After the death of his beloved dog Hanako, the last piece of family he had left, Hotaru Yuyami is left adrift and alone. Working as an author, but now paralyzed by his grief, his editor continues to grow concerned until one day she discovers that he has a new pet – a mushroom dog.
Sprouting from a pink mushroom that had been growing in his backyard, this mushroom dog, named simply Kinokoinu, flourished watching Hotaru play with Hanako and came to life after her passing. Now, Hotaru finds himself inspired to write about Kinokoinu’s silly daily antics.
Sometimes you just need a little help moving forward after a loss. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Kinokoinu: Mushroom Pup, head on down below.
Anime Like Kinokoinu: Mushroom Pup
For Fans of Healing Through Cute Friends
My Roommate Is A Cat
Subaru is a novelist, and not very good with people. He’s been alone since his parent’s death, but one day while praying at their grave, a cat comes and eats his offering.
Deciding to take it home, he now is shouldered with a cat, and this stray is shouldered with caring for a human who can barely care for himself.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and My Roommate is a Cat
- Depressed author with dead parents gets/got a pet
- Their animal housemate helps alleviate their depression and they start to work through their personal problems.
- Their pet helps the main character expand their social circle.
- Simple slice of life comedy with some dramatic emotional themes
Differences Between Kinokoinu and My Roommate is a Cat
- My Roommate is a Cat is about him finding a stray cat and bringing it home. Unlike Kinokoinu, which is about grieving the once-healing presence of a pet, and being consoled by a mushroom dog.
- My Roommate is a Cat gives the animal more personality by allowing you to hear her inner monologue.
- My Roommate is a Cat doesn’t have any supernatural elements.
Barakamon
After losing his temper on a critic, renowned calligraphy artist Sieshuu Handa is exiled to the Goto Islands by his father for a period of self-reflection.
There, he seeks to find new inspiration for his art, but finds that his neighbors and some neighborhood kids keep getting in his way.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and Barakamon
- Man with issues is healed by the innocent, silly presence of cute things
- Slice of life comedy with dramatic emotional themes
- Episodic plot with each day being some sort of new adventure/event
Differences Between Kinokoinu and Barakamon
- Barakamon is about an artist with anger issues being sequestered to a rural island and pestered mercilessly by children, so no animals like Kinokoinu.
- Barakamon features a more contemplative main character with more personal growth, Yuyami isn’t exactly overflowing with personality.
- Kinokoinu does silly mushroom dog stuff, Barakamon is more diverse in that it features a larger cast of children doing silly children stuff.
Kotaro Lives Alone
Unsuccessful manga artist Shin Karino has his daily routine interrupted one day with the introduction to his new neighbor – a four-year-old boy who moved in next door, lives by himself, and talks like a samurai.
While this boy is more put together than most of his neighbors, living alone has its difficulties at any age.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and Kotaro Lives Alone
- Troubled, emotionally muted man befriends eccentric thing
- Authors who live alone are brought out of their shell by cute eccentric thing.
- Cute eccentric things brings the neighborhood together a bit.
- Both Kinokoinu and Kotaro Lives Alone look cute, but also actively try to make your heart ache with emotion.
Differences Between Kinokoinu and Kotaro Lives Alone
- Kotaro Lives Alone is about a four-year-old living alone, which is about as believable as a dog made from a mushroom, but goes to greater lengths to explain it.
- Kotaro Lives Alone is far more likely to emotionally hurt you.
- The actual main character in Kotaro Lives Alone doesn’t actually live with the child, he mostly just observes.
March Comes In Like A Lion
Rei Kiriyama recently started to live alone in his last year of high school. He is able to financial support himself as a professional Shogi player, but while he officially became a pro in middle school, he is collapsing under the pressure to succeed.
Burdened with his own problems, Rei has found solace among a kind family of three sisters, the Kawamotos. The oldest, Akari, likes to take in strays and Rei is the latest.
While he feels conflicted about spending time with them, they provide the accepting affection that he has gotten nowhere else.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and March Comes In Like a Lion
- Chronically depressed main character lives alone
- The clandestine meeting of him and another character starts helping him heal.
Differences Between Kinokoinu and March Comes In Like a Lion
- March Comes In Like a Lion is more about a boy finding family and human connection by befriending a family of three sisters, not through having a mushroom dog pop up in the garden.
- March Comes in Like a Lion is far more melancholy and less cute.
- Even the family of girls in March Comes in Like a Lion have their own issues to work through, Kinokoinu is just a silly mushroom dog with no problems.
- March Comes in Like a Lion has more of a plot
For Fans of Living With Supernatural Things
How to Raise a Mummy
Sora’s father is an adventurer who, one day, sends him an odd package. Inside is the last thing he expected, a mummy so small it can fit in his hand.
