About

The Hamtaro Call (Japanese: ハム太郎コール), sometimes called "The Hamtaro Rave" in English, refers to a circle pit^[1] with Wotagei's Mixing^[2] chants for "Hamutaro Tottoko Uta" (ハム太郎とっとこ唄), the Japanese version of the opening theme song for TV anime Hamtaro.^[3] Since videos spread on Twitter and YouTube in 2017, this unique chant for the classic anime song has become a feature of otaku music events in and outside Japan. It also appeared in political protests in Thailand.

Origin

According to a 2018 article by ITmedia Netlab^[4] and a 2020 blog post by an anime song-dedicated outdoor dance music event, Re: Animation^[5], audiences in anime-themed DJ events have sometimes played Wotagei dances and calls for "Hamutaro Tottoko Uta" (shown below) since otaku music club events grew popular in otaku culture in the 2010s.

The articles point out that Twitter user @super_reader (すぱりだ) recorded the first instance of the Hamtaro Call at "Re: Animation 10" on July 2nd, 2017, in which dozens of participants were running counterclockwise and chanting Wotagei's "Mix" call at the event (shown below). His tweet earned over 28,000 retweets and 38,000 likes over three years.

Translation:

It's really funny as f**k that everybody is running with the Hamtaro song wwwww

Spread

The Hamtaro Call immediately spread to the otaku club event scene, as shown by YouTube videos recorded at anime-themed events after September 2017.^[6] The following year, the Hamtaro Call grew beyond the otaku culture through a video recorded by YouTube user Nunoshi (布師) (shown below) at Niku Fes (肉フェス) on May 2nd, 2018, in which the number of participants joining in the circle increased to several hundred. This upload and reposts by Twitter user @xOTSK (乙坂)^[7] an @9qu1 (くぁくぁ)^[8] all went viral, resulting in the video gaining over 10 million views in total by October 2022. Also, another video taken at the festival by YouTube user Accident^[9] got featured in the TV show Sonosaki (ソノサキ)^[10] in October 2018. The show explained the call was "The surprising change for the popular anime Hamtaro after 18 years."^[11]

Otaku outside Japan have done the Hamtaro Call since it grew popular in 2017. Twitter user @DJamecomi (アメコミ) posted a video on November 18th, 2017, in which Taiwanese audiences chanted the call at otaku music event AkibaTokyo in Taipei (shown below). This tweet earned nearly 94,000 retweets and 150,000 likes in five years.

Translation:

Please watch the Taiwanese people's reaction when the Hamtaro song was played.

In 2018, the Hamtaro Call came to take place more often at anime conventions or anime and idol music events in South-Eastern Asian Countries (shown below). Meanwhile, some Western YouTube and 9GAG^[12] users noticed the call via a 2018 video, "The Hamtaro Rave."^[13] That was a reprint of a Twitter video recorded by user @final_tista (Note.) at "Fuyu no Utage" (冬の宴) on December 28th, 2017^[14], and had gained over 200,000 views by October 2022.

In mainstream entertainment media, Japanese singer and songwriter Masayoshi Ōishi^[15] performed the Hamtaro Call during his appearance at a TV program, ANIME SONG PREMIUM (アニソン!プレミアム!)^[16], in December 2018 (shown below, left). He also introduced that "Ore Mo!" call into the fan chant for his song "Otomadachi Film." The following year, female voice actors Yui Ogura^[17] and Maaya Uchida^[18] sang the song during their surprise collaboration performance at Animelo Summer Live 2019^[19], where about 28,000 audience members chanted the Hamtaro Call (shown below, right).

2020 Thai Protest: #LetsRunHamtaro

During the 2020-2021 Thai protests^[20], many protesters, responding to the hashtag #LetsRunHamtaro (Thai: #วิ่งกันนะแฮมทาโร่)^[21] on social networking services, marched around the Democracy Monument in Bangkok while singing the Hamtaro song with modified lyrics on July 26th, 2020. News outlets reported the number of participants could have been between several hundred and 2,000 and highlighted the protest featuring the Japanese cartoon as a unique one.^[22][23][24]

9GAG also reported this movement^[25] and explained that it started with tweets by Thai Twitter user @hypohix on the 22nd, in which he found the "Hamtaro Rave" video and jokingly suggested doing it for the protest (shown below).^[26] The following day, another Twitter user, @judythecatz (Judy. J), or @judythehamtaro, got inspired by his tweet and proposed the hashtag^[27], and thousands of people gathered just three days later.

เอาเเบบนี้รอบวงเวียนอะpic.twitter.com/Zy8gGEdqnQ https://t.co/M9IDz2lAff

— •ᴄʏᴀʀ’ɪᴋᴀ• HYPOHIX (@hypohix) July 21, 2020

Translation:

Take this one around the roundabout.

Do a mosh pit of the Hamtaro song around the Democracy Monument.

Various Examples

Videos

Tutorial

The first chant is the standard English version of Wotagei's Mixing. The Japanese and Ainu versions played in the 2nd and 3rd chants are literal translations of the English version. "Hai, Se-no!" and "Ore Mo!" are roughly translated into "Everybody, Say!" and "Me Too!" respectively.

Lyrics (Romaji & Translation) & Calls:

Tottoko hashiru yo Hamutaro (Trotting, let's run, Hamtaro)
Sumikko hashiru yo Hamutaro (Let's run to the corner, Hamtaro)
Daisuki na no wa (I really like)
[Hai, Se-no!]
himawari no tane (sunflower seeds)
[Ore Mo!]
Yappari hashiru yo Hamutaro (Indeed, we are running, Hamtaro)
[Tiger, Fire, Cyber, Fiber, Diver, Viber, Jyaa jyaa!]
Tottoko mawaru yo hamutaro (Trotting, let’s turn around, Hamtaro)
Kassha wo mawaru yo Hamutaro (Turning while painting, Hamtaro)
Daisuki na no wa (I really like)
[Hai, Se-no!]
himawari no tane (sunflower seeds)
[Ore Mo!]
Mawaru to ureshii Hamutaro (Turn around and be happy, Hamtaro)
[Tora! Hi! Jinzoh! Sen'i! Ama! Sindoh! Kassen!]
Tottoko nemuru yo Hamutaro (Trotting, let's sleep, Hamtaro)
Dokodemo nemuru yo Hamutaro (No matter where, let's sleep, Hamtaro)
Daisuki na no wa (I really like)
[Hai, Se-no!]
himawari no tane (sunflower seeds)
[Ore Mo!]
Yappari nemuru yo Hamutaro (Indeed, we are sleeping, Hamtaro)
[Chape! Ape! Kara! Kina! Lala! Tuske! Myōhong-Tuske!]
Lyrics: Via The Hamtaro Wiki^[28]

Search Interest

External References