NEKOPARA After Review – A Sister Route Send Off 10 Years in the Making

I can’t remember when or where I was when I first discovered the Nekopara series, but I’m happy to see it continue to evolve after all these years. Many things have changed since La Soleil first opened its doors, and two homeless catgirls encourage our protagonist, and perhaps even the fandom, to rise above all obstacles that stand before them, utilizing their God-given skills to reach their goals.

Through that premise, we saw other catgirls join the crew, each filling a specific role that our lead lacks, but incredibly, the focus on friendships and overcoming hardships is always endearing. However, the bigger question is, who would have guessed that over 10 years later, we are just barely getting the little sister route? Other series have come and gone, desperate to gain a fandom and giving in to the pressure with throwaway sister routes that never pay off. However, the wait is over, and you know what? Yeah, it was worth it, but corners were cut on quantity.

Standalone Release or Fandisc?

First off, while Nekopara After was initially intended to be a fandisc to Nekopara 4 before evolving into its own standalone release, I feel that it has sufficient agency to stand alone based on what is presented here. Several story routes are explored, but given that it takes place 2 years after the events in 4, I find the choice right to make this its own title. Furthermore, the story does spend some time on exposition as Beignet visits Kashou’s bakery to inform him that she has retired and he will now have to watch Fraise. This is where the premise kind of disconnects from Kashou and focuses on Shigure, his younger sister. If this were a fandisc, I’d guess it was meant to be from the prospect of Shigure because we get to see her and Fraise become much closer than Kashou.

This is all for good reason in terms of the premise. The idea of being a catpanion requires a little more nuance than maybe was led on before, but Fraise and Kashou are really clicking in the way he did with the others. It’s due to Shigure and Fraise’s relationship that we find out why this is, and they work together to solve the problem. Trust that it isn’t that deep, and really just ties into the side quest of obtaining the sister route. Okay, I’m going to be clear, I’m supportive of sister routes because of their insanity. I understand the implications of appreciating a sister route and tying it into the player’s life, but I assure you, I’m just a baka-boy playing baka-games for the irony of it all. I should also point out that Neka Works stands on business, and Shiguri isn’t an android or adopted, which definitely adds to the “will they, won’t they” tension. But then they do. A few times. For the plot.

Emotional Depth and Missed Opportunities

The story as a whole explores some emotionally charged territory. Still, if the developers were trying to treat this as a send-off to their longtime fans, I think they missed an opportunity to include a prologue. I went through the game several times…to research this, but there isn’t anything extra following the credits. This is where the criticisms of it being a fandisc turned full release come into play. The game is incredibly short, with only a few locations outside of the bakery, and not enough interactions with the alumni cast. Most of the story focuses on the idea of how catpionship works and the “magic” required to really understand it.

Still, there’s something to say about the quality of the performances and overall flow of the narrative. I can’t say I was ever bored or felt the pacing was off. Every scene had something charming to smirk at or introduced some emotional story element on the crew’s next moves. The animated character illustrations are a huge plus, as they add an extra layer of entertainment to the scenes, and there’s even some really well-done comedic timing in some of the scenarios. I do believe in the case of this Nekopara After release, the compact nature of the story means that there are very few distractions from improving your cat-harem. This also means that there aren’t many over-the-top skits between the other characters just for the hell of it.

All-Ages vs. 18+ Content

During the game, if you’ve downloaded the free patch, you’ll be asked if anyone is around you before the scene gets steamy. What’s interesting is that the all-ages version has exclusive CGs to the all-ages route that you can unlock by choosing that others are around you. It’s a nice system and I like that they gave this attention to the all-ages version, that I do believe this series has fans who don’t play for the h-scenes. I salute them for their ability to resist the charm of these feline baddies. All this to say, I think they did right by the fans in terms of quality for this release, but I really hope this isn’t the end because I think there needs to be a better send-off than this. I mean, respect for this sister route hold off, but take me to Kashou’s retirement and maybe provide some marriage routes. Sorry, I’ve been playing a lot of otome lately, so I’m all about putting a ring on it, eventually.

Final Thoughts on Nekopara After

Nekopara After has a story to tell, and it doesn’t deviate from that story once. It’s a game that gives players everything they’ve asked for, but nothing else. It retains a quality of comedic scenarios and exceptionally sexy situations, but fails to do anything else with its 11-year history under its belt. I’d like to see more of the series, but in that same breath, I enjoyed the thought that catpanionship isn’t a “snap your fingers and drop your pants” affair. There’s a real emotional connection required to achieve that, and sometimes, you have to have your sister in the room to make that connection flourish. And that’s Nekopara After.