Yani Neko Episode 5: Emotional Moments, Beetle Catching, and a Rainbow-Making Bungee Jump

The summer anime Yani Neko aired its fifth episode, titled “Nyā-tachi hikyō ni iku nya” (The Nekos Go to a Secret Place), on July 30, 2026. Following last week’s episode that featured the appearance of erotic manga artist Ochinpo Tatsurō and a freezing incident caused by the landlord, this week took a surprisingly different turn.

Yani Neko is based on the manga by Nyan Nyan Factory serialized in Kodansha’s Young Magazine. It depicts a world where humans and beastmen coexist, focusing on a group of lazy, chain-smoking beastmen who live messy but oddly endearing lives. The protagonist is the heavy smoker Yani neko (real name Satō Yaniko), voiced by Yūko Natsuyoshi. Other cast members include Yaku neko (real name Koshiji Marueko) voiced by Misato Matsuoka, Hame neko (real name Yurufuwa*Tenshi Hameko) voiced by Yurie Funato, Kansai neko (real name Nishi Kyōko) voiced by Ayaka Shimizu, Aru neko (real name Sakai Aruko) voiced by Shiori Izawa, Imoko (Yani neko’s younger sister) voiced by Rina Honzumi, and the landlord (real name Ōtani Ōuya) voiced by Tōru Inada. Animation production is by Bibury Animation Studio.

Note: The following contains spoilers for episode 5.

Imoko’s Youth

Imoko is the diligent, responsible younger sister of Yani neko. Worried about her sister’s health, she goes to the apartment to confiscate cigarettes. One day at school, she is confessed to behind the school building, but she apologetically turns the boy down.

The dejected boy says, “There’s only one Imoko-chan,” while a girl who has feelings for him pouts, “What’s with her? Imoko, Imoko—like a kentōshi (Japanese envoy to Sui China)!”

Viewers reacted: “Imoko-chan got a confession? Well, she’s cute… can’t be helped!” “This is a sparkling youth scene you wouldn’t expect from Yani neko.” “Why are they doing a shōjo manga plot?” “Kentōshi lol” “Kentōshi made me laugh so hard.”

Even Yani neko’s voice actress Yūko Natsuyoshi posted on social media, “Bittersweet, isn’t it… Yani neko…?” watching over Imoko’s youth. Hame neko’s voice actress Yurie Funato also commented on the “Imoko, Imoko—like a kentōshi!” line, clearly enjoying it.

Number 12 and Beetle Catching

Yaku neko accompanies Yani neko to a convenience store. When Yani neko orders “Number 12” cigarettes at the register, Yaku neko instinctively responds “Yes!” Later, at a hamburger shop, when the clerk calls “Number 12,” Yaku neko again answers. It turns out Yaku neko has a habit of reacting to specific numbers due to a past where she was called by a number—a prisoner number. The internet quickly caught on: “Ah, Number 12… from when she was doing time.” “That’s a prisoner number.”

Even during a game of Life with Hame neko and Kansai neko, Yaku neko reacts to the number 12. Later, she goes out for a summer activity: beetle catching, wearing a straw hat. Hame neko laughs, “Let me stream this as ‘A 20-year-old unemployed who hasn’t forgotten her elementary school heart’!” Kansai neko says, “I’m not interested in beetles. Sorry…” leaving Yaku neko alone.

The landlord, busy with neighborhood association work, can’t join. He asks, “Are you okay alone?” and adds, “If you really can’t find any, let me know.” Yaku neko replies, “I’m thinking of this as a recharge period. Thanks for the concern.”

Viewers commented: “Young Yaku neko is seriously cute.” “The ear hat is adorable.” “The landlord is genuinely a good person.” “What is this week’s Yani neko… a sad episode for Yaku-chan.” They sympathized with Yaku neko and noticed the landlord’s kindness. Yani neko eventually joins her, saying, “I’m free, so I’ll go too.”

“Yani neko is surprisingly good company.” “After all the crazy compliance-busting expressions, this is a recharge episode in a way.” Yaku neko’s beetle catching was also a youthful moment.

