Following manga artist Momoko Sakura's death last week, fans and media personalities celebrated her work. Most highlighted the influence her series "Chibi Maruko-chan" had on the nation's comic and animation industries. That's a fitting tribute, as her creations not only inspired a generation of artists in print and on screen, but carried over into mainstream pop culture.
Sakura's legacy doesn't end there, though. She also helped influence Japan's musical landscape since debuting "Chibi Maruko-chan" as an anime series based on the manga in the 1990s.
Music has always popped up in Sakura's work, from mentions of YMO in early "Chibi Maruko-chan" collections and shout-outs to Shibuya-kei in the surreal world of "Coji-Coji." But getting the actual songs out to listeners was even better, and Sakura's TV shows drew a lot of viewers in the '90s. She didn't just champion underground acts — Johnny's duo Kinki Kids landed an opening theme — but she did bring offbeat songs by Kahimi Karie and Denki Groove to a generation who may not have found them if they'd changed the channel to "Pokemon."
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