Penguin in Japan Heartbroken After Zookeeper Takes His Beloved Anime ‘Wife’
By Carl Samson
A male penguin who watched his “wife” get taken over the weekend is being cheered by netizens after photos of his “sadness” surfaced online.
Grape-kun, a Humboldt penguin at Tobu Zoo in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture, fell in love with a cutout of a penguin girl named Hululu in April.
Hululu, a character from hit anime series “Kemono Friends,” was put in the penguin enclosure during the show’s promotions, but was eventually kept when observers noticed that Grape-kun developed an apparent attraction to her cutout. Colloquially, the penguin’s relationship with the cutout makes it his waifu, or female character that an otaku, an extreme anime fan, may own.
Unfortunately, Hululu was pulled from her spot as a storm approached this weekend. Tobu Zoo wrote on Twitter:
“Hululu must evacuate because of the typhoon. Sorry, Grape-kun.”
The exact moment Hululu was taken was captured on camera, showing Grape-kun in seemingly low spirits.
The penguin’s photos quickly went viral, with many expressing support in such a difficult time (via SoraNews24):
“Poor Grape-kun. But this is better than Hululu getting blown away or hurt, right?”
“She’ll be back soon. Hang in there!”
“After a typhoon, the skies are clear and the air is clean. You’ll be reunited with Hululu under that big, beautiful sky.”
Some even made art:
Thankfully, Hululu was returned as soon as the weather turned better, leaving Grape-kun’s head up high.
“Hululu is back home now, Grape-kun,” Tobu Zoo tweeted.
This is a joyous moment for the penguin, who was reportedly left by his real-life wife, Midori, for a younger penguin upon their arrival at the zoo. He then withdrew from the penguin colony and found “love” once again when Hululu came.
Photos via Tobu Zoo on Twitter
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