Journey to the Secret Place

The group visits an unexplored forest where the “Alpha” live—people who grow delicious tobacco leaves. They live in “Tobacco Village,” one of the villages in the “Sixth Special Zone.”

The village chief, Rani, welcomes them, saying, “Smoke as much as you like,” and teaches them about the village’s culture. She shows them a stone statue of a god that the Alpha have protected for generations, and reveals tattoos on the backs of her hands depicting the statue reaching toward the sun.

Upon seeing this, Yaku neko mutters, “…ponya” and then “…poto…konya.” The internet reacted: “She said it lol” “Ochinpo Tatsurō was censored, but this direct lower-body comment was replaced with ‘…’!”

The Rainbow Maker

The group climbs to the top of the stone statue. It’s a ritual for villagers who have committed misdeeds to beg forgiveness from the deity—a bungee jump from the edge. Yani neko easily clears it, saying, “If you fall, you’ll die.” Hame neko, thinking it might be easier than expected, starts streaming, but Chief Rani kicks her off, and she falls. The terror causes something to leak, creating a rainbow.

Viewers: “A mosaic on the splash lol” “She wet herself!” “Hame neko’s bungee!! And then, a dignified incontinence!!” “That’s a dirty rainbow.” “She always leaks.” “This one is always wetting herself.” Hame neko earned the nickname “The Rainbow Maker.”

Imoko’s Youth Part 2

At school during lunch, a cicada flies into the classroom. Imoko catches it with her chopsticks and releases it out the window. When she goes to wash the chopsticks, some students whisper, “Is she trying to show she’s not afraid of bugs?” “Using chopsticks?” “I thought she was going to eat it.” Two friends bring her disposable chopsticks from the cafeteria, saying, “You probably don’t want to eat with those.” Imoko’s tail wags slowly in appreciation.

Viewers: “Good friends.” “Nice friends.” But the scene cuts to Yani neko, who catches a cicada that flew into the apartment and eats it raw. A stunned Kansai neko says, “At least cook it!” Yaku neko points out, “Is that the right thing to criticize?” Yani neko says, “It tastes like shrimp, delicious.”

“Of course Yani neko catches a cicada and eats it raw.” “There is a culture of eating cicadas.” “Well, cats do eat cicadas.” The internet seemed to accept it.

Post-Broadcast Reactions

After the broadcast, landlord voice actor Tōru Inada posted, “This week was interesting! And terrible!” Viewers commented: “Today was an emotional episode.” “Yani neko was a bit serious this time. It’s okay once in a while.” “The beetle catching story was genuinely good.”

“Because the previous episodes were so crazy, I didn’t feel the punch, but I could watch it comfortably.” “I thought this week was peaceful, but the stable dirty jokes were hilarious.” “This week was still relatively mild (our senses are numb).” “I found myself getting emotional, overlaying my own fermented student days onto the nekos’ lives.” “If you remove the cigarettes, this episode felt like a summer of high school youth.”

In particular, Yaku neko’s middle segment was memorable: “The best story in Yani neko so far.” “Nicely melancholic, and all the characters are good.” “The beetle catching episode had great direction and was the best.”

Natsuyoshi concluded, “Summer nostalgia… a dangerous ray gun… the texture of cicadas… too chaotic!!!” Funato posted about the rainbow maker, “A personally cherished scene!!!!”

Director Takushi Kimura commented, “It was an episode perfect for summer. Packed with youth and action. And this week’s eyecatch was by the band ‘Wasurerannē yo’! Don’t miss the last eyecatch!” The opening theme is also performed by Wasurerannē yo.

That concludes the summary of episode 5, “Nyā-tachi hikyō ni iku nya.”

Yani Neko airs every Thursday at 24:30 on TOKYO MX, BS11, and AT-X. From July 25, it also airs every Saturday at 24:30 on AT-X. Streaming begins every Thursday at 25:00 on Netflix and other platforms.

TV Anime Yani Neko

(C) Nyan Nyan Factory・Kodansha / Yani Neko Production Committee