Forum - View topicKinokoinu - Mushroom Pup (TV).
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Edjwald
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Kinokoinu - Mushroom Pup (TV) Source: Manga (completed @ 15 volumes by Kimama Aoboshi) Demographic: Seinen Animation Studio: C-Station Genres: comedy, drama, magic, slice of life Themes: adult cast, iyashikei, magical creatures Plot Summary: Mushroom Pup was born one day in the yard of picture book author Hotaru Yuyami. It wags its tail just like a dog, but it's unknown if it's a dog or a mushroom. It draws pictures where it shouldn't and always wants to eat Hotaru's takoyaki. Air Date & Platform: October 3, 2024 (Thursday) Available on: Crunchyroll Episode Count / Runtime: Pending ---------------------------------- Crunchyroll just announced that they picked this anime up, and I'm hoping it will take up my "Cute Studio Ghibli style anime" slot. It's Japanese release date is Oct 3, so I listed it on that Fall Anime 2024 thread, but Crunchyroll doesn't always go by it's own release announcements, much less anyone else's Anyway, happy it got picked up. [EDIT: Fancy opener stuff added. -TK] |
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Edjwald
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Another new anime advancing to my watchlist. Not my"Give it another episode or two list" - the watchlist.
In some ways, Kinokoinu: Mushroom Pup is a lot like a show called My Roommate is a Cat. The MC of both anime is an author who was orphaned by the early death of his parents. Both MC’s are kind of depressed and introverted and creatively dry when a pet enters their lives. Both shows also have a quiet kind of vibe and are meant to be healing anime. But with apologies to MRIAC fans, I like Mushroom Pup more, and it’s not just because of the fantasy element though I am a sucker for fantasy and yokai. For one thing, the MC is still a shutdown block of wood, but his reasons for being that way came across rawer and more real to me, though to be fair, I only watched two and a half episodes of Roommate Cat and maybe it got deeper in the episodes I foolishly abandoned. Mushroom Pup’s MC, Hotaru, had a deep relationship with a dog before a new pet entered his life, and it’s loss is felt in a picture on a shrine in his house, in a collar he can’t bear to throw away, in the conversations with his editor and childhood friend. There's a ghost in his house, so to speak. The relationship with said childhood friend Komako is also deep, and also experienced through a sense of what is missing. You can see it in the comfortable way Komako fits in Hotaru’s house, lounging in the door casually dressed as if she belongs there even though they’re barely talking, or the frustration and pain in her voice as she tries to urge Hotaru back to life. As cute as this anime is – and it is cute - the scene with Hotaru crying in his room felt more real than any of the over the top suffering in a show like Hell’s Paradise (which I like for different reasons). The Mushroom Pup of the title also fills its required adorbs quota without being obnoxious. He/She/It reminds me of the cat mascot in the Aria series (one of my favorite healing anime) both in art style and personality. About the only thing I didn’t like about Mushroom Pup was the obnoxious end song. The whole show had these classy, elegant musical scores constantly running in the background, piano, flute, violin, guitar…all of it perfectly suited to the mood. And then BAM! Some of the most cheesy ass saccharine pop crap I’ve heard in a while. But the pilot is a winner by my reckoning. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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I was both dreading and looking forward to the show. Given that I am interested in mushrooms (in a healthy way), a mushroom dog is a rather interesting concept. On the other hand is the theme of dealing with losing a pet and it did indeed hit home during the first episode though it was thankfully not just sadness all episode long.
I look forward to seeing more as the mc slowly heals, I also wonder how intelligent the mushroom pupper is, at times it seems scary smart. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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I wonder if the cutesy mushroom pup is going to keep people from trying this anime, or if the sadness at its base drove people away at the beginning? This is a lowkey anime and probably not for everybody, but I enjoy lowkey anime as long as they're done well, and sometimes even if they're just done okay if I like the characters or the music. I definitely like the music. The piano during the scene where Hotaru reveals how his dog helped him deal with his grief over the loss of his parents was amazing but didn't draw attention to itself at the expense of the scene.
I also got the part where Hotaru was talking about how pets can be an incredible comfort when someone you love has died. I wasn't sure what to make of Yaru the mushroom hunter's declaration of love. I don't know if this anime was going for a comic vibe there, or a BL vibe, or an Asexua-L vibe, but I am pretty sure this isn't going to be a romantic story between Hotaru and his childhood friend. I still can't spell the mushroom dog's name without cheating. Too many o's and i's in there. I do wish the pup was a tad more realistic in its cuteness instead of being drawn so broadly and cartoonishly in comparison to the rest of the anime. I do think that would take the show up a notch. And yes, I do get that talking about drawing a mushroom dog realistically might be a bit silly. Liking it. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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We have multiple healing shows this season. One of those has healing due to fishing and this one is all about the pets. Pets can really help a lot when it comes to grief and also keeping you busy thus preventing you from getting stuck in a rut. The show is indeed lowkey but it is good to have one or two of those in the rotation to calm down with.
