Hong Kong health regulators have dealt anime fans a curveball this week. Chainsmoker Cat, the Summer 2026 dark comedy about chain-smoking anthropomorphic cat-girls, has been pulled from Animation Crazy (HK) and removed from Ani-One Asia’s YouTube presence in the region — not by the show’s producers, but on orders from the Hong Kong Department of Health.
What Actually Happened
On 19 August, Animation Crazy (HK) — the Hong Kong branch of Taiwanese streaming platform Bahamut — announced on Facebook that it had received an official letter from the Hong Kong Department of Health. The letter cited the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, Sections 13B and 14, classifying the anime’s continued streaming as the “online dissemination of advertisements for smoking products.”
The platform promptly suspended the series and advised affected subscribers to apply for refunds. Under the Ordinance, violations carry a maximum fine of 50,000 HKD (approximately SGD 8,500) plus an additional 1,500 HKD per day for any continuing offence.
Ani-One Asia’s Hong Kong YouTube channel has also stopped streaming the series, despite Hong Kong being listed among its licensed territories when the show launched in July.
Singapore and SEA Fans Are Unaffected — For Now
The suspension is specific to Hong Kong and does not extend to other Ani-One Asia territories. Singapore fans can still access Chainsmoker Cat through Ani-One Asia and on Netflix, where the series remains available.
It is worth noting that Singapore has its own Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, which prohibits tobacco product advertising. There has been no regulatory action taken here against the series, and given that the show is widely understood as an unglamorous, cautionary portrayal of nicotine addiction rather than a promotional one, such action seems unlikely — but the Hong Kong case is a first of its kind for streaming anime in the region and a reminder of how differently regulators across Asia can interpret the same content.
About Chainsmoker Cat
Based on the manga of the same name by NyanNyanFactory — serialised in Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine since February 2023 — Chainsmoker Cat follows anthropomorphic cat-girls living in a run-down apartment complex, several of them dependent on nicotine and other substances. The series blends dark humour with an unglamorous look at addiction.
The anime adaptation premiered on 2 July 2026, produced by Bibury Animation Studios under director Taku Kimura. Script duties fall to Takashi Aoshima, with character designs by Riki Matsuura and a score by Keiichi Suzuki. Yuko Natsuyoshi leads the voice cast as protagonist Yani. Seven Seas Entertainment holds the English manga licence for global print readers.
The Irony: Manga Sales Are Soaring
Despite the controversy — or arguably because of it — Chainsmoker Cat is doing very well commercially. Following the anime’s run, every volume of the source manga has been confirmed for a reprint to meet rising demand, as reported by Denfaminico Gamer. In Japan, the series was reportedly the subject of a recent BPO (Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization) session, with the committee ultimately finding its content within the bounds of permissible freedom of expression.
The Hong Kong ban is the most significant regulatory response the series has faced so far. With manga sales climbing and the anime still streaming on Netflix across the region, it seems unlikely to slow the franchise down. Singapore fans wanting to catch up can head to Netflix now.
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