What does it mean to look after a pet? The cynics among us might say a whole lot of time picking up excrement and far too much money on food, but others would argue that it provides a powerful lifelong companionship. Shiba Inu Rooms is a beautiful example of this, albeit with something of a supernatural twist.
Currently serialized on Jump Plus since June 2024, Esu Omori’s debut series is already proving to be a breakout success. It managed to snag second place in the Sanyodo Bookstore Comic Awards, seventh place in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2025, and will most likely see a strong showing in other awards this year, such as the Next Manga Awards. What’s more, the series has already managed to surpass 100,000 copies in circulation with only three volumes as of the time of writing, perhaps because of all this positive publicity.
It's not hard to see why. While Shiba Inu Rooms might seem like a harmless comedy befitting of its fluffy exterior, what lies beneath is a truly compelling story about the power of pets and how they can help us move past trauma. Furthermore, its pedigree as a dog-centric manga allows it to stand out in a market dominated by cat lovers, providing many relatable tales for owners of man’s best friend everywhere.
The basic plot of Shiba Inu Rooms follows Kori Momose, a young girl who is searching for an apartment in the suburbs of Tokyo after changing high schools for reasons that will be explored later on. During this search, she stumbles across an unbelievable deal: a fairly spacious condominium in a two-storey apartment building known as Maison Shiba for only 4800 yen per month. The catch, however, is that every single room is haunted by the spirit of a deceased Shiba Inu.
Here is the first instance of where Shiba Inu Rooms takes something of a darker turn. According to the owner of the property, it was previously used as a puppy mill by an irresponsible breeder who kept the animals in deplorable conditions, locked in small cages with little freedom to roam. Disaster then struck one summer as a power failure occurred in the middle of a record heatwave: local residents came together to try and rescue as many of the puppies as possible, but many of them unfortunately still passed away.
In accordance with the “rules” of ghosts in occult literature, these animals now haunt the halls of Maison Shiba after being subjected to a particularly cruel and traumatic death. What’s more, much like more traditional ghosts, the phantom hounds of Shiba Inu Rooms can pass on to the afterlife if their lingering desires are granted: only instead of unfinished business or attachment to loved ones, it’s all about head pats and belly scratches. Perhaps the only exception, however, just so happens to be the one that Kori ends up with.
When viewing the apartment for the first time, the resident spirit of Room 101 doesn’t even bother to show his face. Kori and the landlady must instead track him down, eventually finding him hidden in the closet: this is our first introduction to Mu-chan, Kori’s quirky spectral roommate, who acts as both the mascot character for the series as well as the heart and soul of the entire story. His somewhat unusual behavior should also prove relatable for owners of Shiba Inu in the real world.
It must be said that Mu-chan’s initial standoffish attitude is later revealed to be an act of kindness towards Kori, but his disposition as something of a social deviant never changes. He’s constantly asking questions about the world around him, never hesitates to speak his mind without much thought as to the consequences, and always tries to do the right thing when he can. In many ways, he’s like a human child, complete with an iPad addiction when Kori needs some peace and quiet to do some studying.
Although Mu-chan might not be your average attention-seeking mutt, that doesn’t mean that Kori is exactly normal either. As mentioned, the whole reason for her apartment search in the first place was because she switched high schools: this came about after a particularly nasty bout of bullying caused by her complete apathy towards all things horror. There’s more to it than that, but suffice it to say that Kori’s unusual personality has always caused problems in relating to the people around her, even resulting in a curse at one point in time.
Both Kori and her parents hope that moving schools will present a new opportunity to move forward, but perhaps the most important part of this change was meeting Mu-chan. It’s only by getting to know someone more unusual than herself that Kori is able to accept who she is and move past her trauma, even going on to make new friends in Maison Shiba and at her new school. They were made for each other, really: Mu-chan now has a friend after being mistreated in his previous life, while Kori has a companion for emotional support and connection.
Those of us who keep pets, especially dogs, know that this is a very real role they can play in the lives of those with trauma and depression. Having someone there who loves you unconditionally and will always show you affection is a powerful thing, hence why many arguably prefer animals over real humans. Shiba Inu Rooms even manages to capture the specific ways that Shiba Inu show affection: Mu-chan isn’t as needy as some other breeds and, indeed, other dogs in the series, but that only makes the time he does show affection that much more special.
Looking at the wider manga landscape, it feels like cat-centric series are a dime a dozen these days. Even just on Jump Plus alone there is both Red Cat Ramen and Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!, while A Man and His Cat continues to prove popular on account of its unusual central character dynamic. As a result, Shiba Inu Rooms would prove unique enough on the surface level, but the good news is that there is real substance within.
You can read Shiba Inu Rooms in English for free via VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump.