I wonder about what mushrooms can do in the show. While the mushroom pup seems to be a unique case Yaru implies that they can do a lot of unique things. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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The show still isn't inclined to just settle into a predictable comfy, sad-free cutesy zone. The scenes with Kinokoinu being a destructive pain in the @$$ were genuinely irritating, and the scene where mushroom gremli...I mean, pup...got hurt feelings was also more intense than I expected.
I kind of wonder if getting the MC to experience irritation and frustration might not also be a good way to deliver a little shock to his shut down system. Being alive means more than being comfortable. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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There are so many question marks in regards to the mushroom pup. It might act like a dog but his intelligence is far greater than one and the previous episode making clear that it is a mushroom mimicking a dog does make you think. Said mushroom can indeed be pretty unreasonable. When frustrated or angered it will lash out and yet it does seem to understand the mc's emotions rather well but is just not willing or capable to be less blunt.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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This anime had me having morbid thoughts more than previous episodes.
When mushroom pup was releasing spores into the atmosphere, I immediately started picturing people all over Tokyo turning into mushroom zombies. Then I imagined people in hazard suits armed with flame throwers kicking down (or through) Hotaru's door. When mushroom pup was cooking, it brought home how terrifying it would be to have a pet that had opposable thumbs. Can you imagine your pet being able to try to operate an electric skillet? And then I thought...if your pet has opposable thumbs and can understand human language...is it really ethical to treat it as a pet? But philosophical and ethical quandries aside, this anime is settling into the healing cute Iyashikei vibe - to me it's around the same level quality and enjoyment wise as The Flying Witch anime, and I'm cool with that. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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It is cutesy though it would be nice if the mc was able to have a decent meal on the regular without his pet taking everything. Like I said before, as long as you think of it as an innocent slice of life it works, once you start asking certain questions things can get a bit dark. I had the same thoughts during the spore release sessions and one does indeed have to wonder when something is a pet or not.
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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Episode 5 was great in that it showed how much the mc has healed since the mushroom pup showed up. Said pup was shown to be very loyal and caring. Loyal in that it could not calm down without Hotaru being there and caring in that even the stealing of the melon bread (does that actually taste good?) was done to benefit his owner. The fact that it can now write and possible even use a mobile phone does make one think though.
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Gina Szanboti
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Melon pan isn't melon flavored, unless it is (it can be other flavors too). It's normally just soft bread wrapped in crispy sugar cookie dough. It's just called that because of the outer texture being kinda melon-like.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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I was relieved when mushroom pup didn't wind up getting its own cellphone. Given its fuzzy understanding of boundary issues, can you imagine the chaos that would have resulted from that worst idea of bad ideas?
But even though fungus pup can be a bit of a gremlin, I have to agree that the beneficial effect its had on Hotaru was clearly shown in this episode. I like Hotaru. His low monotone and slow paced...everything...could be annoying in a different anime, but for a soothing anime like this one, I think he's a great MC. I also think this anime might make the best use of background music of all the anime I'm watching, and it's not like there are a lot of slouches in that department this season. |
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Edjwald
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Because the surplus of anime on Thursday has forced me to relocate some of them to Monday and Tuesday, I've been experimenting with anime combos this season...trying to pair the right anime to the right days, kind of like searching for a peanut butter and chocolate type combination. I've found that Negative Positive Angler, Mushroom Pup, and Blue Box all go together pretty well on Thursdays. And Dan da Dan and Magiere Co Ltd go together pretty well on Fridays. Shangri-La Frontier and Let this Grieving Soul Retire aren't quite as good a fit, but they blend together alright on Sundays.
But Trillion Game, 365 Days to the Wedding, MF Ghost, Goodbye Dragon Life, Banished Healer, and Re:Zero aren't easy to match up. It's either oil and water or battle of the blands. Anyhoo, the OP kind of spoiled the ending of this episode for me, but tension wasn't really the main draw. I liked the new character, and her introduction (as opposed to her debut) was another slow, steady, pleasant drive on cruise control mixed with a swirl of darkness. I find it's a nice formula for a fall afternoon. I also found the infighting among the supporting characters pretty funny. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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Interesting, you seem to combine shows that have a similar vibe on one day, I usually do the opposite. A bit of chill and a bit of action go well together while several comfy shows on one day may get a bit too comfy. Also yes, thursday is way too loaded for one day.
The OP sadly does give away the suprise, though that is nothing new since many anime openings spoil way too damn much. It does make me wonder how many mushroom pets are out there and if the mushrooms in question can pretty much take any form they want.... |
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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I combine opposites sometimes too, but usually when shows are pretty extreme. For example, I distinctly remember watching Do it Yourself Club after Eminence in Shadow because Cid was often a little too annoying and the show's villains were particularly disgusting. This season, the only shows that had extremely harsh, jagged emotional edges were Orbs: Movement of the Earth and Yakuza Fiance, and I dropped both of them because I just wasn't enjoying them. Dan Da Dan can be disturbing, but it kind of balances itself out with the sweetness of the relationship of the leads. Maybe if I'd tried combining Orbs and Fiance with The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't Be Magicians and 365 Days Til the Wedding, I would have given them the usual three episodes. |
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