Aya Kago Makes Surprise Appearance in ‘Yani Neko’ Episode 10 as the Raptor Woman – Fan Reactions
Episode 10 of 'Yani Neko' brings Aya Kago as a raptor woman, a poop-centric road trip, and a landlord's chocolate mishap. Fans react.
2026-09-11OkabeRintarou6 min read
The summer anime “Yani Neko” aired its 10th episode, “Nyā mo Event wo Tanoshimu nya,” on September 10 at 24:30. This week, the show reached a new level of absurdity, featuring a cameo by entertainer and singer Aya Kago, who voices a mysterious “raptor woman.” As usual, the internet had plenty to say.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for episode 10. If you haven’t watched it yet, proceed with caution.
Special Program and a Catchy Tune
On September 7, the special program “Kyou dake Kirei na Yani Neko” (Today Only, a Clean Yani Neko) was uploaded to YouTube. The program featured Yani Neko’s voice actress Yuko Natsuyoshi and Tetsu Inada, who plays the landlord, engaging in a fun back-and-forth. The official account posted about it: see the post.
Meanwhile, the “Yakuneko Aru Aru” song from episode 9 got a real-life rendition by Shibata of Wasurelanneyo, who performed it and posted it on social media. The in-show version sung by Kansai Neko was lovely, but this cover is also worth a listen: check it out.
Episode 10: “Nyā mo Event wo Tanoshimu nya”
The episode opens with Yakuneko (real name: Koshimaru Masuko) behind the wheel of a rental car, clearly not in the best mood. She’s heading to the power spot “Mizuya no Taki” in Kanagawa, but she’s accompanied by the streamer Hameneko, who is super hyped. “Yosh, ikku yo!” she says. Yakuneko thinks she should have come alone.
During the trip, Yakuneko stops at a roadside station to use the restroom, but Hameneko only takes photos and declares she doesn’t need to go, unlike Yakuneko. Unfortunately, the waterfall is closed due to a landslide, disappointing Yakuneko. On the way back, however, Hameneko quietly says she needs to go to the bathroom now—her stomach isn’t feeling well.
Yakuneko is not happy but eventually stops the car and tells her to use the bushes.
This unexpected turn set the internet ablaze. Comments ranged from “Why of all places?!” to “Every week we get poop jokes?” and “A beautiful girl does a number two in the wild?” The show even added an anime-original line about it being number one, which had viewers laughing and cringing.
Then Yakuneko, yielding to temptation, drives off while Hameneko is in a state of bliss. Hameneko is left behind and resorts to hitchhiking. She eventually reunites with Yakuneko, who turned back, but viewers warned: “Hitchhiking is dangerous,” “This is how horror stories start,” and “Don’t go with strangers.”
Landlord’s Terrible Misunderstanding
In an earlier scene, Yani Neko did a dog-walking gig at a lady’s house. The lady told her to dispose of the dog’s poop in a bag, which Yani Neko brought home. When she returned to the apartment, the landlord was cleaning outside. She handed the bag to him, and he mistook it for a Valentine’s Day gift. Despite Yani Neko insisting it’s not chocolate, he took a bite, commenting on its “moist texture.”
Viewers were stunned: “Please tell me he didn’t…?” “He’s making the worst kind of mistake lol,” “Today’s Yani Neko is particularly awful,” and “The show is really leaning into the toilet humor this week.” It truly is an episode not to watch while eating.
The Raptor’s Return
Later, Yani Neko is enjoying a hot dog outdoors when a hawk-like raptor swoops down and snatches it. Yani Neko quickly captures the bird by spitting on it (yes, really). She takes it back to the apartment and tries to cook it, but the landlord stops her. He buys the bird from her for 1,000 yen and releases it into the sky. The landlord is a bit of a dunce but has a kind heart.
That night, as the landlord recalls the bird and notes its strong eyes, a window opens and a voluptuous woman enters. She introduces herself as “the raptor you saved this afternoon” and begins to undress, starting a raptor’s “repayment” that the landlord’s imagination conjures.
The internet erupted over this scene: “What a vivid imagination, landlord!” “The landlord’s antics are hilarious,” and “We get a rare service scene from the landlord.” It seems the landlord has both kindness and a boyish sense of wonder.
The woman is none other than Aya Kago. Tetsu Inada, who plays the landlord, expressed his surprise on social media with posts like “Kago-chan!” and “That was the raptor’s spirit?” and “This is how Yani changes your life… that’s right, boss lady.” See his tweets: post 1, post 2, post 3.
Kago has previously appeared on the obi commentary for the 10th volume of the original manga, so her involvement is a big deal.
Reactions to Aya Kago’s Appearance
Kago also performed the eyecatch that appears during episode 10. After the broadcast, she commented, “I was moved to see such cute cats animated and moving with voices! I was suddenly asked to join as a voice actress, so please watch my performance!”
Viewers who saw her name in the credits went wild: “Wait, the ex-Morning Musume Kago is in Yani Neko?!” “I burst out laughing when I saw Aya Kago,” “She’s called the boss lady of the Yani world and did the manga obi,” “Making her record for a Yani anime is quite the feat,” and “Respect.”
The original creator also expressed joy: “We had Aya Kago appear for the eyecatch and as the raptor woman! So cool! Thank you!” See the post.
Post-Broadcast Comments
Director Taku Kimura revealed, “At the time, we hadn’t decided the broadcast version, and I was worried about how to air this episode. Please enjoy both versions.” He also thanked Kago. Read his tweet.
The “Jaryuu Kaihou Ban” (Demon Dragon Release Version), which respects the original production intent, is even more intense and is available on AT-X and select streaming services.
Misato Matsuoka, who plays Yakuneko, also commented, “This time, poop is again in the spotlight! And we finally get a pervert on stage! I’m thrilled! I can’t wait to see how much the Demon Dragon Release will liberate us—you have to watch it!” Here’s her tweet.
That sums up episode 10. With only a few episodes left, fans are enjoying the chaos, with comments like “This week’s Yani Neko is too much lol,” “I can’t believe 30 minutes contained this much awful,” and “This week was extremely terrible (in a good way).” What will they do next?
The anime airs every Thursday at 24:30 on TOKYO MX, BS11, and AT-X. Streaming begins on Netflix and other platforms every Thursday at 25:00.
