Nekonade S1:E8

The Man Who Doesn't Feel Lonely

Onizuka Taro, the cold-hearted head of HR, is feared by all for his ruthless layoffs. After another tough day of dismissals, Onizuka rests in a park, where he encounters a box of abandoned kittens.

Uncertainty is the Signal for a New Start

Onizuka wonders why has he become so captivated by the kitten. As a new training program for fresh recruits begins, he speaks harshly to the group, drawing resentment. On his way home, rain begins to fall, and Onitsuka finds himself rushing back to the park, wondering about the kitten. When he arrives, he hears a faint "meow" and discovers a trembling, rain-soaked kitten in the box. Before he knows it, he's holding it in his arms.

Life's Puzzle Starts to Make Sense Far Down the Road

Onizuka struggles to secretly care for the kitten, Tora, at home, with little knowledge of how to raise a cat. After learning from Kyoko about an available room in a weekly rental apartment, he decides to keep the kitten there. Balancing work, home, and visits to the apartment, he cares for Tora using online research. Even during training sessions, his mind is preoccupied with the kitten. One day, when he arrives at the apartment, Tora, who usually greets him, is nowhere to be found—he spots the kitten collapsed on the floor.

Something Known as Healing

In the company cafeteria, a former employee pours miso soup on Onizuka's head in revenge for being laid off, while Kyoko silently offers him a handkerchief. During a product presentation, Onizuka's mind drifts, preoccupied with layoffs, the trainees, and his kitten, Tora.

How Much Do You Earn Per Minute?

Midway through the training, Onizuka Taro's tough demeanor has, for better or worse, unified the trainees. Onizuka requests to use the surveillance robot from the development team for training. Longing to see his kitten, Tora, he sneaks to the weekly rental apartment during lunch to set up the robot, but struggles with it and ends up running late.

Place to Hide Treasure

With just a week left before his rental apartment expires, Onizuka reflects on Tora’s future while cleaning up the kitten’s room. As he leaves with a garbage bag, he unexpectedly runs into Asami, who notices an empty cat food can in the trash. Onizuka continues monitoring Tora through the robot, but one day, the kitten is missing from the screen. Panicked, he rushes to the apartment, only to find it completely empty.

The Age Where It's Hard to Admit What You Don't Understand

After completing another round of layoffs, Onizuka Taro becomes increasingly attached to watching Tora, hiding his obsession from Kyoko. During a meeting, a new product that allows mobile monitoring catches his interest, letting him check on Tora anytime. Excited, he borrows a prototype from Kinoshita in development. Upon arriving at Tora’s room, Onizuka finds a flea brush he doesn’t recognize. When he uses it on Tora, the kitten responds affectionately. Confused, Onizuka wonders who’s been secretly caring for Tora.

Are You Pleased When an Old Friend Says You Haven’t Changed At All?

Early one morning, Onizuka Taro impulsively buys a Himalayan cat on an auction site, influenced by his children's suggestion. Despite struggling with just one cat, he feels a shift in himself for taking on a second. As the trainees rehearse the company song for tomorrow’s singing lesson, Onizuka’s mind is consumed with thoughts of the Himalayan he'll meet at lunch. At the café, he meets Kamoshita, a pet dealer, to pick up the cat. However, instead of a Himalayan, he's handed a large, unrecognizable mixed-breed cat. When he complains, Kamoshita dismisses it, saying animals naturally change.

The Courage to Claim that the Pinnacle of Life is This Moment

Before heading to work, Onizuka Taro stops by Tora's room to feed the two cats, finding their behavior so endearing that he tries to capture the moment on his phone—his first time taking a picture. As the trainees arrive, Asami uses the excuse of forgetting something to sneak away and enter the apartment via the balcony. She feeds the cats snacks, which they eagerly devour, ignoring the food Onizuka had given them. Onizuka, hidden in the kitchen, watches the scene unfold and realizes his secret of keeping the cats has been discovered. Shaken, he heads to work, unable to calm his nerves after being caught.

The Feeling When You Master a Skill Like Doing a Back Handspring

Onizuka Taro beams as he gazes at a picture of his cats on his phone, asking Kyoko how to set it as his wallpaper. "Lately, I’ve grown fond of... cats," he admits, deciding to make small changes in his life. The five-year restructuring plan is nearing its end, with his longtime colleague Yanagishita as the final layoff. Despite Yanagishita's pleas, fueled by alcohol, Onizuka knows he must fulfill his duty. The last day of the two-week training program arrives, and during a self-assessment session, some trainees tear up reflecting on their progress. Asami shares that the most valuable takeaway was gaining close comrades and meeting a trustworthy supervisor.

If Everyday Views Look Unusual, It's a Lucky Day

Onizuka Taro’s face is swollen and bruised after getting into a fistfight with the young man who had abandoned Tora's brother. He returns to Tora's room, where Kyoko is waiting for him alone. As Tora and Kamoshita play, a tipsy Kyoko starts to confront Onizuka with worry. Overcome with emotion from her unexpected words, Onizuka feels tears welling up and washes his face repeatedly to regain control. The next day, he walks into the office with a clear expression and heads to the president’s office. Standing before Ryuzaki, he pulls a resignation letter from his pocket. Why resign after completing the restructuring?