I wasn't planning on writing any reviews for this season, but Kinoko Inu surprised me. Twice, in fact: once when its first episode turned out to be the most emotionally striking premiere of the season (if not the entire year), and then once more when I saw its rating stabilizing in the criminal range of the low 6s—which it did not deserve AT ALL. The first surprise was a happy one; the second, not so much. So what are we dealing with here with Kinoko Inu? I assume that most people would look at the poster and think this is another lighthearted kids' show like Bananyaor Chi's Sweet Home. Let's just say it's anything but, and the manga it's based on is published in a seinen magazine alongside Monster Musume (yes, *that* Monster Musume). It deals with pretty heavy themes, and perhaps more so than making you smile, it's prone to making you cry. The fact that it maintains a positive outlook and uplifting tone doesn't change the fact that some of scenes it shows are emotionally devastating and cut very deep for everyone who has experienced the death of a loved one.

Kinoko Inu opens with our protagonist Hotaru, a writer in his early twenties, finding himself stuck in a debilitating, self-perpetuating loop of grieving over the loss of his beloved dog Hanako, his only remaining family member throughout most of his life. That is when the eponymous Mushroom Pup suddenly sprouts in his backyard and tries to help Hotaru move on from the tragedy—sometimes using very... unconventional methods. It's a heartwarming and occasionally funny story about family and processing loss, and there aren't many of those coming out these days that focus on such heavy subject matter with the nuance and delicacy it deserves.

The first episode came out of the left field and completely blew me away, and I was naturally afraid that the rest of the show wouldn't be able to live up to it. Thankfully, episodes 2 and 3 just kept hitting me in the feels, so it looks like it might keep up this momentum to emerge as one of the true hidden gems of the season. It's doubly impressive that, so far, it manages to beat Natsume's Book of Friends at its own game while airing alongside it, but somehow, here we are. So move aside, Nyanko-Sensei: you are only the second-best adorably round pet character this time.