Welcome to LINE. Image courtesy of the Bangkok Post.
We here in the States are missing out on the love story between an androgynous bear and rabbit. The Japanese messaging app LINE has two “mascots,” Cony and Brown, whose story unfurls as GIFs and stickers. They’re more popular than Mickey Mouse—and like Disney characters, grown adults can be seen walking around in their furry, bobble-headed costumes.
These aren’t the only GIFs on LINE that you’re likely missing out on. (The Japanese-owned service has 205 million active users worldwide. Even Thailand has over 33 million users—that’s nearly half the country’s entire population. The company does not disclose the number of active users in the U.S., although the Financial Times reports that 25 million downloads have taken place in the States.)
Below, Dylan and I have compiled a somewhat representative, though random smorgasbord-type of sampling of GIFs on LINE. Some are corporate—even Stateside companies like Giphy, Pepsi, and BuzzFeed have packs you can download. Oh, and you can get Taylor Swift to pop up and say “Trouble” while making devil horns behind her head. LINE’s panoply of branded and celebrity GIFs and stickers are truly the future of emotional expression and sentiment. At heart, we’re all lovesick bears and emo rabbits. (P.S. Not all the GIFs loop—sorry! There’s only some things you can see within LINE itself.)
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