Meet, Pingu, a playful little baby penguin who finds himself waddling into all sorts of adventures! Even though Pingu can only communicate through the gibberish language of “Penguinese,” this silly little penguin captures hearts with his honking “noot-noots” and his mischievous antics. Pingu doesn’t need to speak English to charm the kawaii-sphere.
But did you know that despite his popularity among kawaii fanatics, Pingu doesn’t come from Japan? So, where is Pingu from? Why is this foreign penguin so popular among the Japanese? Pack your bag with yummy snacks and grab your cutest winter coat because we’re going on a kawaii expedition to the South Pole to learn more about Pingu!
- Japanese name: ピングー (ping-gu)
- Favorite Food: Fish
- Favorite Sport: Hockey
- Favorite Video Game: Fun! Fun! Pingu!
- Least favorite Video Game: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
- Favorite Hobby: Reading Books
- Fun fact: Vegetables upset Pingu!
WHAT IS PINGU?
Well, if you take one look at Pingu, you’ll immediately recognize this cutie as a black and white penguin with orange feet and a red beak. Pingu loves having fun. Sometimes Pingu can transform by changing his size or turning into a ball while playing around!
Mischievous, adventurous, and playful, this young emperor penguin lives together with his mother, father, and his baby sister, Pinga. He sometimes helps his parents with the chores and takes care of his younger sister. Most of the time though Pingu gets into all sorts of hijinks.
HOW OLD IS PINGU?
Pingu is 5 years old. This playful little penguin is curious about a lot of things - pushing boundaries so that even the most boring activities morph into an exciting adventure! He’s really good at getting in and out of trouble. Even though Pingu can be a bit too naughty at times, this cutie wins everyone over with his playfulness.
WHERE IS PINGU FROM?
Like real-life penguins, Pingu and his family live in the South Pole. In the endless icy landscape of Antarctica is Pingu’s small penguin village. All of the penguins there, including Pingu and his family, live in super cute igloos.
WHAT IS PINGU LIKE?
Since Pingu is pretty young, this little penguin tends to forget things a lot, causing mayhem around his penguin village. He can also be a bit bratty and short-tempered when he doesn't get his way. That doesn't mean Pingu's a bad penguin though - he's actually pretty affectionate with his family and he's super protective of his little sister, Pinga!
Pingu might be a mischievous penguin, but he also has a heart of gold. There are moments where fans can see Pingu being kind to the penguins around him. He takes good care of his sister and he loves spending time with his friends!
WHAT LANGUAGE DOES PINGU SPEAK?
A lot of people wonder what language Pingu really speaks. Though everyone loves watching Pingu’s shenanigans, most of what Pingu says doesn’t really make sense. Well, that’s because Pingu speaks a gibberish language called “Penguinese” or “Pinguish.”
“Penguinese” doesn’t really make that much sense because it’s a penguin language made of babbling, muttering, and sporadic “noot-noots” from Pingu. Even though people can’t really understand what the penguin has to say, everyone loves Pingu just the way he is with his wild “noot noot” sounds!
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF PINGU?
Even though “Penguinese” is just pretty much gobbledegook in the real world, that doesn’t mean that Pingu’s name doesn’t have any meaning. Pingu actually comes from the German word for penguin which is “Pinguin.” In Swahili, Pingu’s name can also mean a few different things like “handcuffs,” “shackles,” and “fetters.”
It might seem a tad bit dark to name a kawaii penguin after devices that the police use to apprehend prisoners, but maybe we can look at it through a kawaii lens - Pingu is the type of charming little penguin that’ll capture you with his cuteness!
WHY DOES PINGU SAY NOOT NOOT?
Well, that’s because “noot noot” is a catchphrase for Pingu. He always says it while turning his beak into a trumpet. Though “Noot noot” doesn’t really mean anything in particular, Pingu uses the phrase to express a lot of different things. The catchphrase is his way of showing all sorts of emotions - from affection, anger, and even happiness.
WHO MADE PINGU?
Though Pingu is really popular among kawaii fans, this noot-nooting penguin wasn’t actually created by the Japanese. No, he was actually made by German television producer, animator, and director Otmar Gutmann. This little penguin was designed to be the star of his very own titular stop-motion claymation series, Pingu!
WHAT IS THE PINGU SHOW?
That’s easy, it’s a cute claymation show all about the mischievous little penguin, Pingu! The Pingu show was made in Switzerland and the United Kingdom in 1986. It was aired on the CBBC network from 1990 to 2002 and then on the CBeebies network from 2002 to 2015. Everyone loved the show with critics saying that “all parents need to know that this series is funny, endearing, and entertaining.”
WHAT LANGUAGE IS PINGU IN?
