Unico

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Unico

UnicoOriginal.png

ユニコ
Character Data
Romaji Yuniko
Debut Kemono Friends 3
Collaboration Data
Classification Character
Species Unicorn
Read More Unico
Conservation Uma label.png
Unico KF3

Unico is a collab Friend that appeared in a collaboration event in Kemono Friends 3 and is based on the character of the same name created by Osamu Tezuka.

Appearance

Unico wears a light blue long sleeved shirt with green bowtie and white flower in the middle of bowtie, light blue socks, and brown shoes. She has pink short hair with a horn growing on her head and brown Tezuka-styled eyes.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media
Media Role
2019Kemono Friends 3 Collaboration-exclusive character, obtainable during event period

In the Source Material

The cover of Osamu Tezuka's manga, Unico.

Unico is a character created by Osamu Tezuka (1928—1989), a legendary Japanese animator, cartoonist and mangaka known for such characters as Astro Boy, Black Jack, and Hi no Tori (for whom a Friend also exists). The original manga was published from November 1976 to March 1979, and three anime films centered around the character were released in 1979, 1981, and 1983.

Unico is a young blue unicorn with the ability to passively grant happiness to those around him, unbeknownst to himself in his innocence. His special aura and his earnest desire to help and befriend others make him beloved by most anyone he meets—and earns him the ire of jealous gods. In the original manga, the goddess Venus believes Unico is the source of beauty to his close friend Psyche, of whom Venus is deeply jealous; in the films, an assembly of various gods take grievance with Unico's ability to influence human emotions, believing only they have the right to do so and fearing that human love for Unico may rival their reverence for the gods.

In both versions, an emissary—the West Wind—is sent to take Unico to a place called the Hill of Oblivion, where he will be alone and forgotten. However, the West Wind always takes pity on young Unico, whisking him across time and space to avoid detection from those who would imprison him. In these new lands, Unico has bountiful adventures and makes many new friends, spreading happiness as is his very nature; however, this is never to last. In the original manga, Venus learns of the West Wind's betrayal and begins to seek Unico herself; in the films, a crueller and more obedient entity called the Night Wind is sent to hunt Unico down. These encroaching threats force the West Wind to consistently relocate Unico to new places, wiping his memories of his friends and adventures each time she does so for his protection.

While Unico is typically small and fairly feeble, he is capable of amazing things when someone truly loves him; this emotion can enable him to grow into a winged unicorn, extend his horn like a blade, and/or float in the air.

Trivia

  • While the character of Unico in the original source material is male, the Friend version is female as all Friends are.
  • Tezuka initially drew Unico on his June 1976 visit to Sanrio's USA headquarters in Los Angeles, California, as part of work on an unrelated production. The character was unnamed until his flight back to Japan, during which Tezuka dubbed him Unico; the manga started a few months later, serialized in Lyrica— a manga magazine under ownership of Sanrio.

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