Ex-Idol Involved in Smoking Scandal Voices Character in Yani Neko
Ai Kago is back in the spotlight after appearing in the anime Yani Neko as the voice of the mysterious “Raptor Woman.” The casting drew even more attention because of the former Morning Musume member’s past, which includes a notorious underage smoking scandal.
Episode 10 of Yani Neko, which aired on the 11th, featured Kago not only in the main story but also as the narrator for the animation shown at the end. And considering the anime’s subject matter, her casting quickly became a hot topic among viewers.
Ai Kago Voices the Raptor Woman in Yani Neko
Yani Neko features neko girls dealing with cigarettes, addiction, and other problematic behaviors, tackling these subjects in a surprisingly raw way. At the same time, the story manages to turn all of this into absurd and even surreal situations.
It is precisely this combination of cuteness, strange humor, and an almost brutally realistic depiction of addiction that has made Yanineko such a peculiar series.
And then there’s Ai Kago.
In the tenth episode, the entertainer provided the voice for the so-called “Raptor Woman,” a character who appears in the landlord’s fantasy, while also narrating the eye-catch shown at the end of the episode.
During her appearance, Kago also played around with different vocal tones when saying “Yani Neko,” making her performance even more memorable.
Why Did Ai Kago’s Appearance Get So Much Attention?
The casting did not go unnoticed because Ai Kago has a particularly well-known connection to the central theme of Yani Neko.
Kago joined Morning Musume at just 12 years old and quickly became one of the group’s most popular members. That same year, she even appeared on the traditional year-end music program NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.
Her career, however, took a major turn several years later.
At 17, a weekly magazine revealed that the singer had been caught smoking while she was still underage. The incident resulted in her activities being suspended.
Later, a second smoking incident ultimately led to her dismissal at 19.
Read more: After spending some time away from the spotlight, Kago returned to the entertainment industry in 2008 and began working independently.
That is why seeing her appear in an anime specifically dealing with cigarettes and the effects of addiction on people’s lives made many viewers feel like the whole thing had been planned from the beginning.
Ai Kago Had Already Talked About Yani Neko
Her appearance in the anime was not actually Kago’s first connection to the series.
When Yani Neko Volume 10 was released, the entertainer wrote a recommendation for the promotional obi wrapped around the volume.
In her message, she highlighted precisely the contradiction that makes the series so unusual: the cats are incredibly cute, yet their lives end up completely messed up by cigarettes.
She even commented that smoking really can change a person’s life (well, no kidding!).
In other words, her appearance in the anime ended up being much more fitting for the series’ theme than it might have seemed at first.
Fans Reacted to the “Coincidence” Involving Kago
After episode 10 aired, the official Yani Neko X account shared a message from Ai Kago about her appearance.
The former Morning Musume member said she was moved to see the cats she found so cute actually become animated, move, and make sounds. She also explained that she received the offer to work as a voice actress shortly before the recording and asked fans to pay attention to her performance.
Some viewers were impressed by the casting, while others saw it as one of those perfect coincidences that almost seem like they were planned from the very beginning.
Some of the reactions included:
- “After more than 20 years, she can still use this as material for herself.”
- “Kago-chan and Yani Neko are a perfect collaboration.”
- “This invitation was way too karmic.”
- “I can’t believe she accepted.”
The creator of Yani Neko, identified as Nyannyan Factory, also publicly thanked the entertainer for taking part.
“We were honored to have Ai Kago appear in the eye-catch and as the Raptor Woman.”