Nekopara Vol. 3

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Nekopara Vol. 3 is the fourth installment in the Nekopara Visual Novel series. The game focuses on Maple and Cinnamon, who develop a romantic affection for Kashou.

Patisserie "La Soleil", run by Kashou Minaduki, is flourishing thanks to the help of two catgirls: Maple, full of pride and a little on the haughty side, and Cinnamon, an impulsive daydreamer.

These two are especially close among the rest of the sisters. One day, Maple encounters something that shakes her belief in attaining her dream. Cinnamon, unwilling to see Maple suffer, wishes to help her in any way possible... but she can't figure out how. This story is a heartwarming cat comedy about their ambitions and the bonds between family members... with a little ecchi on the side, too.

Tropes used in Nekopara Vol. 3 include:
  • And Now for Someone Completely Different: Similar to Vol. 1, the POV character changes from Kashou to Maple and Cinnamon. Specifically during their first day practicing together with their instruments.
  • Armor-Piercing Question: After Cinnamon explains that she's keeping her distance from Maple in order to support her dream of being a singer, Kashou responds with this question:

Kashou: Have you asked Maple how she feels about this? Did Maple say she wanted you to do this?

  • Berserk Button: Don't make fun of Azuki's height or her potty mouth. A little girl (and her mother) was about to find out the hard way had Coconut not stopped her.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Downplayed. Maple becomes jealous over Kashou's interactions with his other catpanions, but is unable to do anything about it as she Cannot Spit It Out.
  • Continuity Nod:
    • Chocola and Vanilla wear the same outfits they wore back in Vol. 1 in their trip to the amusement park.
    • The dress Azuki wears to the party is also the same one she wore in Vol. 2.
  • Didn't Think This Through: While Maple and Cinnamon were rehearsing for the party they were invited to, they didn't consider that they would need to find another song, since the party would be too formal for them to sing "Neko Witches".
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: Kashou telling Chocola and Vanilla that he is going out for work business when he is actually taking Cinnamon bra shopping. Cinnamon herself notes that this could seen as him cheating, even teasing him that what he told his catpanions is what someone who was having an affair would say.
  • Dyeing for Your Art: Maple cuts her manicured nails shorter in order to more effectively play the guitar.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Cinnamon has no problems acting perverted in public, but draws the line when in front of kids. After she is guilt-tripped by a little girl into acting perverted, she admits to feeling humiliated. Subverted when she's tied up onstage as hostage for a Neko Witches stage show. Perhaps the issue is when she's directly in front of children.
  • Freudian Excuse:
    • Having comments in regards to her singing, both positive and negative, refer to her as "the catgirl" and not even using her name once convinced Maple that people, including her owners, only see her for her species instead of her talent, hence her distant demeanor.
    • Cinnamon states that her becoming a pervert was the result of Maple abruptly ending their make-out session when they were younger, which left her hanging and caused her to seek other outlets.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: Downplayed, but Cinnamon's perversion is treated realistically as the rest of her family express their annoyance with her. Shigure states to Kashou that even their parents have become fed-up with her antics. At one point, Azuki outright calls her a disgrace to the family (though not to her directly).
  • Gratuitous French Phrases: Vanilla, in regards to their fate as Catpanions, states that if they're just seen as convenient, c'est la vie.
  • Irony: Of the two who become Kashou's catpanions, it's Maple who takes them to a Love Hotel and not Cinnamon.
  • Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Maple threatens to never speak to Cinnamon again if she doesn't keep their "encounter" a secret.
  • Never My Fault: Chocola and Vanilla are excited for Shigure buying them new shampoo and body soap, stating that the one they currently had wasn't as good as the one back at the Minaduki house. Kashou silently notes that they were the ones who picked them in the first place.
  • Not So Different: Both Kashou and Azuki notice that Coconut is becoming more and more like Chocola.
  • Oh Crap: Maple and Cinnamon when they realize that they can't sing "Neko Witches" at the party and thus need to find a new song to perform.
  • Qipao: Chocola and Vanilla both wear chinese dresses to the party.
  • I Resemble That Remark: Cinnamon is in disbelief when the announcer of the stage play calls her a "slightly-bothered catgirl" when picking her to be a hostage for said play. After being tied up, she starts to act perverted over being tied up - After requesting the ropes to be tighter no less!
  • The Reveal: Kashou's reason for opening a patisserie is finally revealed. While he was raised to continue the family tradition of making Japanese-based sweets to the point of forsaking everything else, that changed when he entered a patisserie one day and saw various people who were happy eating cakes. While talking to them, he was asked why did he make sweets. Unable to provide an answer, this caused him to change his path, which caused his relationship with his father to sour leaving Shigure and his mother caught in the middle.
  • Romantic Two-Girl Friendship: How Kashou describes Maple and Cinnamon's relationship compared to Azuki and Coconut's and Chocola and Vanilla's.
  • She Cleans Up Nicely: At the party, we see the Minaduki catgirls in elegant dresses. Shigure is also dressed in a new kimono, but lampshades this by admitting to feeling lonely, as she essentially looks the same as usual in comparison.
  • Sins of Our Fathers: Inverted. After meeting the mother of the girl who made fun of her, Azuki mentions that it may be the mother who should be on the receiving end of her Catgirl Punch.
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: From Cinnamon at least a couple of times, regarding her perverted thoughts and interests. Says she wants to look at—er, look up—something on Kashou's computer; but it's not anything weird or perverted. Later, when caught surreptitiously following him and Maple, she claims she didn't think they were doing anything lewd.
  • The Tease: Cinnamon interactions with Kashou involve teasing him one way or another. Especially while he is taking her bra shopping.

Cinnamon: It's just that you're so nice that I felt like teasing you a little, Kashou-San~

  • Theme Tune Cameo: The theme tune from Vol. 1 "Taiyou Paradise" serves as the theme for "Neko Witches."
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Maple once was an enthusiastic kitten with dreams to be a singer. However, when the comments both negative and positive in regards to the video of her singing only referred to her as "the catgirl" without mentioning her name even once, believing that people care more about her species instead of her talent, she decided to give up on that "kittenhood dream" and keep a distant demeanor.
  • Visual Pun: The dress Maple wore as a kitten has a maple leaf imprinted on the chest.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Maple and Cinnamon manage to do this to each other at different points of the story:
    • First, Maple calls out Cinnamon for keeping her distance from her all in the name of "supporting her" despite promising to be by her side.

"I want to support her because she's my best friend?" Don't use me as an excuse for not choosing your own path.

    • Later, Cinnamon calls out Maple for refusing to sing at a party due to being afraid of being embarrassed.
  • You Called Me "X" - It Must Be Serious: Cinnamon is shocked when Maple refers to Kashou as "Master," noting that she doesn't even refer to Shigure as that. Maple notes that it's just because he's been like a parent to her in regards to her issues and that it's a one-time deal.