Grape-kun

{{Infobox animal

| name = Grape-kun

| image = 20170606 Grape the Humboldt penguin at Tobu zoo.jpg

| caption = Grape-kun staring up at a rock in his enclosure

| gender = Male

| hatch_date = {{birth date|1996|4|16|df=yes}}{{cite press release|url=http://www.tobuzoo.com/pdf/press/press_20171013.pdf|script-title=ja:東武動物公園からのお知らせ|trans-title=Notice from Tobu Zoo|date=13 October 2017|publisher=Tobu Zoo|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201045125/http://www.tobuzoo.com/pdf/press/press_20171013.pdf|url-status=dead}}

| hatch_place = Hamura Zoo, Hamura, Tokyo, Japan

| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|10|12|1996|4|16|df=yes}}

| death_place = Tobu Zoo, Miyashiro, Saitama, Japan

| occupation =

| known = Attachment to anime character cutout

| owner =

| weight =

}}

Grape (16 April 1996 – 12 October 2017), colloquially known as {{nihongo|Grape-kun|グレープ君|Gurēpu-kun}}, was a Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) at Tobu Zoo in Miyashiro, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His attachment to a cutout of Hululu, an anthropomorphic Humboldt penguin character from the 2017 anime series Kemono Friends, earned him international fame and an online fan base. Grape-kun died after a brief illness in October 2017, and was commemorated by the zoo and his fans.

Early life

Grape was born at Hamura Zoo in Tokyo in 1996. He was named because of the color of the purple ring placed on his wing for identification; the suffix {{transliteration|ja|-kun}} is a Japanese honorific usually used when speaking to younger males. It is also commonly used for male pets. Along with his mate, Midori, he was transferred to Tobu Zoo in Miyashiro, Saitama, in March 2006.{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/keigoisashi/forsaken-by-his-wife-sad-story-behind-penguins|last1=Isashi|first1=Keigo|last2=Rachael|first2=Krishna|title=This Story About A Penguin Falling In Love With An Anime Cutout Is An Oscar-Worthy Love Story|work=BuzzFeed News|date=22 May 2017|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042709/https://www.buzzfeed.com/keigoisashi/forsaken-by-his-wife-sad-story-behind-penguins|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Gladwell|first1=Hattie|url=http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/23/who-said-love-is-dead-elderly-penguin-falls-deeply-in-love-with-an-anime-cut-out-6655767/|title=Elderly penguin falls deeply in love with an anime cut-out|work=Metro|date=23 May 2017|access-date=20 October 2017|language=en-GB|archive-date=28 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241228141142/https://metro.co.uk/2017/05/23/who-said-love-is-dead-elderly-penguin-falls-deeply-in-love-with-an-anime-cut-out-6655767/|url-status=live}} Midori and Grape-kun hatched a chick together, but the zoo removed the baby, citing inbreeding as the reason to separate it from its parents. The experience was difficult for the pair, and could have affected the bond between Grape-kun and Midori. Whether the loss of their chick was a factor or not, Midori left Grape-kun for a younger penguin after a decade of being together. After this occurred, all of the other penguins in Grape-kun's exhibit rejected him, and he spent most of his time isolated from the rest of the colony.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-41608350|last=Coleman|first=Alestair|date=13 October 2017|title=Japanese zoo mourns anime-loving celebrity penguin|work=BBC News|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=14 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014000258/http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-41608350|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Schwartz|first1=Drew|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/love-is-dead-and-so-is-the-penguin-who-fell-for-a-cardboard-cutout-vgtrn/|title=Love Is Dead, and So Is the Penguin Who Fell for a Cardboard Cutout|work=Vice News|date=13 October 2017|access-date=20 October 2017|archive-date=13 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413034632/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3ynvm/love-is-dead-and-so-is-the-penguin-who-fell-for-a-cardboard-cutout-vgtrn|url-status=live}}

