Puniru Is a Cute Slime
| Company type | Manga and anime series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | February 28, 2019 |
| Founder | Maeda-kun |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Manga, anime television series |
| Parent | Shogakukan (manga publisher) |
is a Japanese manga created by Maeda-kun. Initially introduced as a one-shot in Shogakukan's children's publication Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic in February 2019, the series commenced regular serialization on the Weekly CoroCoro Comic online platform in March 2022. By February 2025, Shogakukan had released seven collected volumes. The narrative follows Puniru, a slime girl crafted by Kotaro Kawaii, who endeavors to capture his attention despite his feelings for a senior student in junior high. In 2025, the manga was honored with the 70th Shogakukan Manga Award.
The anime adaptation, produced by Toho Animation Studio, aired from October through December 2024, with a second season debuting in July 2025.
Plot
During a science experiment, a boy named Kotaro Kawaii creates a slime called Puniru. This slime, resembling a penguin, gains life and develops the ability to transform into a human girl to win back Kotaro’s focus. Seven years onward, Kotaro, now in his second year of junior high, finds it difficult to confess his feelings to Mami Kirara, his senior.
Characters
Manga
Maeda-kun both wrote and illustrated the initial one-shot titled , which appeared in Shogakukan's children's manga magazine Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic on February 28, 2019. The series Puniru Is a Cute Slime began its serialization on the online edition of Weekly CoroCoro Comic on March 15, 2022. Shogakukan has since compiled the chapters into tankōbon volumes, releasing the first volume on July 28, 2022. As of February 2025, there are seven volumes available.
Anime
The announcement of an anime television adaptation was made on December 13, 2023. The production is handled by Toho Animation Studio with Yūshi Ibe directing. The scripts are written by Michiko Yokote, character designs by Aya Tanaka, and music composed by Izumi Mori. The series was broadcast from October 6 to December 23, 2024, on TV Tokyo and its affiliate channels. The opening theme is , while the ending theme is , both performed by Yū Sasahara, with the ending being a cover of a song originally by Ado.
After the conclusion of the first season, a second season was confirmed and premiered on July 6, 2025. Yū Sasahara also performed the themes for this season: "Brun-Brun" as the opening and , which is a cover of Mrs. Green Apple’s single from 2018.
The series is streamed under the title Puniru Is a Kawaii Slime on Crunchyroll. In the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Australia and New Zealand), Medialink holds streaming rights via Ani-One Asia’s YouTube channel.
Season 2 (2025)
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Reception
The manga secured the fourth position in the Web category of the Next Manga Awards in 2022. In 2024, Puniru Is a Cute Slime received the 70th Shogakukan Manga Award, sharing this honor with titles such as Burning Kabaddi, Kore Kaite Shine, and Natsume Arata no Kekkon.
By March 2022, the series had accumulated over 600,000 views on its digital platform. This number surged to upwards of 3.5 million by May and further climbed to 7 million by July. The debut volume was launched with an initial print quantity of 100,000 copies.
External links
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCrunchyroll - ↑ "on air | Anime『Puniru wa Kawaī Suraimu』Kōshiki Saito" on air | アニメ『ぷにるはかわいいスライム』公式サイト [on air | Anime『Puniru Is a Cute Slime』Official Site]. puniru-anime.com. Retrieved June 6, 2025.