If you liked watching cartoons on Bom dia e Cia, you probably know Puffy AmiYumi. This cartoon was a production of Cartoon Network in conjunction with TV Tokyo. It was based on a Japanese band called Puffy, also known as Puffy AmiYumi. The animation was produced in 2004, arriving at Cartoon Network Brazil on April 29, 2005.
The cartoon gained greater fame in Brazil when it premiered on open TV, on the SBT channel. This happened on April 10, 2006. Very quickly, the cartoon achieved great popularity, with many advertisements and themed products. The cartoon has a simple premise and straightforward design. The main characters are Ami and Yumi. These are cartoon versions of the members of the band Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. The basic story of the cartoon tells the adventures of the two, traveling the world in their bus doing shows.
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Getting to know the band Puffy AmiYumi more
Everything started in 1988 when Ami Onuki was still in high school and was part of a band called Hanoi Sex. The band passed an audition held by Sony, and they were soon signed. However, both the producer and the band couldn't come to an agreement, leading to low activity from the band. Over time, the band separated and Ami ended up being contracted as a solo singer.
Yumi, in turn, participated in a Sony music contest in 1993, being signed then. It was then that she ended up meeting Ami, and thus a great friendship began. Both did not believe much in pursuing a solo career, so they decided to form a duo. In 1995, already signed by Sony as a duo, they would have the name Crazy Virgin. But soon, the producer came up with the name "PUFFY", which ended up becoming the official name of the band. This band had the pop genre as the main one, but with many elements of rock and jazz.
In 1996, they released the first single called Asia no Junshin. This song sold over a million copies, making the band an immediate success. Soon the songs were on TV and in many commercials. The second single called Kore ga watashi no ikiru michi was the best-selling in the history of the group. In the same year, the first album was released, selling over 3 million copies and staying at the top of the charts for 36 consecutive weeks.
The success kept increasing, to the point that the band became a reference for others. Not to mention the band's fashion that became a teen craze all over the country. Thus, they started touring around the world, with one of the main ones in 2002 in the États-Unis. From this came the invitation to perform the opening of a new animation from Cartoon Network. This animation was none other than Teen Titans. From this contact, the idea of an animation based on the band originated.
Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
As mentioned, the cartoon emerged in 2004, and it was aimed at children. But since the band was already successful at the time, other age groups were reached. Along with the cartoon, a whole advertising campaign was launched. A CD was even released by Sony with all the songs that were part of the animation.
Even though the drawing was entirely produced in the United States, many references to Japan were noticed. Ami and Yumi themselves appeared in many episodes, with the opening song being sung by them. With the animation, the band reached new audiences, greatly increasing the number of fans around the world. In total there were 39 episodes, divided into 3 seasons.
Today the band is still active, totaling 13 studio albums, with over 14 million sales. There are still many appearances of the band in commercials, TV shows, and even in movies. In 2016, they released an album to celebrate the band's twenty years. And to this day, they are considered and named as goodwill ambassadors between 日本 and the United States.
So, do you know the band or just remember the drawing? Tell us in the comments and share with friends.