Gwen Stefani has been a singer, a songwriter, and a reality show judge. Now the former The Voice coach is focusing on a different creative project — an animated kids show. Stefani is the co-creator of Kuu Kuu Harajuku, a series that will debut on Nickelodeon this fall. The new show follows the adventures of Love, Angel, Music, Baby, and G, who together form the girl group HJ5.
“I love that this is an animated series for young girls that celebrates creativity, imagination, and individuality,” Stefani told People. “I can’t wait for everyone to see it!”
Stefani's use of women and fashion from Harajuku, a district in Tokyo, has been criticised as cultural appropriation since she first began incorporating the style to promote Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (which includes a track called "Harajuku Girls") in 2004, according to Vice. Comedian Margaret Cho said of the Harajuku Girls in a blog post she wrote back in 2005, " I want to like them, and I want to think they are great, but I am not sure if I can. I mean, racial stereotypes are really cute sometimes, and I don’t want to bum everyone out by pointing out the minstrel show."
It's unclear what ties Kuu Kuu Harajuku will have to the place or culture where it got its name.
Kuu Kuu Harajuku premieres on October 3.