“	Between Katagiri and Totenkinder, you've got enough magic in you to heal an elephant. But your girlfriend saved your life with the hair tourniquet.	„
	― Neko to Joel Crow, Fairest #13 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Six: The Hundred Demons Night Parade"

Neko is a shapeshifting Fable cat, a bakeneko, who lives in a hidden Fable community in Tokyo, Japan, and gets caught up in a civil war between fellow yokai Katagiri and Tomoko. It debuts in Fairest #9 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Two: Hard-Boiled Wonderland."

History

Background

Hailing from the Hidden Kingdom, the Homelands version of Japan, Neko^[1] is a yokai^[3] who was one of many Japanese Fables^[1] who moved to^[3] a hidden community in Tokyo, Japan^[1] after the Adversary conquered their land.^[4]

Katagiri's conspirator

Neko is among the conspirators of Katagiri, who is devising a scheme to return to the Homelands by reuniting Rapunzel with her "children,"^[1] bezoars that had grown from her discarded hair that had continued to grow in her absence for centuries, deep in a well.^[5] For years, Katagiri has sent magic origami bird to Rapunzel, hoping that one of them would reach her. Neko stood beside him as he released the cranes on at least one occasion.^[3]

While Katagiri angrily curses Tomoko for leading Rapunzel astray, Neko believes that Tomoko would never permit Katagiri's plans to come to pass, as it could jeopardize her Yakuza empire. Moreover, the Fable cat has reservations about Rapunzel's ability to effectively manage the bezoars. Out of the blue, Tomoko's enforcer, Mayumi, arrives to intervene against Katagiri and his accomplices, prompting Katagiri to instruct the Fable cat to locate Rapunzel and bring her to the well. Neko dashes away at full speed, racing down an alley. As Neko arrives to collect Rapunzel at Tomoko's Celestial Entertainment Group, a mundy woman in the pachinko parlor that doubles as a front for Tomoko's operation, orders the animal Fable to leave, denouncing it as a "stupid bad luck cat" and throwing her drink can at it, which leads Neko to hiss as the liquid splashes around. Unnoticed, the cat watches in astonishment as Rapunzel and her friend Joel leave the building, with Rapunzel assisting the inebriated Joel while attempting to guide him back to his room.^[1]

When Neko finally locates Rapunzel and Joel in the streets of Tokyo, it has morphed into immense proportions and is standing on its hind legs and holding an umbrella over its head. The two humans are surprised by the sight of a giant talking cat who claims to be an emissary from Katagiri, and that they need to get Rapunzel to her children quickly. The cat drops them off at Tokyo Station, claiming that Rapunzel's long lost children can be found in Nara.^[5]

Returning to Tomoko's headquarters, cat sneaks into Tomoko's chambers and steals Katagiri's severed head back, causing a ruckus. After returning Katagiri's head to his body at his sumo school on the other side of town, the kappa revives while while Neko occupies itself with a ball of yarn, labeling Tomoko's act of beheading Katagiri as rude, and Tomoko herself as "bad-crazy." However, the cat admits that Katagiri's plan worked in the end.^[3]

Yokai civil war

At Katagiri's sumo school, Neko is spending time with Frau Totenkinder, who is cuddling the cat and goes as far as to carry it on her shoulders. As Kakagiri prepares a new set of origami cranes, Neko confirms to Totenkinder that the kanji are names of all the hidden Fables in Japan.^[2]

After a brief battle between Katagiri and Tomoko's forces, all of the Japanese yokai return to the Hidden Kingdom, intending to close the gate behind them forever. Before they leave, though, the cat mentions to Joel that Rapunzel does love him — though she loves Tomoko more. Neko subsequently passes through the enchanted portal alongside Katagiri.^[2]

Physical appearance

Neko is a an orange tabby cat with brown stripes. In its normal-sized cat form, it is distinguished by an unusually long tail.^[1]

Biology and traits

Neko is a shapeshifting cat can stand on its hind legs and morph into immense proportions, allowing it to be large enough to carry humans on its back.^[5]

Appearances

Fairest

• Fairest #9 (first appearance)
• Fairest #10
• Fairest #12
• Fairest #13

Etymology

Neko (猫 / ねこ) is Japanese for "cat."^[6]

Trivia

• While not stated in the comic, Neko is a bakeneko ("changed cat"), a creature from Japanese folklore, known for its long tail and shapeshifting capabilities.
• When Rapunzel is first introduced to Neko, it is standing on its hind legs and holding an umbrella over its head;^[5] imitating Totoro, the cat from the Japanese animated fantasy film My Neighbor Totoro.

References