Puniru Is a Cute Slime (ぷにるはかわいいスライム) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Maeda-kun. 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 nine volumes as of August 2025. 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. The manga won the 70th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2025.
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.
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.