8.9 /10 2 Votes
Voices of (See article) Final episode date 29 February 2012 | 7.7/10 IMDb Directed by Denis Chernov Country of origin Russia First episode date 7 May 2004 Writers Aleksei Lebedev | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Composer(s) Marina LandaSergey Vasilyev Cast Sergei Mardar, Mikhail Chernyak, Svetlana Pismichenko Networks Russia-1, The CW, STS, NHK, Nickelodeon, KiKa, Italia 1, Treehouse TV, YTV, Pop, CBC Television, CCTV-14 Characters Krosh, Losyash, Kopatych, Barash, Sovunya Similar Chaotic, Winx Club, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turt, Yu‑Gi‑Oh! 5D's, Huntik: Secrets & Seekers Profiles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kikoriki, known in Russian as Smeshariki (Russian: Смеша́рики), is a Russian animated television series consisting of 208 episodes of 6 minutes and 30 seconds each, aimed at children of 3 to 8 years. The first episode premiered in Russia on May 7, 2004. English-language distribution rights to the series were acquired by 4Kids Entertainment from worldwide distributor Fun Game Media, Munich and began airing as part of The CW4Kids block on The CW on September 13, 2008, under the name GoGoRiki. Fun Game Media is also producing a European version, which began airing on KI.KA on December 8, 2008.
Contents
- Creators
- PogorikiKroshKrashKurashi KunPogo
- ChikorikiYozhikChikoChi Kun
- WollirikiBarashWallyBasho Kun
- RosarikiNyushaRosaBota Chan
- Bigoriki Kar KarychCarlinKarasu San
- OlgarikiSovunyaOlgaZukusensei San
- OttorikiPinOttoPingama Kun
- DocorikiLosyashDokkoShika Kun
- BoborikiKopatychBerryGarudikuma Kun
- RoborikiBibiRoboRoboto San
- Films
- Merchandise
- References
The Smeshariki (the name is derived from смешные "smeshnye" meaning "funny", and шарики "shariki" meaning "little balls") are stylized rounded animals. Complex themes and specific cultural references place this cartoon firmly within the Russian tradition of animation.
GoGoRiki began its second season in the United States on August 22, 2009.
Creators
The series was created as part of the cultural-educational project "World Without Violence" as part of the federal program "Forming bulwarks of tolerance and preventing extremism in Russian society". It is made with the help of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and with the participation of the company "Master-Film" at the computer animation studio "Peterburg", which was created in March 2003 specifically for Smeshariki.
Pogoriki/Крош(Krosh)/Krash/Kurashi-Kun/Pogo
Krash is a sky blue rabbit.
Chikoriki/Ёжик(Yozhik)/Chiko/Chi-Kun
Chiko is a magenta hedgehog.
Wolliriki/Бараш(Barash)/Wally/Basho-Kun
Wally is a lavender ram.
Rosariki/Нюша(Nyusha)/Rosa/Bota-Chan
Beautiful Rosa is a light pink pig.
Bigoriki/Кар Карыч(Kar Karych)/Carlin/Karasu-San
Carlin is a dark blue crow who is an artist.
Olgariki/Совунья(Sovunya)/Olga/Zukusensei-San
Olga is a purple owl who is the doctor of the village.
Ottoriki/Пин(Pin)/Otto/Pingama-Kun
Otto is a German black and white penguin who is a self-taught inventor. Voice: Michail Chernyak (Russian), Darren Dunstan (English)
Docoriki/Лосяш(Losyash)/Dokko/Shika-Kun
Dokko is a golden yellow moose who is an eccentric scientist.
Boboriki/Копатыч(Kopatych)/Berry/Garudikuma-Kun
Berry is an orange bear who lives as a farmer.
Roboriki/Биби(Bibi)/Robo/Roboto-San
An intelligent, yellow and silver robot which Otto created.
Films
On January 24, 2007, it was announced that a Smeshariki feature film was to be made by the St. Petersburg company "Marmelad-media" (which owns the brand) to be released in December 2011. This movie was shot in 3D CGI, unlike the 2D Flash-animated series.
An initial budget of $1 million was given to produce a "test film" to show to international partners. According to Marmelad-media's general director Ilya Popov, the final budget would depend on a number of factors, such as whether it will be sold internationally (in which case the budget would be up to $15 million) or limited to Russia (in which case it will cost around $3–4 million). Popov considered spending anything over $5 million to be unprofitable (the highest-grossing Russian animated film to date, Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber, cost $2.5 million and made just under $10 million; since around half of the profits usually go to the distributors, if it had cost over $5 million it would not have been profitable). The film was released domestically in December 2011, but received a limited release in the UK in early 2012. The film is considered a well thought-through prequel, its plot explaining events that brought the nine animal characters together in the first place.
This movie was released on 17 March 2016.
It was announced that third movie to be released in 2017.
Merchandise
Character stickers on bananas depicting a Kikoriki character holding a peeled banana have been used by Russian company Navkus (Навкус) and a banana sticker promoting the show has the line “Попробуй Мультик на вкус” (Try Cartoon on taste).