Puniru Is a Cute Slime
Japanese manga series
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Puniru Is a Cute Slime (Japanese: ぷにるはかわいいスライム, Hepburn: Puniru wa Kawaii Suraimu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Maedakun. Preceded by a one-shot published in Shogakukan's children's manga magazine Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic in February 2019, the manga started its serialization in Weekly CoroCoro Comic online service in March 2022. Shogakukan has collected its chapters in eleven tankōbon volumes as of July 2026. The series focuses on the titular character Puniru, a slime girl created by a boy named Kotaro Kawaii during his childhood who wants him to notice her for her cuteness, despite him being in love with his junior high school senior.
| Puniru Is a Cute Slime | |
First tankōbon volume cover | |
| ぷにるはかわいいスライム (Puniru wa Kawaii Suraimu) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy[1] |
| Manga | |
| Cute Puniru Slime | |
| Written by | Maedakun |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic |
| Published | February 28, 2019 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Maedakun |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher |
|
| Magazine | Weekly CoroCoro Comic |
| Original run | March 13, 2022 – present |
| Volumes | 11 |
| Anime television series | |
| Puniru Is a Kawaii Slime | |
| Directed by | Yūshi Ibe |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Michiko Yokote |
| Music by | Izumi Mori |
| Studio | Toho Animation Studio |
| Licensed by |
|
| Original network | TXN (TV Tokyo) |
| Original run | October 6, 2024 – September 21, 2025 |
| Episodes | 24 |
An anime television series adaptation produced by Toho Animation Studio aired from October to December 2024, with a second season aired from July to September 2025.
The manga won the 70th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2025.
Plot
A young boy named Kotaro Kawaii made a slime as part of a science experiment which came to life. The slime named Puniru resembled a penguin, and her creator thought that was cute despite him not wanting to admit it. Seven years later, Kotaro is now in his second year of junior high and is having a hard time admitting his feelings for his senior, Mami Kirara. In that time, Puniru gained a new ability to morph herself into a human girl to have her creator notice her cuteness again.
Characters
- Puniru (ぷにる)
- Voiced by: Yū Sasahara[2]
- A slime girl created by Kotaro when he was in elementary school.
- Kotaro Kawaii (河合井 コタロー, Kawaii Kotarō)
- Voiced by: Shūichirō Umeda[2]
- An 8th-grade boy who is Puniru's creator.
- Mami Kirara (雲母 麻美, Kirara Mami)
- Voiced by: Risa Shimizu[3]
- A 9th-grade student who Kotaro has a crush on.
- Yūsuke Nanpa (南波 遊助, Nanpa Yūsuke)
- Voiced by: Junya Enoki[3]
- A classmate of Kotaro's who has a passion for kids' toys.
- Alice Okanega (御金賀 アリス, Okanega Arisu)
- Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori[3]
- A girl in Kotaro's class who is also the creator of Runerune.
- Hiroshi Mado (真戸 博士, Mado Hiroshi)
- Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai[4]
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Maedakun, a first one-shot, titled "Cute Puniru Slime" (かわいいぷにるはスライム, Kawaī Puniru wa Suraimu), was published in Shogakukan's children's manga Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic on February 28, 2019.[5] Puniru Is a Cute Slime started its serialization in Weekly CoroCoro Comic online service on March 15, 2022.[6][7] Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on July 28, 2022.[8] As of July 2026, eleven volumes have been released.[9]
In October 2025, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had licensed the series for English publication in a 2-in-1 omnibus release. The first omnibus volume is set to be released in August 2026.[10]
Volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 28, 2022[11] | 978-4-09-143537-8 978-4-09-943115-0 (SE) | August 18, 2026[12] | 979-8-89765-930-2 | |
| |||||
