penguins
End of the line for JR East’s adorable mascot for its revolutionary train fare payment system.
25 years after the Suica Penguin helped revolutionize how Japan buys train ticket and shops, JR’s plans for the future don’t include the character.
Facility where Grape-kun spent his days with his anime crush says it has no plans for a statue, hasn’t given permission for an installation.
The artist who created the penguin’s 2-D anime crush has even left a beautiful illustration in honour of their memory.
The cardboard cut-out he fell in love with was moved from the enclosure to be with the penguin as he passed away.
Watch as a flat stack of paper springs to life like magic, instantly becoming a three-dimensional penguin in the blink of an eye.
Lost his real-life penguin wife, gained an anime waifu.
Penguins are always popular at zoos and aquariums, and now the aquatic birds are serving as metaphors for some of Japan’s most eligible bachelorettes.
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