Star Characters
charming aspect to these characters is that they reflect children’s desire
Pororo and Friends: Animal Friends to Children around the World The economic success of Pororo the Little Penguin has been covered in the media countless times. Pororo and his friends, now internationally renowned characters, grew popular because of their unique personalities. These animals can never be made real. Pororo and Patty are penguins, Ruby a beaver, Harry a bird, Poby a bear, and Eddy a fox. Although these same animals might be part of the food chain in nature, they are friends in the show and kids really connect with that. Crong, an extinct dinosaur, also helps make Pororo’s world a unique realm for children with fundamentally different principles from the way adults think. Another St. Petersburg State Ballet Theater presented Pinocchio and Pororo Double Ice Show. (Feb 2012)
to make friends with animals. In addition, the shapes of the characters, which are similar to those of kids, elicit a strong sense of kinship with children. Finally, the only thing Crong can say is “crong, crong,” or similar to the speech pattern of very young children. The initial animation featured Pororo, Crong, Loopy, Eddy, and Poby. Patty and Harry were introduced in Season 2. Eddy’s Rody the Robot and the wizard dragon Tong-Tong were added in Season 3, upping the diversity of characters. In Season 4, the red car Tutu appeared. What is so endearing to children is that the characters do not overlap with one another, yet bring their own flair. Pororo, for example, is full of curiosity and noisy; Poby is a kind, reliable optimist; Eddy is a brilliant but pigheaded inventor; Loopy is a shy, sweet girl; Patty is sociable and outgoing; Crong is a typical naughty boy; and Harry is a cheerful character. This alone, however, does not explain their popularity. Ironically, what
Character goods (laptop)
Pororo 10th Anniversary
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90 K-ANIMATION Befriending Children All Over the World
Heroes of K-Animation: Popular Characters 91