The appeal and reviews of Cookin' Idol Ai! Mai! Main!: What kind of excitement can come from the fusion of cooking and idols?

Cookin' Idol Ai! Mai! Main! - Entertainment that teaches children the importance of food

"Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!" is an anime series that aired on NHK Educational TV (E-TV) from March 30, 2009 to March 22, 2013. The long run of 305 episodes was a unique mix of animation and live action with the aim of teaching children the importance of food. The show centers on Main, a fifth-grader who aspires to be an idol, and follows her struggles and growth in the entertainment industry while teaching children the joys of cooking and the importance of food.

story

Main is a fifth grade elementary school student who aims to become a singing and dancing idol. She makes a huge mistake when she appears on a music show, which she has always wanted to do, and is banned from appearing on music shows. Her next job is to be the host of a cooking show! This leads Main to dive into the world of cooking, and she grows as she tries various dishes. Together with her partner, the fairy Misanga, she strives to bring light to dining tables all over the world.

Commentary

"Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!" is a program that allows children to learn about "food" while having fun, with the theme, "Eating is fun! Cooking is happiness!" The animated part follows the showbiz success story of the main character, Main, who aspires to be an idol, with love and laughter along the way. Meanwhile, the live-action part features Fukuhara Haruka, who plays Main in the anime, as herself, as she tries her hand at cooking. By alternating between these two parts, viewers can learn about the importance of cooking and food while enjoying the entertainment.

cast

The main cast is as follows:

• Main - Haruka Fukuhara
• Misanga - Akiko Kobayashi
• Michika - Izumi Ideno
• Yasunoshin - Irino Free
• Tokumaru - Masaru Hotta
• Yusaku - Saeki Tanaka
• Yukino - Sumire Morohoshi
• Yuma - Mayu Iino
• Mama Mieko - Sakuma Rei
• Papa Osamu - Toshihiko Seki
• President Yuria - Chisa Yokoyama
• Obayashi - Takashi Matsuyama
• AD Kobayashi - Toshiyuki Toyonaga
• Fairy Leader - Shinobu Matsumoto
• Young Fairy - Koichi Yokota

Main Staff

Many staff members are involved in the production of this program. Below is a list of the main staff members.

• Director: Hiroshi Watanabe
• Series Composition - Hirami Masataka
• Character design - Atsuko Nakajima
• Dubbing Director: Yuji Mitsuya
• Sound Director - Hamanaka Kazuzo
• Art director: Maho Takahashi
• Color design - Shinji Matsumoto
• Director of photography - Masayuki Kawaguchi
• Music: Tomoki Hasegawa, Yukari Hashimoto
• Music production cooperation - King Records
• Music producer: Kazumi Saito
• Sound production cooperation - Jinnan Studio
• Music Production - King Records, Berry Goo
• Live-action composition - Toshiyuki Aoshima
• Food Supervision - Etsuko Ichise
• Casting cooperation - Nelke Planning
• Animation Part Producers: Toshiya Nakazawa, Masanori Miyake
• Assistant producers: Shotaro Terada, Reiko Sasaki
• Animation production cooperation: Studio Deen, Koji Iijima
• Animation part production - NHK Educational, NAS
• Produced by NHK
• Produced by NHK Educational

Main Characters

We will introduce the main characters in detail.

