is the official

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fic ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

's public broadcaster NHK, appearing in several 30-second

stop-motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

interstitial sketches, which are shown as station identification in between the channel's programming.

DOMO

Domo-kun first appeared in short stop-motion sketches on December 22, 1998 to mark the 10th anniversary of NHK's satellite broadcasting. The name "Domo" was acquired during the second episode of his show, in which a TV announcer said , which is a greeting that can be translated as "Well, hello there!", but which can also be interpreted as "Hello, Domo", and thus is a convenient pun (''

dajare is a kind of comic Japanese word play, similar in spirit to a pun that relies on similarities in the pronunciation of words to create a simple joke. ''Dajare'' are popular in advertising. ''Dajare'' are also associated with {{nihongo, ''oyaji'' ...

''). The kun suffix on "Domo-kun", the name used to describe the character in the Japanese versions, is a Japanese honorific often used with young males.

Development

Tsuneo Gōda directs Domo episodes using

stop motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames ...

animation. Gōda says that, by using this process, one can "create a work filled with feeling".Target (2008). "Halloween Costumes." ''

Target Corporation Target Corporation ( doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a comp ...

''. Retrieved on September 14, 2008 fro

Characters

Domo, the main character, is a brown, furry monsterAuthor unknown (date unknown). ''Domomode''. English page. Retrieved on February 5, 2009 from . with a large, sawtoothed mouth that is locked wide open. His favorite food is

nikujaga is a Japanese dish of meat, potatoes and onion stewed in sweetened soy sauce and mirin, sometimes with '' ito konnyaku'' and vegetables. Nikujaga is an example of ''yōshoku'' ( Western-influenced Japanese cuisine). Generally, potatoes make up ...

, a Japanese meat and potato

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

. According to a

Tokyopop Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed ...

press release of the Domo comic book, Domo "communicates sotto voce with a verve that only his friends can understand." Clint Bickham, the writer of the Domo comic book, said that to him Domo's expression is "a sort of cheery wonderment. Like when a kid wakes to a room full of presents on

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

day." While Domo's face has variants, to Bickham most of his expressions have "an underlying sense of fascination." Domo is known to pass gas repeatedly when nervous or upset. He also sweats when nervous. Domo lives in a cave with Mr. Usaji,Who?
." ''Domo Nation''. Retrieved on February 5, 2009. known in Japanese-language versions as , a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsgrandpa). Mr. Usaji is a wise old rabbit who has lived in a cave for decades, loves to watch television and drink astringent green tea. Mr. Usaji is not into any "new" materials, and does not own a

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

. In terms of fashion, Mr. Usaji focuses on materials instead of shapes. Mr. Usaji's favorite food is

carrot The carrot (''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nati ...

s, and his least favorite food is "something that is meaningless." Also in the cave live two bats, a mother named Maya ( in the Japanese version) and her child Mario ( in the Japanese version). Maya suffers from

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...

; her favorite foods are seasonal while her least favorite food is alcohol. Mario's favorite food is Japanese-style tomato

spaghetti Spaghetti () is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta.spaghetti
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridg ...

, while his least favorite food is shiitake mushrooms. The other main character in the shorts is a

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodi ...

girl named Tashanna ( in the Japanese version). Tashanna, 17 years old, is a weasel who aspires to be a fashion stylist or model in Tokyo and is always using technology (televisions, mobile phones, and cameras). In English Tashanna has a (bear in mind weasels in Japan are not associated with underhandedness) and ends her sentences with " y"s. In the Japanese version, she ends her sentences with "chi" (ち).Japanese page
. ''Domomode''. Retrieved on February 5, 2009. She has not had a boyfriend in ten years and she is seeking a platonic boyfriend. She has a passion for bidding in auctions, but she gives up by the end. Tashanna's favorite food is

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...

and

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAES ...

tarts, and her least favorite food is

sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells ( tests) ...

. The Japanese name originates from the word of digital broadcasting. Bear Boy (), also known as , is a Moon Bear and one of Domo's friends from the neighborhood; the timid cub enjoys playing

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

. Hee () and Haw () are

pixie A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas a ...

twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...

s from a

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

. Domo is the only individual who can see them. The Fox Trio consists of Esther (), , and Fox Boy (). Esther, the youngest member, enjoys producing

crocodile tears Crocodile tears, or superficial sympathy, is a false, insincere display of emotion such as a hypocrite crying fake tears of grief. The phrase derives from an ancient belief that crocodiles shed tears while consuming their prey, and as such is ...

, plotting schemes, and causing havoc. Brother Fox, the eldest member, dutifully cares for his youngest siblings and feels upset when referred to as . Fox Boy, having a quiet demeanor, converses with Domo and Bear Boy and prefers to read. , a large and powerful bear, feels too hungry to take advantage of his strength. The Ghost () randomly appears and disappears.

