Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel

Posted on 2014/03/01. Used Anime, Creamy Mami.
Categorized as Pop Culture

Bought Creamy Mami‘s plastic figures!!! YEY!!!

Creamy Mami is a magical girl anime series by Studio Pierrot which aired from 1983 to 1984 on TV in Japan. A normal 10-year old girl, Yū Morisawa is given the ability to transform into a 16-year old girl. She is made to fill in for an absent popular idol to sing on TV. Giving her name as “Creamy Mami“, she becomes an overnight hit.

↑ Left:Yū Morisawa, Right:Creamy Mami

Creamy Mami is very famous and popular between girls in Japan, and I also know what the anime is like even though the original anime was before my time. I like the kawaii fashion and pretty pastel-colored items. Since last year, various goods have been sold to mark the 30 anniversary of Creamy Mami.

Creamy Mami goods

Creamy Mami‘s shelves in KOTOBUKIYA AKIHABARA.

Creamy Mami goods

BTW, Creamy Mami is known as a pioneer of the new marketing strategy, now known as “media mix”. They used an anime to promote a new, least-known idol singer. The real idol singer acted as an idol singer (Creamy Mami) also in the story. The opening theme was her first song in the real world too. Even though she was a new singer and not a trained voice actress, she voiced Yū/Creamy Mami. The result was a great success. The anime Creamy Mami has become famous and she gained a high popularity that still exists today. The same “media mix” approach was seen in many anime titles after Creamy Mami.

↑ The real idol sang opening theme of Creamy Mami.
She was not much as a voice actor/singer, but that’s what’s fun about it. Japanese people sometimes respect to be fresh. It is one of interesting things of Japanese culture, I think.