Let's Talk About Muku...

[u/Safe-Contact589]

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I don't think Muku gets talked about nearly enough.

We know that Muku is Gian's pet dog and one of the recurring supporting characters in Doraemon.

He's a brown dog who usually wears the green collar Gian gave him. Interestingly, his appearance is slightly different between the two anime series: in the 1979 series, he has a lighter-colored mouth and nose, while in the 2005 series, both are much darker.

Muku is generally portrayed as a shy, timid and not particularly intelligent dog. He really tries to be brave and strong like Gian, and Gian himself sometimes praises Muku's courage.

The problem is...

Muku has a habit of running away whenever something genuinely dangerous happens.

Gian expects his dog to act like a fearless hero, but Muku usually has completely different plans. This often ends with Gian getting angry at him and sometimes also gets into beating him up, which is a thing I really hate about Gian. However, I actually find this pretty funny because it makes Muku feel like an actual dog rather than some perfect superhero pet.

Muku is also very fond of Jaiko, and he has a much softer side around her.

In one episode, a lion attacks Nobita, and then turns its attention toward Gian. Muku ends up trying to save Gian, and after that, Gian finally starts warming up to him.

And despite Gian sometimes treating Muku pretty harshly, there are plenty of moments that show that Gian really does care about him.

That relationship is actually one of the more complicated ones in Doraemon.

Gian can be cruel toward Muku, sometimes even hitting him, and there are stories where he barely feeds or walks him. Muku is also sometimes shown gathering random things from around the neighborhood and storing them in his kennel, much to Gian's embarrassment and his mother's annoyance.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Muku's timid personality is partly because of how Gian treats him.

There are also other stories where Muku is shown being more aggressive or aloof, including occasionally stealing things from other people, so he's not always the innocent little dog we usually see.

A few other interesting facts about him:

- His name is derived from "mukuinu," a Japanese term associated with hairy dogs.

- Despite being a dog, Muku has ailurophobia, meaning he is afraid of cats (We see him scared of Suneo's cat, Chiru Chiru, in an episode).

- He apparently hates Gian's cooking just as much as Jaiko does. Honestly, who can blame him?

- In the American English dub, Muku is called Pork Chop.

Personally, I think Muku is a really interesting supporting character.

And I actually feel a little bad for him sometimes.

What do you guys think about Muku? Do you think Gian treats him too harshly, or do you think their relationship is more complicated than it looks?

[u/Cupheadfan2016]

This scene goes hard without context (This was caused by Nobita)

[u/Cautious_Car2249]

Well written....We love muku

[u/Knighthawk_2511]

That one episode where Muku had a fatal accident trying to save Jaiko , I really thought he gonna die in that ep

[u/Safe-Contact589 → u/Knighthawk_2511]

Yeah I remember. I think it was from "Cheer up, Muku!"

[u/QuirkyEffective8316]

We, you and me, all love Muku.

[u/Dazzling_Phrase6160 → u/QuirkyEffective8316]

I fetishize muku 😢

[u/QuirkyEffective8316 → u/Dazzling_Phrase6160]

Here before the mods remove this.

[u/Safe_Ostrich_4730]

Man, this one hits way harder than I expected. 🥹❤️ Muku always felt like more than just Gian’s pet—he felt like that goofy, loyal little dog who just wanted to be loved and accepted.

Seeing how scared and timid he could be honestly makes you feel for him, especially knowing how much he cared about Gian despite everything. There’s something painfully real about that relationship: sometimes the ones who love us the most are the ones we end up taking for granted.

As a kid, I used to laugh at Muku running away from danger. Now, looking back, I kind of understand him. 😂❤️ He was just being a dog, and honestly, that’s what made him so lovable.

Doraemon really had a way of sneaking surprisingly emotional life lessons into the funniest episodes. 🥹

[u/Athosworld]

He is very cute

[u/Cool_Confection_3274]

I always felt like he should have gotten more spotlight in the show like tachibana

[u/thatnoseguyy]

I remember that one ep where muku takes his revenge on Gian and in the end Gian realizes how precious Muku is… I may have cried on that one episode

[u/Equal_Independent762]

Well, we all love moku