Smeshariki is built on one design rule: every character is a circle. A rabbit, a hedgehog, a sheep, a moose, a raven - all drawn as spheres with minimal limbs, which makes them instantly readable and unusually pleasant to look at.

The writing is where it surprises people. Behind the round shapes and the pastel colours, the show is genuinely philosophical, with episodes about mortality, loneliness, art, and the difficulty of being understood. It's aimed at children and it does not talk down to them.

Krosh and Hedgehog make the central pairing - one impulsive and loud, one anxious and bookish - and most episodes are really about the friction between how they approach a problem.

It became one of the most successful animated properties in the Russian-speaking world and travelled internationally under the name Kikoriki, though the original name stuck with most fans.

This collection covers the round cast in their original bright colours.