Masha and the Bear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Masha and the Bear |
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| Created by | Oleg Kuzovkov |
| Screenplay by | Oleg Kuzovkov Oleg Užinov Natalya Rumiantseva Denis Chervyatsov Nikolai Kuzovkov Joe Ksander Kevin R. Adams Ernest Kataev Greg Nix Marina Sycheva Alex Budovsky Hunter Cope Aleksey Karanovich Aleksandr Filyurin Vadim Golovanov Ekaterina Kozhushanaya |
| Directed by | Denis Chervyatsov Oleg Kuzovkov Oleg Uzhinov Marina Nefedova Olga Baulina Roman Kozich Georgiy Orlov Vladislav Bayramgulov Natalya Malgina Andrey Belyaev Ilya Trusov Vasily Bogatyrev |
| Voices of | Yulia Zunikova (Masha) Alina Kukushkina (Dasha) Boris Kutnevich & Irina Kukushkina (Bear) Mark Kutnevich (Panda & Rabbit) Eduard Nazarov (Santa Claus) |
| Music by | Vasily Bogatyrev |
| Opening theme | original theme |
| Country of origin | Russian |
| Original language(s) | Russian English Indonesian Portugis And more... |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 88 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Andrey Dobrunov Oleg Kuzovkov Dmitrij Lovejko Marina Ratina Maria Demina Sergey Martynov |
| Animator(s) | Darya Matreshina Tatyana Bolotnova Alexey Borzykh Sergey Kuligin (35 episode Fotografia) Sergey Sharigin Elena Saraeva Vadim Smaga Tim Hodge Sergey Artyukh Yana Zavyalova Michael Milotvorskiy Mihail Tarasov |
| Running time | 7-8 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Animaccord Animation Studio |
| Distributor | Animaccord Animation Studio |
| Release | |
| Original network | Russia-1 (2011–2018) Russia-K (2014–present) |
| Original release | 7 January 2009 21 October 2017 (Masha's Tales) 15 February 2018 (Masha's Spooky Stories) – present |
Masha and the Bear is a popular Russian animated TV show. It was created by Oleg Kuzovkov and made by Animaccord Animation Studio in Moscow. The show is based on an old folk story about a girl and a bear.
The series is about a little girl named Masha and her kind friend, a bear. The Bear always tries to keep Masha safe from her many adventures. The first episode came out in 2009. This show has been translated into 42 languages. It is shown in many parts of the world by big media companies like Netflix and Google.
Many episodes of Masha and the Bear have become very popular on YouTube. For example, the Russian episode "Recipe for Disaster" has billions of views. It is one of the most-watched videos on YouTube that is not a music video.
The show has five seasons. Season 5 started in June 2020. It was the first animated TV show in Russia to be made in 4K quality. This high-quality video is usually used for big movies.
Contents
About the Story
Masha is a Russian girl who lives in the forest. She lives with her pet pig, goat, and dog. In the first episode, we see that all the animals in the forest are scared of Masha. This is because she always tries to make them play with her.
One day, Masha follows a butterfly and finds the Bear's house. The Bear is out fishing. Masha plays in his house and makes a huge mess! When the Bear comes back, he sees the mess. He tries to get Masha to leave, but he can't. Soon, Masha and the Bear become good friends.
In every episode, Masha is shown as a smart and kind girl. But she is also very mischievous! She loves to explore the world around her. This often leads to funny and exciting situations. The kind Bear always tries to keep Masha out of trouble. But he often ends up in funny situations because of her.
The show also has other characters. These include Masha's cousin Dasha. There's also a penguin adopted by the Bear. A young panda cub from China is the Bear's cousin. Two wolves live in an old ambulance car. A tiger used to work with the Bear in the circus. There's also a Female Bear, who the Bear likes a lot. Other animals include a hare, squirrels, hedgehogs, a pig named Rosie, a goat, and a dog. They all live near Masha's house.
Meet the Characters
- Masha
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Masha is a three-year-old girl. She is very playful and energetic. She lives in a house near a railway station. A path from her house leads to the Bear's house. Masha loves the Bear very much. But her games often cause problems for him. We don't see Masha's parents or her friends' parents in the show.
Masha loves sweets, jumping in a bucket, and looking at drawings. Her character is a mix of a young child and an adult. She makes small grammar mistakes like a 6-year-old. She also cries when she doesn't get what she wants. But she can also play tennis, fish, make food, and play electric guitar!
- Bear
The Bear used to be a circus kamchatka brown bear. He lives in a house inside a tree in the forest. Because he was in the circus, he is very good at juggling, riding a unicycle, and even magic tricks. He also enjoys other hobbies and learning new things. Some episodes show him as a cub in the same house. In Russian, Masha calls him "Mishka," which means "Little Bear." He is a big bear with a big heart. He acts like a father figure to Masha and is a very friendly friend.
- Masha's Pets
Masha has a terrier, a goat, and a pig. In the first episode, she also had chickens. These pets live outside Masha's house. But they often hide when Masha comes out to avoid her games. The Pig, named Rosie, is often made to play with Masha. Masha sometimes dresses Rosie up like a baby in a stroller.
- The Wild Animals
The wild animals include a hare, red squirrels, hedgehogs, and two wolves. Masha and a certain Hare often play hockey together. They sometimes make a mess or accidentally hurt someone. The Hare sometimes steals carrots from the Bear's garden. The two Wolves live in an old ambulance car on a hill. They are often looking for food. They also act like medics for injuries.