• Main - A girl who loves singing and dancing. She was unexpectedly selected to appear on the cooking show "Cooking Idol" and is doing great. With the support of her partner fairy Misanga, she dreams of using her natural 'inspiration' to light up dining tables all over the world. Her favorite food is strawberries.
• Misanga - Main's partner fairy. She supports Main as she tries all kinds of different dishes. She came from the fairy NPO (The Everything is Delicious Alliance) to save the world from the food crisis. Her mission is to work with Main to help make dining on the planet a little more fulfilling. When she's happy, she always says, "I'm so excited!"
• Kirakira/Mazumazu/Menmen - Three fairies are getting in the way of Main and Misanga. They try to make children hate food using magic spices. But it seems that the three fairies have a sad past...
• Papa Osamu - Main's dad. He is an explorer who searches for mysterious creatures all over the world. He is on the road all year round.
• Mama Mieko - Main's mom. She's a manga artist and is always chasing deadlines. She loves her daddy!
• Ohbayashi - Producer of the cooking show "Cooking Idol". I don't always understand what he's saying...
• AD Kobayashi - Assistant director of the cooking show "Cooking Idol." When he gets full, he transforms into a handsome man.
• POP - An idol unit of three members, Peach, Orange, and Papaya. They belong to Production Yotsuba. They are a little jealous of their junior, Main.
• Three Star Friends - Yasunoshin, Michika, Tokumaru, Kinako, Yusaku, Yukino, Yuma, and Main are friends from the Three Star Talent Agency, which they were previously affiliated with.

Theme songs and music

The following theme songs were used in this show:

• OP1
  • Song Name - Kitchen is my stage
  • Lyrics: Ruka Kawada, TOMBOW
  • Composed by: Ruka Kawada
  • Arranged by: Yukari Hashimoto
  • Sung by: Haruka Fukuhara
• OP2
  • Song Name - Miracle☆Melody Harmony
  • Lyricist: Ruka Kawada
  • Composed by: Ruka Kawada
  • Arrangement - Ruka Kawada
  • Sung by: Haruka Fukuhara
• OP3
  • Song Name - Exciting Kitchen Carnival
  • Lyricist: Ruka Kawada
  • Composed by: Ruka Kawada
  • Arrangement - Ruka Kawada
  • Sung by: Haruka Fukuhara
• OP4
  • Song Name - Happy! Cooking Time ♪
  • Lyricist: Ruka Kawada
  • Composed by: Makoto Miyazaki
  • Arranged by: Makoto Miyazaki
  • Sung by: Haruka Fukuhara

Broadcast information

"Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!" was broadcast during the following periods and times.

• March 30, 2009 to March 12, 2010 (1st to 75th episodes) Every Monday to Friday 17:40 to 17:50
• March 29, 2010 - March 18, 2011 (76th - 150th episodes) Every Monday - Friday 17:40 - 17:50
• March 28, 2011 - March 16, 2012 (151st - 225th episodes) Every Monday - Friday 6:45 - 6:55
• April 2, 2012 - March 22, 2013 (episodes 226-305) Every Monday to Friday 6:45-6:55

In 2011 and 2012, it was also broadcast Monday through Friday from 17:40 to 17:50. The show is made up of anime (story) and live-action (cooking).

Production information

The following studios and companies are involved in the production of this program:

• Animation production cooperation: Studio Deen, Koji Iijima
• Animation part production - NHK Educational, NAS
• Produced by NHK
• Produced by NHK Educational

Copyright belongs to "©Cooking Idol Project".

Ratings and Recommendations

"Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!" is a program that aims to teach children the importance of food, while also being entertaining. The anime part, which depicts the growth story of the main character Main and the fun of cooking, and the live-action part, which features Haruka Fukuhara's cooking challenges, are beautifully combined to provide educational content while entertaining viewers.

In particular, the character of Main is easy for children to empathize with, and viewers can naturally learn the importance of cooking and food through her failures and successes. The presence of the friendship bracelet and sparkling fairies also stimulates children's imaginations and adds depth to the story.

This program is enjoyable for both children and adults, and watching it with the whole family will be a great opportunity to share the importance of food. In particular, for children who are interested in cooking or who want to become idols, it may be an opportunity to discover their dreams and goals.

In addition, the show's music is also attractive, and Haruka Fukuhara's singing voice captures the hearts of viewers. The theme songs are all bright and cheerful, symbolizing the show's theme of "Eating is fun! Cooking is happiness!", and they lift the mood of viewers.

Overall, "Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!" is a program that strikes a perfect balance between education and entertainment, and is an excellent tool for teaching children the importance of food. We hope that it will be watched in many homes and that it will serve as an opportunity for people to reaffirm the importance of food.