science

Kum-Kum

Kum-Kum is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kum-Kum rather than just read about it. In short: Wanpaku Ōmukashi Kum Kum (わんぱく大昔クムクム, Wanpaku Ōmukashi Kumu Kumu; "Naughty Ancient Kumu Kumu") is a Japanese animated television series, consisting of 26 episodes. The series was created by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and directed by Rintaro.

Key takeaways

Kum-Kum belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kum-Kum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kum-Kum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wanpaku Ōmukashi Kum Kum (わんぱく大昔クムクム, Wanpaku Ōmukashi Kumu Kumu; "Naughty Ancient Kumu Kumu") is a Japanese animated television series, consisting of 26 episodes. The series was created by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and directed by Rintaro. It was first broadcast on TBS between October 3, 1975 and March 26, 1976. The name was changed to Kum Kum after the sixth episode in order to strengthen the image of "a child in the primitive era thriving in great nature" while also making it more approachable and familiar to viewers. The series received a recommendation from the Central Child Welfare Council due to its positive portrayal of themes such as friendship through the perspective of children. Paramount Pictures produced an English dub of the series, which aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and Network 10 in Australia in between 1977 and 1978. It also aired in other countries like France, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Brazil, and Indonesia. The series was adapted as a manga in December 1975, written and illustrated by Takemaru Nagata, and serialized in Kodansha's Terebi Magajin (TV Magazine) under the name "Kum Kum". A four-panel comic strip adaptation of the series also appeared periodically in Mainichi Shimbun in Osaka.

Plot The series explored the adventures of Kum Kum, a naughty boy in primeval times, and his friends as they grow up, often playing antics that surprise the occasional visitor to their village, and which almost always end up with Kum Kum being scolded by his stern father, Paru Paru.

Characters Kum Kum (voiced by Kazue Tagami (Japanese); Ray Hartley (English)) is the main character, a naughty and kind boy. Chiru Chiru/Butterfly (voiced by Teruko Akiyama (Japanese); Barbara Frawley (English)) is Kum Kum's girlfriend, whose father is deceased. Aaron/Little Rock (voiced by Yoshiko Ota (Japanese); Keith Scott (English)) is one of Kum Kum's faithful friends. Goron/Jumbo (voiced by Toku Nishio (Japanese); Noel Judd (English)) is Aaron's huge, slow older brother. Mochi Mochi/Bumbles (voiced by Kōko Kikuchi (Japanese); Derani Scarr (English)) is Kum Kum's shy friend. Furu Furu/Wildflower (voiced by Yōko Asagami (Japanese); Barbara Frawley (English)) is Kum Kum's teenage sister. Paru Paru/Strongarm (voiced by Kōsei Tomita (Japanese); Noel Judd (English)), Kum Kum's grumpy father. Maru Maru/Flora (voiced by Mitsuko Tobome (Japanese); Beryl Marshall (English)) is Kum Kum's sweet mother Toru Toru/Tum Tum (voiced by Sachiko Chijimatsu (Japanese); Barbara Frawley (English)) is Kum Kum's baby brother. Klopedia/The Wise One (voiced by Ryūji Saikachi (Japanese); Keith Scott (English)) is the wise elder of the village, who lives surrounded by stone books. Roman (voiced by Ryūsei Nakao (Japanese); Keith Scott (English)) the son of Klopedia who eventually marries Furu Furu. Shama (voiced by Hisako Kyōda (Japanese); Derani Scarr (English)) is a female fortune teller. Adults have secret doubts about the accuracy of her predictions, while the children love to make fun of her. Saurus is a Brontosaurus-like dinosaur who lives in a pond near the village, and a friend of Kum Kum and his friends.

Episodes

Production Kum Kum originated when Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, who had previously worked mostly on mecha anime series like Mobile Suit Gundam, expressed a desire to Tokuma Shoten (Soeisha) to "do something different". He was told to "make [the series himself]", which prompted him to devise the concept. This happened to catch the attention of the company Glico, leading to its adoption for their Peloty Chocolate brand and greenlighting its anime adaptation. Yasuhiko originally intended to direct it himself, but due to his lack of experience, Rintaro was brought on board instead. Additionally, the project and character designs were initially planned to be credited under Yasuhiko's pseudonym, "Madoka Akitsu" (秋津円, Akitsu Madoka), but ultimately ended up credited under his real name. The character designs, settings, and story drafts underwent significant changes during the commercialisation process prior to the final version. Because of these changes to his vision, Yasuhiko lost his initial enthusiasm for the series by the time of its broadcast. However, after handling everything from the script to the storyboards and animation direction for episode 12, he was able to regain his affection for the project. The network and sponsors requested changes for episode 16, in which Kum Kum runs away from home. However, Rintaro resisted to keep the episode's grounded realism. The first episode begins with a scene where Kum Kum is forgiven by his parents and let out of the "punishment hole" (an alternative to the real-world punishment of being locked in a closet or storage room). Producer Tatsuo Shibayama stated that the final episode ends with Kum Kum being put into the "punishment hole", based on the idea of the series starting and ending with said hole.

Music The theme song record was released by Nippon Columbia. The insert songs first appeared on a compilation LP named Latest TV Manga Idol Deluxe (最新テレビまんが人気者（アイドル）デラックス, Saishin TV Manga Idol Deluxe), released in March 1976. This album included four songs each from different anime series, including The Adventures of Pepero, Laura, the Prairie Girl, and Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures, for a total of 16 tracks.

Opening Theme "Kum Kum's Song (恋してはじめて知った君, Kum Kum no Uta)" Lyrics by Hajime Kijima Composition and arrangement by Koichi Sugiyama & Arai Yasunori Performed by Mitsuko Horie & Columbia Yurikago Kai Ending Theme "Little Saurus (サウルスくん, Saurusu-kun)" Lyrics by Hajime Kijima Composition and arrangement by Koichi Sugiyama & Arai Yasunori Performed by Mitsuko Horie, Tatsuya Kishi & Columbia Yurikago Kai Image Songs "Let's Play (あそぼう, Asobou)" Lyrics by Katsumi Tanuma Composition and arrangement by Koichi Sugiyama & Reijirō Koroku Performed by Mitsuko Horie "Naughty Kum Kum (わんぱくクムクム, Wanpaku Kumu Kumu)" Lyrics by Katsumi Tanuma Composition and arrangement by Koichi Sugiyama & Reijirō Koroku Performed by Columbia Yurikago Kai & Koorogi '73

In popular culture Argentine football player Sergio Agüero's nickname, "Kun", comes from the name of the show.

References

External links Kum Kum Maniac Kum-Kum at IMDb Wanpaku Omukashi Kumu Kumu (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia TFC CHARACTRERS NET

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kum-Kum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kum-Kum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kum-Kum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kum-Kum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kum-Kum

In research: Kum-Kum appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kum-Kum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kum-Kum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1975 anime television series debuts, Animated television series about children, Fictional prehistoric characters, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kum-Kum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Kum-Kum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kum-Kum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kum-Kum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kum-Kum in simple terms?

Why does Kum-Kum matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kum-Kum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kum-Kum.