Mono-kun, a quiet explorer between nature and the unknown

Season 1 · Episodes

Watch Mono-kun

S1 · E1  ·  2:23  ·  on YouTube

The Beginning

The first episode of Mono-kun's journey. Put the sound on.

Scenes from Episode 1

Mono-kun seen from behind, walking down a quiet street at night
Tokyo night walk
Mono-kun in an orange shirt at a wooden door, heading out to the office
Off to the office
Mono-kun flying over green hills, his hat blowing away
Yeet
Mono-kun on a clay film set next to a camera operator
Production

S1 · E2

Episode 2 is coming soon.

A film crew member in a black cowboy hat holding a clapperboard

Character profile

Mono-kun

Explorer

Role
Explorer / Wanderer

A quiet and curious boy who travels between nature and the unknown. Carries a deep sense of wonder and a gentle strength.

Personality

  • Observant
  • Kind
  • Determined
  • Introverted
  • Curious
Mono-kun in his wanderer coat
Wanderer coat

Looks

Curious about the model sheets? Ask us →

Travel companions

Mono-kun resting his hand on a small fluffy Pomeranian with a compass collar
LouisSmall, fluffy, and never far behind.
Monotaur, a zebra wearing a red patterned poncho, a satchel and a bedroll
MonotaurCarries the bedroll, the satchel and the gear.

New short

The Sixth Sense

In your dreams? … No.
While you’re awake? … Yes.
All the time, they’re everywhere.

Coming next

From clay to real life.

Mono-kun's story is crossing over, out of animation and into the real world. Over there, he's Katsunari.

Antique sepia portrait of Katsunari Kobayashi in a dark kimono with his sword, above a name plate reading 小林勝成
Katsunari 勝成Mono-kun, in the real world.
Katsunari rides out of a sunlit forest to the edge of a pond on Monotaur the zebra with Mono-kun, helps him down and stands beside him.

How Mono-kun is made

From sketch to screen.

Every frame is built in layers, the way Monolith makes games, films and shows. Scroll to stack them, then point at or tap a layer to lift it up.

  1. 01LineworkHand-drawn lines set the pose and the scene.
  2. 02Base colourFlat colours block in the world.
  3. 03Materials + lightFelt, leather, steel and sunlight get their texture.
  4. 04Final compositeDepth, haze and glow pull it all together.
Layer 1, linework: a black and white sketch of Mono-kun leaping along a fallen log with his katana
01 / Linework
Layer 2, base colour: the same scene in flat colours
02 / Base colour
Layer 3, materials and light: textures and sunlight added
03 / Materials + light
Layer 4, final composite: the finished frame with haze, glow and depth
04 / Final composite

On every screen, and off it

Everywhere he wanders

In development

The game

Pixel Mono-kun is getting ready to explore.

Out now

The montage

Action shots from his adventures with Monotaur.

In the works

The real one

A Mono-kun you can hold.

A sound recordist in headphones holding a boom microphone overhead

Shop

The merch is on its way.

Coming to the shop: Mame (豆, "bean"), pocket-sized Mono-kun collectibles. Send us a note and we'll tell you the day the shop opens.

Tell me when it opens
Mame capsule figures of Mono-kun rolling down a sunny street
Coming soon Mame · Series 01 Mono-kun No. 001. Pocket-sized. Collectible.
Mame packaging: a small Mono-kun figure in a clear blister on a black card, Series 01 No. 001 A Mame capsule painted with Mono-kun's face, hat and scarf
A director in white linen with a clipboard, gesturing toward the scene
The main Mono-kun poster: Mono-kun leaps forward in front of Mount Fuji under the red title モノくん MONO, with ものりす EST. 2026 on the left, 偶然が、物語を生む on the right and MONOLITH in the corner Monolith poster in Japanese woodblock style, Creative movement, Tokyo, since 1997: nine panels of Mono-kun and two companions drawing storyboards, filming, wiring and standing by the black monolith under Mount Fuji; People. Ideas. Experiences. Built to connect. Monolith poster: Mono-kun on a cliff looks out at floating islands, waterfalls and a glowing monolith; Ideas can take you anywhere. Built to connect. Mono-kun on a dark hillside looking up at a swirling galaxy, with the words Built to connect and Monolith Monolith poster: Mono-kun in a summer field by an old bus stop, a giant dark figure with glowing eyes behind him; Some connections should not be opened Monolith poster: Mono-kun hides behind a stone pillar with a lantern while a giant figure looms over a dark temple; A brighter tomorrow can cast a darker shadow Monolith poster: Mono-kun, seen from behind, faces an open sunlit door in a dark hall of doors, his hat on the floor; Some places stay with you

Born at Monolith.

Mono-kun comes from Monolith, a creative company based in Tokyo. So does his name.

Visit Monolith ↗
An event host in black holding a microphone and presenting with an open handEvents...?