| 2 | November 28, 2022[13] | 978-4-09-143553-8 978-4-09-943121-1 (SE) | August 18, 2026[14] | 979-8-89765-930-2 | |
| |||||
| 3 | February 28, 2023[15] | 978-4-09-143578-1 978-4-09-943126-6 (SE) | November 17, 2026[16] | 979-8897659319 | |
| |||||
| 4 | August 9, 2023[17] | 978-4-09-143610-8 978-4-09-943131-0 (SE) | November 17, 2026[18] | 979-8897659319 | |
| |||||
| 5 | January 26, 2024[19] | 978-4-09-143670-2 978-4-09-943145-7 (SE) | March 9, 2027[20] | 979-8-89765-932-6 | |
| |||||
| 6 | September 27, 2024[21] | 978-4-09-149785-7 978-4-09-943168-6 (SE) | March 9, 2027[22] | 979-8-89765-932-6 | |
| |||||
| 7 | February 27, 2025[23] | 978-4-09-154017-1 978-4-09-943193-8 (SE) | — | — | |
| |||||
| 8 | July 28, 2025[24] | 978-4-09-154027-0 978-4-09-943206-5 (SE) | — | — | |
| |||||
| 9 | August 28, 2025[25] | 978-4-09-154057-7 978-4-09-943207-2 (SE) | — | — | |
| |||||
| 10 | January 28, 2026[26] | 978-4-09-154105-5 978-4-09-943225-6 (SE) | — | — | |
| |||||
| 11 | July 28, 2026[9] | 978-4-09-154299-1 | - | — | |
| |||||
Chapters that are currently not in tankōbon format
- Chapters 95-101
- Extra Chapters 40-48
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on December 13, 2023.[27][28] It is produced by Toho Animation Studio and directed by Yūshi Ibe, with series composition by Michiko Yokote, Aya Tanaka providing the character designs and Izumi Mori composing the music.[29][30] The series aired from October 6 to December 23, 2024, on TV Tokyo and its affiliates.[2][3] The opening theme song is "Gyumu!" (ぎゅむ！), while the ending theme song is "Show" (唱, Shō; lit. "chant"), both performed by Yū Sasahara, with the latter being a cover of Ado's song of the same name.[31]
Following the final episode of the series, a second season was announced,[32] which premiered on July 6, 2025. Yū Sasahara performed the second season's opening and ending themes: "Brun-Brun"[33] and "Ao To Natsu" (青と夏; "Summer and Blues"), the ending being a cover of Mrs. Green Apple's 2018 single of the same name.[34]
Crunchyroll[35] and Netflix[36] both stream the series under the title Puniru is a Kawaii Slime. Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific (except Australia and New Zealand) for streaming on Ani-One Asia's YouTube channel.[37]
Series Overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 12 | October 6, 2024 | December 22, 2024 | |
| 2 | 12 | July 6, 2025 | September 21, 2025 | |
Episodes
Season 1 (2024)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [38][39] | Directed by [38] | Written by [38] | Storyboarded by [38] | Chief animation directed by [38] | Original release date [40] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "I HATE YOU and I LOVE YOU" | Yūshi Ibe | Michiko Yokote | Yūshi Ibe | Aya Tanaka & Kenji Matsuoka | October 6, 2024 |
| 2 | 2 | "Neither Friend nor Slime" Transliteration: "Tomodachi de mo Naku Suraimu de mo Naku" (Japanese: 友達でもなくスライムでもなく) | Tetsuya Miyanishi | Miharu Hirami | Tetsuya Miyanishi | Kenji Matsuoka | October 13, 2024 |
| 3 | 3 | "Kawaii Puniru is a Slime" Transliteration: "Kawaī Puniru wa Suraimu" (Japanese: かわいいぷにるはスライム) | Minami Honma | Michiko Yokote | Shinichi Watanabe | Aya Tanaka | October 20, 2024 |
| 4 | 4 | "Alice in Kyuthi Land" Transliteration: "Kyuti Rando no Arisu" (Japanese: かわいい国のアリス) | Mayo Nozaki | Michiko Yokote | Mayo Nozaki | Kenji Matsuoka | October 27, 2024 |
| 5 | 5 | "GO! GO! Fabulous Cheer Routine!" Transliteration: "GO! GO! Karei ni Oendesu!" (Japanese: GO!GO!華麗に応援です！) | Ryōta Karasawa | Miharu Hirami | Yūshi Ibe | Kenji Matsuoka | November 3, 2024 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Runrune-tastic Grand Prix, Now with Puniru!" Transliteration: "Darake no Guranpuri Puniru Moaru yo!" (Japanese: ルンルーンだらけのGPグランプリぷにるもあるよ！) | Mitsuyo Yokono | Michiko Yokote | Shinichi Watanabe | Aya Tanaka | November 10, 2024 |
| 7 | 7 | "Sweet Bitter Summer" | China | Rintarou Ikeda | China & Itsuki Tsuchigami | Aya Tanaka | November 17, 2024 |
