Getting to know Upin and Ipin

Malaysia’s favourite twins take time out from their busy schedule promoting Upin & Ipin: Keris Siamang Tunggal to answer some questions.

WHO doesn’t know the mischievous but adorable Upin and Ipin?

The twins live with their older sister, Kak Ros, and grandmother, Opah, in Kampung Durian Runtuh which is headed by Tok Dalang Ranggi. They attend a kindergarten where they’ve made a bunch of good friends.

Since making their debut on the animated short series Upin & Ipin back in 2007 (on TV9 as a six-episode Ramadan special), the fiveyear-old brothers and their friends have been experiencing success after success.

Here’s the roll call – Upin & Ipin is the first successful 3D animation in Malaysia; at one time it was the second most watched animated series in the country after Doraemon ;it has had crossover episodes with Ultraman and BoBoiboy; Disney Channel aired it on its platform.

Twelve years later, the show pops up as rerun on free to air TV and it’s as enjoyable as ever. The boys and friends also had adventures on the big screen in 2009 with Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula.

The twins are back with their second movie Upin & Ipin: Keris Siamang Tunggal.

In the film, the twins and their friends are transported to a fantasy land called Inderaloka where they meet characters from local folklore like Mat Jenin, Bawang Merah and Pak Belalang.

The boys have to work together with these characters to save the kingdom from its tyrant ruler Raja Bersiong.

What do you hope the fans will take away from the new movie?

Upin: I hope everyone will enjoy watching the movie as much as we enjoyed making it. Ipin and I had so much fun! We’ve never had an adventure like this before.

Ipin: Yes, yes, yes! And we made so many new friends.

Share with us the kind of activities you enjoy the most outside of school?

Upin: We like to play with our friends outside. Opah said kids like us must get lots of exercise. We do that by playing games like football, konda kondi, or even sailing our paper boats in the water!

Ipin: We also like to go to Tok Dalang’s house. He always has things for us to do. Sometimes, he even takes us to his durian orchard. We can choose our own durians and eat them. Yummy! What are your favourite subjects in school?

Upin: I like science because I like to learn about the planets! Did you know that there are eight planets in our solar system? And Earth is the third planet from the sun.

Ipin: I like mathematics because counting is fun!

Who do you respect the most?

Upin: Opah always says it’s important to respect each other. Of course, the person we respect most in the whole wide world is Opah! And Tok Dalang! Oh, and Kak Ros, too.

Ipin: That’s right. Opah and Kak Ros have been taking care of us since we were babies. And Tok Dalang helps us a lot. So we always try to help them whenever we can. We try not to be naughty, we’re honest with them, and we listen to what they say.

What is your favourite food?

Upin: Anything Opah cooks is my favourite. But I always look forward to Hari Raya, because she makes the best rendang ever.

Ipin: That’s easy! Opah’s fried chicken!

Who are your heroes?

Upin: Ultraman Ribut! We have met him a couple of times and he is so cool. But of course, nobody can top Opah, Kak Ros, and Tok Dalang. They are our heroes forever and ever.

Ipin: Yes, yes, yes! Opah cooks the best fried chicken in the world! Kak Ros is very smart. And Atok knows how to do everything! He can even make a tandem bicycle for us.

What kind of books do you two like to read?

Upin: We love to read all kinds of books! Especially storybooks and books that we can learn lots of things from, like animals and planets. Oh! Did you know that Kak Ros writes and draws her own comic books?

Ipin: Yeah! We love to read them! She even lets us read her comics before they’re sold. We also like to go to the library to borrow books. Books are the source of knowledge, you know. Opah said so.

What do you like or don’t like about each other?

Ipin: Upin is brave and funny! He can always think of new adventures and we always have fun together. Sometimes, he can be bossy, and always reminds me that he is the big brother, even though he is older than me by only five minutes. But he is always there when I need him. He is my twin and I don’t know what I’d do without him.

Upin: Ipin is very clever! Sometimes I think because I’m the big brother, I should be the clever one. But I admit, he is cleverer than me. Oh! Ipin hogs the fried chicken all the time. But it’s OK, because Opah always makes enough for everybody, and besides, Ipin likes fried chicken more than I do. If there is only one fried chicken on the table, I will let him have it, because he is my best friend and I love him so much!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Upin: An astronaut! Someday, I want to go to outer space and see all the planets I read about. It would be so much fun!

Ipin: And I want to be an engineer because I want to make a special rocket for Upin. Of course, I will come along with him to outer space, so I will make an extra room for me in the rocket!

If there is one advice you could give to friends your age, what would that be?

Upin: Always respect your elders. Sometimes we get scolded by Opah and Kak Ros, but that’s because we made mistakes, and we know that we have to learn from them. So when they tell us to finish our homework, or come home before dark, we know that it’s for the best, because they love us and care about us.

Ipin: Also, we must always help people. If we see anyone needing help, we will always help them. You never know, it might be the only good thing that happened to them that day.