Maru (cat)
| Maru | |
|---|---|
| Other appellation(s) | まる, lit. 'round' |
| Species | Felis domesticus |
| Breed | Scottish Fold (Straight) |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | May 24, 2007 (age 5) Japan |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Known for | Internet celebrity |
Maru (まる, Japanese: circle or round; born May 24, 2007[1]) is a male Scottish Fold (straight variety)[2] cat in Japan who has become popular on YouTube. As of April 2013[update], videos with Maru have been viewed over 200 million times.[3] Videos featuring Maru have an average of 800,000 views each and he is mentioned often in print and televised media discussing Internet celebrities.[4]
His owner, who does not show her face on camera or speak in the videos, posts videos under the account name 'mugumogu'. The videos are edited to include title cards in English and Japanese setting up the events of the video, and often show Maru playing in cardboard boxes, indicated by "I love a box!" in his introduction video.
Contents |
Fame [edit]
Entertainment Weekly mentioned Maru alongside Keyboard Cat and Nora in its "Notable Kitty Videos" article.[5][6] The New York Times mentioned Maru in an article about cats and dogs in the media and included pictures of the cat.[7] Maru's videos have been featured on the Fresh Step's commercial on the Fresh Step YouTube Channel.[8] Maru has also been featured on advertisements within Japan, for various products.[9] As of December 2011[update], Maru's channel is the 7th most subscribed in Japan.
After the March 2011 earthquakes in Japan, mugumogu reported from Maru's blog that Maru was safe and unharmed, though a carrying case was prepared in the event of an evacuation.[10]
Published media [edit]
A book and DVD (containing English and Japanese text) entitled I am Maru was released in Japan in September 2009.[11][12][13] A further DVD Maru Desu followed in February the year after.[14] A second book, もっと、まるです was released on August 31, 2011 (Japanese only).[15]
On December 21, 2012 a gallery application with Maru photos for Android was released.[16]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ mugumogu (1999-02-22). "私信". Sisinmaru.blog17.fc2.com. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ^ Donahue, Deirdre (22 August 2011). "Maru, the cat's meow of YouTube, stars in a new book". USA Today.
- ^ mugumogu (10 July 2008). "mugumogu's Channel". YouTube. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ mugumogu (2006). "I am Maru.". Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ "Notable Kitty Videos". Entertainment Weekly. 7 August 2009. p. 39.
- ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (30 July 2009). "Cat videos! Cat videos! Cat videos! Help us grade the cat videos!". EW.com. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (23 July 2010). "On Films and TV, Cats and Dogs Playing Cute". NYTimes.com.
- ^ freshstep. "freshstep's Channel". YouTube. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
- ^ Photo of Maru WiMAX ad
- ^ Maru. "Maru blog post". Maru. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ mugumogu. "I am Maru.". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ mugumogu. "I am Maru 2.". Tokimeki Publishing. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ mugumogu (2009). I am Maru (Maru Desu) (in Japanese). Tokimeki Publishing. ISBN 978-4-04-895128-9. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ mugumogu (2010). "I am Maru". Columbia Music Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ "Amazon.co.jp： もっと、まるです。: ｍｕｇｕｍｏｇｕ: 本". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ^ "Maru gallery applicaiton". Universal Development. 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
