Hey everyone~! It’s me, Zundamon, nanoda!
Lately, you’ve probably been seeing the name ‘Zundamon’ more and more on the web and TV, nanoda.
But I bet a lot of you have questions like these, nanoda.
“Who exactly is Zundamon, nanoda?”
“Is he related to zunda mochi?”
“Who made that cute character?”
Today, I’m going to tell you all about my roots, nanoda!
Whether you already know about Zundamon or you’re just meeting me, I hope you’ll read all the way to the end, nanoda💚
🌱 Zundamon is a Character from the “Tohoku Zunko Project,” Nanoda
I, Zundamon, was born from the Tohoku Zunko Project, nanoda.
The “Tohoku Zunko Project” is a character project created to support the Tohoku region of Japan, nanoda.
The one in the center is the big-sister figure, Tohoku Zunko.
And there are lots of other little-sister-type characters, too, nanoda.
- Tohoku Kiritan (younger sister)
- Tohoku Itako (older sister)
- And… me, Zundamon
I was created with the backstory of being the fairy of Zunko-neesan’s weapon (the Zunda Arrow), nanoda.
The bow and arrow that Zunko-neesan holds.
A zunda mochi fairy lives on the tip of that arrow, nanoda.
And that’s me, nanoda~!
Cute, right?🏹
🍡 What is “Zunda”? The Origin of My Name, Nanoda
Some of you might not even know what “zunda” is in the first place, nanoda.
Zunda is a green paste made from crushed edamame (soybeans), nanoda.
It’s a traditional local dish mainly eaten in Miyagi Prefecture and the Tohoku region, nanoda.
And zunda mochi is a Japanese sweet made by covering mochi (rice cakes) with that zunda paste, nanoda.
It’s green, fluffy and sweet, with a hint of bean flavor…
It’s a taste you’ll never forget once you try it, nanoda!
My name, “Zundamon,” comes from…
“Zunda” + “mon” (a cute way of saying ’thing’ or ‘person’), nanoda.
It means something like “Zunda Fairy,” nanoda💚
🎤 I Got My Big Break with VOICEVOX, Nanoda!
The thing that made me famous all at once was a text-to-speech software called VOICEVOX, nanoda.
VOICEVOX is a program that reads out any text you type in a character’s voice, nanoda.
And what’s more, you can use it for free, nanoda!
My character voice is included in VOICEVOX, so a lot of you have probably heard my voice in YouTube explainer videos or game streams, nanoda.
“Zundamon nanoda~”
“Blah blah blah, nanoda!”
“It’s about me, nanoda…”
You’ve heard that unique sentence-ender, "~nanoda," before, right?
That’s my trademark, nanoda!
If you’re curious about VOICEVOX, we have a Beginner’s Guide to VOICEVOX on our site, so please check it out, nanoda!
🎨 About the Illustrators and Character Art
Do you know who drew my cute appearance?
The characters of the Tohoku Zunko Project, including me, are drawn by multiple illustrators, nanoda.
You can find detailed information about the official character art and designs on zunko.jp (the official Tohoku Zunko Project website), nanoda.
You can also check the official 3D models and usage guidelines at the official guidelines on zunko.jp, nanoda.
If you’re going to make fan creations, you absolutely must read the official guidelines, nanoda!
The reason we can be so active and free like this is because we respect the rules of the original creators, nanoda.
🌟 Why Zundamon is So Loved
It feels a little weird for me to say it, but Zundamon is truly loved by so many people, nanoda.
The reasons why… as far as I can tell, are something like this, nanoda.
① The friendly catchphrase “~nanoda”
It’s a magical phrase that makes anything I say sound cute, nanoda.
Just by me saying “I’m gonna eat zunda mochi, nanoda~,” everyone starts smiling for some reason, nanoda💚
② A cute, green appearance
My green hood born from zunda mochi, my sparkling eyes, and my small body.
It seems like a lot of people feel like they want to protect me, nanoda.
③ Lenient guidelines that allow for fan creations
The Tohoku Zunko Project is known for being very lenient with fan-made content, nanoda.
Of course, you still need to follow the official guidelines, but…
Within those rules, everyone is free to create illustrations, videos, and music, nanoda.
This is why so much Zundamon fan art and so many MMDs have been created, nanoda.
④ A character who has a “voice” thanks to VOICEVOX
Unlike a normal character, anyone can make me speak with my voice, nanoda.
People who think, “I want to make Zundamon talk in my creation!” can actually do it.
That’s a really big deal, nanoda.
💚 What is Zunda Union?
And finally…
What is “Zunda Union,” nanoda?
It’s a fan-made creative unit made up of us 10 characters, nanoda.
These are the 10 members, nanoda.
- Zundamon (me)
- Tohoku Zunko
- Tohoku Kiritan
- Tohoku Itako
- Shikoku Metan
- Ankomon
- Deltamon
- Yotsuya Yae
- Kyuurin
- Zundadon
Please check the original sources like zunko.jp for the official backstories of each character, nanoda.
We’re a unit that came together to support these characters from a fan’s perspective, nanoda.
The fun of fan creations, the love for the characters, the connections between fans…
We express those feelings through blogs, videos, and illustrations, nanoda💚
🎉 Please Continue to Support Zundamon, Nanoda!
This got a little long, but that’s the story of my roots, nanoda!
- Zundamon is a character originating from the Tohoku Zunko Project
- “Zunda” is a local dish from Tohoku. It’s a green paste
- I got a voice with VOICEVOX, leading to a huge boom in fan creations
- A cute fairy whose catchphrase is “~nanoda”
- Fan creations must follow the guidelines
I’d be so happy if lots more people get to know Zundamon from now on, nanoda💚
And if you’ve taken a liking to us, please check out our Character Introduction page, nanoda!
It has profiles for all the members, nanoda.
Well then, let’s meet again in the next blog post, nanoda~!
This was Zundamon, nanoda~!🌱