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Kuu Kuu Harajuku

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 64.26.100.49 (talk) at 18:33, 26 September 2017 (→‎Villains: Character info needed more emphasis; number of punctuation errors, which made some sentences not clear; some sentences needed to be more clear so readers can understand.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Kuu Kuu Harajuku
File:Kuu Kuu Harajuku logo.png
Genre
Created byGwen Stefani
Based onHarajuku Lovers brand
by Gwen Stefani
Developed by
Directed byGillian Carr
Voices of
Composers
  • Christopher Elves
  • Mark McDuff
Country of origin
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Malaysia
  • United States[1]
  • United Kingdom
  • France
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes28 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Cherrie Bottger (network executive producer)
  • Gillian Car
  • Low Huoi Seong
  • Gwen Stefani
  • Frank Taylor (season 1)
Producers
  • Gillian Carr
  • Shelley Dresden (season 2[2])
EditorSean Morrison (season 2)
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
  • Vision Animation
  • Moody Street Productions
  • Red Flags Fly
  • DHX Media
Original release
NetworkEleven
ReleaseNovember 1, 2015 (2015-11-01) –
present

Kuu Kuu Harajuku (originally titled KooKoo Harajuku[2]) is an animated children's television series created by Gwen Stefani for Network Ten,[4] based on her Harajuku Lovers brand. The series debuted on Eleven in Australia on November 1, 2015.[5]

Plot

Kuu Kuu Harajuku features G and the Harajuku Girls as they live in Harajuku. Together they form HJ5, a band, while their manager books them gigs. However, something always interrupts their gigs.

Characters

Main

  • G (voiced by Maggie Chretien) is the leader of HJ5. She is trustworthy and level-headed, though sometimes she has her doubts. She keeps the band together, even through their tough times, and is not afraid of any challenge. Her signature colors are aqua, white and black, and she represents bows.
  • Love (voiced by Daisy Masterman) is the genius of HJ5. She is intelligent and creative, though sometimes she takes on too much. She has a knack for science, and often comes up with inventions, though some of them backfire. Her signature color is red, and she represents hearts.
  • Angel (voiced by Emma Taylor-Isherwood) is the resident fashionista of HJ5. She is bubbly and cheerful, though sometimes she can be a bit of an airhead. She loves fashions and trends, as well as cheering up others. Her signature colors are yellow and blue, and she represents stars.
  • Music (voiced by Sally Taylor-Isherwood) is the active tomboy of HJ5. She is sarcastic, genuine, and strong-willed, though at times she gets easily annoyed. She is a sassy and fierce force of the band, as well as an exceptional fighter. Her signature color is purple, and she represents musical notes. She has a young niece named Minnie who appears in "The Young and the Reckless".
  • Baby (voiced by Charlotte Nicdao) is the sweetest member of HJ5. She is loving and carefree, though sometimes this gets her in trouble. She adores everything that she thinks is cute, and also loves to give hugs. Her signature color is pink, and she represents cuteness.
  • Rudolph "Rudie" Rhodes (voiced by Danny Smith) is the manager of HJ5. He books them gigs, though his bad luck tends to get him and the band in trouble. However, he deeply cares about their safety. He is associated with checkered-themed colors, such as white, black and gray. He is also nephew of Trixie La Trill, a formerly-famous hairdresser.

Recurring

  • Chewie - HJ5's Pomeranian pet dog.
  • Jimmy - Rudie's nephew and aspiring photographer.
  • Twisty T - a music producer and millionaire. He loves to wear sneakers.
  • Mauve Madison - a popular talk show host and TV personality. She loves the color mauve (hence her name).
  • Colonel Spyke - the captain of the Harajuku Defense Squad. She wears camouflage-like clothes.

