Domo bank
is the mascot of Japan
's NHK
television station, appearing in several 30 second stop-motion sketches shown as station identification during shows.
In 2006
Nickelodeon announced that
it was to develop 26 two-minute shorts, Domo-kun for broadcast in the United States
. In December 2007
ICv2 announced that Nickelodeon would begin airing
the shorts in early 2008.
Target used the character as the
theme of its 2008
Halloween promotions.
This included a number of Halloween-themed products, such as candy
and toys. An original animation was created for Target, available
on its website.
7-Eleven stores used the character in a
promotion beginning October 1, 2009, using him on coffee cups,
straws and other such food containers.
Name
The name "Domo" was acquired during the second episode of his show
in which a TV announcer said, , which is a greeting meaning
something along the lines of, "Well, hello there!",but which can
also be interpreted as "Hello, Domo!", and thus is a convenient pun
(
dajare). The
kun suffix on "Domo-kun," the name
used to describe the character in the Japanese versions, is a
Japanese honorific often used
with young males.
Development
Tsuneo Gōda directs Domo episodes
using
stop motion animation. Gōda says
that, by using this process, one can "create a work filled with
feeling."
Characters
Domo, the main character, is described as "a
strange creature that hatched from an egg," with a large,
sawtoothed mouth that is locked wide open. Domo's favorite food is
Japanese-style meat and
potato stew, and he has a strong dislike for
apples, because of an unexplained mystery in his
DNA. Domo can only communicate via producing a
low-pitched noise which sounds somewhat like his own name, but
other characters appear to understand him. Domo is known to
pass gas repeatedly when nervous or
upset. A
Tokyopop press release of the Domo
comic book states that "he communicates
sotto
voce with a verve that only hisfriends can understand." Clint
Bickham, the writer of the Domo comic book, said that to him Domo's
expression is "a sort of cheery wonderment. Like when a kid wakes
to a room full of presents on
Christmas
day." While Domo's face has variants, to Bickham most of his
expressions have "an underlying sense of fascination."
Domo lives in an underground cave with
Mr. Usaji ,
known in
Japanese-language
versions as , a
portmanteau of the words
, (rabbit), and (old man,
grandpa). Mr.
Usaji is a wise old rabbit who has lived in a cave for decades,
loves to watch television and drink astringent green tea. Mr. Usaji
is not into any "new" materials, and does not own a
telephone. In terms of fashion, Mr. Usaji focuses
on materials instead of shapes. Mr. Usaji's favorite food is
carrots, and his least favorite food is
"something that is meaningless."
Also in the cave live two bats, a mother named
Maya ( in the Japanese version) and her child
Mario ( in the Japanese version). Maya suffers
from
alcoholism; her favorite foods are
seasonal while her least favorite food is alcohol. Mario's favorite
food is Japanese-style tomato
spaghetti,
while his least favorite food is
shiitake mushrooms.
The other main character in the shorts is a weasel girl named
Tashanna ( in the Japanese version).
Tashanna, 17 years
old, is a weasel who aspires to be a fashion stylist or model in
Tokyo
and is always using technology (televisions, mobile
phones, and cameras). In English Tashanna has a and ends her
sentences with "
y"s. In the Japanese version, she
ends her sentences with "chi" (ち) . She has not had a boyfriend in
ten years and she is seeking a platonic boyfriend. She has a
passion for bidding in auctions, but she gives up by the end.
Tashanna's favorite food is
apricot and
mint tarts, and her
least favorite food is
sea urchin. The
Japanese name originates from the word of digital
broadcasting.
Bear Boy ( ), also known as , is one of Domo's
friends from the neighborhood; the timid cub enjoys playing
baseball.
Hee ( ) and
Haw ( ) are pixie
twins from a flower. Domo is the only individual who can see
them.
The Fox Trio consists of
Esther ( ), , and
Fox Boy ( ). Esther, the youngest member, enjoys
producing
crocodile tears, plotting
schemes, and causing havoc. Brother Fox, the eldest member,
dutifully cares for his youngest siblings and feels upset when
referred to as . Fox Boy, having a quiet demeanor, converses with
Domo and Bear Boy and prefers to read.
, a large and powerful bear, feels too hungry to take advantage of his strength.
The Ghost ( ) randomly appears and
disappears.
Domo the Manga
Tokyopop publishes
Domo the
Manga, an
original English-language
manga series, in the United States and Canada. Clint Bickham
created the stories and crafted the dialog; Bickam said that he did
"pretty much everything short of drawing it." The stories were
drawn by Rem, Lindsay Cibos, Jared Hodges, Sonia Leong, Maximo V.
Lorenzo (in the special 7-11 edition only) and Erie Horita. Bickham
decided to use a series of short stories instead of one long story
to "recreate the feel of the original series," "so hopefully,
reading a story from the manga will feel the same as watching an
episode of the show." Bickham said that writing the stories became
entertaining when he "got into the Domo mindset." The writer said
that Domo's thoughts do not need to be expressed in words as they
are "always very simple and innocent." Bickham added that sometimes
other characters speak for him. Bickham said that the
Domo the
Manga stories "are driven by situations instead of dialogue."
To prepare for writing the series, Bickham watched each episode
multiple times; Bickham intended to "get a feel for the characters
so that the jump from stop-motion to manga would be as seamless as
possible." He added that "more than anything, I had to have fun
doing it. I don't think you can create a good Domo story without
fun."
Deb Aoki of
About.com reviewed
Domo
the Manga; she rated it as two out of five stars and described
it as "disposable entertainment that doesn't warrant more than a
single reading."
Domo on the internet
Domos chasing a kitten
Domo became well known outside of Japan through a
public service announcement that
circulated on the internet depicting Domos chasing a kitten with
the words stating "
Every time you
masturbate... God kills a
kitten." An article from
ICv2
stated "this phony PSA is quite out of character with Domo's image
in Japan."
References
- " Errata: Anime on Nickelodeon."
Anime News Network. May 5, 2006.
Retrieved on February 5, 2009.
- " Nickelodeon Gets Anime-Mated." ICv2. May 4, 2006. Retrieved on February 5,
2009.
- " 'Domo' to Air on Nick." ICv2. December 28, 2007. Retrieved on
February 5, 2009.
- " Halloween Costumes." Target
Corporation. Accessed September 14, 2008.
- " Domo-kun Themed Products." Retrieved on October
1, 2009
- " Domo-Kun Comes to 7-11!" May 29th, 2009.
Retrieved October 1, 2009.
- English page. Domomode. Retrieved on February
5, 2009.
- " TOKYOPOP PRESENTS: YEAR OF THE DOMO."
Tokyopop. Retrieved on
September 5, 2009.
- " Who?." Domo Nation. Retrieved on February 5,
2009.
- Japanese page. Domomode. Retrieved on
February 5, 2009.
- TOKYOPOP Presents: Domo the Manga." Tokyopop. Retrieved on September 5,
2009.
- " Interview with Domo Writer Clint Bickham."
Tokyopop. Retrieved on
September 5, 2009.
- Aoki, Deb. " Domo The Manga." About.com. Retrieved on September 11,
2009.
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