Lovely Muco (Japanese: いとしのムーコ, Hepburn: Itoshi no Mūko) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takayuki Mizushina. It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Evening from April 2011 to September 2020, with its chapters collected in 17 tankōbon volumes. It tells the story of Muco, the Shiba Inu of glassblower Komatsu-san.[5]

Lovely Muco
Cover of the first manga volume
いとしのムーコ
(Itoshi no Mūko)
Genre
Manga
Written byTakayuki Mizushina
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintEvening KC
MagazineEvening
DemographicSeinen
Original run12 April 201123 September 2020
Volumes17
Anime television series
Lovely Movie: Lovely Muuuuuuuco!
Directed byTakenori Mihara
StudioDoga Kobo
Original networkFuji TV
Original run 29 July 2013 23 December 2013
Episodes21
Anime television series
Lovely Movie: Lovely Muuuuuuuco! Season 2
Directed byTakenori Mihara
StudioDoga Kobo
Original networkBS Fuji[3]
Original run 27 April 2014 5 October 2014
Episodes22
Anime television series
Directed byRomanov Higa
StudioDLE
Original networkTV Tokyo[4]
Original run 3 October 2015 26 March 2016
Episodes25
Manga
Daisuki! Itoshi no Muco
Written byTakayuki Mizushina
Published byKodansha
ImprintEvening KC
MagazineComic Days
DemographicSeinen
Original run10 September 2023 – present

Characters

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Muco (ムーコ, Mūko)
Voiced by: Hitomi Yoshida
The shiba-inu pet of Komatsu.
Komatsu-san (こまつさん)
Voiced by: Shinichi Tanioka (Lovely Movie) / Satoshi Hino (TV anime)
A glassblower.
Ushikou-san (うしこうさん)
Voiced by: Mizuki Sano (Lovely Movie) / Junji Majima (TV anime)
A bar patron and friend of Komatsu.
Bōda-san (棒田さん)
Voiced by: Taisei Kurata (Lovely Movie) / Keiji Fujiwara (TV anime)
A local barkeep.
Rena-chan (玲奈ちゃん)
Voiced by: Sumire Uesaka
Bouda's daughter.
Shinohara-san (篠原さん)
Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka
Love interest.
Dr. Mutō (Veterinary) (むとう先生(獣医さん), Mutō-sensei (Jūui-san))
Voiced by: Kazuhiro Watanabe (Lovely Movie) / Hiroki Takahashi (TV anime)
Tamaki-kun (タマキくん)
Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi (TV anime)

Media

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Manga

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Written and illustrated by Takayuki Mizushina, Lovely Muco was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Evening from 12 April 2011[6] to 23 September 2020.[7] Kodansha collected its chapters in 17 tankōbon volumes, released from 23 April 2012[8] to 23 November 2020.[9]

At Anime Expo 2022, Kodansha USA announced that they licensed the series for English publication.[10]

A sequel manga, titled Daisuki! Itoshi no Muco, began serialization on Kodansha's Comic Days website began serialization on 10 September 2023.[11]

Volumes

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No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
01 23 April 2012[8]978-4-06-352415-42 May 2023[12]978-1-64-729239-3
02 21 September 2012[13]978-4-06-352431-44 July 2023[14]978-1-64-729240-9
03 22 March 2013[15]978-4-06-352455-07 November 2023[16]978-1-64-729251-5
04 20 September 2013[17]978-4-06-352483-320 February 2024[18]978-1-64-729252-2
05 20 March 2014[19][20]978-4-06-354506-7
978-4-06-358702-9 (SE)
06 21 November 2014[21][22]978-4-06-354538-8
978-4-06-358749-4 (SE)
07 23 April 2015[23]978-4-06-354569-2
08 20 November 2015[24]978-4-06-354601-9
09 22 April 2016[25][26]978-4-06-354618-7
978-4-06-358805-7 (SE)
10 22 November 2016[27][28]978-4-06-354642-2
978-4-06-362345-1 (SE)
11 23 June 2017[29][30]978-4-06-354673-6
978-4-06-358851-4 (SE)
12 22 December 2017[31][32]978-4-06-510577-1
978-4-06-511017-1 (SE)
13 23 July 2018[33][34]978-4-06-512076-7
978-4-06-512951-7 (SE)
14 23 April 2019[35][36]978-4-06-515222-5
978-4-06-516235-4 (SE)
15 22 November 2019[37][38]978-4-06-517658-0
978-4-06-518140-9 (SE)
16 23 June 2020[39][40]978-4-06-520005-6
978-4-06-520004-9 (SE)
17 20 November 2020[9][41]978-4-06-521582-1
978-4-06-521646-0 (SE)

