English Dub Season Review: Beheneko: The Elf-Girl’s Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster! Season One

Based on the Japanese light novel series written by Nozomi Ginyoku and illustrated by Mitsuki Yano. The story follows an unnamed knight. Who, after dying in battle against the forces of evil, finds himself reincarnated not as a hero, but as a baby behemoth, which is one of the most powerful monsters in existence. The twist? In his infant form, he looks just like an ordinary orange & white house cat. Rescued from the brink of death by a beautiful elf adventurer named Aria, he is taken in as her pet and given the name Tama. Despite his new appearance, Tama retains his noble spirit and quickly falls in love with Aria, who, after a troubled history with men, gradually opens her heart to him. As Tama reveals his incredible strength to protect her, others come to believe he is an elemental cat, and his unusual life takes an even stranger turn as more women become drawn to him, unknowingly admiring the powerful soul inside the adorable feline form.

On the technical side, This Anime adaptation is based on the Japanese light novel series written by Nozomi Ginyoku and illustrated by Mitsuki Yano. And is produced by Zero-G and Saber Works, and directed by Tetsuo Hirakawa, with Kanichi Katō in charge of series scripts, Tomoyuki Abe designing the characters, and Yūsuke Shirato and Oni composing the music. The opening theme song is “Supreme Heart” by Nonoka Ōbuchi, while the ending theme song is “Rimi” by Poka Poka Ion, a special music unit of voice actresses Nao Tōyama and Kiyono Yasuno.

In a nutshell, Beheneko (Which is a portmanteau of the words “Behemoth” and the Japanese word for cat, “Neko”) follows the story of a knight who, after dying, is reincarnated into an immensely powerful behemoth monster that mostly takes the form of a small, cute cat named Tama. Though the world is an isekai setting with connections to Japan, it effectively functions as a fantasy realm for the story’s purposes. Tama is saved by an elf named Aria, who has a fondness for elemental cats, and pledges to protect her in return. The anime explores their adventures as they face dungeons, monsters, and a variety of challenges, with Tama’s growing powers at the center of the action.

The narrative delivers a straightforward, familiar fantasy plot filled with common anime tropes: adventuring parties, monster hunting, and a power fantasy vibe. The characters, especially the female cast, are designed to appeal with attractive, often revealing outfits and frequent ecchi moments. While the story offers some humor and charm, many supporting characters feel one-dimensional, serving mostly as eye candy. The show leans heavily into fanservice, particularly through frequent bath scenes, and the main cat protagonist’s unique ability to change size adds a quirky, sometimes risqué twist to the interactions. Despite its overt ecchi nature, the story maintains enough seriousness to keep stakes meaningful during battles and key moments.

When it comes to visuals, Beheneko delivers mixed results. The animation is serviceable but rarely spectacular: action scenes feel a bit static, and character movements occasionally stilted, robbing some sword fights of visceral impact. On the other hand, the character designs, particularly Tama’s shifting proportions, bring a playful energy to each scene, and the color palette evokes a warm, storybook fantasy. Musically, the show leans on jaunty, medieval-flavored themes that underscore both the humor and the heroic beats, though few melodies linger in the mind after the credits roll. Voice performances are uniformly strong, with the elf-girl and her motley crew bringing genuine enthusiasm even when the plot crawls through familiar territory.

Overall, Beheneko is an enjoyable but pretty standard fantasy/ecchi anime. It has a fun, chaotic energy and delivers on its promise of lighthearted fan service combined with simple adventure storytelling. The characters, while not deeply developed, have their moments of charm, and the pacing keeps the series engaging enough for fans of the genre. Yet the show is not without flaws; its reliance on ecchi tropes and generic designs may turn off some viewers, and the main cat protagonist can be polarizing due to how some of the female protagonists react to it in later storylines. But at the very least, it provides a decent guilty pleasure for those seeking a mix of fantasy action and risqué comedy. But if Season 2 happens, I wouldn’t mind seeing where it goes next for Tama, his newfound home and pseudo-family.