Zézé is the Rabe family's zebu, the humped cattle of Madagascar. He lives in the house like a member of the family, he is very intelligent, and he is a little bit divine: nobody knows where he comes from. Now and then he turns to the reader and speaks to them directly.
At a glance
| Name | Zézé |
| Species | Zebu |
| Home | The Rabe house, like one of the family |
| Horns | The left one green, the right one red, and broken |
| Nature | A little bit divine, origin unknown |
| Favourite company | Fara |
| Weak spot | He runs off the moment he sees a female zebu |
The zebu who speaks to the reader
Zézé is the one character who can break the fourth wall: he turns to the reader, introduces a character, says a word about what is happening, as a bridge between the storytellers and their audience. His asides stay rare, and that is what makes each of them count.
A little bit divine
Zézé's semi-divine nature is part of his charm, and where he comes from remains a mystery. With Lita's kung fu and Bebe Dety's ambiguous witchcraft, he is one of the few fantastical touches of a universe that is otherwise firmly rooted in everyday life.
Zézé at home
- Fara: he loves nothing more than being by her side.
- Lita: he adores Zézé.
- A ladies' man at heart, Zézé takes off as soon as a female zebu comes into view.
Where to see Zézé
His stories are gathered on his page at nyrabe.com. Among them, in Malagasy:
- Ity Zézé ity ("This Zézé!")
- Film Horera tany an-tsena ("A horror film at the market")
- Nofy ririnina ("Winter dream")
- Leo embouteillage, andiany II ("Fed up with traffic jams, part II")
The whole family is presented on Who are the characters of Ny Rabe?