In other media

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early eveni ...

based on the character, titled ''

Domo TV ''Domo TV'' is a stop-motion children's television series produced by NHK and Nickelodeon's Nicktoons network. The series consists of 26 two-minute episodes that were aired on Nicktoons in the United States and on Nickelodeon networks internation ...

'', was co-produced by

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. Its ...

and NHK. It was first announced in 2006 and premiered in October 2008 on

Nicktoons Network Nicktoons (formerly Nicktoons Network) is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Media Networks. The channel is geared towards children aged 7 to 11, and broadcasts reruns of original animated series from sister network Nickelode ...

. It continued to air until February 2009. Later that year, Nickelodeon also aired a series of

7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc., stylized as 7-ELEVE, is a multinational chain of retail convenience stores, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The chain was founded in 1927 as an ice house storefront in Dallas. It was named Tote'm Stores between 1928 and 1946. A ...

advertisements featuring Domo. ''Domo TV'' was released to DVD on July 1, 2009 along with every Domo commercial that had been produced to that date. *

published an

original English-language manga An original English-language manga or OEL manga is a comic book or graphic novel drawn in the style of manga and originally published in English. The term "international manga", as used by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, encompasses al ...

based on the character titled ''Domo: The Manga'' in the United States and Canada.

Clint Bickham Clint Bickham is an American voice actor and ADR script writer working with Funimation and Sentai Filmworks/Seraphim Digital. After collaborating with illustrator Priscilla Hamby on ''Devil's Candy'', which was featured in the first volume of ...

created the stories and crafted the dialog; Bickham said that he did "pretty much everything short of drawing it."Interview with Domo Writer Clint Bickham
."

. Retrieved on February 5, 2009. The stories were drawn by Priscilla Hamby (aka Rem), Lindsay Cibos, Jared Hodges,

Sonia Leong Sonia Leong (born 7 May 1982) is a British freelance comic artist, illustrator and member of Sweatdrop Studios. Biography Leong was born in Malaysia and lived in Thailand from 1989 to 2000. She then attended University of Warwick, Economics an ...

, Maximo V. Lorenzo (in the special 7-11 edition only) and Erie Horita. Bickham decided to use a series of short stories instead of one long story to "recreate the feel of the original series," "so hopefully, reading a story from the manga will feel the same as watching an episode of the show." Bickham said that writing the stories became entertaining when he "got into the Domo mindset." The writer said that Domo's thoughts do not need to be expressed in words as they are "always very simple and innocent." Bickham added that sometimes other characters speak for him. Bickham said that the ''Domo: the Manga'' stories "are driven by situations instead of dialogue." To prepare for writing the series, Bickham watched each episode multiple times; Bickham intended to "get a feel for the characters so that the jump from stop-motion to manga would be as seamless as possible." He added that "more than anything, I had to have fun doing it. I don't think you can create a good Domo story without fun." *On February 5, 2014, Domo celebrated its 15th anniversary with ''Domo Hollywood e Iku!'' (Domo Goes to Hollywood!), a television special which was premiered on March 28, 2014. *In September 2015, the first music compilation based on Domo, ''Domo Loves Chiptune'', was released on iTunes, Amazon, and all major music streaming services. The compilation features top artists in the

Chiptune Chiptune, also known as chip music or 8-bit music, is a style of synthesized electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video game consoles. The ...

genre such Anamanaguchi and Disasterpeace. A Domo Loves Christmas compilation was released in November 2015. *Domo became well known outside Japan through a mock

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

that circulated on the Internet depicting Domos chasing a kitten with the words stating: " Every time you masturbate... God kills a kitten." An article from ''

ICv2 ''ICv2'' is an online trade magazine that covers geek culture for retailers. ''ICv2s main areas of focus are comic books, anime, gaming, and show business products. The site offers news, reviews, analysis, and sales information for retailers a ...

'' stated: "This phony PSA is quite out of character with Domo's image in Japan."Nickelodeon Gets Anime-Mated
" ''

''. May 4, 2006. Retrieved on February 5, 2009. *Domo has 5 video games on the DSiWare on the Nintendo DSi Shop application for the

Nintendo DSi The is a dual-screen handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's ...

. The 5 games are Crash-Course Domo, Hard-Hat Domo, Rock-n-Roll Domo, Pro-Putt Domo and White-Water Domo. The

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

game Domo-kun no Fushigi Terebi also features Domo-kun. On Facebook, Domo is featured in the social game Planet Domo.

References

External links

Official NHK Domo website

Meaning of Domo

Domonation
at ''

Veoh Veoh () is an American video-sharing website, launched in March 2006. It was originally launched as a virtual television network application, and then became a video-sharing website in March 2006. During the mid-2000s, it was one of the largest ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Domo (Nhk) Film and television memes Internet memes Fictional monsters Television mascots NHK Mascots introduced in 1998