Official 'Uma Musume' Marketing: Reclaiming the 'Hajime' Meme

Recently, 'Uma Musume: Pretty Derby' made waves in the ACG community by using the viral slang 'Hajime' in its official advertising campaigns.

In response, fans have dived into the origins of the term. Many pointed out that 'Hajime' (originally referring to honey water, but synonymous with a viral BGM featuring cat videos on TikTok/Douyin) actually traces back to the second season of the 'Uma Musume' anime. Fans argue this is a case of the rightful owners reclaiming their own IP. Others clarified that while the term exploded on social media platforms paired with cat videos, the original sound edit was created by a Bilibili user. Due to copyright issues regarding the background music (which stems from 'CLANNAD'), the publisher is restricted to using the text of 'Hajime' to capitalize on the meme.

The community reaction has been largely lighthearted, with many joking that the publisher is finally reclaiming its own brand buzz, with some even suggesting they owe a 'thank you' to the social media users who popularized the meme for free.