One of the biggest memes of the late 2000s, particularly within video game and anime fandoms, was Caramelldansen. Combining what was essentially a Nightcore remix of a Swedish pop song with a cute looping animation, you could find Caramelldansen videos for practically any popular fandom. This meme's place in the zeitgeist of its time was connected to a surge of the popularity of anime in Europe and the West.
Now, this once old-hat meme has returned anew, albeit in far more morbid circumstances. Once representing how much people were consuming anime and other media, the meme's new form may signal how tired people have become of doing nothing but that! Here's a look at the meme's nearly two decades of history.
Uma Uma
Though it wouldn't gain its immense traction until later in the decade, the meme first began life in the early 2000s. Featuring Mai and Mii, two characters from the series Popotan, the meme involved a repetitive flash animation of the two swinging their hips and clasping their hands over their heads to imitate the ears of bunny rabbits. They danced to a sped-up, high-pitched version of the song "Caramelldansen" from defunct Swedish pop group Supergott. By 2007, the original video had become quite popular in Japan, especially through the video-sharing website Nico Nico Douga. It was also known in Japan as the "Uma Uma Dance," referencing both misheard lyrics from the Swedish song and the Numa Numa meme.
Its popularity quickly spread from Japan to the West. The original video was edited to involve characters from various other franchises, such as Azumangah Daioh, Lucky Star and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It also joined the zeitgeist of other anime derived dance memes, such as the intro and outro songs for Lucky Star and Haruhi Suzumiya, as well as the Caipirinha and Parparra Dance memes. Caramelldansen was commonly performed at conventions, and different record labels across the globe released their own versions of the original song. At the peak of the meme's popularity, it was even featured in the animated series Phineas and Ferb.
Quarantine Meme
This ancient meme has come back with a vengeance in 2020, though arguably for all of the wrong reasons. The new variant of the meme, which first sprang up late last year, has individuals blasting the song inside of their place of residence, while they lay about in a bored, glazed over fashion. It grew in popularity through TikTok, though it eventually reached the meme's old stomping grounds of Youtube as well.
This evolution of Caramelldansen has gained popularity during the global Coronavirus pandemic, which has left most of the world social distancing and stuck indoors. This situation has led to a lot of binge watching. The meme's new form reflects the stir-crazy boredom and media overload of millions across the world. Other related videos also have the meme version of the song being played by DJs at very literal house parties in apartment complexes, using the song's exciting, hedonistic appeal to amuse the huddled masses during a time of uncertainty. The music is typically accompanied by flashing lights, a feature of a previous permutation of the meme.
In the streaming age, anime has become even more mainstream than it was in the late '00s. It makes sense that a meme connected to anime and otaku culture would experience a revival. The global nature of the epidemic also speaks to the similar quality of the meme. The original song was Swedish, though the anime connection was brought by Japan. It later reached the West as it exploded in popularity, eventually becoming an international phenomenon. As the world at large waits on bated breath for lockdown regulations to be lifted and a state of normalcy to be returned to, otaku around the world are keeping spirits high by mulling about as a meme song from year's gone by dances through the airwaves.