Is the Order a Rabbit? The Anime Set in a Coffee Shop

Is the Order a Rabbit? (Gochūmon wa Usagi Desu ka?, often shortened to GochiUsa) is a cozy Japanese manga and anime series about a group of girls who work in cafés in a picturesque, European-style town, with most of the action centered on a coffee shop called Rabbit House. The four-panel manga by Koi has run in Hōbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara Max since 2011, and the anime adaptation began in 2014, followed by more seasons, OVAs and a newly announced movie.

If you love the show’s soft colors, latte art and endless cups of coffee, this guide covers Rabbit House and the other cafés in town, how coffee fits into the story, the real collaboration cafés fans have visited in Japan, and how to make your own Rabbit House–style latte.

What Is Is the Order a Rabbit? About?

Cocoa Hoto, a cheerful 15-year-old, arrives in a new town for high school. She stumbles into a café hoping it is full of rabbits to pet. It is not: the only rabbit is Tippy, a fluffy angora who sits on the head of Chino Kafū, the café owner’s quiet granddaughter. The café turns out to be the Kafū family home, where Cocoa will board, and she pays her way by working at Rabbit House.

From there, the series follows everyday café life and friendships. There are no villains or big dramas, just coffee, cake, school, part-time jobs and small adventures. It belongs to the “slice-of-life” genre, and fans often describe it as the anime equivalent of a warm drink.

The anime at a glance

Rabbit House: The Is the Order a Rabbit Café

Rabbit House is a classic coffee shop with a gentle, old-world feel, run by Chino’s father, Takahiro. By day it serves coffee and cake, with Chino, Cocoa and Rize, a part-timer with a military-style streak, working the counter. By night, it switches to a bar where Takahiro works with Tippy. The café was originally run by Chino’s grandfather, and the show’s running joke is that his spirit now lives on inside Tippy.

Rabbit House is fictional, but it borrows a lot from the traditional Japanese coffee shop: quiet rooms, careful service and a serious attitude toward brewing. If you want to know more about that real-world tradition, see our guide to Japanese kissaten.

The other cafés in town

• Ama Usa An: the café run by Chiya Ujimatsu’s family, which leans toward traditional Japanese sweets. Its mascot is a rabbit named Anko. In one episode, the cafés recall teaming up on a coffee anmitsu dessert, a fun mash-up of coffee and Japanese sweets.
• Fleur de Lapin: the place where Syaro works, known for herbal teas rather than coffee. It adds a tea counterpoint to all the coffee in the series.

Between them, the three cafés neatly show three sides of café culture: a European-style coffee house, a Japanese sweets café and a tea room.

Latte Art in Is the Order a Rabbit?

Coffee is more than a background prop in the show. In the very first episode, Rize trains Cocoa behind the counter and Cocoa tries her hand at latte art, learning to draw designs in milk foam. Latte art became one of the series’ signature images, and fans quickly started recreating it at home.

Real latte art works by pouring steamed milk with fine, glossy microfoam into espresso so that the white foam floats on the crema and forms a pattern. Simple shapes like hearts come from pouring technique alone. More detailed drawings, like the cute characters often seen in anime-themed cafés, are usually made by “etching” with a thin tool or by drawing with foam and a little sauce on top.

Want to try? Our step-by-step latte art for beginners guide shows how to pour a heart, and our article on frothing milk without a steam wand helps if you do not own an espresso machine.

Real Is the Order a Rabbit Collaboration Cafés

Like many popular anime, GochiUsa has inspired official, limited-time collaboration cafés in Japan. These pop-ups decorate a venue in the show’s style and serve themed food and drinks for a set period, usually with reservations required.

One example: “Is the Order a Cafe?? 2016” opened in Osaka’s Namba area on August 20, 2016, with a Tokyo opening also announced. Its menu included dishes named after the characters, desserts themed around Tippy and Anko, and character latte art drinks for Cocoa, Chino, Rize and Chiya, plus an herbal tea option for Syaro fans.

Collaboration cafés come and go, so if you are planning a trip to Japan, check the official anime channels for current events rather than relying on past listings. Menus, dates and venues change with every edition.

How to Make a Rabbit House–Style Latte at Home

This is our own recipe, inspired by the show. It is not an official Rabbit House menu item.

• Espresso: 1 double shot, about 18 g coffee for 36 g (1.2 fl oz) of espresso, or 120 ml (4 fl oz) of strong moka pot coffee
• Milk: 180 ml (6 fl oz) whole milk
• Optional: 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla or honey, cocoa powder for dusting

1. Brew the espresso into a wide, round cup. A wide cup gives you more canvas for art.
2. Steam or froth the milk to about 140–150°F (60–65°C) until it looks like wet paint, with no big bubbles.
3. Tap and swirl the milk pitcher to keep the foam smooth.
4. Start pouring from a few inches above the cup, then bring the pitcher close to the surface and pour faster to let the foam form a white circle.
5. Finish by drawing through the circle to make a heart, or use a toothpick and a dot of foam to sketch rabbit ears.

Variations

• Tippy latte: make a large white foam circle and draw two small eyes with cocoa powder for a fluffy rabbit face.
• Ama Usa An latte: use Hojicha roasted green tea powder instead of espresso for a toasty Japanese café drink.
• Fleur de Lapin break: brew an herbal tea such as Hibiscus Berry for a caffeine-free cup.

Is the Order a Rabbit FAQ

Is Rabbit House a real café?

No, Rabbit House is fictional. Fans can sometimes visit official limited-time collaboration cafés in Japan that recreate the show’s atmosphere and menu ideas, but there is no permanent Rabbit House.

Who created Is the Order a Rabbit?

The series was created by the manga artist Koi. It started as a four-panel manga in Manga Time Kirara Max in 2011 and later became an anime series beginning in 2014.

Can Cocoa do latte art in the anime?

Yes. In the first episode, Cocoa tries her hand at latte art while Rize trains her at Rabbit House. Latte art became one of the show’s best-known images.

In what order should I watch Is the Order a Rabbit?

Start with Season 1 (2014), then Season 2 (2015), the OVA Dear My Sister, the OVA Sing For You and finally Season 3, BLOOM (2020).

Your Own Rabbit House Afternoon

Is the Order a Rabbit? captures the best part of café life: slowing down with friends and a beautiful cup. You do not need a fluffy rabbit on your head to enjoy it. Feel Espresso roasts every order 1–5 days before delivery, so try our African Espresso for a rich latte base, or browse our teas for your own Fleur de Lapin moment.