Pucca

Pucca is a South Korean media franchise that began in January 2000 with a series of Flash-animated e-cards created by Vooz, a Seoul-based digital animation studio. The e-cards went viral, leading to a short-form animated series on KBS later that year. The brand centers on a fictional mountain village called Sooga, where a pigtailed girl in a red outfit named Pucca relentlessly pursues a stoic ninja named Garu. Her chaotic, single-minded affection drives the comedy, often ending with Garu getting the worst of it despite his training.

In 2002, a full-length TV series titled Pucca aired on KBS and was picked up internationally by Cartoon Network, Jetix, and Disney Channel Asia. The franchise expanded into merchandise, mobile games, and licensing deals across Asia and Latin America. In 2010, CJ ENM acquired the brand from Vooz, integrating it into the conglomerate's character business division. Under CJ ENM, Pucca saw a reboot with Pucca: Love Recipe (2018–2020) and a mobile-first series Pucca: The Series (2023) on YouTube and Netflix.

Today, Pucca competes with other cute character brands like Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma, though its global footprint is smaller. Its strongest markets remain South Korea, China, Vietnam, and Brazil. The brand's identity blends romantic comedy with slapstick violence, marketed through social media challenges, K-pop collaborations (including a BTS-themed merchandise line in 2021), and pop-up stores. A Pucca-themed café is scheduled to open in Hongdae, Seoul, in June 2025.[edit]