Creator Amy shares how Gudetama, the lovable lazy egg, came to life
If you've never heard of Gudetama, then you're definitely missing out!
Taking the form of an anthropomorphized egg yolk, this cartoon character from Japan will surely tickle your funny bone with its lazy and perpetually sad personality. Conceptualized way back in 2013, the character has garnered immense popularity in the country, so much so that it has spawned its own Netflix show titled Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure.
The show, which premiered on the streaming platform in December last year, centers on Gudetama and a baby chick named Shakipiyo as they embark on a journey to find their mother.
However, this proves more challenging than it looks after they discover that they are being stalked by a mysterious man, as well as the fact that Gudetama is expiring by the minute.
In a roundtable interview attended by PhilSTAR L!fe in Japan, Gudetama's creator Amy, whose real name is Emi Nagashima, shared that her inspiration for the cute and lazy egg character came from something as simple as a home-cooked meal.
"When I was eating a Tamago gohan, rice with raw egg, at home, I saw the color of the egg and thought about its nutrional value. I thought that eggs could have a lot of potential of being cooked in so many different ways, so those are the ideas that I had," Amy said.
As for Gudetama's lazy attitude, she shared that she took inspiration from how "apathetic and unmotivated" her raw egg looked like, as well as the behavior of young people nowadays.
"I also thought about the millennials in Japan who all come from different backgrounds and big education but they kind of gave up on the competitive society," Amy said.
She then submitted it for a food-based competition held by Sanrio to inspire its designers and test out new characters, where it eventually lost to a cheerful salmon fillet named Kirimichan.
Amy admitted that she assumed the character wasn't going to be well-received by potential audiences because of his attitude. But it turned out to be the exact opposite as Gudetama's unmotivated trait is what skyrocketed it to fame among teens and adults, citing its relatability and how it symbolizes the challenges of keeping afloat in the modern world.
And Amy couldn't agree more, saying, "I felt that Gudetama is a character that gives you this feeling of comfort, that there are people who have it worse."
Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure has a total of ten episodes and it stars the voices of Akiyoshi Nakao, Serene Motola, Sarutoki Minagawa, Shunsuke Takeuchi, Seiran Fukushima, and Shimofuri Myojo.
Watch the trailer here:
