Nagarekawa Girls -- Uogokoro-kun Song（魚心くんソング）

Last week, I did that article on the theme song for one of the more popular cute mascots that populate Japan (although I hear that there is a slimming-down process in progress) which reminded me of an anime that I'd seen about 18 months ago.

It was called "Futsu no Joshikosei ga Locodoru Yattemita"（普通の女子校生が【ろこどる】やってみた。...Normal High School Girls Tried Being Locodols）and told the story of a high school girl who ended up becoming a locodoru...a local aidoru...representing the fictional small city of Nagarekawa (which my anime buddy told me was based on some city in inland Chiba Prefecture) along with her sempai to become the unit Nagarekawa Girls. The anime wasn't a huge hit although it did attract enough fans to warrant a Xmas time OVA. I may have mentioned that I am more for the slice-of-life shows; it seems that there may be a sub-genre here of slice-of-life shows that gently deal with aspects of the pop culture industry in Japan such as "Shirobako" (anime) and "Sore ga Seiyuu!" (voice acting). And "Locodoru" is something I can place along those two when it comes to the local aidoru industry.

Although the theme songs weren't all that memorable for me, there was one insert song that rather sparked the cuteness meter in me during the show's run. "Uogokoro-kun Song" is one of those tunes that would have the kids squeeing for joy (especially when the Girls start going into the "Uo, uo, uo" and end the refrain with the emphatic "-kun!"). Songwriters Joey Takeda and Shunsuke Takizawa（武田城以・滝澤俊輔）made a fine earworm for Uogokoro-kun, that huge water drop mascot with the fish on its back. And seiyuu Miku Ito（伊藤美来）and Sachika Misawa（三澤紗千香）as the characters Nanako and Yukari respectively were appropriately adorable.

Just in case some of you have not gotten your daily intake of sugar today, seiyuu Maya Yoshioka（吉岡麻耶）and Inori Minase（水瀬いのり）who play a couple of the other characters on "Locodoru" give their own take on "Uogokoro-kun Song" with the choreography to boot. The song starts up at about 1:15 on the video.

http://www.nhaccuatui.com/bai-hat/uogokoro-kun-song-ito-miku-ft-sachika-misawa-ft-maya-yoshioka-ft-minase-inori.33e4clOoNnJR.html