- She-Bear
The She-Bear is a female grizzly bear. The Bear is in love with her and tries to impress her. Sometimes she prefers the Black Bear. But she usually becomes friendly with the Bear. She has also been kind to Masha. For example, she gave Masha a fashion magazine. She also helped Masha train for a tennis match and learn to ice-skate.
- Dasha
Dasha is Masha's cousin from Moscow. She looks like Masha but is more "ladylike." She has blue eyes, blue glasses, and an orange dress. She is scared of the Bear and calls him names like "Shaggy" or "Monster."
- Panda
Panda is a panda cub. He is the Bear's young cousin from China. He and Masha often argue when he visits. But sometimes they get along and have fun together.
- Whiskers n' Stripes
This is a siberian tiger. He is the Bear's best friend from when they performed together in the Moscow circus.
- The Black Bear
This is a himalayan black bear. He is the Bear's main rival, especially for the She-Bear's attention. The Black Bear is often arrogant and plays unfairly. He cheated to win against Masha in a tennis game. The Bear's biggest fear is if the Black Bear and She-Bear get married.
- Penguin
The Penguin first appears as an egg that Masha finds. The Bear hatches the egg. The Penguin quickly sees the Bear as its parent. The Bear grows to love the Penguin. But he sends the Penguin to live in Antarctica for its health. They still keep in touch, and the Penguin has visited.
- Father Frost
Father Frost is a magical version of Santa Claus. He appears in Christmas episodes.
- Four-eyed aliens
These are three aliens. They crashed on Earth by accident. The Bear and Masha helped them get back to their spaceship.
How the Show is Made
The show is made at Animaccord Animation studio. The creator, Oleg Kuzovkov, writes the story for each episode. Then, a storyboard is made with thousands of pictures. After the story is ready, they start the 2D animation. This is where they decide how long each scene will be and how characters move.
Next, the voices are recorded. This is done before the 3D animation. The animators need to know what the characters will say. This helps them make the characters' mouths move correctly and show the right emotions.
3D Animation Process
After the voices are recorded, the 3D animation begins. Animators make all the movements in the scenes. This includes opening doors, picking up books, and all the body movements that make the characters seem real.
Adding Colors and Details
This step brings everything together. Artists add colors to the grey 3D models. They add details like the Bear's fur and Masha's hair. They also create the lighting and weather for each scene, as written in the story.
Final Touches
This is the last step. Artists check all the scenes in an episode. They make sure the colors are right and smooth out the edges of the 3D models. They put all the parts together to make a complete episode. Then, the director approves the work. Finally, the episode is uploaded to the show's official YouTube channel.
Voice Actors
Masha, her cousin Dasha, and Father Frost are the only characters who speak. The other characters communicate using actions or sounds.
For the first two seasons, Alina Kukushkina voiced Masha in Russian. She was 6 years old when she started. For the third season, Varvara Sarantseva became the new voice of Masha. Later, Yulia Zunikova took over in 2020. The show's sound designer, Boris Kutnevich, voices the Bear. Mark Kutnevich voices the Hare.
For the English version, Elsie Fisher voiced Masha in the first season. Later, Rebecca Bloom and Angelica Keamy voiced Masha. Now, Kaitlyn McCormick is the voice of Masha.
Music in the Show
The music for each episode is written by Russian composer Vasily Bogatyrev. Many songs from the cartoon have become popular. For example, the music from the "Laundry Day" and "The Grand Piano Lesson" episodes are well-known in Russia and other countries.
Awards and Achievements
- In January 2015, Masha and the Bear was called one of the "TV Shows Destined to be Classics" by Animation Magazine.
- In February 2015, the show won a Kidscreen Award for Best Animation.
- In October 2015, Kidscreen Magazine named Animaccord Animation Studios as one of the top animation companies in the world.
- In 2019, the cartoon was added to the Guinness World Records book. This was because the episode "Recipe for Disaster" became the most-watched animated video on YouTube. It has over 4.4 billion views! This episode is one of the most-viewed videos of all time on YouTube.
The show is very popular in many Muslim countries, like Indonesia. This is partly because Masha wears a headscarf and her legs are covered in her folk costume.
Mobile Apps
The first Masha and the Bear mobile app came out in August 2011. In 2013, the first mobile game, Masha and the Bear: Search and Rescue, was released. Since then, many other games and apps featuring Masha and the Bear have been created.
Where to Watch
As of 2019, Masha and the Bear is shown on CTC in Russia. In the United States, it's on Universal Kids. In Canada, it's on Treehouse TV. In the Middle East and North Africa, you can watch it on Baraem and Jeem TV, as well as Spacetoon. It also airs on Junior in Germany and on Boomerang, Cartoonito, and Tiny Pop in the United Kingdom. It is also shown in Indonesia and Pakistan, and on Nick Junior in India.
Netflix has released many episodes of the show. Many videos are uploaded on different YouTube channels.
Spin-off Shows
Masha and the Bear has two spin-off series.
Masha's Tales
This spin-off show is called Masha's Tales. In this series, Masha tells classic Russian fairy tales and some Grimms' Fairy Tales to her toys. But Masha tells the stories in her own unique way! She often changes the stories and adds her own endings. Masha's Tales first aired on Cartoonito in the UK on June 20, 2016.
Masha's Spooky Stories
Another spin-off is Masha's Spooky Stories. This show premiered on Cartoonito UK and Netflix in October 2016. In these episodes, Masha tells stories that are a little bit spooky but still fun for kids.
Images for kids
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Masha and the Bear logo
See also
In Spanish: Masha y el oso (serie de televisión) para niños
