Evil Spoo

“Evil Spoo” (極悪スプー, Gokuaku Supū)¹⁾ is a nickname for Shōko Haida's unusual drawing of “Spoo” (スプー, Supū) from “Goo Choco Lantan” (ぐ〜チョコランタン) that she drew in 2006 and it somehow went viral on sites like 2channel in the late 2000s.

Summary

　　　　　　　_,;‐-､_ 　 .______,
　　　　　　/,. ..::.　 'i∠三;;;:.:`‐､.
　　　　　　し;;､"''.／_,.　゛　`ヾミ;)
　　　　　　　 `"/　_Ｃ)　. .:.:_.::;`ト-‐､
　　　　　 　 　 i.;'"゛　 . : :.::Ｃ)::::!:.:;;` `i
　　　　　　　,,イヾ、　　.: : . `;::;ﾉし;:.. 丿
　　　　　　 /　`‐､`'ｰ､,,___,.ノ;(　　し'゛
　　　　　　,ゞ、 ,,イ`マﾆヽ-‐".}
　　　　　 ﾉ`''ﾐヽ!_　‐く,､:.::）.:.:.ﾉ

“Spoo” (スプー, Supū) was a puppet character from “Goo Choco Lantan” (ぐ〜チョコランタン), which was Okaa-san to Issho's tenth generation puppet show that aired from April 5, 1999²⁾ to March 28, 2009. During the segment's run, the show's co-hosts, Shōko Haida and Yūzō Imai, participated in a “Spoo” drawing song that aired on Friday, April 28, 2006.³⁾ Instead of a lovable goat, Haida ended up drawing this:

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ｒ'ﾟ'=、
　　　　　　　　 　 　 　 /￣`''''"'x、
　　　　　　　　　　,-=''"`i, ,x'''''''v'"￣`x,__,,,＿
　　　　　　＿＿,,/　　　　i!　　　　　　　 i,￣＼ ` 、
　　__x-='"　　　 |　　 /ヽ　　　　 　/・l,　l,　　 ＼　ヽ
　/（　　　　　　　 1　 i・ ﾉ 　 　 　 く、ﾉ　|　　　　i　　i,
　|　i,　　　　　　　 {,　　　　　 ﾆ　 ,　　　 .|　　　　|　　i,
　.l, 　i,　　　　　　　 }　　 人　 　ﾉヽ　　　|　　　　{　　 {
　 },　 '、　　　　　　 T`'''i,　 `ー"　 ＼__,/ 　　　 .}　　 |
　 .}　, .,'、　　　　　　 },　 `ー--ー'''" /　　　　 　 }　　 i,
　　| ,i_,iJ　　　　　　　 `x,　　　 _,,.x="　　　　　　 .|　　 ,}
　　`"　　　　　　　　　　　 `ー'"　　　　　　　　　　iiJi_,ﾉ

This creature, which resembled a bell pepper or pumpkin, oddly went viral on the Japanese internet,⁴⁾ even though the NHK once tried to take the video down.⁵⁾ Haida left Okaa-san to Issho in 2008, but she seemed fine with the drawing going viral, using a silhouette of it on her blog.⁶⁾⁷⁾ Afterwards, Haida was asked to draw the “@games” mascot⁸⁾⁹⁾ and starred in a few Toyota Sienta commercials.¹⁰⁾¹¹⁾

Notes

As an AA character, “Evil Spoo” didn't have that much staying power as he was a drawing you were supposed to laugh at upon first glance, so people got bored of him after a couple of months.
Yūzō Imai would die from an intracerebral hemorrhage on December 21, 2020 at the age of 43.

External links

Spoo on Pixiv Encyclopedia
Spoo on Niconico Encyclopedia
Spoo on the 2ch AA Illustration Wiki

ascii

¹⁾

“Gokuaku” (極悪) means “very evil”, but it's easier to just use “evil” here since you get the point.

²⁾

It should be noted that the segment had started out as “Spoo and Gatarat” (スプーとガタラット) in 1999, a prequel segment that would build up to “Goo Choco Lantan” (ぐ〜チョコランタン) in 2000.

³⁾

"えかきうた" (March 8, 2009). Niconico Douga.

⁴⁾

"うたのおねえさんのアートがネットに与えた衝撃!!" (June 5, 2006). Nikkei Trendy.

⁵⁾

"「スプー」削除の舞台裏　「YouTube」にテレビ局苦慮" (June 7, 2006). ITmedia.

⁶⁾

"はいだしょうこブログ開設「極悪スプー」登場に衝撃" (April 4, 2008). J-Cast.

⁷⁾

"はいだしょうこofficial website".

⁸⁾

"アットゲームズで，はいだしょうこさんが描いたアイテムをもらおう" (October 3, 2008). 4Gamer.