KikoRiki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids KikoRiki |
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Logo and characters. Back row, L-R: Barry, Olga, Dokko, Chiko, Krash, Carlin. Front row, L-R: Rosa, Wally, Pin.
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| Genre | Drama, comedy, satire, family film |
| Screenplay by | Aleksey Lebedev Svetlana Mardagolimova Dmitry Yakovenko |
| Directed by | Denis Chernov Konstantin Biryukov others |
| Voices of | (See article) |
| Composer(s) | Marina Landa Sergey Vasilyev |
| Country of origin | Russia |
| Original language(s) | Russian |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 180 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Yuliya Nikolaeva |
| Producer(s) | Ilya Popov Aleksandr Gerasimov Vyacheslav Mayasov |
| Running time | 6 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Petersburg Animation Studio The Riki Group |
| Release | |
| Original network | STS Russia 1 KinoPoisk |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i |
| Original release | May 17, 2004 – May 24, 2023 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | BabyRiki |
KikoRiki, also known as GoGoRiki or BalloonToons in the United States, and Smeshariki (Russian: Смешарики) in Russia, is a popular Russian animated television series. It has 307 episodes, each about 6 and a half minutes long. While it was originally made for younger children (ages 3-8), its fun stories and clever humor are enjoyed by older kids and even adults!
The first episode aired in Russia on May 17, 2004. The characters in KikoRiki are cute, rounded animals. Their Russian name, Smeshariki, means "funny little balls." The show is known for its interesting themes and cultural jokes. It's shown in 60 countries and translated into 15 languages, reaching about 50 million viewers every day! In fact, more people watch it in China than in Russia. You can find episodes on KinoPoisk in Russia.
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Meet the KikoRiki Characters
The world of KikoRiki is full of unique and lovable characters. Each one has their own personality and brings something special to the group.
- Krash (Russian: Крош, romanized: Krosh), also called Pogoriki or Jumpy, is a sky-blue rabbit. He's the main character and loves to jump into new adventures. Krash has a pink nose, blue eyebrows, and buckteeth. He was born on December 29.
- Chiko (Russian: Ёжик, romanized: Yozhik, lit. 'a little hedgehog'), also known as Chikoriki or Joshi, is a magenta hedgehog. He's Krash's best friend, but he's much shyer and more careful. Chiko wears purple glasses and has spiky dark purple hair. He was born on February 14. While Krash is often the one to act, Chiko is usually the one who thinks things through.
- Rosa (Russian: Нюша, romanized: Nyusha), also called Rosariki or Pinky, is a light pink pig. She loves fashion and looking good! Rosa has red hair with a white flower, a pink snout, and heart-shaped rosy cheeks. She was born on July 13.
- Pin (Russian: Пин, romanized: Pin), also known as Ottoriki, is a black-and-white penguin from Germany. He's a brilliant inventor who taught himself everything he knows. Pin wears a brown pilot hat with cool burgundy glasses. He was born on August 9.
- Barry (Russian: Копатыч, romanized: Kopatych, lit. 'Digych'), also called Boboriki or Berry, is an orange bear with a southern accent. He's a farmer, a beekeeper, and he plays the accordion. Barry wears a yellow farmer's hat. He was born on October 8.
- Olga (Russian: Совунья, romanized: Sovun'ya, lit. 'Owlnya'), also known as Olgariki, is a purple owl. She's like a wise and caring grandma who always has helpful advice. Olga is also the doctor of the Round Country. She was born on September 15.
- Dokko (Russian: Лосяш, romanized: Losyash, lit. 'Mooseyash'), also called Docoriki or ElDoc, is a golden-yellow moose. He's a super smart and sometimes quirky scientist who speaks with a British accent. Dokko has an orange nose and brown horns. He was born on May 25.
- Wally (Russian: Бараш, romanized: Barash, lit. 'Ramash'), also known as Wolliriki or Fluff, is a lavender ram. He loves to write poetry and has a secret crush on Rosa. Wally has purple eyebrows and horns. He was born on April 29.
