Ugo Ugo Lhuga: Japanese Kids TV Show

The show could be best described by introducing some characters and episodes.

So, I asked one of my old friends, Taro-san, who is currently watching the show in Tokyo, what his favorite episodes and characters are.

In a section called Morning Literature, entire classics from authors such as Stendhal, Tolstoy and Shakespeare are reduced to short shows lasting only tens of seconds represented through a video game-like screen format. Taro-san calls it the Dragon Quest style that came from Nintendo’s classic game. (In some shows, animated cartoons are used as well.)

"A funny thing is that the characters in 'The Merchant of Venice' are in Japanese street fashion" (Taro-san). Of course, they drove a convertible car to rescue the merchant Antonio, and girls were running like …. it's hard to say. "In the classic 'The Red and the Black,' Dragon Quest like CG characters play a sexually-oriented scene in a woody area from which clothes are thrown out."

The name Ugo Ugo Lhuga comes from "go-go girl," which a Japanese person may pronounce "go-u go-u ga-lhu. [update]" Two main characters in Ugo Ugo Lhuga are Ugo Ugo, a (human) boy, and Lhuga, a (human) girl. They wear cool clothes like UFO clothes, Kanji character shaped clothes for the current animal in the Oriental Zodiac system, gold-fish shaped ones, and other wild cosplay clothes, sometimes incorporating seasonal elements (of Xmas, Tanabata, etc.)

[from left to right: tomato-chan, lhuga, and ugo ugo.]

Taro-san didn't forget to mention two important characters from the show: Puri Puri Hakase (Dr. Puri Puri – puri puri was perhaps the sound made when it was born…) and Shuuru-kun (Surreal).

[left: Puri Puri Hakase. right: Shuuru-kun]

Puri Puri Hakase's theme song was played by the rock band Shonen Knife.

Shuuru-kun always asks Ugo Ugo and Lhuga questions such as: "Shiroi-eki (white liquid) and Shiroi-eki (white train station) -- which makes you sentimental?", "Kurikinton (Japanese sweets made from Chestnuts) and Kurinton (Bill Clinton) – which tastes better?" There were lots of other ironical political questions as well. Kids often don't know what the questions mean but answer anyway. Their answers can be interpreted as bold statements that professional newscasters never venture to say, but the kids look cute.

One thing I shouldn't forget to mention here was that Toshio Iwai was also part of the group who developed the show. He talks about Ugo Lhu Sumo: "In the section of the program called "Ugo Lhu CG Sumo," for example, children from across Japan were able to send in various strange sumo wrestler figures which they had drawn on postcards, and contest them during the program. Watching their televisions at home, these kids would scream into the telephone, trying to raise a higher voltage over the phone lines than their opponent, in the hope of pushing his or her character out of the ring."
(Source: ARS Electronica)

Another experimental factor of the show is the use of 3D sound: "although very few viewers are aware of this, the use of headphones reveals the fact that the sounds are broadcast as 3d sound with spatial movements from top to bottom, left to right."
(Source: Mediamatic)

There are lots more different characters and episodes I couldn't talk about. But, here are some links if you want to know more (mostly flash movies made by fans).

Mikan Seijin [1, 2, 3]
Shikato-Kun [1, 2, 3]
Puri Puri Hakase [1]
Aniki [1]
Donata [1]
Others [1, 2, 3]

Special thanks to taro-san and pp-ml

Update:
Turning words upside down like they did with the name "Ugo Ugo Lhuga" was part of the culture within the Japanese TV/entertainment industry at that time. Because of the economic downturn, they have to say good bye to their lavish life styles, face the reality, and perhaps live like normal businessmen. Interweaving upside-down words in their regular conversations seemed to be one of the few ways left for them to present themselves differently from others in the society. The culture of this industry sector is embodied in some characters and episodes as well, but they played rather minor roles in the show -- this may symbolize the society's shifting focus from adults to kids as the economic climate in the country changes. (Thanks again, Taro-san!)