Cats are fickle creatures, but even that is incredibly charming. They show up in precious photographs from the Meiji era and in paintings from the Edo period, proof that humans and cats have shared a wonderful relationship for ages. And somewhere out there, there's a ramen shop run entirely by cats. The shop's name is Ramen Akaneko. Supported by countless cat lovers... that's the anime. That's Ramen Akaneko.
I'm no exception myself — a cat lover with a multi-cat household — so I've adored Ramen Akaneko ever since the original manga and have been following it religiously.
Maybe it's precisely because the manga is sustained by cat lovers, but here's how it started: it was an "indie" serialization on Shonen Jump+, which doesn't mean it gets a collected volume — instead, the manga's page rate is paid out based on view counts. Despite that setup, it steadily grew in popularity from the very start of its run, becoming the first indie serialization ever to get a collected tankobon release. Then, in the episode that also served as the Season 1 finale of the anime — where one of the main characters, Tamako Yashiro, is officially hired as a full-time employee after working part-time — Ramen Akaneko itself finally graduated from indie serialization to a full serialization, achieving a Jump+ first. And the momentum didn't stop there; it powered all the way to an anime adaptation. I think that run of events says everything about just how staggering its popularity is.
As for the Ramen Akaneko anime itself, Season 1 recently wrapped up to wide acclaim, much to fans' regret, and we were all holding out faint hope for a Season 2 that never seemed to be announced — until the recent Jump Festa, where the production of Season 2 was confirmed, lighting up social media!
So, to celebrate this happy occasion, I'd like to look back on the soundtrack of Season 1.
Less "slice-of-life" and more family-friendly anime — a soundtrack that seems to win over people of every age
The first thing I thought when I watched the Ramen Akaneko anime was, "This feels like the soundtrack to a family-friendly anime, like Crayon Shin-chan!" It's different from, say, the laid-back vibe of those typical cute-girls-doing-everyday-things anime, and even compared to recent anime, this music has a nostalgic, comforting quality to it. It's the work of composer Hirotaka Matsuoka. Matsuoka has done a wide range of work — mixing for Rikon Densetsu (who also sang Akaneko's ED), boat-race fanfares, CM songs, arrangements, and more. With that kind of deep, off-the-charts experience, he draws out the charm of Ramen Akaneko while crafting a wonderful soundtrack that — in the best sense — never overshadows the show.
Just like with modern J-POP, soundtracks too tend to be packed with elements, addition piled on addition. Against that backdrop, what stands out here is the clean, decisive writing that simply expresses "the atmosphere woven into the anime" — the unique sense of comfort that is Ramen Akaneko. And that's true of every track: you feel like you can almost place where it played, but not quite, and somehow the cuteness of Akaneko's staff comes through, with the mood of the moment sealed inside. It makes you want to watch the anime all over again to check, so by all means pick up the soundtrack that went on sale at the end of September, rewatch Season 1, and let's crane our necks waiting for Season 2.
It's been a while since an anime made me feel like just kicking back and slurping some ramen, and I really want everyone to watch it and listen to it.
Cited from the official site https://x.com/ramenakaneko