- Carlin (Russian: Кар-Карыч, romanized: Kar-Karych, lit. 'Caw Cawson'), also called Bigoriki or BigBig, is a dark blue crow. He's Olga's friend and a retired traveler with fancy manners. Carlin enjoys playing the piano and being an artist. He was born on March 3.
The Creators of KikoRiki
The KikoRiki series was created as part of a special project called "World Without Violence." This project aimed to teach tolerance and prevent extremism in Russian society. The show was made with help from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the "Master-Film" company at the "Peterburg" computer animation studio. This studio was specifically created in March 2000 to make Smeshariki.
- Main Director: Denis Chernov
- Main Music and Song Composers: Sergey Vasilyev and Marina Landa
- Artistic Supervisor: Anatoliy Prokhorov
- General Producer: Ilya Popov
- Leading Writers: Aleksey Lebedev, Svetlana Mardagolimova, Dmitry Yakovenko
- Art Director: Salavat Shaykhinurov
KikoRiki Movies
The KikoRiki characters have also starred in several full-length movies!
- The first Smeshariki/KikoRiki movie was announced in 2007 and released in December 2011. This film was made using 3D computer animation, which is different from the 2D animation of the TV series. This movie was a prequel, meaning its story happened before the TV series, explaining how the nine animal characters first met.
- Two more movies, Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon and Kikoriki: Deja Vu, were released on March 17, 2016, and April 26, 2018.
Other KikoRiki Shows
The world of KikoRiki has expanded with several spin-off series, each focusing on different themes.
The ABCs of Safety (2006–2012)
"The ABCs of Safety of the Kikoriki" (Russian: Азбука безопасности Смешариков) is a series of short, educational cartoons. These episodes teach important lessons about things like traffic safety, health, good manners, and even children's rights. In 2017, a new set of episodes called "ABCs of the Internet" was released, teaching characters how to use the internet safely.
New Adventures
"KikoRiki: New Adventures" (Russian: Смешарики. Новые приключения) is a series of 3D computer-animated shorts. It continues the stories of the original characters and is considered the third season of the show. It aired from October 2012 to December 2013, with 57 episodes.
Pin-Code
"Pin-Code" (Russian: Пин-код) is an educational spin-off designed to get kids interested in inventing, programming, and science. It's made with 3D computer animation. The show follows the characters as they travel in the Umflier (later called Sphere-Jet), a cool ship invented by Pin that can go anywhere: air, water, underground, and even space!
- In the first season, called "Nobel Season," Dokko and Pin explain scientific facts about the world. Each episode ends with information about Nobel Prize winners.
- The second season, "Jump to the Future," is all about time travel! The characters use a special invention called the "Spheroscope-3000" (Russian: Шароскоп-3000) to learn about future inventions.
BabyRiki
BabyRiki is a version of the series made for very young children, like preschoolers. It was created by the same company.
Panda and Krash
In May 2019, Russian and Chinese animators agreed to work together on a new cartoon called "Panda and Krash" (Russian: Панда и Крош). This shows how popular KikoRiki is around the world!
New Season
After an 8-year break, the original 2D animated series was renewed for a third season! This new season, with 52 episodes, is available on the streaming service Kinopoisk HD.
Where to Watch KikoRiki
In the United States, the English version called GoGoRiki aired on The CW4Kids from September 2008 to November 2009. Later, another English version became available on YouTube starting in May 2018.
KikoRiki Merchandise
You might have seen KikoRiki characters on different products! For example, a Russian company called Navkus used character stickers on bananas. These stickers showed a KikoRiki character holding a peeled banana and had the slogan "Poprobuy Mul'tik Na Vkus" ("Taste the Cartoon").
KikoRiki Video Game
There's also a video game based on the series called Shararam, which is similar to Club Penguin. An English version of the game was released as RolyPolyLand.
Images for kids
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Toys embroidered with a hook for the new year, depicting the characters from Kikoriki
See also
- Timbuctoo, animals by Roger Hargreaves, the creator of Mr. Men
