Krosh

KikoRiki, also known in the United States as GoGoRiki or BalloonToons, occasionally referred by the original Russian name: Smeshariki (Russian: Смешарики), is a Russian animated television series consisting of 408 episodes of 6 minutes and 30 seconds (and 11 minutes) each, originally intended for children under 14, however behind the outward simplicity and childish naivety of the plots, the authors hid serious, adult, and even philosophical themes. This series uses mostly both flash animation and computer animation. The first episode premiered in Russia on December 22, 2003. The KikoRiki are stylized rounded animals. Its Russian name, Smeshariki, is a portmanteau of the words смешные, "funny" and шарики, "little balls". The series includes complex themes and specific cultural references. The series is aired in 60 countries, is translated to 15 languages and has an everyday audience of 50 million people. The audience in China surpasses the audience in Russia. As of 2020, episodes are currently available on KinoPoisk in Russia. Over time, the series gained cult status, with critics praising it for writing, the variety of genres among episodes, including their philosophy, references to other works and the visual style. Some criticize the animation style for artistic primitivism, pointing out certain technical limitations.