KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 — Let’s face it. It’s either we love or hate singer/comedian Pikotaro’s Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen.
Now, there is another opportunity to ponder whether Pikotaro, or his real name Daimao Kosaka, makes it into your list of favourite singers in his latest collaboration with Pikachu.
Yes you read it right.
Pikotaro, famous for his trademark garish animal print costume, is collaborating with the yellow pointy-eared creature.
Titled Pika to Pico, the video sees Pikotaro in his trademark animal print costume and two red dots on his face while Pikachu becomes Pikataro, donning a gold-rimmed sunglasses to mirror the signature pair worn by Pikotaro.
Tokyo-based news site SoraNews24 reported that Pikotaro rarely plays second fiddle to anybody but for Pika to Pico he follows the Pokémon’s lead, as Pikachu sings a line of the song first, then waits for Pikotaro to translate it into English.
“With Pikotaro as (an) interpreter, you might expect some unusual lyrics, and they come in the form of lines such as “Finland!”, “We got you! Never! Never! Never! We got you!” and just plain “Beef.”
“Surprisingly, these don’t seem to be incorrect though, since Pikachu offers no objection to any of them.
He does, however, take issue with Pikotaro’s translations “Winter,” “Tea time,” and “Keyhole,” when what he’s really trying to say at that point is “Let’s dance!”, which, of course, the pair then do.
According to Billboard, the tune is meant to put a smile on the faces of kids and adults alike during these difficult times.
Pikotaro explained to the website that he reached out to Pikachu to see if they could collaborate on a song for kids who aren’t able to play outside as much as they’d like to, even during summer vacation, because of Covid-19 and extreme heat that Japan is currently undergoing.
“He had always been a fan of the iconic Pokémon because of their matching yellow hues, and wrote the song based on what he imagines Pikachu is saying,” added Billboard.
Pikotaro became an internet sensation in 2016 through his 45-second Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen on YouTube.
The video, uploaded last August, also received praise from Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, who he tweeted to say it was his “favourite video on the internet”.
The catchy hit was subsequently listed by the Guinness World Records as the shortest song ever to make it into the Billboard Hot 100, making Pikotaro the first Japanese to enter a US chart in 26 years.
