I’d seen stills from this define and a few of Yas’ most regularly very honest correct art work right here and there for years, nonetheless I’d by no manner conception it became the relaxation greater than some illustrations, per chance a children’s book or two. I in actual fact didn’t speak it became a Nippon Morning time collection produced in 1975 that ran for 26 episodes, and became no longer handiest a hit in most of Europe, nonetheless became dubbed into English by Paramount and turned an integral portion of the TV childhoods of young of us in Australia and England. The usa, nonetheless, became bereft of KUM KUM. We needed to fulfill our prehistoric needs with LAND OF THE LOST and KORG, 70,000 BC and VALLEY OF THE DINOSAURS and CAPTAIN CAVEMAN. Okay, that final one, no longer so noteworthy.
WANPAKU (“prankish”) OMUKASHI (“feeble”) KUM KUM is a fun little collection, a prehistoric children’s streak define that freely mixes comedy, motion, myths and details nonetheless stays firmly grounded within the each day lives of the Mountain Folk, a tribal of us correct on the cusp of civilization. Kum Kum lives while mankind transitions from being hunter-gathering wanderers to changing into a agricultural, settled, animal-domesticating language-developing society. The Mountain Folk non-public realized to plow and plant, nonetheless nonetheless do replacement gathering.
The Radiant One has writing, nonetheless handiest he can read it. Occasional vacationers show things esteem wheels, wagons, and warfare; nonetheless the Mountain Folk nonetheless originate do with hunting and fishing. A rudimentary faith is demonstrated by Darkish Eyes, the resident fortune-teller and soothsayer, who also demonstrates that this level of civilization possesses subtle hairpiece technology.
Our hero Kum Kum isn’t a BAD kid, correct abnormal, naughty, impulsive, most regularly unthinking, once in some time vindictive. Certain, these substances most regularly add up to “noxious”, nonetheless when he crosses the street, the Wooden Cave is generally ready. That’s the place we salvage Kum Kum when the define opens, ready out yet another stretch of interesting time because yet another prehistoric escapade.
Kum Kum’s world is a fun space to be a kid; a spread of forests and mountains to lunge thru, animals to traipse, fish to safe, and chums to tease. Kum Kum’s gang – Butterfly (Chiru Chiru) , Tiny Rock (Aaron), and Bumbles (Mochi Mochi) flee roughshod thru the little Mountain Folk tribe, inflicting no terminate of complications to Kum Kum’s dad Strongarm ((Paru-Paru), mother Flowers (Malu-Malu), toddler brother Tum Tum and teenage sister Wildflower (Furu). Wildflower is smitten with the Radiant One’s son Roman who lives up to his name by roaming everywhere across the unknown prehistoric landscape. Roman roams because his residence lifestyles is mainly occupied by arguing alongside with his furry, pipe-smoking father, whose customary Japanese name is “Kuropedia.” Despite courtship attempts made by Tiny Rock’s gigantic, pretty of tedious brother Jumbo (Goron) and Roman’s temptation to affix the Nomad tribe and marry Rose, – no longer to point out opposition from each Strongarm and the Radiant One – factual esteem triumphs and Wildflower and Roman are (SPOILER!) married within the final episode.
Simply just a few things withhold KUM KUM from being an fascinating, archeologically celebrated version of a mode of natural historical past museum dioramas; one is the dinosaur that lives within the lake, and the assorted are the Cheeky-Squeakies.
Saurus is the dinosaur; this old and amiable Apatosaurus is per chance the final surviving dinosaur. He’s happy to bite his cud within the lake and once in some time act as a big playmate for the kids. Certain, all americans is aware of that dinosaurs and human beings were separated by just a few million years, nonetheless right here at KUM KUM scientific rigor takes a assist seat to chill fascinating movie fun.
Alternatively, the Cheeky-Squeakies (“Pyonki” in Japanese) do no longer need any analog within the fossil file. These bouncy, grand-eyed little mascots hop all the intention in which thru the countryside and give the kids one thing to traipse in idle moments. Every now and then they safe some, harness them up, and trot snowboarding over the mammoth grass. We learn in a extremely particular episode that the Cheeky-Squeakies are vastly older than man, non-public a language and a convention, and once in some time trot to warfare with each assorted underground in ritualized combat that recalls the traditional Uncle Scrooge memoir “The Land Underneath The Ground”, though in dissimilarity to the combat between the Terries and the Fermies, the Cheeky-Squeaky warfare doesn’t trigger earthquakes.
