot about the incident in Season 1 where she got stuck in the curtain.) While everyone was searching for her, Ryu came across her first and courageously climbed the tree to save her. After this he realizes cats are nothing to be afraid of.
This girl is crazy. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
In a surprising development, we see the fanatical pet store lady again. This is a nameless character who is way too into cats and always helps Mr. Yamada when he goes to the pet store to buy things for Chi. Yes, this one-note character not only gets some focus this season but also gets her own story arc! She still doesn’t get a name, though.
Cray. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
She runs into Chi in the park and falls in love with her instantly. She names her Minya and laments that they can never be together since her brother hates cats. Chi just wants treats and is completely indifferent (and a little spooked) by her.
I agree with Mr. Yamada. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
When Mr. Yamada runs into her at the pet store while buying a backpack to carry Chi around on walks, she starts bragging about her new friend Minya. Her and Mr. Yamada get competitive about whose cat is the cutest and it culminates in a confrontation where she has to admit she couldn’t find her cat (who she thinks is a stray) and he presents Chi. She realizes they’re the same cat and seeing how much she cares for Chi, he allows her to come visit sometimes. (But when she does, she won’t leave and keeps everyone up with her fawning over the little kitten.)
Her story culminates late in the season in the reveal that Ryu is actually her little brother and now that he’s over his fear of cats, she can finally get her own. Maybe she’ll take in one of the strays Chi has befriended.
Cat meeting. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
How’s that for a segue? On her romps around town, Chi makes many new friends and is introduced to an entire society of cats that meet in a vacant lot. (One of these is the friendly orange and brown cat I mentioned in the first post. His name is Mike.) They worship Mr. Fuji, a legendary old cat who (according to myth) has seven different families, beat up a dog once, and can fly! Mr. Fuji is actually a lazy old gray cat who makes normal observations (“The sky is blue“, “I’m hungry“) and the other cats interpret wisdom from the statements.
Chi just thinks he’s fun to play with and likes how shaggy he is. After seeing how she’s allowed to climb all over their venerable old master, the other cats begin to look up to Chi as well. She rises even higher in their esteem when David invades one of the cat meetings and Chi fights him over a frisbee.
Tama is the best. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
The one who introduced Chi to the meeting and teaches her about life on the streets is one of my favorite new characters, Tama. Tama is a tough but sweet cat who knows a lot about survival in the outside. (Although she clearly does have a home, indicated by the fancy red ribbon she wears.)
Chi is precious. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
She tries to teach Chi how to avoid trouble and to be wary of humans, but just ends up chasing after the naïve kitten. Chi’s short attention span and endless optimism doesn’t allow her to sit still long enough to really absorb Tama’s lessons.
Hmmmm… (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
The reason Tama is so attached to Chi is that Chi reminds her of her sister who was taken by humans. I gasped and paused it here, immediately forming the theory that Tama is from an earlier litter and Chi is her long-lost sister. The fact that they kept coming back to this and pointing out how much Chi reminded Tama of her sister convinced me I was right. Was I? Keep reading…
Chi has sisters now. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Another cute character arc belongs to one of Chi’s neighbors, Alice. (Or “Fluffy Lady” as Chi calls her.) She starts off stuck-up and prissy, but is eventually won over by Chi like everyone else. She even gets into a rivalry with Tama about who’s the better cat and has more life experience. They bond over the fact that although they come from different walks of life, they both still care about the silly little kitten who makes them run all over the place.
Alice even comes to one of the cat meetings with Chi. Alice is a big fluffy cat who is awkward and clumsy and not always sure how to cat. At first she scares all the other cats, when they see Chi likes her, they accept her too. Chi teaches her how to play and how to eat grass, which another cat taught her she was supposed to do even though it doesn’t taste good.
This is the best. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
While Chi is adorable and entertaining on her own, she’s even better as she plays off and engages with others— whether it be the Yamada family, the pets around the complex, strangers, or the colorful cats she meets around the world. This season gave so much more in the way of new friends with differing ways of viewing the world Chi wanders her way through. With the move, Chi’s world really did open up, and while she learned a lot (mostly how to climb and that french fries are tasty) she’s still the same bright-eyed kitten with a heart full of wonder.
More action! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Chi has many more adventures: she goes to a pet salon, gets her teeth brushed, goes on a bus ride, wrecks the Tanabata tree, wrecks the Christmas tree, eats nagashi-soumen, sees fireworks, and plays tennis. (Sort of.)
Chi plays tennis. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
I joked in Part 1 about how cat-centric the Yamadas are, and it reaches a new peak in this season. They actually buy a car so Chi can go on trips with them and they won’t have to worry about getting kicked off the bus again.
On the episode where they go to play tennis, we get to find out how the Yamadas met. Mom was in tennis club in college and Dad joined the photography club so that he could take her picture because he had a crush on her. It was a cute story.
Juri is back! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
In one story arc they visit Juri in Hokkaido. (This was a thread that finally paid off from way back in Season 1 when Juri first visited them.) On the ranch, Chi is spun around by the ever-exuberant Juri, scared by a horse, chases birds, accidentally rides a horse, is scared by chickens, licked by a cow, and has all sorts of adventures.
Chi makes friends everywhere. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
After this arc, it’s back home to further adventures. But first Chi makes friends with a baby fox.
Like always, this isn’t all the fun times Chi has in the series, just some of the major moments. If you decide to check out the show for yourself, there’s still plenty to discover that I didn’t mention. That said, let’s talk about the final story arc.