The magic of the Pingu series is that the show isn’t aired in any human language. Instead, Pingu is entirely in Penguinese. Even if you put on subtitles, most of the time the translation just says “penguin noises.” That way, whatever Pingu says is up to your own interpretation! You’ll have to decide what Pingu means based on his actions, his expressions, and his little noot-noots.
WHERE CAN I WATCH PINGU?
So, you're getting as curious as Pingu and are wondering where you can watch this mischievous little penguin’s show. Well, lucky for you, there are a lot of places where you can check out the Pingu series. Not only is the show on Amazon Prime Video, but it’s also on Just Watch too. You can also watch snippets of Pingu on the official Pingu channel on YouTube!
MEET PINGU’S PENGUIN FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Living in a small penguin village in the South Pole, Pingu has a ton of family and friends. Let’s get to meet Mama, Papa, Pinga, Robby, and the other main characters of the Pingu series.
Papa
Though he's busy working as a postman, Papa is the type of father who always puts his family first. This daddy penguin helps with the housework and is great at making toys for his children. Papa can be a bit grumpy when Pingu and Pinga misbehave, but he loves them both.
Mama
This is Pingu and Pinga's mother. Mama doesn't have any job outside the home. That's why she spends most of her time in the igloo. She's a very caring mother towards her children, consoling them when they have problems. However, Mama can also be stern, disciplining Pingu when she needs to.
Pinga
Pinga is Pingu's three-year-old sister. Though she loves her brother a lot and follows him around the house, Pinga can be a bit annoying sometimes. She disrupts Pingu for now reason. This little penguin can be very sensitive sometimes, breaking into tears when she loses her stuffed bunny, when Pingu teases her, or whenever she doesn't get her way.
Robby
An energetic and enthusiastic seal, Robby is Pingu's best friend. Their friendship began when they went fishing together! These two just really love fishing a lot! Like Pingu, Robby the seal can get into a lot of trouble doing silly shenanigans with his bestie.
Pingi
Pingi is Pingu's love interest. Sweet, considerate, and nice, she's one of the few people who treats Pingu fairly. Pingi isn't as adventurous as Pingu though she's very generous to the people around her and wants to be liked by the people she meets.
WHY IS PINGU TRENDING?
It’s been more than three decades since Pingu was created. Why is this silly little penguin so popular now? Well, one of the reasons why Pingu’s suddenly became a hit is Gen-Z’s love for all things classic and retro. These past few years the new generation of kids has been rediscovering classic kawaii characters like Moomin, Miffy, Hangyodon, and of course Pingu.
It also helps that Pingu clips have found their way to trendy social media sites like TikTok! Everyone’s been falling in love with Pingu all over again seeing him turn his mouth into a megaphone, watching him get all starry-eyed over new adventures, or laughing at him slap his butt silly to tease his family. Pingu has become a kawaii meme, and everyone just loves it!
WHY IS PINGU POPULAR IN JAPAN?
Ever since Pingu was created in 1986, the show has aired in many different countries around the world - from the USA, to Canada, to Australia, and even to Italy. However, the country that loved the noot-nooting penguin the most was Japan! Apparently, more than 90% of high school girls in Japan between the ages of 13 and 17 had fallen in love with Pingu during its release.
Though there isn’t any official explanation as to why the Japanese fell in love with Pingu, it’s pretty obvious that the reason why Gutmann’s penguin show was such a big hit was because it was just so darn cute! In a country obsessed with all things kawaii, it would make sense to see a cute little penguin like Pingu going viral.
The show became so popular that Pingu products were seen everywhere in Japan. Not only that but there were tons of Pingu-related events and exhibitions too. Everyone wanted to have a piece of the noot-nooting penguin!
WHY WAS PINGU CANCELLED?
As cute and as silly as the Pingu show is, some parts of the series did face some controversy with a few episodes getting "banned" in some countries around the world. This includes controversial scenes where Pingu gets smacked on the head by his mother, Pingu gets stuffed into a cardboard, Pingu gets spanked by his mom, and Pingu throws up.
The most memorable banned scene though was from the episode Pingu's Dream. In the ep, fans go on a journey into Pingu's dream world to see him frightened by a giant walrus. The walrus looked absolutely terrifying, even to adults!
WHEN DID PINGU END?
Pingu was super popular when it aired in the 90s but like the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. After getting four series, the Pingu show stopped on April 9, 2000. Don't worry though, because Pingu is making a comeback!
GET READY FOR PINGU’S NEW SHOW!
New Pingu fans are definitely in for a treat because it looks like Gutmann's mischievous noot-nooting penguin is getting a new adaptation. Barbie company Mattel and Wallace & Gromit creator Aardman is working on a stop-motion Pingu series! There isn't a release date for the show yet, but we'll update everyone here as soon as word comes out.
PINGU MEETS TUXEDOSAM!
