Duolingo’s beloved green owl mascot, Duo, is expanding beyond the language-learning app and into the world of anime. The company is launching a short-form animated series on its YouTube channel, offering a glimpse into Duo’s life and adventures beyond encouraging users to practice their French.
The Series: The Final Test
The new series, titled 最後の決戦 (The Final Test ), is a series of five 60-second episodes. These episodes will be released on Monday, October 13th, and will offer a unique backstory for Duo and his friends. During a preview at New York Comic-Con, CNET had the opportunity to see a sneak peek of the series.
Anime and Language Learning Converge
The Final Test isn’t just about entertainment; it’s also strategically linked to Duolingo’s updated Japanese language courses. All voice acting within the anime series will be performed in Japanese, providing an immersive experience for language learners. To ensure accessibility, subtitles will be available in several languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Thai.
Story and Production Details
The series explores the early days of Duo and his team, focusing on their struggles to maintain their “streak” – a core concept in the Duolingo app – and supporting one another through various challenges. The partnership between Duolingo and the animation studio Titmouse brought this project to life.
This new series demonstrates Duolingo’s commitment to making language learning engaging and fun, while also expanding the world of its iconic mascot.
The release of The Final Test signals a creative move by Duolingo, aiming to reach a wider audience and reinforce its position as an innovative force in the language-learning space. By combining anime with education, the company hopes to make learning a new language even more appealing and accessible.