Anime

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In 2013 and 2014, a short anime based on the manga by Doga Kobo was used as interstitials on the Fuji TV programme Non-Stop!. A separate anime series started airing on 3 October 2015.[42][43]

Reception

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Lovely Muco ranked sixth on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2013" poll by Honya Club online bookstore.[44]

References

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  1. ^ Lovely Muco!. Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  2. ^ Alverson, Brigid (6 July 2022). "Kodansha Announces New Manga Licenses at Anime Expo". ICv2. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  3. ^ "ラブリームービー いとしのムーコ シーズン2" (in Japanese). Fuji Television On Demand. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  4. ^ テレビ東京・あにてれ いとしのムーコ (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. ^ 秋田・ガラス作家の愛犬モデルの漫画「いとしのムーコ」、コミック誌に連載へ [Dog model of Akita-glass artist cartoon "beloved of Muko", to serialized in comic magazine] (in Japanese). Akita Keizai Shimbun. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  6. ^ みずしな孝之が愛らしい犬描く「いとしのムーコ」連載開始. Natalie (in Japanese). 12 April 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  7. ^ 謎のスーパー野球女子描く新連載がイブニングで、「いとしのムーコ」10年の連載に幕. Natalie (in Japanese). 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b いとしのムーコ(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  9. ^ a b いとしのムーコ(17) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  10. ^ Pineda, Rafael (1 July 2022). "EXCLUSIVE: Kodansha USA Licenses The Yakuza's Bias, Lovely Muco!, Iruma-kun, More Titles". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  11. ^ みんな大好きムーコが帰ってきた!「いとしのムーコ」の新作がコミックDAYSで開始. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Lovely Muco! 1". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  13. ^ いとしのムーコ(2) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Lovely Muco! 2". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  15. ^ いとしのムーコ(3) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Lovely Muco! 3". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  17. ^ いとしのムーコ(4) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Lovely Muco! 4". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  19. ^ いとしのムーコ(5) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  20. ^ DVDと缶バッジ付きですよ!! いとしのムーコ(5)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  21. ^ いとしのムーコ(6) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  22. ^ いとしのムーコ(6)限定版 もっちりストラップ&ぷっくりシール&缶バッジのムーコBOX (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  23. ^ いとしのムーコ(7) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  24. ^ いとしのムーコ(8) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  25. ^ いとしのムーコ(9) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  26. ^ DVD付き いとしのムーコ(9)限定版 おはなつやつやステッカー入り! (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  27. ^ いとしのムーコ(10) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  28. ^ 卓上カレンダー付き いとしのムーコ(10)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  29. ^ いとしのムーコ(11) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  30. ^ ハンドタオル付き いとしのムーコ(11)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  31. ^ いとしのムーコ(12) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  32. ^ ムーコかたぬきカレンダー付き いとしのムーコ(12)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  33. ^ いとしのムーコ(13) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  34. ^ ムーコのでっかいメモホルダー付き いとしのムーコ(13)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  35. ^ いとしのムーコ(14) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  36. ^ ムーコのおくすり手帳&カバー付き いとしのムーコ(14)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  37. ^ いとしのムーコ(15) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  38. ^ ワイドなムーコカレンダー付き いとしのムーコ(15)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  39. ^ いとしのムーコ(16) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  40. ^ ふせんブック付き いとしのムーコ(16)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  41. ^ 毎日いっしょなムーコ日めくりカレンダー付き いとしのムーコ(17)限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  42. ^ "Lovely Muco! Manga by Kemono to Chat's Mizushina Gets New TV Anime". Anime News Network. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  43. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (23 April 2015). ""Lovely Muco!" Manga Gets TV Anime Adaptation This Fall". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  44. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (4 February 2013). "Japanese Bookstores Recommend 15 Top Manga of 2013". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
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