Kinopio-kun
The title of this article is official, but it comes from a Japanese source.
If an acceptable English name is found, then the article should be moved to the new title.
- This article is about the mascot of Nintendo's official LINE account. For the character from the Super Mario Kodansha manga, see Kinopio-kun (KC Mario).
| Kinopio-kun | |
|---|---|
| |
| Species | Toad |
| Appears in | Nintendo's LINE account (2015)[1] |
Kinopio-kun is a Toad with a green mushroom cap similar to that of a 1-Up Mushroom and wearing a green vest, similar to the green, mustached Toads from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake. He was the mascot of Nintendo's LINE social media account, debuting with the account's launch on September 21, 2015.[1] While the application is designed for users to text one another, Kinopio-kun acts as a bot that would automatically respond to users with prewritten messages. Kinopio-kun's speech could be characterized by frequent, sometimes substandard use of です (desu) as a polite marker. According to the calendar wallpaper images as well as material related to Nintendo LINE, he is friends with a Boo and a few small birds. Also according to Nintendo, Kinopio-kun lives in Kyoto.[2]
A Toad resembling Kinopio-kun appears in concept art in The Art of Super Mario Odyssey.[3]
On May 21, 2021, it was announced that Nintendo would phase Kinopio-kun out of the LINE account.[4]
Interactions[edit]
If users texted Kinopio-kun the name of various Nintendo characters, Kinopio-kun would respond with his opinions on said character, sometimes acompanied by an image.[1] When asked about Toad, he would clarify that he is not Toad himself, but rather a friend of his.[5] When prompted with his own name, Kinopio-kun would instead provide a weekly update of his own life. Kinopio-kun was also able to recognize Splatoon weapons, Japanese prefectures, [2], hanafuda and mahjong hands, Nintendo consoles, among other topics.[6] By typing directional arrows, Kinopio-kun could reply with songs from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and by typing numbers, he would reply with a corresponding Nintendo-related topic.[6]
Constellations[edit]
On the week of January 30, 2019, Kinopio-kun began telling users about a telescope he won at a New Year's party and how he became an expert on constellations and planets visible from Japan.[7] Following this, asking Kinopio-kun about constellations would prompt him to reply with an image of the constellation drawn using Super Mario characters.[8][9]
Aquarius, depicted as Kinopio-kun
Cancer, depicted as a Sidestepper
Columba, depicted as a small bird
Gemini, depicted as a Double Cherry
Orion, depicted as Kinopio-kun
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Kinopio-kun.
Kinopio-kun icon
Kinopio-kun, searching for a four leaf clover
Kinopio-kun, unboxing his Nintendo Switch
Kinopio-kun, captured by Cappy
Wallpaper featuring Kinopio-kun's drawing of himself
Kinopio-kun in the style of Mario Kart Tour
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キノピオくん Kinopio-kun | From「キノピオ」(Kinopio, Toad) and「くん」(-kun, a Japanese naming suffix usually used for young men) | [2] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c October 1, 2015. Nintendo's New Text Bot is Kooky. Kotaku. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ^ a b c December 1, 2015. LINEでキノピオくんと友だちに！？. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ^ https://twitter.com/VGArtAndTidbits/status/1655581750574153728
- ^ AUTOMATON (May 21, 2021). 【ニュース】任天堂のLINEイメージキャラ「キノピオくん」卒業。知る人ぞ知る、可憐と狂気を持ち合わせたぶっとび宣伝キャラクター (Japanese). AUTOMATON. Retrived May 22, 2021.
- ^ ミキ (February 12, 2017). ゲームセンター向けプライズに、任天堂のLINE公式アカウントでおなじみ「キノピオくん」グッズが登場！. miki800 (Japanese). Retrieved October 8, 2026.
- ^ a b Ryo Morita (February 2, 2016). 任天堂LINEがすごい キノピオくんがネタを仕込まれすぎている. 週刊アスキー (Japanese). Retrieved October 8, 2026.
- ^ galboss (January 30, 2019). LINEキノピオくんが星座を教えてくれるのおもしろいなと思ってたら、. X (Twitter) (Japanese). Retrieved October 8, 2026.
- ^ January 30, 2019. Kinopio-kun Gets A Telescope! Japanese Nintendo. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
- ^ FujinHukurou (March 27, 2019). キノピオくんに自分の星座を伝えてみた(1枚目)
案外良くて笑う. X (Twitter) (Japanese). Retrieved October 8, 2026.
