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This American-made cartoon series was inspired by a real-life Japanese singing group, Puffy AmiYumi, comprised of Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. In animated form, Ami and Yumi traveled along the concert circuit (and the universe!) in their multi-purpose Puffy bus, which boasted all the comforts of home and constantly "morphing" interiors. The lively, fun-loving Ami and the laid-back but hard-working Yumi were staunch advocates of "cool," which was more than could be said for their mercenary, penny-pinching, and terminally un-cool manager Kaz (likewise based on a real person). When they weren't singing, the girls could be seen defending themselves against space aliens, computer-generated monsters, and crazy fans. Although professional voice actors were heard as Ami and Yumi, the actual girls appeared in the series' live-action wraparounds. Boasting three short segments per half-hour episode, the flash-animated Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi was unveiled by the Cartoon Network on November 18, 2004.