LiLiCo - the Japanese-Swedish Celebrity

LiLiCo is an interesting Japanese television personality to me… She’s there, but then she’s kinda not.

LiLiCo – spiced up ala Caméron!

You see, I’m not sure really how it is she became famous…  It seems a lot of Japanese TV personalities are either comedians or former sports stars or musicians… or gay.  Then there’s the odd lawyer or two who’s made it big (i.e. Motomura Kentaro).

But then there’s LiLiCo, who appears fairly often and all over the place…  She seems accepted within the Talent community, and has got a personality suited for TV.  …but I’m not sure exactly what she did to make it big in Japan.

Ok, so let’s get to the facts!  (The following is largely taken from her page on Japanese Wiki)

LiLiCo is a Japanese-Swedish Celebrity, born to a Swedish father, and half Japanese mother.  Born and raised in Stockholm, LiLiCo didn’t know Japanese as a child, but liked to look at the pictures in Japanese idol magazines she received from her mother in Japan.  When she was 18 she went Japan and worked at a lunchbox shop in Katsushika, Tokyo, the home of her mother’s family.

OK.  Humble beginnings.  Gotcha.

Aspiring to become a singer, she debuted in 1992, singing the theme for a film, and starring in a series of Toyota commercials (ネッツトヨタ)…  HOWEVER, I can’t find ANY of these alleged commercials on YouTube.

The name of the song for the film is (maybe??), 「過ぎてしまえば」(“Sugiteshimaeba”), but this too is nowhere to be found on YouTube!

I can’t even find the title of the movie it was allegedly for!  It’s like whatever got her known doesn’t exist anymore…. spooky.

After the release of this ghosty film, LiLiCo was asked in a magazine interview to list her top 3 favourite movies.   Upon reading the article, a TBS (Japanese television station) producer approached LiLiCo and asked her if she’d like to audition as a movie commentator.

As of 2001, she began her new job.

She also lends her voice to the characters of the Japanese dub of South Park!  (Cartman, apparently O_O)

To be honest, I’m not even sure exactly what a movie commentator is.  But it’s what she’s known for around these parts.  And with the history of her national debut apparently erased from the Internet, I’m glad she’s known for something!  Still…….  it just feels to me that she kinda phantasmically faded into the picture.  Maybe this is typical for Japanese Talent?

In any case, LiLiCo is enthusiastic, bright and has perfect Japanese (with only a hint of a foreign accent as far as I can tell!).  She’s fun to watch on TV, so I totally recommend checking her out if you get the chance! :)

LiLiCo’s Japanese Wiki > > \^-^/

LiLiCo’s talent site > > <(^u^)>