Now with a gentle pet mummy that seeks attention, he takes inspiration and advice from other pet owners.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and How to Raise a Mummy
- Boy lives alone until he starts living with something supernatural.
- The new supernatural pet is extremely cute, non-verbal, and silly
- New supernatural pet is a catalyst for other friendships.
- More supernatural entities show up over time.
Differences Between Kinokoinu and How to Raise a Mummy
- How to Keep a Mummy features more supernatural creatures, Kinokoinu just adds Plum.
- How to Keep a Mummy follows a high schooler whose father is always traveling rather than a depressed adult author.
- Kinokoinu is a far more subdued, quiet comedy, How to Keep a Mummy is definitely trying to be a bit more cute.
Poko’s Udon World
Souta Tawara is a web designer that has been working in Tokyo. However, when he returns to his small town to visit family, he discovers a young boy alone and with a supernatural secret.
Upon the confrontation, Souta decides to quit his job and take care of this boy dubbed Poko. This is their daily adventures in the Kagawa Prefecture, the Udon Kingdom.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and Poko’s Udon World
- Troubled man finds cute supernatural thing in his home
- He decides to take care of it
- The cute antics of the cute thing start to foster some healing in his mental state
- Surprisingly real real character stories despite supernatural elements
Differences Between Kinokoinu and Poko’s Udon World
- Poko’s Udon World is far deeper in its character drama and growth.
- Poko’s Udon World isn’t as comical as you might think, or as food-focused.
- Poko’s Udon World features a tanuki, a shape-shifting raccoon from Japanese folklore, so they are very much like an actual child. More so than a non-verbal mushroom dog, anyway.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost
Fushihara is increasingly burnt out by here job. Long after everyone else has left, she is often stuck working in the office until late in the night.
Noticing this unhealthy situation, a child ghost haunting the office tries to scare Fushihara off so she can go home and get some rest.
Her scare tactics end up backfiring, but still succeeding, when Fushihara discovers her and finds her absolutely adorable and a balm to her stressed soul.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost
- Troubled main character is soothed by cute thing
- Cute thing moves into their home and delights with their various antics
- More cute things show up
- Slice of life comedy with just a dash of drama
Differences Between Kinokoinu and Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost
- Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost is about chibi children ghosts, not mushroom dogs.
- Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost is, surprisingly, more just cute wholesome moments and often widely ignored the whole “dead child became a child ghost that haunts a building” thing.
- Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost features a female main character who is more just chronically overworked than depressed like Yuyami.
For Fans of Comical Pets
Lovely Muuuuco!
Muco is a sweet, lovable Shiba Inu dog who lives with his owner, Komatsu, a glassblower in a small mountain town.
Together, the two have adventures all over town as Muco endears himself to the neighborhood with his antics.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and Lovely Muco
- Man lives alone with his dog
- Dogs’ cute antics are a source of frustration and comedy
- Silly, slightly over-the-top dog antics
- Simple art, simple premise
Differences Between Kinokoinu and Lovely Muco
- Lovely Muco features a no supernatural, just a normal Shiba Inu dog.
- Lovely Muco is just a comedy, so there is no depression like Kinokoinu
Too Cute Crisis
Liza Luna is part of a destructive race of aliens, and when seeing Earth, she determines it should be destroyed. However, upon further inspection, Liza discovers a number of pleasures on Earth – primary among them, our pets!
After visiting a Cat Cafe and adopting a stray cat of her own, Liza spars Earth from destruction and gets caught in too cute pet shenanigans.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and Too Cute Crisis
- Pets are cute and do cute things
- Slight supernatural elements in an otherwise slice of life comedy
Differences Between Kinokoinu and Too Cute Crisis
- Too Cute Crisis is about an alien invasion that is thwarted due to the cuteness of our various pets. They are normal pets and not mushrooms like Kinokoinu.
- Too Cute Crisis is all cute comedy, and no drama and depression.
- Too Cute Crisis is fairly educational about various pets
The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today
After finding a small black kitten in a snow storm, office lady Saku brought it home. However, she never expected that the little kitten would start taking care of household chores, shopping, and cooking. She also didn’t expect him to grow up to be taller than her either.
More the size of a bear than a cat, Yukichi is the most masterful of all cats, and it is a good thing he is. Saku, although a working adult, isn’t too masterful at taking care of herself just yet.
Similarities Between Kinokoinu and The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today
- Adult hot messes need the intervention of a cute, slightly supernatural pet to help them.
- Pets inspire the main characters to be better / work harder
- Slice of life comedy with just a dash of drama
Differences Between Kinokoinu and The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today
- The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today features an office lady being taken care of by a giant cat that acts like her mother.
- The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today is less about depression and more just a slice of life comedy
Do you have more anime recommendations like Kinokoinu: Mushroom Pup? Let fans know in the comments section below.
