Keiichi Arawi and Yukopi officially announced their collaboration for a new music video project that aired on the music program Minna no Uta owned by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). This collaboration resulted in the song Kome Rice Onigiri, which brings together the unique styles of manga creators Nichijou with the Vocaloid composer known for his viral songs.
Keiichi Arawi's Animated Touch in Kome Rice Onigiri
In this project, Keiichi Arawi was not only involved as a conceptor, but he said that he personally handled the animation process of the music video. As the creator behind the series Nichijou, Arawi's direct involvement gives the video a very specific and recognizable visual touch.
His animation work for Kome Rice Onigiri began to air on the program Minna no Uta since December 1st. The airing also marks the song's visual debut on Japan's national television channel, bringing Arawi's art style to a wider audience.
Thematically, the song is about a topic that is very close to our daily lives: staple food. The lyrics praise the specialty of rice in various appetizing forms of presentation. The visualization in the video is also in line with the lyrics, featuring various rice-based dishes ranging from fried rice, rice seasoned with seaweed, to onigiri or rice balls which are the main highlight.
Yukopi and Kaai Yuki's roles in Project Kome Rice Onigiri
While Arawi handles the visuals, Yukopi took on the role of composer for this song. In the audio production process, Yukopi used the Vocaloid character Kaai Yuki to fill the vocal part. This audio-visual collaboration creates an interesting blend of Arawi's signature animation and musical style. catchy from Yukopi.
For those of you who want to watch it, the music video is currently available on NHK Music's YouTube channel. However, please note that the channel has disabled the playback feature on third-party websites. Therefore, you will have to visit the YouTube link directly or click on the video below to watch it on the YouTube platform:
Yukopi's Viral Trail in the Music Scene
Before this project, Yukopi's name had successfully attracted the attention of internet users through a series of Vocaloid tracks that carried a surreal feel. One of the most iconic works that catapulted her name is a song entitled “Kyoufuu All Back” (Strong Wind All Back) which was released in March 2023. The song about hair blowing in a strong wind quickly climbed the Nico Nico VOCALOID charts and accumulated millions of views.
The success continued with the release of “Neoki Yashi no Ki” (Waking Yashinoki), Yukopi is one of the fastest Vocaloid songs to reach one million views on YouTube. Yukopi's popularity became even more unstoppable through other viral tracks such as “Blind Thunder” and “NANN plz”, a witty song about wanting to eat naan bread. All of these hits were later compiled into his debut album titled ALBUM No.1 which was released in November 2023, with an album cover by Bukubu Okawa (Pop Team Epic).
This collaboration between Arawi and Yukopi is a testament to how two different creative styles can come together to produce fresh work. The presence of Kome Rice Onigiri is certainly an exciting addition for fans of both artists.
Sources: NHK Music YouTube
