Pororo the Little Penguin
Pororo the Little Penguin () is a South Korean computer-animated television series. The series premiered on EBS 1 in South Korea in 2003 until 2021. The series revolves around the adventures of a little penguin named Pororo, and his friends who live in the snowy hamlet of Porong Porong Forest, who often encounter challenges and learn practical and moral lessons in each episode. Origin. It was created in 2003 Iconix Entertainment Co., Ltd, a company based in Seoul, South Korea. Choi Sang-hyun, who was working at Iconix Entertainment, was given a project of 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. Animation history. The original Pororo was a blue and white, petite penguin sporting an aviator helmet and goggles, which became popular among children. When it was introduced, it targeted children aged 4–7. Pororo is an adventurous 5-year-old anthropomorphic penguin who dreams of flying and lives on a  snowy island with six other fellow animal friends. In the design, Pororo in most animations has a neutral background, so that the animation could be popular to children worldwide. Pororo's design inspirations include Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty. The creators picked the colours blue, pink and white to ensure familiarity for children as well as representing both genders. When making episodes, producers focused to details that could be biased to certain cultural codes or give a historical reference that is sensitive to viewers in certain parts of the world.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. Telecast. The series premiered on EBS 1 in South Korea in 2003 until 2021. In the USA, the show was dubbed in Spanish and aired on V-me in the late 2000s and currently aired on V-me Kids. On October 5, 2015, it was broadcast in Brazil through TV Cultura and later on October 12 through TV Rá-Tim-Bum. In Italy, the show was aired on Rai 2. In 2010, the series was purchased by the NPO for Zappelin in the Netherlands. In Poland, the show was aired on MiniMini+ under the  title "Mały pingwinek Popolo". Awards and honours. 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 animation characters. In 2014, Pororo got the award for Creative Brands. In 2015, Pororo was chosen as the mascot for mass transportation in Seoul. Social impact. 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. Korean Air also provides Pororo-related merchandise for children including a doodle book, a colouring book and a plush toy of the character. In the summer of 2016, a Pororo theme park opened at Seoul COEX Mall featuring rides and a parade of Pororo characters.