Pororo the Little Penguin () is a South Korean 3D computer-animated television series. The series premiered on EBS 1 in South Korea in 2003. It has nine seasons.
The series revolves around the adventures of a little penguin named Pororo, and his friends who live in the snowy village of Porong Porong Forest, who often encounter challenges and learn practical and moral lessons in each episode.
It was created in 2003 by Ocon Studios and Iconix Entertainment Co., Ltd, a company based in Seoul, South Korea. The first two seasons of the show were jointly created between North and South Korea designers as one of the inter-Korean business projects stemming from the North-South Joint Declaration of 2000.https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/15/world/korean-breakthrough-overview-koreas-reach-accord-seeking-reconciliation-after-50.html Choi Sang-hyun, a designer working at Iconix Entertainment, was tasked with creating a character that represents an animal living in the winter. Choi visited a zoo in order to see those animals and understand how children enjoyed watching them.
Several professional designers joined the project to come up with a character, but Choi's design was chosen as the winner, which then became Pororo. The original Pororo was a blue and white, petite penguin sporting an aviator helmet and goggles, which became popular among children. Pororo's helmet and goggles reflects his dream of flying and adventurous personality. When he was introduced, he was aimed at children aged 4âÂÂ7.
Pororo has no specific background or cultural coding, so that the series could be popular to children worldwide. Pororo's design inspirations include iconic mascots Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty. The creators picked the colours blue, pink and white to ensure familiarity for children, as well as representing said colors for boys and girls.
When making episodes, producers focused to details that could be biased to certain cultural codes or give a historical reference, that is sensitive to viewers in certain parts of the world. For example, they ensured that the characters wave rather than bowing or nodding to each other. In the third season, the characters were all given redesigns and outfits that correspond to their personalities.
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Initially, Pororo was created solely for entertainment. Later, parents suggested to Choi Jung-il of Iconix Entertainment that new episodes with educational value be included. Producers have received many requests, ranging from what the characters should eat and how to play in episodes to what they can do for society. By 2018, Pororo had been exported to over 140 countries and widely recognizable across Asia. In one survey done by the Korea Content Export Information System in 2006, Pororo ranked second in character brand worth, only behind Hello Kitty and ahead of Winnie the Pooh and Pucca. Due to Pororo's popularity, one of its nicknames has become the "children's president."
Korean Air also provides Pororo-related merchandise for children including a doodle book, a colouring book and a plush toy of the character. In 2015, Pororo was chosen as the mascot for mass transportation in Seoul.
In the summer of 2016, a Pororo Lounge opened at Seoul COEX Mall featuring rides and a parade of Pororo characters.
The immense popularity of Pororo is part of a larger trend of the growing character industry in Korea. Characters such as Pucca, Tayo the Little Bus, and Kakao Friends are all widely popular, driving ratings and merchandise sales. In one 2019 study done by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Korean character industry was expected to reach $11.9 billion in total sales with exports growing along with it. Pororo contributes to a large portion of these figures, particularly leading sales among young children.
In 2007, Pororo received numerous awards from the South Korean government, including the award by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In 2010, Pororo got the president's award for Best Animated Characters. In 2014, Pororo got the award for Creative Brands.