English Dub Review: Chainsmoker Cat “My Summer Begins—And Ends”

Overview:

Yani’s fellow tenant, Aruko, disappears during a drinking party while three new assistants arrive at Tatsuro’s workplace as her deadline looms closer.

Our Take:

There is one thing I have to give this show major props for. If you were ever someone who had to take care of someone who was always drunk or had to have their cigarettes, then this show might give you PTSD. At the beginning of the episode, Aruko is out drinking and becomes so drunk that she gets lost trying to find the bathroom. She ends up in a convenience store bathroom and then gets into a cab that takes her to a neighboring town.

Luckily, Yakuko put a GPS in her hair and used it to track her down with the landlord’s help. I feel like I have to shout out the landlord because he has come in clutch lately. Sure, he has some perverted tendencies, but at least he does those in the privacy of his own home. He hasn’t attempted to do anything creepy to Yani or any of the other tenants. Plus, he goes out of his way to help them when they’re in trouble.

Meanwhile, the manga artist Tatsuro needed some help and got some beastfolk to come from a temp agency. They’re all very kind, but they work a lot more slowly than what she’s used to. With a deadline looming over her, she begins to lose her temper and yells at them. After some tense and awkward silence, she eventually apologizes to them and thanks them for their help. They worked through the night and into the early morning. I could see her asking them for help again, but I think she’s missing how Yani was because when Yani was there, she could smoke at least.

This show has begun to feel like it’s creating a brand-new genre. It’s a slice of depressing life, from what I can tell. It doesn’t seem like anyone in this show is truly happy. Except for maybe Yani, because as long as she has cigarettes, she’s happy. If she doesn’t have those, then oh boy, I challenge you to find anyone more unhappy than her. When she runs out of lighter fluid, she decides to smoke all of her cigarettes at once so that she can use the previous one to light the next one. To me, that seems like a sad existence, but to her it’s bliss.