The Google Japan released two “Gambare! Kūromu” (Do Your Best! Kūromu) anime shorts featuring a Google Chrome mascot named Kurōmu (say it fast) — as voiced by Sumire Uesaka — on Thursday. The first short showcases the browser’s sharing features between smartphones and computers, and the second focuses on security and translation functions.
Takashi Otsuka (Smile Pretty Cure!, Dragons of Wonderhatch‘s anime segments) directed the first short at LDH Digital with a design by X (formerly Twitter) user @kametan_jun. Hideki Inaba directed the second short at AOI Pro. (in collaboration with Eallin Japan). Each short features separate verses from the original theme song “Ganbare! Kurōmu” by computer, lyricist, and arranger PinocchioP.
The mascot’s accidental genesis was a June 5 Google Japan X/Twitter post. (June 5 is unofficially “Logo Mark Day” in Japan, since “logo” sounds like a wordplay on “6/5” in Japanese.) The post noted that the Chrome logo has a subtle gradation in coloring, and illustrated the point with a diagram labeling the logo’s different color hexadecimal codes.
Chrome のロゴ、実は微妙にグラデーションがかかってる！？#ロゴマークの日#Googleのちょっと小話 pic.twitter.com/XPEf2y2YVf
— Google Japan (@googlejapan) June 4, 2024
The Chrome logo actually has a subtle gradient!?
#LogoMarkDay
#TidbitAboutGoogle
The post received just under 200 replies, with some saying the logo in the diagram looked like it had sprouted legs, arms, and two horns.
Google Japan stayed mostly quiet regarding the fan art in response to its viral post. However, on October 17, Google Japan announced an art contest using the Google Chrome character. Entrants had to create illustrations based on Chrome’s features: remembering a user’s passwords, sharing a common browsing history between PCs and smartphones, and the translation function.
— Google Japan (@googlejapan) October 17, 2024
That character you’ve created from the Chrome logo.
They were all so cute…We were really impressed.So, a dream of making an anime together with all of you and the creators below grew…
Chrome Illustraion Contest will be held!Details👇
Google Japan announced the contest winners in a series of posts between November 25 to 27. The winners are:
Chrome tries hard to remember new passwords that users create:
@mint_fakep
@Funya_iwi_
@0202Mochimochi
@mooomiso
@hakaro_karakuriChrome can instantly display the site a user is viewing on their smartphone on their computer:
@konkon_ninmasu
@kamieri0916
@Hataki_ikataH
@yoruyume_esi
@Uqotu_00Chrome is working hard to translate foreign pages:
@sosogida
@tenmiyakiyo
@rukotandao
@reirei3413
@tidoriasshi
Chrome tries hard to remember new passwords that users create:
Chrome can instantly display the site a user just viewed on their smartphone on their computer:
Chrome is working hard to translate foreign pages:
As of press time, Google Japan has not announced any more episodes in the Google Chrome mini-anime.
Microsoft gave its Internet Explorer, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Azure, and Silverlight tools their own mascots, who in turn inspired mini games and anime. Apple posted a video showcasing over a dozen anime which placed its hardware (or parody versions of them) onscreen.
Sources: Google Japan‘s YouTube channel (link 2) via Hachima Kikō, Google Japan‘s X/Twitter account (link 2) via Den Fami Nico Gamer, @mint_fakep’s X/Twitter account, @Funya_iwi_’s X/Twitter account, @0202Mochimochi’s X/Twitter account, @mooomiso’s X/Twitter account, @hakaro_karakuri’s X/Twitter account, @konkon_ninmasu’s X/Twitter account, @kamieri0916’s X/Twitter account, @Hataki_ikataH’s X/Twitter account, @yoruyume_esi’s X/Twitter account, @Uqotu_00’s X/Twitter account, @sosogida’s X/Twitter account, @tenmiyakiyo’s X/Twitter account, @rukotandao’s X/Twitter account, @reirei3413’s X/Twitter account, @tidoriasshi’s X/Twitter account
