I'm a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl's Pet
First light novel volume cover
Ｓランクモンスターの《ベヒーモス》だけど、猫と間違われてエルフ娘の騎士ペットとして暮らしてます (Esuranku Monsutā no "Behīmosu" dakedo, Neko to Machigawarete Erufu Musume no Kishi Petto to Shite Kurashitemasu)
I'm a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl's Pet[a] is a Japanese light novel series written by Nozomi Ginyoku and illustrated by Mitsuki Yano. It began serialization on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō in August 2017. It was later acquired by Micro Magazine who began publishing it under their GC Novels imprint in March 2018. A manga adaptation illustrated by Taro Shinonome began serialization in Hakusensha's Young Animal Arashi magazine in March 2018 before being transferred to the Young Animal magazine in July of the same year. An anime television series adaptation produced by Zero-G and Saber Works premiered in January 2025.
Plot
An unnamed knight is killed and reincarnates as a baby behemoth, one of the greatest monsters, which happens to resemble an ordinary cat. A beautiful elf girl named Aria adopts him as a pet and names him Tama. He quickly falls in love with her, and when he demonstrates his incredible powers to protect her, everyone assumes that he is an elemental cat. Aria had bad experiences with men but grows to love Tama, and several other females fall in love with him too.
Written by Nozomi Ginyoku, I'm a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl's Pet began serialization on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on August 19, 2017.[5] It was later acquired by Micro Magazine who began publishing it with illustrations by Mitsuki Yano under their GC Novels imprint on March 30, 2018. Two volumes have been released as of October 2018.[6] During their Anime Expo 2019 panel, Yen Press announced that they licensed the light novel.[7]
A manga adaptation illustrated by Taro Shinonome began serialization in Hakusensha's Young Animal Arashi magazine on March 2, 2018.[11] The manga was later transferred to the Young Animal magazine on July 13 the same year.[12] The manga's chapters have been collected into twelve tankōbon volumes as of December 2024.[13] During their Anime Expo 2019 panel, Yen Press announced that they also licensed the manga adaptation.[7]
An anime television series adaptation was announced on March 18, 2024.[2] It is produced by Zero-G and Saber Works, and directed by Tetsuo Hirakawa, with Kanichi Katō in charge of series scripts, Tomoyuki Abe designing the characters, and Yūsuke Shirato and Oni composing the music.[3] The series premiered on January 4, 2025, on Tokyo MX and other networks.[35] The opening theme song is "Saijōkyū no Kokoro" (最上級の心, Supreme Heart) by Nonoka Ōbuchi,[4] while the ending theme song is "Rimi" (リミー) by Poka Poka Ion, a special music unit of voice actresses Nao Tōyama and Kiyono Yasuno.[35]Sentai Filmworks licensed the series under the title Beheneko: The Elf-Girl's Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster! in North America for streaming on Hidive.[36]Muse Communication licensed the series in Asia-Pacific.[37][38]
"The Elf Girl and the Knight's Vow" Transliteration: "Erufu Musume to Kishi no Chikai" (Japanese: エルフ娘と騎士の誓い)
Takashi Asami
Tetsuo Hirakawa
Tetsuo Hirakawa
January 4, 2025 (2025-01-04)
A knight is killed by a demon and reincarnates in a dungeon as a baby behemoth, which looks like a cat. He kills and eats a slime, wyvern, minotaur, golem, and poison serpent and gains their abilities, and learns how to store items in a pocket dimension. A young elf girl named Aria enters the dungeon. The behemoth finds a treasure chest, but touching it teleports him to a hostile earth dragon. He escapes with heavy injuries, then Aria finds him, takes him home, and nurses him back to health. When he is healed, he discreetly follows her to the dungeon, vowing to protect her. She kills goblins, then he saves her from a goblin mage. They return to her guild where a man named Kasman sexually harasses her, prompting the behemoth to attack him. Kasman draws his sword, but the guild receptionist, Arnold Holzweilzenegger, makes him leave. Aria names the behemoth Tama and says he is her pet. They bathe and she confides that as a child, demons attacked her village until they were saved by Alisha the Sword Saint, which made her aspire to be just like Alisha. Later, Kasman got a paper from a baron to have Tama euthanized, then challenges Aria to a duel. If she wins, Tama will live, but if he wins, she must marry him. He allows her to have a partner, but only Tama volunteers. With Arnold as the judge, the duel begins and Kasman swiftly overpowers Aria, but Tama uses his powers and beats Kasman, ending with his own sword falling on his groin. Everyone mistakes Tama for an elemental cat as Aria is declared the winner and allowed to keep him.
2
"The Tiger-Eared Blacksmith and a New Skill" Transliteration: "Tora-Mimi Kajishi to Aratanaru Skiru" (Japanese: 虎耳鍛冶士と新たなるスキル)
Keita Nakano
Toshiaki Satō
Takashi Asami
January 11, 2025 (2025-01-11)
Tama learns Aria's ears are an erogenous zone. Aria goes to the tiger-eared blacksmith Vulcan to get armor for Tama made. Vulcan decides to go with them to the dungeon to learn why Aria's swords keep breaking. Vulcan easily kills goblins with her massive hammer and power over fire. Aria's swords break against tentacled roper monsters. Vulcan deduces that her high-speed fighting style is unsuited for swords and passes her daggers with which she kills the ropers. Tama discreetly eats one to gain its powers. While they bathe in a spring, Vulcan warns Aria that elemental cats can interbreed with other species and tend to rape others when they go into heat, but Aria gets excited and looks forward to that, freaking the others out. While fighting a minotaur, Tama saves Vulcan from falling debris, making her become attracted to him. They decide to be a team. Tama learns he has the potential to evolve to his next stage, but he refuses because he wants to stay Aria's cat. Aria and Tama save an orphan girl named Lala from bullies and take her to the church. Arnold promotes Aria from Rank D to Rank C, then tells the team that demons are attacking the nearby town of Lenard and abducting people. Aria is determined to stop them.
