is a Japanese manga series created by Kaishaku. The series centers on the exploits of a race of pet cats, drawn as catgirls and the occasional catboy.

A 12-episode anime television series adaptation animated by Madhouse and TNK aired from July 5, 2001, to September 27, 2001.

Plot Taruto is a little catgirl who, at the beginning of the series, moves to a new house in a huge city at her human owner Iori Monaka and his teenage niece Kinako. Taruto spends her days making friends and exploring her new home town. In reality, she is a legendary princess with special magic powers. Almost none of Taruto's friends believe that she can use magic or is a princess from a faraway kingdom, but Taruto herself is determined to prove it to them no matter what happens.

Characters Animals

The protagonist of the story, Taruto is believed to be the legendary Kinka princess. She often is found playing around and talking with her master, Iori, who she admires very much, to the point she has a crush on him despite Iori's being human and calls him her fiancé. Taruto says "meow" ("nya-no") after almost every phrase she says, but is the only cat who does this.

Charlotte is one of Taruto's friends known for her stubborn attitude. She doubts that Taruto is really the Kinka princess. However, Charlotte has tried to be kind to Taruto – such as trying to help her escape from Anzunko – but she only did this because she claimed it was her "duty".

Chitose is one of Taruto's friends with a quiet and graceful personality. She seems very much the epitome of the proper Japanese girl, wearing an all-day green kimono as her regular attire. Bubbly and cheerful, Chitose never hesitates to speak her mind. She once had a lady cat who named Tort, but died.

Kakipi is a flying squirrel who ironically has difficulty flying. Ever since he was trapped in Iori's ceiling and Taruto rescued him, Kakipi has been Taruto's sidekick. He was the one who came up with the idea that Taruto may be the Kinka princess and believes this with all of his heart. Kakipi is usually trying to break Taruto of her lazy habits, but finds this job difficult.

Chips is the leader of her mall team alongside her brother, Nachos. Her Japanese name, Potechi, is an abbreviation of "Potato Chips". She is a "rebel" with an obsession with collecting shiny objects. Chips dislikes Taruto, believing that she is "weak". She has a somewhat boyish appearance. Chips once stole Iori's good luck charm, a small bottle. However, after Nachos broke one of Chips' collected bottles, she realized how bad Iori must feel and nervously returns it.

Nachos is Chips' calm and laid-back partner. He refers to his sister Chips as "boss" and will always do what she says. Nachos has a crush on Taruto and helps everyone, such as when he came up with a plan to rescue a cat which was trapped in a house.

Chiffon is a wise girl who is often found with her face in a book. She is knowledgeable about all kinds of subjects. Chiffon was the one who took Charlotte in when she was a stray, and also gave Charlotte her name.

Rakugan is an elderly cat who calls himself a master of magic. He only knows a few ninja tricks, such as his smoke bomb, which he commonly uses for escapes and entrances. In a way, Rakugan wants him to be his teacher in magic. He is the one who taught Taruto to use the "Hail Tiger" spell and willing to give advice, which rarely works the way she expects.

Humans

Iori is Taruto's easygoing, gentle, and kind master. He is affectionate towards Taruto, but cannot understand her and sometimes makes her when she is trying to communicate with him due to being a human. However, Iori seems to only hear cat language because he cannot understand her. Iori is smitten with Anzuko Dōmyōji, but she shows no interest in him either.

Kinako is Iori's independent and tomboyish niece. She feels lonely when Iori, whom she lives with for unknown reasons, ignores her and spends his time trying to impress Anzuko. Although they were once rivals, she is good friends with Geppei.

Anzuko is a cat collector who once has set her eyes on a cat. She goes to great lengths to catch it, possibly being the stereotype of a crazy cat lady. When Anzuko saw Taruto for the first time, she has wanted her for her cat collection. Since Iori would not give Taruto to her despite his crush on Anzuko, she decided to capture Taruto instead. Whenever Anzu sees Taruto, she will chase her.

Geppei is a man who thinks he is better than everyone else, acting like he is the boss of the town. However, his ex-rival, Kinako, set him straight. When the duo first met, they were enemies, but soon put their differences aside and became close friends, and often go on adventures together. One of the few cat boys in the series, Gallette, is his pet and goes everywhere with him.

Episode list

References

External links

Bandai Channel Official website