Shiba Inu Rooms is a weird indicator of what’s popular in shonen manga these days. The most recent Weekly Shonen Jump titles are based in exorcism, with supernatural tales being all the rage. From darkly grim and serious stories to more lighthearted ones, I guess Japan can’t get enough of giving up (or giving into) the ghost. Shiba Inu Rooms goes firmly into the latter territory, offering a cozy story with some interesting paranormal elements.
What is Shiba Inu Rooms About?
Kori Momose is looking for an apartment. After hearing about a steal of a room, she finds out why it’s so cheap: The apartment complex is haunted! Thankfully, Kori is “horror numb”, and immune to anything that might scare her. Unfortunately for her, however, the earthbound spirit roaming around her room… is a Shiba Inu. Mu-chan is a crazy-eyed Shiba Inu that terrorizes Kori (or it seems that way; Kori hates dogs).
Moreover, Kori finds out from her apartment neighbor that the whole apartment complex is full of these dogs! A puppy mill abused the poor animals and left them to die, which is why they stick around. Kori’s neighbor also lets her know that showing affection will allow the dogs to ascend to heaven. Initially, Kori wants some peace and quiet, so she tries to persuade Mu-chan to like her. However, it’s easier said than done, and here begins our journey of the girl and her ghost (dog).
The first two chapters of the manga highlight a fun tale of a haunted apartment, with a goofy side that’s shown to humor rather than scare. Mu-chan initially acts hostile, but there’s good reason for his actions. Additionally, while it seems that Kori’s horror numbness is a good trait to have with a paranormal living arrangement, there’s some deep-seated childhood trauma which stems from a past incident. The story does a good job with making the reader sympathize with both main characters, which is a tough feat to pull off in a chapter opener.
What’s Special About This Manga?
There’s a lot to like about this series from the first two chapters alone. The art is feels like a mishmash between Doomsday With My Dog, Way of the Househusband, and A Man & His Cat.
With narrative beats, the manga feels akin to that last title, as an unlikely human and pet duo start growing affectionate towards each other. I feel like this could blossom into something much nicer in the next few chapters. The story also introduces a lot of supporting characters, which is good for the supernatural slice-of-life premise. It also helps that the dogs can talk to Kori and the others, which means we don’t have to only experience inner monologues from the animal characters. I would prefer the story veer more into cuter, cozy territory, but I can definitely see it delving into more of the supernatural in future chapters.
Mu-chan’s got a pretty goofy design, as he’s drawn with a perpetual scowl on his face. His eyes are spaced out and he always growls. However, the art style changes when he starts feeling the love, and his face starts to soften. It’s a strangely jarring change that happens a few times, but it signifies the gradual development of the earthbound canine.
I believe that Shiba Inu Rooms is for those that want a lighthearted exorcist slice-of-life without the mostly terrifying bits. It’s a comfortably fun series for dog lovers and ghost lovers alike, and I’m anticipating what happens to Kori and Mu-chan next week!
Shiba Inu Rooms is officially available to read on the Shonen Jump app and Mangaplus. Stay tuned for more anime and manga news here on Miso!
