We've all had an anime crush at some point since joining the fandom. In 2017, a relationship began that nobody would usually have batted an eye at... if it weren't for the fact that the lover in question was a Humboldt penguin named Grape-kun and the object of his affection was a cardboard cutout of Hululu from Kemono Friends. This tale of romance sparked international interest in the story of a lonely penguin looking to love again.
The story began when Grape-kun was living at the Hamura Zoo in Tokyo. It was here that he met his first mate, Midori. Penguins tend to mate for life, so it's important for them to always be together, otherwise they become lonely. That's why they were transferred together to Tobu Zoo in 2007. There, they hatched a chick together, but the keepers took the chick away for fear of inbreeding and sent him to the Edogawa Zoo.
It seemed like the loss of their child had an effect on Midori and Grape-kun's relationship. Grape-kun also became sick at some point in 2010 and had to be isolated to prevent the disease from spreading to the other penguins. Meanwhile, Midori met a younger penguin named Denka and began a relationship with him. Not only that, but when Grape-kun recovered and was returned to the enclosure, the entire flock wanted nothing to do with him. He was now an outcast and without a mate.
For seven years, Grape-kun spent his days lonely and shunned. It wasn't until 2017 that things began looking up for the lonely lover. Japanese zoos were partnering with Kemono Friends to try and entice fans of the series to visit the zoos and promote the series to those who didn't know about it. The Tobu Zoo was one of the partners and received a cardboard cutout of the character Hululu, a Humboldt penguin.
Kemono Friends is a series that follows anthropomorphic animal girls as they live out their lives at the Japari Park Zoo. Many animals housed within the park are rare, endangered, or even extinct or cryptid species. Normally, they would live as animals, but a mysterious substance called Sandstar has begun changing them into "Friends;" half-human, half-animal girls. One of these Friends is Hululu, who is also a member of an all-penguin idol group.
At Tobu Zoo, the standee for Hululu was placed atop a rock so that onlookers could easily see her, but to everyone's surprise, it wasn't only zoo attendees who were interested in the character. Grape-kun had also taken an interest in her, standing at the base of the rock and staring up at her for hours at a time. The zoo decided to take advantage of this and began posting on Twitter about Grape-kun, thinking it was cute for him to want to look at the figure. However, Grape-kun then began attempting to romance the cardboard figure by using mating rituals commonly performed by Humboldt penguins.
The internet, doing what it does best, began spreading the story of Grape-kun and his anime waifu. Artists drew fanart, fanfic writers wrote stories, and plenty of people created memes. Even Hululu's voice actress went to the zoo to meet Grape-kun, where she was able to hold him. Everyone was rooting for this little penguin who was trying to find new love in his old age, with the zoo recording higher attendance numbers as a result.
After the anime collaboration ended, the zoo decided to keep Hululu and Grape-kun together. However, in October 2017, Grape-kun passed away from old age. Upon the announcement of his passing, a shrine was set up so that visitors could leave offerings. Fan art was drawn to commemorate the passing, and even the character artist for Kemono Friends donated an image of Grape-kun and Hululu to the zoo, the figures wearing matching purple armbands. This new image now lives as a standee in the penguin enclosure, reminding everyone that love can be found in the strangest of places.
The story has sparked interest in everyone who learns about it, even four years later. Popular YouTuber Justin Whang even made a video talking about it in more detail, including an epilogue regarding a new penguin. It's a story that touches the hearts of those who hear it, and proves that anime truly does bring people -- and animals -- together.