| 8 | 8 | "Gather 'Round for the School Festival!" Transliteration: "Bunkamatsuri Desu! Zen'in Shūgō" (Japanese: 文化祭です！全員集合) | Tetsuya Miyanishi | Miharu Hirami | Tetsuya Miyanishi | Kenji Matsuoka | November 24, 2024 |
| 9 | 9 | "Let's Start a Band, Punks!" Transliteration: "Bando Yarō ZE!" (Japanese: バンド野郎ZE!) | Yūshi Ibe | Rintarou Ikeda | Yūshi Ibe | Aya Tanaka | December 1, 2024 |
| 10 | 10 | "Merry Punirumas!" Transliteration: "Merī Punirumasu!" (Japanese: メリーぷにるます！) | Minami Honma | Michiko Yokote | Minami Honma | Kenji Matsuoka | December 8, 2024 |
| 11 | 11 | "Scoop Up a Spoonful of Christmas" Transliteration: "Supūn Ichihai no Kurisumasu o Sukutte" (Japanese: スプーン一杯のクリスマスをすくって) | Mayo Nozaki | Michiko Yokote | Mayo Nozaki | Aya Tanaka | December 16, 2024[b] |
| 12 | 12 | "A Lovely, Puniful Destination" Transliteration: "Ī Tabi Puni Kibun" (Japanese: いい旅ぷに気分) | Ryōta Karasawa | Michiko Yokote | Yusuke Kubo | Kenji Matsuoka | December 23, 2024[c] |
Season 2 (2025)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [38][39] | Directed by [38] | Written by [38] | Storyboarded by [38] | Chief animation directed by [38] | Original release date [43] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Puniru Returns" Transliteration: "Puniru Ritānzu" (Japanese: ぷにるリターンズ) | Yūshi Ibe | Michiko Yokote | Yūshi Ibe | Aya Tanaka | July 6, 2025 |
| 14 | 2 | "Going on a Journey with My Childhood Friend Slime in Another World. And Valentine's, Too!" Transliteration: "Isekai de Osananajimi no Suraimu to Tabi Shita Kudan. Barentain mo Aru yo!" (Japanese: 異世界で幼馴染のスライムと旅した件。 バレンタインもあるよ！) | Natsumi Higashida | Rintarou Ikeda | Natsumi Higashida | Kenji Matsuoka | July 13, 2025 |
| 15 | 3 | "RUNE RUNE DANCE" | Kazunobu Fuseki | Miharu Hirami | Minami Honma | Aya Tanaka & Kenji Matsuoka | July 20, 2025 |
| 16 | 4 | "A Being More Perfect than a Toy" Transliteration: "Hobī Yori mo Pāfekutona Sonzai" (Japanese: ホビーよりもパーフェクトな存在) | Yūichi Satō | Yūshi Ibe | Yūshi Ibe | Aya Tanaka | July 27, 2025 |
| 17 | 5 | "Puniru Powers Up?! See It for Yourself!" Transliteration: "Puniru pawāappu! ? Kimi no me de tashikamero!" (Japanese: ぷにるパワーアップ!? 君の目で確かめろ！) | Yuki Morita & Yuki Tobita | Rintarō Ikeda | Ryōta Karasawa | Kenji Matsuoka | August 3, 2025 |
| 18 | 6 | "A Human Happy Ending" Transliteration: "Ningen no Happīendo" (Japanese: 人間のハッピーエンド) | Mayo Nozaki | Miharu Hirami | Mayo Nozaki | Aya Tanaka | August 10, 2025 |
| 19 | 7 | "A Midsummer's Runrune Resort" Transliteration: "Manatsu no Runrūnrizōto" (Japanese: 真夏のルンルーンリゾート) | Kento Nakagome | Rintarō Ikeda | Kento Nakagome | Kenji Matsuoka | August 17, 2025 |
| 20 | 8 | "Trick or Kawaii!" Transliteration: "Torikku oa Kawaī!" (Japanese: トリック オア かわいい！) | Natsumi Higashida | Michiko Yokote | Natsumi Higashida | Kenji Matsuoka | August 24, 2025 |
| 21 | 9 | "Art is All About" Transliteration: "Geijutsu wa 'Kawaī' Desu!" (Japanese: 芸術は「かわいい」です！) | Ayako Sugi | Miharu Hirami | Minami Honma | Aya Tanaka | August 31, 2025 |
| 22 | 10 | "Friendly Enough to Always Argue" Transliteration: "Kenkasuruhodo Nakagaī" (Japanese: ケンカするほど仲がいい) | Manaka Makoto | Michiko Yokote | Tetsuya Watanabe | Kenji Matsuoka | September 7, 2025 |
| 23 | 11 | "The Human Condition" Transliteration: "Ningen no Jōken" (Japanese: 人間の条件) | Mayo Nozaki | Michiko Yokote | Mayo Nozaki | Aya Tanaka | September 14, 2025 |
| 24 | 12 | "That's What the World Calls Love" Transliteration: "Sekai wa Sore o Ai to Yoban De Ze" (Japanese: 世界はそれを愛と呼ぶんだぜ) | Natsumi Mamada | Michiko Yokote | Natsumi Mamada | Aya Tanaka & Kenji Matsuoka | September 21, 2025 |
Reception
The manga placed fourth in Next Manga Awards's Web category in 2022.[44] Along with Burning Kabaddi, Draw This, Then Die!, and Natsume Arata no Kekkon, Puniru Is a Cute Slime won the 70th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2024.[45][46]
The manga was viewed more than 600,000 times on its online website by March 2022;[47] it rose to more than 3.5 million views by May of that same year,[48] and 7 million by July of that same year.[8] The first tankōbon volume had a first-print run of 100,000 copies.[8]