200. Qun Qun Trickster Theory

Hello everyone. This time, I would like to write about the "Qun Qun (Chun Chun) Trickster Theory".

What is a trickster—I will quote this from Wikipedia.

A trickster is someone in myths and stories who breaks the order of gods or the natural world and drives the narrative forward. They are often depicted as mischievous. They are characterized by having dual aspects, such as good and evil, destruction and creation, or wise man and fool.

Examples of tricksters include Sun Wukong from Journey to the West, Japan's Susanoo (Susanoo-no-Mikoto), Prometheus from Greek mythology, and the fairy Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream. In modern Japan, Hiroyuki Nishimura, the founder of 2channel, YouTuber Hikaru, and soccer player Keisuke Honda would be tricksters.

Tricksters are rare. There is at most one in any given organization or group, and many organizations or groups have no tricksters at all.

Now, here is Qun Qun. Mischievous Qun Qun is well-known, but there are other instances: taking a commemorative photo with a goofy expression, forgetting to step on the base during a race, losing at rock-paper-scissors by playing late on variety shows, hindering her opponent and losing, getting zero prize money even when she performs well, and livening up the program by taking on penalty games (some even call her the "Queen of Penalty Games"); the list goes on and on. The fact that she still wins popularity polls even after the well-known dating rumors is a testament to her trickster nature.

Qun Qun joined the Passion Sisters, and compared to the Lami Girls (now Rakuten Girls), who gathered beauties, the Passion Sisters didn't have a clear identity. I believe it was Qun Qun who created the current Passion Sisters identity—a relatively free, laid-back atmosphere and a cute style.

With her innocent and naive personality, her straightforward nature, and her tendency to pull one mischievous prank after another, Qun Qun fully embodies the nature of a trickster, someone who "invites chaos but ultimately leads things in a positive direction." However, I wonder if Qun Qun, who was previously more of a repressed type, only began to display her trickster-like qualities around 2018, rather than immediately after joining.

2018 was the year Qun Qun had her big break in Taiwan, and when videos of LoveQUN started being uploaded. While she became a hot topic in Japan the following year in 2019, by that time Qun Qun's trickster nature was already fully on display, and perhaps her popularity in Japan was driven by people being drawn to that trickster quality.

Qun Qun became popular in Japan for a number of reasons, but one that shouldn't be overlooked is that she benefits from her name.

For example, in the case of Meigo (Meigo), it would be cute if you translated the meaning as "little rice cake girl," but the sound "Gou-Gou" (Kuo-Kuo) doesn't sound cute to Japanese ears. However, in the case of Qun Qun, in Japan, saying "Chun-Chun" brings to mind sparrows, and as seen in the "Tale of Genji" chapter "Wakamurasaki," there is an image of "sparrow = cute." I think this is an advantage for Qun Qun in Japan.

A little bit about the Passion Sisters. Having distinct characters is a hallmark of the Passion Sisters. Generally speaking, anything that becomes a hit has distinct characters. From old classics like Cyborg 009, Evangelion, Konosuba, to Arashi... and what else, hmm, I can't remember, lol

Passion Sisters are a lively trickster Qun Qun, cute Kue Kue, laid-back Song Shu, big sister type Xiao An, dance queen Peggy, princess Sammy, tropical girl Gui Gui, mixed-race beauty Julie, powerful Xiao Xiao, fluffy Xi Xi, tsundere Bo Bo, playful Katie, fun-loving Yun Er, comical Landy... writing it out like this, they are an amazing group.

To summarize. Qun Qun is a trickster who changed Passion Sisters. Not only that, she made Taiwanese cheerleaders famous in Japan and stirred up a lot of buzz. Moving forward, Qun Qun will continue to fully demonstrate her trickster qualities, bringing us surprise, chaos, energy, and smiles.

Finally, here are some videos. Qun Qun chatting away while cheering, and Qun Qun playing pranks during a puppet show collaboration.

See you again. ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡

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