Attachment to anime character cutout

In April 2017, Tobu Zoo placed 60 cutouts of characters from the popular anime series Kemono Friends around the grounds to attract visitors.{{cite web|last1=Rogers|first1=Jon|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/799302/Penguin-Humboldt-Japan-Edinburgh-zoo-Rockhopper|title=Pick up a penguin? Humboldt bird falls in love with his future waifu placed in his pen|work=Daily Express|date=2 May 2017|access-date=3 November 2017|archive-date=26 November 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126180844/https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/799302/Penguin-Humboldt-Japan-Edinburgh-zoo-Rockhopper|url-status=live}} The cutout placed in Grape-kun's enclosure, Hululu, was an anthropomorphic Humboldt penguin{{cite news|url=https://technology.inquirer.net/62894/penguin-grape-kun-meets-voice-actress-of-his-anime-girl-waifu|title=Penguin Grape-kun meets voice actress of his anime girl 'waifu'|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|date=21 May 2017|access-date=3 November 2017|archive-date=15 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115085845/https://technology.inquirer.net/62894/penguin-grape-kun-meets-voice-actress-of-his-anime-girl-waifu|url-status=live}} and was part of a campaign to help visitors learn more about the animals in the zoo.

Grape-kun would stare at the cutout for hours, going as far as trying to reach the cutout, which was placed on a tall rock. Zookeepers had to separate Grape-kun from the cutout after closing to prevent him from falling into the pool near it. Many rumors spread that this was done because he would not eat, but the zoo denied them. Media outlets described Grape-kun as having fallen "in love", and the zoo created a drink called "Loving Grape" described as a "perfect embodiment" of the penguin's relationship with his love. When the Kemono Friends promotion came to an end, the decision was made to retain the Hululu cutout in Grape-kun's enclosure.

Grape-kun's devotion to the cutout earned him fame and a global fan base on the Internet. Hululu's voice actress, Ikuko Chikuta, visited Grape-kun as part of an educational event on penguins.

Death

On 9 October 2017, a festival honoring Grape-kun was announced for the following month. However, these plans were cancelled the next day due to Grape-kun's health suddenly declining. The zoo announced his death on 12 October.{{cite news|last1=Bayle|first1=Alfred|url=https://technology.inquirer.net/67985/grape-kun-the-anime-girl-loving-penguin-dies-fans-mourn-loss-of-a-comrade|title=Grape-kun, the anime girl-loving penguin, dies; fans mourn loss of a comrade|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|date=15 October 2017|access-date=20 October 2017|archive-date=15 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115072442/https://technology.inquirer.net/67985/grape-kun-the-anime-girl-loving-penguin-dies-fans-mourn-loss-of-a-comrade|url-status=live}} Zoo personnel created a small shrine in his honor, and several guests visited the penguin enclosure with flowers.{{cite news |date=15 October 2017 |title=Romantic penguin dies, with object of desire by its side |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/romantic-penguin-dies-with-object-of-desire-by-its-side |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204110209/http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/romantic-penguin-dies-with-object-of-desire-by-its-side |archive-date=4 December 2017 |access-date=20 October 2017 |work=The Straits Times |agency=Agence France-Presse}} Social media users paid tribute through the hashtag #grapekun, and many posted illustrations of Grape-kun and Hululu. In January 2018, Tobu Zoo placed a new cutout in the penguin enclosure, featuring an illustration of Grape-kun and Hululu standing side-by-side.{{cite web|url=http://pop.inquirer.net/2018/01/grape-kun-penguin-in-japan-reunited-with-anime-hululu/|work=Inquirer.net|title=Internet famous penguin 'Grape-kun' got reunited with his anime wife as a cardboard cutout|last=Lasic|first=Gillan|date=10 January 2018|access-date=13 June 2018|archive-date=13 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613161138/http://pop.inquirer.net/2018/01/grape-kun-penguin-in-japan-reunited-with-anime-hululu/|url-status=live}}