'Chainsmoker Cat' anime series violates tobacco rules: Health minister

Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said Friday that the Japanese anime series "Chainsmoker Cat" (尼古喵喵) contains scenes that violate Taiwan's tobacco control rules, including close-ups of cigarette brands and smoking scenes without health warnings.

Shih said he had watched the anime and observed that cigarette brands were prominently displayed in several scenes. To comply with Taiwanese law, such images should be blurred or obscured, while smoking scenes should carry a warning that smoking is harmful to health, he said.

Shih's comments came after the John Tung Foundation -- a tobacco control advocacy group -- reported the series to authorities Thursday, alleging repeated displays of identifiable cigarette brands and packaging. Several local streaming platforms subsequently removed the series.

The removal of the series, which features an anthropomorphic cat with a heavy smoking habit, has sparked a backlash in Taiwan's anime community. Some fans argued that its portrayal of nicotine addiction serves as an anti-smoking message and that removing it infringes on creative freedom.

Shih said the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act prohibits the promotion and advertising of tobacco through media including films, television, radio and online platforms. Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Communications Commission in 2010 also restrict smoking scenes in creative works.

The guidelines call for avoiding frequent close-ups of characters smoking, content targeting children, the airing of such content during children's viewing hours and depictions of main characters as smokers, among other measures.

"The series indeed does not comply with the regulations," Shih said, adding that the rules apply to foreign productions distributed in Taiwan.

Asked whether the anime's portrayal of nicotine addiction could be considered anti-smoking, Shih said that was a separate issue requiring expert assessment to determine whether the content could encourage or discourage smoking.

The John Tung Foundation said Friday that the anime should not be able to circumvent tobacco advertising restrictions simply because it is entertainment.

The Health Ministry has referred the case to local health authorities for investigation. If violations are confirmed, those responsible for distributing the series in Taiwan could face fines of up to NT$1 million (US$31,700).

"Chainsmoker Cat," originally titled "Yani Neko" in Japanese, is based on a manga by NyanNyanFactory that has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine since February 2023. An anime adaptation produced by Bibury Animation Studios began airing in July 2026.