The Kobitos/Kobitos Zukan is a bit of an oddball franchise first published by Toshitaka Nabata, in 2006. It concerns the alleged existence of miniature humanoids reffered to only as "Kobitos".
The Kobitos started off exclusively as children's picture books, but has since branched out to include a video game adaptation, playing cards, an anime with live action elements and a Feltmation(?) miniseries.
The official website can be found here
. A portion of the feltmation can be found here
The Kobitos/Kobitos Zukan provides examples of:
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: Kobitos come in all colors of the rainbow, from bright blues and reds to carrot orange and light green... as well as more mundane browns and peaches.
- Ass in a Lion Skin: Subverted; although most of them do look like this, those extra parts aren't a disguise.
- Bizarre Alien Biology:
- Gulping Gourd Kobitos really take the cake, if the pictures provided and the DVD extras are to be believed. These creatures mimic gourds until they reach adulthood, and then go around sucking up water through their heads which they then turn into alcohol. Appropriately, they are largely hollow.
- In another case of this, Canny Nannies and Little Flower Heads happen to be the same species.
- Good Animals, Evil Animals: Some of the kobitos are certainly treated this way.
- Heli-Critter: Healing Greenwing Kobitos do this for hilarious effect.
- Like Reality, Unless Noted: The setting for this franchise is supposedly 21st-century earth with the only difference being the existence of these tiny humanoid beings running around, of course.
- Mushroom Man: The mushroom Kobitos, all three varieties, can be thought of as this.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human??: Despite showing signs of intelligence in some instances, such as deliberately watering trees, or conversing amongst themselves, the Kobitos are always treated as wild animals (By humans at any rate).