It’s comely obvious that this prehistoric land is purported to be Japan. We’re handled to organising footage of blossoming cherry bushes, the volcanic nature of the land is remarked upon in quite loads of episodes, and we even salvage to search monkeys playing sizzling springs and an instance of the Japanese americans belief that fish can predict earthquakes. But the query of whether or no longer or no longer Kum Kum’s of us relate the Jomon custom will wish to be answered by more a qualified archeologists.
The English language dub firmly items Bumbles as a male, nonetheless I’m no longer elated that Mochi Mochi isn’t a girl, a gangly, Big Ethel form of gal. The feminine Japanese teach actress and the hair bow will seemingly be circumstantial proof, nonetheless it wouldn’t be the first time a persona’s gender became switched within the localization. The English teach is a hoarse goofball intonation that will well well trot both intention. And let’s face it, these are six and 7 twelve months old young of us, gender is comely noteworthy tutorial at this point. (editors show: recent footage screened right here on the HQ proves conclusively that Bumbles is a cave-boy)
 |
| Kum Kum makes an look on an all-Yas persona poster |
KUM KUM carves its regain niche between the One Million BC melodrama of Ishinomori’s ’71 Toei anime RYU THE PRIMITIVE BOY and the 1974 TMS caveman gag comedy GIATRUS THE FIRST MAN– the laughs and lifestyles lessons are parceled out in equal doses. Kum Kum’s noxious behavior has penalties past the Wooden Cave and incessantly the tribe is pressured to combat for his or her very survival against the points, negative animals, and even assorted tribes. Fogeys and early life fight and things don’t always wrap up neatly ahead of the terminate credit score. Kum Kum – and by extension the young viewing viewers – are pressured to reach to phrases with pretty grownup ideas esteem, , loss of life. But the Mountain Folk’s lifestyles isn’t particulary injurious, brutish, or brief – sure, there’s exertions and former stipulations, nonetheless there are also sturdy family and neighborhood bonds, gala’s, chums, dinosaurs, and a total world pudgy of wonders with out any faculties or homework. It’s no wonder this define became fascinating to a full technology of young of us across the sector, including the relatives of Argentine footballer Sergio Aguero, who conception the young future soccer celebrity resembled Kum Kum and dubbed him a mispronounced “El Kun.”
 |
| (I now converse you caveman and cavewife) |
KUM KUM became produced by Banjiro Uemera, who would later plan the fine Star Wars ripoff MESSAGE FROM SPACE. In his ability as head of ITC Japan, he became to blame for 1982’s sf actioner TECHNOVOYAGER, otherwise identified as THUNDERBIRDS 2086. He also produced the When Animals Attack movie ROAR, starring Tippi Hedren and her animal chums (and daughter Melanie Griffith). Curiously ample the define is an early directorial strive by Rin “Shigeyuki Hayashi” Taro, who would trot on to work for Toei and enlighten SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK, the two GALAXY EXPRESS MOVIES, and from there to enlighten HARMAGEDDON, DAGGER OF KAMUI, METROPOLIS, X, DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS, PHOENIX, and diverse anime works. But the fundamental creator on the assist of KUM KUM is glaring from even the most casual focus on; the distinctive art work model of Yoshikazu “Yas.” Yasuhiko. Yas.’ CV entails MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, BRAVE RAIDEEN, DIRTY PAIR, VENUS WARS, ARION, GIANT GORG – Yasuhiko’s classy linework and swish characters are an unmistakable hallmark of the traditional technology of Japanese animation. KUM KUM’s Yas. persona designs are entrance and center; Kum Kum and his buddies wouldn’t be out of space roaming the corridors of White Inferior as refugees from Aspect Whatever, and the flowing robes, bearded giants, and demanding natural landscape would return in works as diverse as GORG and ARION.
What makes KUM KUM so fascinating, for me anyway, is that I’m a man who spends intention too noteworthy time appealing on Japanese cartoons (obviously). Bear been this model for years. And yet right here’s a define with a comely spectacular pedigree (Yas, Rin Taro) that no longer handiest had I by no manner heard of, nonetheless that had been dubbed into English and confirmed across the sector, to boot! It correct goes to define, the more , the more you heed there’s yet to learn.
 |
| (no-pants cave young of us) |
Why did KUM KUM by no manner originate the transition to American television? One aim leaps to tips: prehistoric children don’t assign on pants. So the next time you’re pondering darkly of American exceptionalism, consider that most regularly Uncle Sam is, esteem Kum Kum, nonetheless trapped at center of the night of the Wooden Cave, ready to be space free.
 |
| (bye bye Kum Kum!) |
-Dave Merrill