Impact and influence
Along with Wandering Sun (1971) and Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (1982), Creamy Mami is known as a pioneer of the new marketing strategy, now known as media mix.[12] They used an anime to promote a new, least-known idol singer. The real idol singer, Takako Ōta, acted as an idol singer (Creamy Mami) also in the story. The opening theme Delicate ni Suki Shite was her first song in the real world too. Even though Ohta was a new singer and not a trained voice actress, she voiced Yū/Creamy Mami. The result was a great success. The anime Creamy Mami has become famous and Ohta gained a high popularity that still exists today.
In 1999, Fuji TV's show Kaishingeki TV Utaemon had a poll to decide the most popular old TV theme song for a 25-year-old audience, and Delicate ni Suki Shite was ranked first.[13] This anime has been repeatedly broadcast over the Internet too.
The same media mix approach was seen in Idol Densetsu Eriko (1989) and Idol Tenshi Youkoso Yōko (1990). The anime version of Full Moon o Sagashite (2002) shared the same format too. Another example is Lemon Angel (1987). Using an anime to promote a singer was not a new concept, as there was Pink Lady Monogatari (1978), a popular anime at the time.
Creamy Mami set the format that would be used for future Studio Pierrot magical girl titles, and was especially influential in Fancy Lala.[14] Creamy Mami also stars in Adesugata Mahou no Sannin Musume, along with Magical Emi and Persia, as well as Majokko Club Yoningumi A-Kukan Kara no Alien X, with Magical Emi, Persia and Pastel Yumi. The popularity of the series not only saw two feature-length sequels, but Creamy Mami also featured in five music video-based productions, starting with the 1985 OVA Lovely Serenade. The second of the feature-length sequels, Magical Angel Creamy Mami Long Goodbye, began with the short animation Mahō no Tenshi Creamy Mami VS Mahō no Princess Minky Momo Gekijou no Daikessen, and where Creamy Mami battled against Ashi Productions' Minky Momo.[1]
Creamy Mami's companions Posi and Nega were also parodied in Gainax's 1991 OAV Otaku no Video, in which Misty May (the magical girl character created by the series' protagonist) has two lion cub companions named Posi-King and Nega-King. The character design for both is based on King the lion cub, a companion of the title character in Gainax's 1990 TV series Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water.
Producer Yuji Nunokawa noted that there was a substantial increase in male fans after Creamy Mami's broadcast due to the shows' use of transformations and enjoyed watching girls using magic to solve their problems in ways men traditionally could not.[15]
A spin-off manga series titled, Magical Angel Creamy Mami and the Spoiled Princess, was launched on Coamix's Comic Tatan website on December 21, 2018. The series is written and illustrated by Emi Mitsuki. The series focuses on the character, Megumi Ayase.[16] The series was released in North America in March 2021 by Seven Seas Entertainment.[17]
