STORY ARCS
What Is the Momonga Arc? Synopsis and Fan Theory Roundup | The Meaning of the Melon Bread and Applause [Chiikawa]
Overview
| Publication period | July 27 – August 7, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Collection status | Not yet collected (as of September 2026) |
| Official X posts | 8 posts |
| Characters | Momonga, Yoroi-san (Armor Knight), Kurimanju, Rakko, Hachiware |
Synopsis
When Hachiware invites him out gathering as usual, Momonga answers, “I’m not going today.” He can’t think of anything he wants to eat, yet the hunger is still there—feeling unfulfilled like this, Momonga spends his days somehow out of sorts, digging through a dried-up field while picturing two kinds of cream, and reaching for the two-pack snack Rakko holds out to him.
One evening, sharing a meal with Kurimanju, Momonga is asked, “And you… aren’t you going? ‘Subjugation.’” He answers at once: “Like I’d… ever go to something like that.” To the invitation “If you ever feel like some special training…,” he quips, “Ooh, how frightful,” and the conversation breaks off there.
The turning point is melon bread. The moment he hears that the melon bread that rolled out when he slammed into Yoroi-san is a “sample,” Momonga puts it on his head and is in high spirits. He races around in front of the weapon shop, escalating his demands—“Praise me!” “More applause and stuff!”—and, showered with whistles and cheers, murmurs with satisfaction, “This is it… the moon.” The surrounding crowd, however, is whispering “What do you mean, ‘gathering’?” and “What do you mean, ‘Subjugation’?”—and where Momonga’s “feeling of fulfillment” is headed is not depicted at this point.
Memorable Scenes
03.01
The Subjugation Back-and-Forth with Kurimanju
His instant reply to “Aren’t you going? ‘Subjugation’!” and the exchange over “If you ever feel like some special training…”. A single panel that has become a focal point of fan theories.03.02
The Melon Bread Is a “Sample”
The melon bread that rolled out of the body-slam into Yoroi-san. From the moment he puts it on his head, Momonga’s good mood begins.03.03
“This Is It… the Moon”
Applause, whistles, and cheers. While his demands keep escalating, the crowd’s gazes stay cold. The point the story has reached for now, where bliss and foreboding coexist.Fan Theories
Around Momonga and “Dekatsuyo,” the reading that “their insides have been swapped” has long been widely shared among fans (an interpretation based on the Swap (Slot Machine) Arc and the like, not a fact stated in the main story). On top of that premise, opinions are currently split over how to read the Momonga Arc behavior of “not going on Subjugation” and “wanting to be praised.”
The Theory That Reads It as Firsthand Experience of the Swap
The reading that the reason he stubbornly avoids Subjugation may be that he knows firsthand what it is like to be on the subjugated side. The exchange with Kurimanju is this theory’s main piece of material.
The Theory That the Original Momonga Will Come Back
The hope and prediction that at some point the insides will go back to how they were. That said, what each poster envisions for “how it would happen” varies widely.
The Theory That Senses an Ominous Ending
An anxiety-tinged theory that “Dekatsuyo” (= read here as having the original Momonga inside) might end up subjugated, or that this is the “setup” for some kind of comeuppance for the current Momonga. Some also read the coldness of the crowd in the applause installment as an omen.
The Theory That Is Skeptical of the Swap Itself
There is also a certain number of readers who do not treat the swap as settled and leave it an open question.
At this point, none of the theories has a clincher, and everyone is simply waiting for the serialization to continue so the answers can be checked.
Side Stories from This Period
During the Momonga Arc’s serialization period, there were also standalone posts running alongside the main story.
- Commemorative illustration of the Chiikawa cast gathered together (2026/8/7): a single illustration of Chiikawa, Hachiware, Usagi, Momonga, Kurimanju, Rakko, Shisa, and others piled up against a pink background.
FAQ
Which volume of the collected books includes the Momonga Arc?
Not yet collected (as of September 2026).
Is the Momonga–Dekatsuyo swap real?
It is not a fact stated in the main story. It is a reading (fan theory) widely discussed among fans, and on this page it is introduced in the fan-theory section, clearly distinguished from the facts.
When was the Momonga Arc serialized?
It was serialized on X from July 27 – August 7, 2026.