As far as a summary goes, we'll have to backpedal and cover past events, but first, let me tell you about Baku.
<--- Kuromi riding Baku.
Baku first met Kuromi at a beach in Mary Land. Baku is a purple tapir endowed with the uncanny - but increasingly useful - ability to fly. He sometimes appears to have a crush on Kuromi, and regardles, is often the victim of Kuromi's angry outbursts. His name is supposedly a Japanese pun because in Japanese, "baku" could mean "a tapir." However, I have read that it could also mean a "dream-eating creature" found in Japanese mythology, which is ironic seeing as how Baku helps Kuromi by swallowing Black Notes - in order to store them. In one episode he has a crush on Uta. But this is not uncommon or really all that surprising, because nearly everyone has a crush on Uta. He does appear to have a conscience, as seen is various kind acts. In one episode, he was seen delivering newspapers and giving rides to children.
So, as far as back-story:
Kuromi and Baku are imprisoned in a dungeon in Mary Land. One day, they obtain the Melody Key, a magical instrument having dark magical powers, and escape from the prison. They head to the human world in order to get Black Notes, (aforementioned in the above paragraph) to resurrect the Spirit of Dark Power. They get these Black Notes by making people have nightmares. Back in Mary Land - which is sometimes spelled "Mari" Land - My Melody is suspected of helping the two convicts escape and is ordered to go to the human world to arrest them and save the dreams of the innocent human race. In Yumegaoka City, Kuromi is deceiving people, saying things like "I will grant you wishes," and then creating nightmares using the Melody Key. My Melody arrives in Yumemigaoka City, and meet Yumeno Uta, a junior high school student. My Melody saves Yumeno Uta when she falls victim to Kuromi's Melody Key. My Melody pretty much sets up headquarters and moves in with Yumeno Uta. My Melody and Uta are involved in various perilous scenarios caused by Kuromi, but they usually get through it okay by using My Melody's Melody Tact - My Melody's handy-dandy magical instrument.
As each season of the series progresses, new, more difficult tasks befall My Melody and her many fluffy friends. In ~KuruKuru Shiffle!~, My Melody must collect Pink Notes - as Kuromi goes around collecting Black Notes - so she can fulfill her wishes for goodness and light. In Sukkiri♪, both My Melody and Kuromi are candidates to become the new Princess of Mary Land. And unlike the first three seasons, Kirara takes place before Kuromi escapes to the human world. (Kirara is supposed to be the first human to ever enter Mary Land.)
Random fact: Kuromi becomes human in an episode and her name changes to Kurumi Nui. In this episode, her tail is a weak point – her Achilles’ heal, so to speak - that upon being stepped on, she falls unconscious. I have some pictures of Kuromi in her human form below. And yes, she is holding herself in her other form in the first picture.
In her natural form, Kuromi is a white rabbit-like creature, and (as seen above) is usually pictured wearing a black jester's hat with a pink skull emblem centered on the front. She possesses a black, forked devil's tail in the place of the expected fluff-ball accorded to the hindquarters of your everyday rabbit. Kuromi is My Melody's rival. Melody is another, sweeter version of the same, adorable Sanrio cartoon-rabbit. (I have them pictured together below, in what appears to be an anime representation of the very popular Gothic lolita style of dress.)
(I told you they were adorable.)
Reportedly, Kuromi’s long-standing grudge towards Melody started with an incidental accident where Melody – unbeknownst to her - tore a page from Kuromi’s journal. And it gets worse: Melody then proceeds to use it to wipe the cold nose of a sheep. Since then, Kuromi has been writing down every single misconstrued wrong that Melody has caused her (accidentally, of course – Melody is billed as the perfect “good guy”-type, after all).
Kuromi is the leader of a gang known as "Kuromi's 5." (Pictured below.) Other members include a purple cat named Nyanmi, a pale orange dog named Wanmi, a white fox named Konmi, and a grey and white rat named Chumi. They all wear black and carry themselves in what they hope comes across as menacing. Personally, it’s hard to find anything that cute to be truly menacing, and I think that’s the point. Regardless of what I think, though, Kuromi is prett staunchly determined to be the stoic, menacing type. Accordingly, it's not very surprising to find out that Kuromi was once imprisoned... for stealing bread to feed a poor, deprived family. Well, she almost had me going.
Aren't they menacing?
In other news, Kuromi is reported to harbor affections for another character in the show by the name of Keiichi Hiiragi. Hiiragi, by the way, is a famous violinist and teen heartthrob and is very popular with the ladies.. He also supplies Kuromi's Melody Key with Dark Power.
You may have noticed that Kuromi's animation is markedly similar in appearance to those of cartoon characters from the 1920s and 1930s. As we have discussed in class, the big eyes and child-like features of early Disney had a huge impact on Japan's cartoon style going way back, so this is to be expected.
Commercial goods featuring Kuromi first appeared in Japan in July 2005, and have appeared in the United States of America as recently as Spring of last year. Like her Hello Kitty counterpart, Kuromi has a vast array of adorable merchandise, including apparel, stickers, stationary sets, decorative throws, pillows, steering wheel covers, floor mats, seat covers, necklaces, and keychains. As far as I know, Hot Topic is the only liscensed provider of Kuromi merchandise in the US at this time. Their Kuromi products depict Kuromi as a sort of anti-hero: a rebel to look up to and revere. Clothing depicts iconic pop-punk symbols popular among US girls like lightning bolts, skulls, cherries, and hearts - all of which come in various shades of pink. The phrase "cheeky but charming" appears on several shirts, in reference to her ability to win you over despite (or perhaps because of?) her quirky, off-beat nature.
I was able to find several websites that sell an ungodly amount and array of adorable Kuromi merchandise, an example of one is available for perusing as follows:
There are also some amusing anecdotal blogs written in character from Kuromi's perspective floating around on the internet. I've linked to one of them here:
And it's time for another picture!
Or two... Or three...
I've read that Kuromi has three "image songs" (born April 5, 1972 in Saitama). (Interesting fact: Junko Takeuchi is the voice-actor for Naruto Uzumakiin the popular series "Naruto.") An "image song," sometimes called "character song" is a song produced to suplement an anime. It is sung by the seiyu of a character, and is performed in-character as a means of insight into the character being portrayed. I was not able to find any of these, sadly. But should I come across any, I will update this page.
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