Which chapter shows Momonga's swap? A walkthrough of the original manga posts

The Basis for the Swap: Tracing the Three Chapters in Volume 1 and Volume 5's "Slot"

To state the conclusion first, a chapter depicting the exact moment Momonga's swap occurs is not within the range of original posts collected on this site. If you want to follow the clues, the core chapters are Momonga's appearance in the passageway in Volume 1's "Pochette," the Labor reception desk in Volume 1's "Give It Back," and the chapter in Volume 1's "Momonga's Days" where Dekatsuyo chases Momonga. If you are looking all the way through the events at the game center, the post in Volume 5's "Slot" is another place to check.

In "Pochette," Momonga suddenly leaps out in front of Chiikawa, observes Chiikawa's expressions and gestures, and tries to act cutely itself. In "Momonga's Days," Dekatsuyo gives chase shouting "Give it back," Momonga refuses with "No way," spreads its body to show off, and leaps away. The moment someone is swapped is never shown directly; things begin with Momonga's behavior after its appearance and the standoff between the two. It is a quietly chilling introduction.

The Basis for the Swap: From the Passageway Encounter to the Chase in "Give It Back"

When Momonga meets Chiikawa in the passageway, it first bursts with joy, then intently studies the person in front of it. Even after Hachiware returns and leaves with Chiikawa, Momonga stays behind, eyes shining as it tries out new expressions. Its purpose as a first-time encounter is never explained, but the sight of it practicing "looking cute" on its own is clearly depicted.

In the following "Give It Back," Momonga demands that the Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) at the Labor reception desk scold it. Even when told it cannot be scolded because it has done nothing wrong, Momonga keeps pleading with teary eyes, and when finally given a brief scolding, it runs off wailing loudly. Because it shifts into exaggerated crying immediately after drawing the reaction it wanted, the expressions practiced in the passageway are now being used in interactions with others.

In "Momonga's Days," Dekatsuyo repeatedly demands the return along a bush-lined path, while Momonga keeps fleeing in a lighthearted manner. After refusing, it spreads its body to show off, and upon spotting a pink object up in a tree, it carries it off in its mouth while the pursuing cries still linger. It is an ominous triple jump, plunging in one stroke from cuteness practice to a demand for return.

The Swap: Confirmed Depictions, Clues, and Undetermined Parts

What can be verified from the original posts is that Momonga tries out cute expressions, gets the Armor Knight to scold it and cries, refuses Dekatsuyo's demand for return, and watches an unfamiliar creature at the game center. No explanation states that these four are the same event, and no scene directly shows who was swapped or how. Even in Volume 1 alone, Momonga's own self-staging and the demand for return from Dekatsuyo's side sit side by side in the same volume. While no line explains the origin of its form, it is clear that an unresolved demand exists between the two.

In Volume 5's "Slot," a creature with a white body and a long tail appears at the game center carrying a tool with a red tip. Momonga, Usagi, Hachiware, and Chiikawa watch its movements, which seem to match the sounds of the machines. The creature expresses itself through its belongings and rhythm, and the four do not drive it away, simply observing. When the fragments are laid side by side, the gaps between them linger more powerfully than any explanatory line.

General Depiction: Highlights in Momonga's Expressions and Behavior

Momonga's highlight is how it uses expressions to draw reactions from those around it. In Volume 2's "Mucha Days," after failing to break a hard lump and rolling on the ground crying, it switches to a gentle face and keeps making gestures like pressing both hands together in front of its chest to seek attention. The forceful bawling and the quiet charm sit side by side, making the speed of the switch easy to see.

In Volume 3's "Quick Days," it wears a flower-like ornament on its head and seeks reactions to its appearance. When a glance lands on its blue tail as it turns around, it panics to keep anyone from looking behind, so the gap between the front it wants to show and the back the other person noticed becomes the joke. Its cuteness is portrayed as something it even wants to choose the viewing angle for itself.

In another chapter in the same Volume 3, worried about its mud-splattered appearance, it directs its desire to look cute at the Armor Knight. When the Armor Knight removes the mud and fluffs up its fur, Momonga looks satisfied, but mud remains at its feet. Because it is about to get dirty again right after being cleaned, the short sequence captures even the gap between its self-staging and the reality of spending time outdoors.

In another food-related chapter in the same Volume 3, it demands that Usagi hand over goods, and when offered a trade condition, it sits down and throws a tantrum. When Usagi mimics the same behavior, it gets angry and tells Usagi not to copy it. The way cuteness and pushiness come out of the same gestures is a distinctly Momonga kind of humor.

General Depiction: The Form and Food That Follow the Slot Machine Arc

The game center post ends with the tool the long-tailed creature carries, the sounds of the machines, and the four watching over them. What the tool is used for, what the machines do, and how Momonga understood the creature are never explained. It is a scene that leaves a large gap between what is shown on the page and the interpretations that spread afterward.

In Volume 5's "Mucha Daily Life," Momonga appears in a small animal-like form with a blue-gray tail and ears, moving around a spot where leaves fall. Faced with things like grains and nuts, it puffs its body up or curls into a ball, and eventually starts thinking about sleeping. However, the reason for its changed form and any connection to the game center are never mentioned. It leaves an aftertaste that makes you ponder the gap between form and inner self.

How Fans View the Slot Machine Destruction, among Japanese fans on X

A fan post from July 26, 2026 reads the game center episode as Momonga destroying the "personality-swap slot machine," and expresses feeling a villain-like charisma in that act. It further offers the reading that Momonga is a figure who never lets its guard down in order to preserve its own cuteness.

The impressions we could confirm come from a single poster and cannot be called a widely shared consensus among all fans. What the original post card directly shows goes only as far as the creature and tool that appeared at the game center, and Momonga and the others watching them. The motive for the destruction and the workings of the device need to be separated out as interpretations on the fan side. It is a brief impression, but the perspective of reading the obsession with cuteness as defensive behavior is striking.

General Depiction: Related Chapters That Do Not Support the Swap

Once you finish tracing the clues to the swap, you can follow other appearances on Momonga's character page. In Volume 2's "Mucha Days," right after failing to break the hard lump and seeking comfort, Momonga stops crying when Chiikawa offers the inside and the three of them savor it together. The flow of amplifying its emotions until its demand is met, then switching instantly once it gets what it wants, makes a strong impression when placed alongside the figure practicing expressions in the passageway.

In Volume 6's "Emergence Spot," after biting Chiikawa, Momonga accepts a basket of pink fruit that is offered, and mimics Chiikawa's nod. Even so, it sets the basket down, whining that it wants something with more bite. On the post list you can follow the cards in order of appearance, and on the character list you can compare its relationships with other figures. The more you trace these small gestures, the more cuteness starts to look like both a performance and a weapon.