Did you know that Pingu got to meet Sanrio’s very own dapper penguin, Tuxedosam? In 2024, Sanrio, the master of all things kawaii decided that it was high time for Tuxedosam to play together with the popular penguin Pingu, and so the two did a cute little collab. The result of the team-up was a batch of super kawaii merchandise - from Pingu x Tuxedosam plushies, stationery items, and more.
COLLABORATIONS WITH PINGU
In Japan, companies love working together with Pingu. This little penguin has quite a number of team-ups. From a clothes lineup with fashion brand London on the Inside, a home goods collab with Shimamura Group's Chamber, to a short stint with Nike - Pingu is a popular little penguin that works hard to get along with everyone!
LET’S CHECK OUT THE PINGU EXHIBITION
Celebrating Pingu's 40th anniversary in 2020, Japan decided to hold a special exhibition for Pingu at different places in Japan including Tokyo, Yokohama, and even Hiroshima. The exhibit ran for three years from 2020 to 2023. Fans who visited the exhibit locations could learn more about Pingu and his family by checking out the art and experience booths!
Not only were there video exhibits showcasing the dubbing process of the Pingu show, there were also 400 original materials from the production of the Pingu series that were on display. From real clay figures, dioramas, original drawings, and storyboards, visiting the exhibition was like looking at the inside of the Pingu show.
ALL ABOARD WITH PINGU!
Did you know that Pingu got his very own cruise ship from Japan? In 2022, Atami city decided to collaborate together with Fuji-Q Group travel facilities and Pingu to help promote tourism in the area. Part of the project included a special Pingu cruise ship! Fuji-Q Group decided to turn its “Ile de Vacances Premier” ferry into a special penguin ship with tons of Pingu decors and memorabilia!
Besides the cruise ship, Pingu also got his own special menu at the Terrace Restaurant ENAK where tourists can sit down and enjoy their own Pingu meal. Once they’re done, they could also ride the panoramic Pingu cable car that connects the Jukoku Pass to see Mt. Fuji. Atami City really did its best to create a kawaii adventure with Pingu!
PINGU VISITS THE AQUARIUM!
Mixing penguins with Christmas might seem odd, but Japan somehow makes it work. In 2019, Sunshine Aquarium decided to hold a special event featuring everyone's favorite noot-nooting penguin called "Pingu's Christmas in Sunshine Aquarium."
Not only were there photo spots set up for fans to take pictures with, but there were tons of Pingu decors, a limited-edition postcard giveaway, and tons of exclusive Pingu goodies. The best part was the Meet and Greet where fans could noot-noot with Pingu!
PINGU’S POP-UP CAFES
Kawaii superstars in Japan like Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, and Kirby have their own cafes. While Pingu doesn't really have his own permanent cafe, from time to time he does get pop-up cafes around Japan. You just have to keep your eyes and ears peeled for them!
In 2021, Pingu got a pop-up cafe on the second floor of Laforet Harajuku store in Shibuya, Tokyo. A few years after that in February and March 2022, Atari Cafe & Dining also decided to hold a little penguin popup called the Little Sister Pingu & Pinga Cafe. Not long after, Pingu got another collaboration cafe from the Smile Base Cafe in Shinsaibashi that ran from December 2023 to January 2024.
These pop-up Pingu cafes are great for fans to visit because they offer a ton of Pingu-themed treats. Usually, there are meals, desserts, donuts, parfaits, and drinks all centered around the silly little penguin, Pingu! These cafes also offer limited-edition merch for fans to collect.
One of the most recent Pingu pop-up cafes was the one made to celebrate Pingu's 45th anniversary. Based on the theme "45th Anniversary x White Winter," the special Pingu cafe was held in Tokyo Solamachi. It had a ton of tasty Pingu treats and it also had special Pingu items to take home.
WHERE TO BUY PINGU GOODS?
Okay, so you’ve found yourself getting lost in the noot-noot madness of Pingu and now you want to make your own little penguin nook at home. Good for you, there are tons of Pingu merchandise to choose from - Pingu plushies, stationery, apparel, home goods, you name it.
Though Pingu doesn’t really have a physical shop of his own in Japan, you can find all of these neat goodies on Pingu’s website! If you’re lucky enough to be in Japan when Pingu has special events or pop-up cafes, you can always try to check those out for limited-edition merch.
Brrrrr, it’s getting a little bit cold in here. It seems like our snowy penguin expedition with Pingu is coming to an end. We hope you had a lot of fun learning all about this silly little penguin and his fun claymation adventures around the South Pole.
Even though Pingu can only speak Penguinese, this penguin by Otmar Gutmann knows how to waddle his way into the hearts of kawaii fanatics all around the world with his special noot-noots. Until our next kawaii adventure together, stay cool and kawaii!