The highly anticipated anime adaptation of Neko Oji: The Guy Who Got Reincarnated as a Cat (Neko ni Tensei Shita Ojisan) has officially announced its premiere date in Japan—October 7, 2024. Studio Eight Colors is leading the production, with direction by Rio and Takahiro Kawakoshi. Rio is also credited as the character designer for the series.
The anime’s voice cast includes:
Takahiro Kameoka as Ojisan
Kana Hanazawa as Punchan
Tomokazu Seki as President
Ayaka Ohashi as Tepchan
Kenjiro Tsuda as Itoyanagisensei
Originally a web manga created by Yajima, Neko Oji: The Guy Who Got Reincarnated as a Cat began its journey on social media platforms Twitter and Instagram in February 2023. The manga’s growing popularity led to its serialization by Kadokawa on their KadoComi website in October of the same year.
In 2023, the manga earned a notable achievement by securing second place in the Web Manga category at the Next Manga Awards, trailing just behind The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All.
The official website offers a glimpse into the story’s unique premise: An ordinary salaryman unexpectedly finds himself reincarnated as a cat. Unable to communicate in human language, he is soon discovered stranded by none other than the president of the company he once worked for. Known for his stern demeanor, the president’s attitude softens upon meeting the charming cat—unaware that it is, in fact, his former employee. Thus begins the whimsical tale of a salaryman navigating his new feline life while trying to keep his identity a secret, all while his former boss, now completely enamored with his new pet, dotes on him as “Punchan.”
Fans of the manga and anime enthusiasts alike are eagerly awaiting the debut of this quirky and heartwarming series.