Kumamon — with popularity like this, analysis of why it works is flourishing.
The book that might be called the official record is "The Secret of Kumamon — Local Civil Servants' Surprise" (Gentosha Shinsho). It says Kumamon was born ahead of the full opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen. Osaka, which the line would connect directly to, was the focus of PR — aiming for urban-legend buzz with an unidentified character appearing here and there, they launched the "Here, There, Everywhere Campaign": 10,000 business cards, a blog and Twitter, even an appearance on Yoshimoto Shinkigeki. Yuru-chara Grand Prix winner... and so it "rose" (photo: Morisaki Kyoko and others singing a new image song at this year's March 17 birthday festival).
The media joined the "mystery-solving battle" over its popularity. The Mainichi Newspapers Osaka edition has "Ron Station," where outside experts discuss various themes; on May 17, three commentators spoke on "Yuru-chara Won't Stop." Among them, Shogo Toyota, chief researcher at Osaka Gas Energy & Culture Research Institute, analyzes that commercial characters usually come with well-crafted personality and story from the start, while yuru-chara add new traits in response to viewers — "the sense that viewers can participate makes them feel close" (http://mainichi.jp/area/news/20130517ddn004070055000c.html).
On the blog aggregator BLOGOS, media scholar Katsuya Arai, professor at Kanto Gakuin University, analyzes it in three parts. Similar angle, but quite sharp: "Kumamon is NOT a yuru-chara!" Too long to detail here — read the site (first part = http://blogos.com/article/51024/); in brief:
First, he defines "yuru-chara" as "sloppy in character setting and concept." Kumamon seems to follow the yuru-chara basics of sloppiness and tackiness — but "don't be fooled; I believe this is a meticulously planned concept," he declares. Kumamon's concept advisers are scriptwriter Kundo Koyama and designer Manabu Mizuno — giants known to insiders in advertising — with clever devices. After thoroughly refining the concept, they deliberately make it look tacky so the concept seems loose — a technique Arai calls "Dasai-zing" (deliberately making something tacky).
Specifically, two concepts: first, "Astro Boy" — lack of personality and narrative like "a kind-hearted child of science." Second, pupils that seem wide open, with no clear gaze — "loss of eye contact." In other words, a character that does not appeal to viewers — "not pushy," free for viewers to interpret — a trend since the late 1990s, he says.
This connects to the analysis I introduced in our June 5 blog post on Funassyi's popularity — a character "created through perfect marketing."
As a "business" story of economic impact, Kumamon continues an unprecedented success — yet somehow I feel played along and unsatisfied. Kumamon fans, sorry for being contrarian.