Villains

  • General NoFun - the notorious leader of Nofunland.
  • Commander Boring - a high-ranking soldier of General NoFun.
  • Madame Shhh - a woman who wants to have peace in her place called BubbleLand.
  • Sammy Stars - a music manager and Rudie's rival.
  • Say Wah - a girl who wanted to be in HJ5 when she switched her voice to autotune; when G refused, she got the girls inside a video game. She appears in "Game Over".
  • Phillipa Kropp - the judging official of the Ponycorn Cup, as well as its multiple-time champion. She used her baton as a magic wand that turned the ponycorns (unicorns) evil and attacked their trainers; she eventually revealed her true motive: the Ponycorn Cup has become less about the grace and majesty of ponycorns, and more of a fashion competition involving hats. She appears in "Phony-Ponies".
  • Monotone - a company who wants to make everything all boring and traps any singer that stands in its way. The eye is also a reference to "A Space Odyssey: 2001".
  • Miyu Asakura - a girl who hated HJ5 so much, she made a mass-produced product called Yum Yum, a candy that made anyone who eats the item hate the band and want to destroy them all.
  • Anti-HJ5 - the evil alternate-dimension counterparts of HJ5. In the episode, "Control + Alt + Dimension", which they appear, Love is accidentally transported to the dimension by one of her inventions. Despite being platinum selling artists, they are evil and force people to buy only their music—which is actually just tracks full of static—and tyrannically prevent people from listening to anything else by using the threat of their KittenBots. Love joins forces with Anti-Rudy, who, while he is as morally-ambiguous as his original-dimension counterpart, had been previously fired by Anti-HJ5. Together, they recruit other Anti-counterparts and convince them to oppose Anti-HJ5 so they can help her return to her world. Love tricks Anti-HJ5 by pretending to be her counterpart, Anti-Love, allowing her and her allies to do the same; in the end, she returns to her original dimension, leaving her Anti-Universe allies to free their world from Anti-HJ5's tyranny.

Production

Kuu Kuu Harajuku is co-produced by DHX Media in Canada, Vision Animation in Malaysia, Moody Street Productions in Australia, and Red Flags Fly in the United States,[1] and in association with Film Victoria in Australia in season 1 and Network Ten in season 2. Season 2 of the series was greenlit, and is scheduled to premiere on July 1, 2017 in Australia. Season 3 of the series is currently in pre-production.[6]

Episodes

Main article: List of Kuu Kuu Harajuku episodes
SeriesSegmentsEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
152261 November 2015 (2015-11-01)13 August 2016 (2016-08-13)
252261 July 2017 (2017-07-01)23 December 2017 (2017-12-23)
3522611 August 2018 (2018-08-11)28 December 2019 (2019-12-28)

Release

Broadcast

Kuu Kuu Harajuku debuted on Eleven in Australia on November 1, 2015,[5] and later premiered on ABC Me on December 6, 2016.[7] In the United States, the series premiered on Nickelodeon on October 3.[8] Later, it was moved to Nick Jr. on February 3, 2017.[9] The series also aired on Family Channel in Canada on November 1, 2016.[10]

Home media

Shout! Factory owns the home video rights in North America.[11]

Region 1
DVD title Season(s) Aspect ratio Episode count Total running time Release date(s)
Music, Baby![12] 1 16:9 7 154 minutes June 13, 2017
Super Kawaii[13] 1 16:9 TBA 132 minutes September 26, 2017

Reception

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media rated Kuu Kuu Harajuku a 2 out of 5 stars, stating the cartoon "is pretty mindless, and there are better choices for role models for this age group, but it's entertaining nonetheless."[14]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipients and nominees Result References
2016 Asian Television Award Best 2D Animation Programmme Vision Animation, Network Ten, Eleven Nominated [15]

References

  1. ^ a b "RED FLAGS FLY, INC". Bizapedia. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c ""Upcoming Production Report"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help). Screen Australia.
  3. ^ ""KUU-KUU HARAJUKU KICKS OFF GLOBAL TOUR"". Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help). DHX Media.
  4. ^ Mercedes Milligan (April 12, 2015). "Gwen Stefani's 'Kuu-Kuu Harajuku' Unveiled". Animation Magazine. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Jenny (October 27, 2015). "'Kuu Kuu Harajuku' Premiering in Australia Nov. 1 (Updated)". Beacon Street Online. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  6. ^ "Kuu Kuu Harajuku". Moody Street Productions. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  7. ^ Kuu Kuu Harajuku (December 2, 2016). "Hello Australia!". Facebook. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  8. ^ "Nickelodeon to Premiere New Animated Series Kuu Kuu Harajuku from Global Superstar Gwen Stefani on Monday, Oct. 3, at 4:00 p.m. (ET/PT)". Business Wire. September 13, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  9. ^ "Nick Jr". Screener. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  10. ^ Kuu Kuu Harajuku (November 1, 2016). "Hello Canada!". Facebook. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  11. ^ http://kidscreen.com/2017/02/07/shout-factory-stays-home-with-stefanis-harajuku/
  12. ^ "Kuu Kuu Harajuku: Music, Baby!". Shout! Factory. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  13. ^ "Kuu Kuu Harajuku: Super Kawaii". Shout! Factory. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  14. ^ Ashby, Emily. "Kuu Kuu Harajuku". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
  15. ^ "FULL LIST: Winners, Asian Television Awards 2016". Rappler. December 3, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
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