Ponkickies

Title: Ponkickies (ポンキッキーズ)
Full title: Super Kids Zone Ponkickies

Also known as: Ponki Kids ; P-kies

Type: Children’s television series

Years: 1994-1997
Broadcast Time: Monday to Friday, late afternoon or early morning
Broadcast Network: Fuji TV

Amuro Namie’s Role

Amuro Namie is a co-host of the show. She forms the duet “Sister Rabbits” with Suzuki RanRan (Lanlan). They only start regularly appearing in their rabbit costume in 1995 though.

Amuro Namie and Suzuki RanRan sing, dance and act. They also take part in the educational segments of the program, dealing with history, modern technologies and sciences, as well as in the athletic parts. They demonstrate how to exercise and offer examples of healthy moves with their “bees” and “UFO” choregraphies.

Amuro Namie stops appearing regularly by 1996, due to her busy schedule, and permanently leaves the show in 1997. Suzuki RanRan keeps appearing until 1999.

Ponkickies is the successor of the children’s television series Hirake! Ponkikki that ran from 1973 to 1993. It is an educational and entertainment program that was broadcasted between 1993 and 2001, and revived twice: once in 2005 and again in 2017.

Between 1994 and 1997, Ponkickies’ regular hosts were:
– Takaizumi Atsuko
– Kihara Minoru
– Taki Pierre (of synthpop band Denki Groove)
– BOSE (of hip hop band Scha Dara Parr)
– Suzuki RanRan
– Amuro NamieOther personalities made occasional appearances:
– Ibu Masato
– Kabira Jiei
– Kazuki Enari
– Niki Rina
– Iketani Yukio (gymnast)
– Kunimoto Takeharu (shamisen player)

Ponkickies is also very well-known for its fictional characters:
– Gachapin
– Mucc
– P-chan
– Da-yo
– Connie-chan

The broadcasting time of the show changed as follows:

1994-04-01	1994-04-29	17:00-18:00
1994-05-02	1994-07-01	16:00-17:00
1994-07-04	1994-09-30	16:00-16:30
1994-10-03	1998-10-02	8:00-8:30

Ponkickies introduction

Namie, BOSE and RanRan

Gachapin, Mucc and P-chan

Music

In 1994-1995, the two years during which Amuro Namie was a regular co-host of Ponkickies, the following songs were used in the program.

1994
– Welcome to Ponkickies (GET UP AND DANCE) – This original song covers the beginning of Scha Dara Parr’s GET UP AND DANCE
– Issun Momo Kintarou [Sister Rabbits]
– Kisha Poppo Tetsudou Doko Made Mo [Sister Rabbits]
– Yottsu no Kisetsu [Sister Rabbits]
– Aruite Kaerou [Saito Kazuyoshi]
– Natsu no Kesshin [Oe Senri]
– Child’s days memory [Kome Kome CLUB]
– Hanako-san ga kita! [Mayutan]
– Popo [Denki Groove]
– Yume no Hiyoko [Yano Akiko]
– Uchi no Papa to Mama to Boku [Yamada Noboru]
– Chikyu-wo kusuguchao [Niki Rina & Sadao Watanabe]

1995
– Saa Bouken da [Wada Akiko]
– Let’s go! Ii koto aru sa [SUPER P-kies] – Cover of the Village People’s Go West
– Nigetai toki wa [Adachi Yumi]
– Ojichan wa mamena noda [Adachi Yumi]
– Machigaenaide oku n nasai [Kunimoto Takeharu]
– Na made ko [Connie-chan]

Sister Rabbits (シスターラビッツ)

The original Sister Rabbits duet was formed by Amuro Namie and Suzuki RanRan and was part of Ponkickies.

They released their first and only single in 1995.
Music videos existed for each track and were broadcasted as opening, insert or ending themes of the show.
The group officially disbanded in 1997.

Other generations of Sister Rabbits followed:

Second Generation (2004-2005)
7 members: Maaya, Ai, Ayuka, Momoka, Bunbun, Haruka, Mai

Third Generation (2005-2006)
7 members: Yuri, Moeko, Maika, Yume, Ayaka, Miki, Shunri

Fourth Generation (2017- )
2 members: Hina, Anna

First Generation: Suzuki RanRan & Amuro Namie

Release

Artist
Sister Rabbits

Title
Issun Momo Kintarou (一寸桃金太郎)

Release date
1995.06.01

Label
Pony Canyon

Catalog Number
PCDG-00076

See the tracklist

Music Videos

Issun Momo Kintarou (一寸桃金太郎)

Kisha Poppo Tetsudou Doko Made Mo (汽車ポッポ鉄道どこまでも)

Yottsu no Kisetsu (四つの季節)

Performances

Ponkickies featured live performances by Sister Rabbits and other hosts.

Apart from Issun Momo Kintarou, the following songs are known to have been performed:
– Symphony no.9 in D minor
– Saa Bouken Da [Wada Akiko]

In August 1996, Amuro Namie and Suzuki RanRan participated a dedicated concert.
They sang together with other co-hosts a special Ponkickies medley:
– Aruite Kaerou [Saito Kazuyoshi]
– Rock’n’Omeletz [Moritaka Chisato]
– Hanako-san ga kita! [Mayutan]
– Popo [Denki Groove]
– Saa Bouken da [Wada Akiko]
– Let’s go! Ii koto aru sa [SUPER P-kies]

Suzuki RanRan was also, like Amuro Namie, a regular performer at THE Yorumo Hippare.
They notably sang together:
– Aishitemasu [Ohguro Maki, 1995]
– Saa Bouken da [Wada Akiko, 1995]
– Hello, Again ~Mukashi Kara Aru Basho~ [MY LITTLE LOVER, 1995]
– Anata ni aitakute ~Missing You~ [Matsuda Seiko, 1996]
– YELLOW YELLOW HAPPY [Pocket Biscuits, 1996]
– MADE IN JAPAN [V6, 1996]
– Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai! [FUNK THE PEANUTS, 1997]

Excerpts of these performances can be listened on the Karaoke sessions special page.

Sister Rabbits performance

August 1996 performance

Appearing together in magazines

Posterity

Ponkickies being one of the most famous children’s television series in Japan, it was celebrated at multiple occasions.

In 2017, at the occasion of the relaunch of the show, a new Sister Rabbits duet was formed. This Fourth Generation was built on the exact same model as Amuro Namie and Suzuki RanRan’s. The previous Second and Third Generations that existed between 2004 and 2006 were indeed composed of seven elementary school children instead of two young women.

In 2018-2019, a special exhibition dedicated to Gachapin and Mucc was held at the Library of Yokohama to celebrate their 45th anniversary. At this occasion, Sister Rabbits’ original costumes worn by Amuro Namie and Suzuki RanRan were shown.

Finally, at the occasion of Amuro Namie’s exhibition Final Space in 2018, goodies featuring different eras of her career were launched: her old self as a “Sister Rabbit” was included.