Chi’s biggest adventure. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
On one of her many wanderings, Chi has a sudden memory of Blackie, the big, gruff Bear Cat she met in Season 1. After he moved away, she realized that she didn’t have to be sad because he was still out there somewhere and he said they’d play together again some day. She thinks she sees him in the back of a pickup truck, but it turns out to be a garbage bag. The truck starts moving and she’s driven far, far away, over a bridge and to the other side of the city. She’s more lost than she’s ever been, not recognizing anything. She meets some scary-looking stray cats, but she wins them over too, of course. She’s determined to go home, but their leader, Tiger, tells her she can always join their gang.
I didn’t think things could get cuter. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Meanwhile, the family is getting really worried and Dad stays out all night searching for Chi. On the other side of town, Chi meets a cat who reminds her of Tama. This turns out to be Hana, the long-lost sister we’d heard so much about! Hana has a litter of kittens. Chi asks her to come with her, since Tama misses her, but Hana declines, saying she has a home here now. She does point Chi in the general direction of where Tama lives, though. She tells her to follow the sun, which is advice Chi had received from another cat. (Mike, if I remember right.)
So, yeah, my theory about Chi and Tama being sisters was wrong. It just really seemed like foreshadowing and I was so certain that Chi would be reunited with her mom and littermates by the end of the series. (Maybe it happens in the manga? If it does, no spoilers. I will read it soon.)
Although she knows what direction to go, Chi still has a long, scary journey home. She has to deal with several obstacles: a scary doggy, cars, a train, and clouds that cover the sun she was using to navigate.
The Yamadas get more and more worried. The clerk and Yohei’s friends help search for Chi, along with the others from the apartment. Tama enlists Alice and all the cats from the meeting, including Mr. Fuji, to join the search. Everyone is starting to lose hope, but Yohei refuses to give up, going out into the rainy night to look for her.
The Bear-cat is back! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Chi is determined to find her family but she collapses from exhaustion in the rain. Unexpectedly, the one who finds her is Blackie! They catch up and Blackie brings her some fried chicken. (Still up to his old thieving tricks, it seems.) Blackie shows her the way home. He easily helps her navigate the scary dog, the cars, and the train. (His advise is basically to watch and wait. Patience is the key!) They then hitch a ride on a truck to cross the bridge and get back to Chi’s part of the city.
Touching. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
The Yamadas have been looking all day and refuse to give up the search. Blackie says goodbye to Chi and she doesn’t want to leave him again. He reminds her that she has a family to get back to and promises that they’ll meet again when he comes back around to visit. (Note that he never says “goodbye”. He always says “later.”) They both promise to play again someday. With that set, Chi runs off to find her family.
Things are dark for Chi. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Chi is still exhausted and about to drop, but keeps pushing herself, finally getting back to the Yamadas, right on the same spot where they first found her all that time ago. This time she doesn’t fall over, though. She runs to Yohei and shares a relieved embrace with her family.
Happy ending! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
In the final episode, they have a big welcome home party for Chi and invite all their neighbors, their pets, and their friends. Even Tama, Mr. Fuji, and all the cats from the meeting show up. Even though Blackie and Hana can’t be there, they’re all under the same sun, thinking of Chi and the time they spent with her. Chi realizes that everyone there is a part of her family, not just Yohei, Mom, and Dad.
Love it. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
Not gonna lie, the last episode got me all emotional. Even though I was wrong about Tama being Chi’s older sister (still could be, you never know) and that Chi would be reunited with the mother she can barely remember, I think it’s more fitting that she wasn’t. Instead, she was lost and everyone who loved her went off searching. It was only through Hana’s directions, Blackie’s wisdom, and above all Chi’s determination that she got home.
Ultimately, Chi’s Sweet Home is not about the family you’re born into, but rather the family that you choose. The family that chooses you. If you’re genuine and true to yourself and everyone around you, your family with continue to grow no matter where you are. The ones you touch, the ones who love you and would do anything for you… that’s your true family, your true home.
It was a fun ride. (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
I love the ending and appreciate the fact that everyone got to play a part in it, searching for Chi, helping her find her way home, celebrating her return. I especially like that Blackie finally made another appearance and was critical to Chi reuniting with her family. I expected the show to just end with no fanfare, but they went the extra mile and put some real care into the conclusion that a series of 208 episodes (short as they were) deserved.
This was a very fun and enjoyable series and I loved every minute of it. I can’t recommend this series enough and I’m so glad I found it and have been able to share it with you all.
Awwwww! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
At this point, my coverage of the franchise may be over. I haven’t fully decided yet, but there is more content beyond the 208 episodes of the anime. There is still a three season CGI adaptation, 12 original volumes of the manga, and I recently learned there is also a four volume sequel manga called Chi’s Sweet Adventures. I, of course, bought all the manga tankōbon and am looking forward to reading them. Also I have some inkling that the manga may have a different ending…
Now that I’m done with both seasons of Chi’s adventures, I’m already on the look out for my next ultra-cute wholesome diversion. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line in the comments or social and I’ll check it out. Also as I continue watching and reading my way through the Chi franchise, I’ll see if there is enough to comprise a Part 4 (and possibly Part 5) of my coverage. Time will tell. Thank you for joining me on this journey through Chi’s Sweet Home! I appreciate you all and I’ll see you soon!
Bye Chi! (Credit: Kanata Konami, Madhouse)
