Molang the chubby rabbit woos world on wave of niceness

Agiggly white rabbit called Molang who loves nothing more than cuddles and helping his friends has become a global children’s megastar. The ever-smiling character began as an emoji in South Korea before the French animation studio Millimages gave him new life as the star of his own quirky kids series four years ago. It has since become a global sensation not just for pre-school children at which it was first aimed, but also among teenagers and adults who have been swept up in its fluffball of cuteness.

“Molang” now shows in 190 countries including China and has been picked up by both Disney and Netflix. “Molang is a big round rabbit, who is extremely positive, imaginative and enthusiastic,” said MarieCaroline Villand, who developed the animated character from the emoji created by Yoon Hye-Ji. Molang and his best friend, a chick called PiuPiu, are kindergarten Laurel and Hardys, forever getting themselves into a tizz in bite-sized five-minute adventures that always end with a smile.

Piu-Piu is “smaller, a little more nervous and shy,” Villand told AFP at the Millimages Paris studio near the picturesque Canal Saint Martin, where some 100 animators work on the series. She also helped come up with the very particular language that the characters speak, which although utter nonsense is actually quite easy to understand. Molangese is a mix of French, Italian and Russian with a smattering of gibberish, which means anyone anywhere can understand it without need for dubbing. “The words are very clearly said and they come back all the time,” said Villand, meaning fans quickly get the drift. —AFP