19 February 2021

MASHIMARO  or Yeopki Tokki (엽기토끼 “bizarre rabbit”) in Korean and 流氓兔 (“hoodlum rabbit”) in Chinese is a South Korean fictional character who resembles a fat rabbit, created by Kim Jae In (김재인). He debuted in a series of Flash animations on the internet. Mashimaro is far more often seen in merchandise, similar to Hello Kitty. Mashimaro merchandise can be found on the internet and in Korean communities around the world. The original Mashimaro cartoons are full of toilet humour, and some of this is also to be found in the merchandise. Mashimaro himself is often portrayed with a plunger stuck to his head. In contrast to other hyper-cute iconic characters, such as Hello Kitty, Mashimaro is portrayed as an obese and obnoxious bully, often resorts to violence to impose his will on others. Mashimaro also has a look-alike, Chocomaro, who is brown. Chocomaro appears in two parodies of “Mashimaro” Episodes, including Episodes 2 and 3. Chocomaro tries to do what Mashimaro would normally do in these episodes, but always messes them up and ends up gets hurt. It is unknown exactly what relationship Chocomaro shares with Mashimaro, but most believe that he is the brother of Mashimaro~08

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