#Title text
What exactly is 'Afro-Ken'? This is a question that has (canonically) plagued our existence as a species since time immemorial. To solve this quandary, I decided to ~~travel to Japan in search of answers~~ buy the Afro-Ken theme song single from Yahoo auctions, and also not solve the quandary, it's too hard.
"He is innocent and blameless and always in a good mood. Afro Ken is always willing to try new things. Afro Ken is attracted to objects that look like he does. His hair changes to look like these things as he gets close to them." - San-x
Prior to the show bestowing the fruits of masterful lyricsmithing upon you, a simple piece of wisdom is imparted at the beginning: "When you accept things, love grows". Analogous to an Afro-Ken housing birds within its leafy-green Afro. I leave the interpretation of this visual representation to the reader - love grows, but how, between what, and at what cost? Afro-Ken is clearly attempting to influence us to be free thinking individuals like the masterpiece it is.
Shortly following this statement, another example is given wherein an Afro-Ken-shaped cloud crashes down upon a mere Ken's head (like Afro-Ken but without an Afro), who accepts his fate. It then transforms from a cloud to a rainbow-coloured Afro upon his noggin. The surrounding Afro-Kens (one of them has a mohawk, but we do not mention this) nod in unison, showcasing love. The reinstatement of this lesson through usage of two examples is excellently utilised; no words are used. Afro-Ken respects us - and in turn, we can respect it.
The theme song itself is the next thing you are confronted with in the Afro-Ken audio-visual experience, and it is also the last thing. An ouroboric display that reminds us twice as to what exactly Afro-Ken is. Without this, I doubt many watchers (including myself) would be able to grasp such a concept. I shall attempt to break down some of the immense meaning behind the lyrics in this section.
As a side note, the theme is brought to you by TWO BALL LOO, with iconic albums such as "Sexercise", you know it's gonna be rad.
"There's a dog with a big Afro"
Curiously, the word 'Afro' is capitalised here, is an Afro-ken's afro a sentient being? We are first clued in here.
"That follows me around where ever I go"
There are quite a few ways to interpret this, one is as follows: the dog itself does not follow around the singer. He is a paranoid schizophrenic, or perhaps an addict to hallucinogenics. Afro-Ken is not real and cannot follow you around wherever you go. Seek immediate help.
However, this is unlikely. At the start of civilisation, Afro-Ken was there, shown as early as the ice age, the singer is merely prisoner to repeat thoughts, or sightings of Afro-Ken.
Also, the fact that there is no comma between these lines potentially implies that it is in fact the "Afro" that follows him around, but the overall observation does not change upon noticing this.
"My Daddy says that it don't exist \ but I have seen it in the sky \ and Even in my rice bowl dish"
His Daddy is a fool. Plenty of evidence has been given of Afro-Ken's existence, be it anecdotal. Face reality, geezer, the year is 2021 and AFRO-KEN IS REAL.
"The other day I was at the park \ when all of a sudden the sky grew dark \ I looked above the convenience store \ I saw it lumber round the corner \ Bigger than a dinosaur"
Afro-Ken are capable of supersizing themself - after all, the sky wouldn't suddenly 'grow dark' if it were already big, you would see it coming from a mile away. Then again, the singer may be tiny, or his reference for a dinosaur is dog-sized. The sky may have grown dark on its own due to astronomical phenomena too. We will never truly know. This is a theme heavily explored in the show.
As I could go on forever about lyrics, here are my notes on the rest of the show.
First - we are formally introduced to Afro-Ken, there is nothing too noteworthy here, San-x's perception of Afro-Ken is conveyed to the watcher. Innocent, blameless, always in a good mood.
This is followed by an excellent short activity to delight both children and adults - matching an Afro-Ken to its desired item. Without this activity I would fear for the children who would be mentally overwhelmed by the show's philosophy; like Afro-Ken, we take a second to be innocent and blameless in our participation in this activity, allowing us to empathise with Afro-Ken. An excellent directorial choice. Even if we lose, why does it matter? The result matters much less than the state of mind employed on the journey. Also, MS Comic Sans. HELL YEAH.
The next lesson is conducted: "Goals should be set high \ And ambitions embraced."
The line is delivered alongside an Afro-Ken franticly struggling in the clouds, eventually ascending to a higher state of existence. With this, we learn that even those who are innocent, blameless, and simple-minded are able to achieve great things with the right mindset. Thank you, Afro-Ken.
Following this, we return to a simpler to consume area, an interview with the designer for Afro-Ken - a rare sight for shows, especially on the first and only episode. Additionally, the prior philosophy ties in here as the designer wishes for his creations to be known by a random German person he meets on the street. Nice.
This structure of light-heartedness and philosophy continues for essentially the rest of the show, with great lessons such as
and more. The last one in particular is noteworthy, as watching Afro-Ken will absolutely wash away corrupt morals. Please consider state-mandated Afro-Ken viewings.
Other content besides philosophy and light-hearted sketches are the introductory scenes for each Afro-Ken character, and the journey of Takeshi and his father in experiencing Afro-Ken on a daily basis. Delightful cherry-toppers that really make the experience shine :)
It is not often that you see a single episode show fraught with powerful lessons, especially one that both kids and adults can enjoy equally without being overwhelmed. The nature of the show is complemented with somewhat sparse, trippy, easy-going, or industrial music depending on the scenario, wonderful choices for the absurd nature of it. The visual comedy is STIMULATING and leaves you with many thoughts. Head full. Overall, it's an enlightening experience.
31 out of 32 users liked this review