Aria, Vulcan, and Tama join a party led by Cedric Ruine and composed of Danny, Howard, Keni, and Mariette, all heroes who won a previous war against the demons. Cedric and Arnold are in a relationship. The party goes to Lenard and bathes in a hot spring. Danny and Howard attempt to peep on the girls, but Tama stops them. The party goes to the demons' lair. The demons' leader, Beryl Astaroth, sends werewolves at them that are defeated. He reveals himself and explains he seeks revenge on humanity for the demons' previous defeat. Beryl uses force fields to separate the party and sends trolls with regeneration after them. Tama and Cedric defeat them with fire blasts and a life-draining sword respectively. Aria kills Beryl, but he stabs her with a poisoned dagger. The party rushes her to the town where a doctor explains the antidote requires an earth dragon eye. Tama rushes to the dungeon and fights the earth dragon from before. Realizing he cannot defeat it as he is now, he evolves to his next stage and becomes an enormous behemoth.
Tama mortally wounds the earth dragon, but runs out of energy and returns to cat form. He carries the dragon back to Lenard where the team extracts an eye and feeds it to Aria. As she recovers, she remembers being saved from demons by Alisha and her elemental cat. They return home and Tama goes to the dungeon alone, where he is attacked by a woman with fangs and claws, but escapes. Aria confides that she is tired of always being saved. She gets new armor from Vulcan and the three of them return to the dungeon. They meet the woman from before who has no name and wants to have sex with Tama. Aria takes pity on her and takes her in, naming her Stella. Aria and Vulcan need to teach her basic things like bathing. As Aria sleeps, Stella telepathically speaks to Tama and explains she was the earth dragon he killed, who reincarnated in a humanoid form and is now in love with him. Aria wakes up and says Tama is hers, but Stella refuses to give up.
As they eat breakfast, Stella thinks that Aria is strong since she is Tama's master. Tama makes Stella promise not to tell anyone he is a behemoth. Vulcan makes Stella some armor and she chooses a massive sword and shield as her weapons. She demonstrates that she can turn her hands into dragon claws and grow a dragon tail at will. They explore the dungeon, but Stella keeps recklessly charging ahead. She is almost defeated by a roper until Tama saves her, making her calm down and agree to work with the others. As they bathe in a spring, Aria and Stella argue about who deserves Tama and get angry when Vulcan suggests they all share him. They return to the guild so that Arnold can register Stella as an adventurer. A man named Reiss asks for help protecting a shipment. Vulcan cannot come because she has a blacksmithing job. Stella is shocked to learn the shipment is the skeleton of her previous earth dragon body.
6
"Girls of the Wandering Woods" Transliteration: "Mayoi no Mori no Shōjo-tachi" (Japanese: 迷いの森の少女たち)
Shigeki Awai
Toshiaki Satō
Shin Matsuo
February 8, 2025 (2025-02-08)
Before they leave, Arnold promotes Aria to Rank B. Reiss, Aria, Stella, and Tama transport the skeleton by wagon to his hometown of Gladstone. After fending off monsters, they make camp and Reiss gifts Aria some lily of the valley, his fiancee Eliza's favorite flower. He says the skeleton is for raw materials because a war is coming soon. A forest-like labyrinth emerges in their path, but they escape and reach Gladstone. Reiss thanks them and lets them explore the labyrinth. Voices lure them to some hostile apes, but after defeating them, the voices surrender and reveal themselves as the dryad Feri and the tiny fairy Lily. The two give them a potion and a key to a boss room. The group takes them in and they go to Gladstone, but must teach them concepts like paying for food. Reiss examines the potion and says it is a Drop of Truth, a powerful truth serum. When he sees Feri and Lily, he is shocked and excuses himself. The group bathes and Tama nearly goes crazy when the others grope Aria. Vulcan finishes her job and rushes to Gladstone on foot. She is attacked by and defeats a skeleton, but hears a bell and sees some lily of the valley. The group returns to the boss room and defeats a torrent drake. They find a scroll that instantly gives Aria the ability to turn her daggers into holy blades. Feri and Lily are suddenly kidnapped. Reiss rings a bell and tells a portrait of Eliza that he'll be able to bring her back soon.
7
"Undead on Approach Dark Tales of the Ear!" Transliteration: "Semari Kuru Andeddo Hakushaku Ryo no Kuroi Uwasa" (Japanese: 迫りくるアンデッド 伯爵領の黒いうわさ)
TBA
TBA
TBA
February 15, 2025 (2025-02-15)
Notes
^Japanese: Ｓランクモンスターの《ベヒーモス》だけど、猫と間違われてエルフ娘の騎士ペットとして暮らしてます, Hepburn: Esuranku Monsutā no "Behīmosu" dakedo, Neko to Machigawarete Erufu Musume no Kishi Petto to Shite Kurashitemasu
^Episodes are released on ABEMA, AnimeBox[citation needed], HIDIVE and simulcast platforms by Muse a week before their televised airings.[41]
