Kei Kawaguchi is the creator of the manga Kawaii Tanuki mo Raku ja nai. This manga began serialization in Hakusensha's LaLa magazine in February 2017 and concluded on June 4, 2022. The series was also serialized on Hakusensha's Manga Park website and app, and Hakusensha published its fifth compiled book volume on April 5, 2022. The story follows Ponkichi, an angry tanuki who descends from a mountain to slash humans. An anime adaptation of Kawaii Tanuki mo Raku ja nai was produced and streamed on YouTube, debuting on July 23, 2022. The anime starred Hiroki Yasumoto as the main character Ponkichi and Jun Fukushima as Hayato Saionji. The fifth and final episode of the anime streamed on July 30, 2022.