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Reise, Reise

Reise, Reise was Rammstein's fourth studio album, released on 27 September 2004 in Germany, followed shortly by its release in the rest of Europe. It was released in North America on 16 November of the same year. It has been in the Top 10 in several European charts and a number 1 hit in Germany. The album ranked at #67 for Top 100 Albums of 2004 by Rate Your Music.

As used in Reise, Reise aufstehen! Kommt hoch nach alter Seemannsart, the album name is an old sailor's expression to wake or rise other sailors. Hence the translation of the title would be Arise, Arise, as seen in the song of the same name. Given Rammstein's propensity to use puns, a double meaning could well be intended, in which case the title would also translate to 'Journey, Journey'.

Album Art

The case cover shows a damaged airplane blackbox (which are painted orange to enable quick location among crash debris) depicted on the front and back covers. Its caption ("Flugrekorder//nicht öffnen") means "Flight recorder//do not open". The inner part of the Digipak edition case shows a picture of the six members in suits wielding suitcases and weapons leaving from a crashed airplane.

The CD itself has a silver matte/reflective relief surface which depicts a radar. All versions include a booklet with the lyrics.

The whole cover art is an allusion to the song Dalai Lama, which deals with an airplane accident. It is also suggestive of the overarching 'travelling' theme of the album.

There is a video for the title track found here [1] combined with clips of The Day After Tomorrow.

The airplane accident on which the album is based occurred on the 12 August 1985, very nearly 20 years ago exactly. A Boeing 747, Japan Airlines Flight 123 took off from Haneda airport, Tokyo, and about 30 minutes later, crashed into the side of a mountain. 520 out of the 524 passengers and crew died, and it is still the worst single aircraft disaster in history.

Track listing

  1. "Reise, Reise" ("Arise, arise" or "Journey, journey" / "Travel, travel")
  2. "Mein Teil" ("My part")
  3. "Dalai Lama"
  4. "Keine Lust" ("No desire")
  5. "Los" ("(Let's) go" or "-less")
  6. "Amerika" ("America")
  7. "Moskau" ("Moscow")
  8. "Morgenstern" ("Morning star")
  9. "Stein um Stein" ("Stone by stone")
  10. "Ohne dich" ("Without you")
  11. "Amour" - French for "Love"

1"Teil" means "part" or "piece", but it is also a slang word for penis, similar to the English word "thing".

Easter egg: If the CD is rewound back 38 seconds into negative time at the beginning (right before Reise, Reise) and then played, a fragment of the flight recorder of the aforementioned aircraft disaster can be heard. (This can only be done on the European version of the album. The American version has this "hidden" track on the beginning of the album with no rewinding involved.)

Mein Teil

Mein Teil ("My part", German slang for "my penis") was inspired by the 2001 Armin Meiwes cannibalism case. It was written after one of the band brought a newspaper with the story to a rehearsal. Mein Teil attracted considerable controversy in Germany, with the media dubbing it the "Kannibalensong", and this helped to boost it to second place in the German music charts after its release in early August 2004. The song has also been remixed by Arthur Baker and Pet Shop Boys (these are included on the CD single).

In live performance, Till Lindemann appears dressed as a blood-stained chef holding a microphone with a large butcher's knife attached to the end. He pulls out a giant cooking pot with a portable keyboard attached to one side. Keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz appears in the pot, with metal cylinders attached to his arms and legs, and plays the keyboard during the song. After the second chorus, Till takes a flamethrower and roasts the bottom of the pot, "cooking" Flake. Flake escapes from the pot and starts running around the stage with flames erupting from his arms and legs, while chased by a knife-wielding Till.

The video shows Till eating and copulating with an angel; Flake performing ballet; Richard wrestling his twin, Oliver writhing on the floor in a spasm; the whole band fighting in a mudpit; and five of the band members crawling out of a Berlin U-Bahn (subway) station while held on leashes carried by "Frau" Christoph Schneider, who is dressed as a woman. This content led to its airing on TV being restricted to after 11pm.

Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama is an adaptation of der Erlkönig, a poem written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) in 1782 and subsequently set to music by many composers, including Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) in 1815. The band apparently considered calling the song "Erlkönig" in homage to Goethe's poem. "Flugangst" ("fear of flying", or more loosely "flight fright") was also considered as a name before Rammstein settled on "Dalai Lama" in reference to the current Dalai Lama's well-publicised dislike of air travel. Other than this somewhat oblique reference, the song does not have anything to do with Tibetan Buddhism or the Dalai Lama.

The song replaces Goethe's travelling man and child on horseback with a man and child on an aircraft, and the Erlkönig himself with the "king of all the winds". As in the poem, the travellers are menaced by a mysterious spirit which "invites" the child to join him (though only the child can hear the spirit's invitation). Rammstein's version differs markedly from Goethe's original in describing the fate of the child. In the poem, the child cries out that the Erlkönig is abducting it. The alarmed father rides for help, holding the child in his arms, only to find that his son is dead; Rammstein replaces this with a typically morbid twist: after running into a storm sent by the "king of all the winds" which threatens all the passengers, the terrified father suffocates the child by holding him too tightly and the child's soul joins its "brothers" in the winds.

Keine Lust

Keine Lust, also released as a single, digipack and two-track, describes the band's disaffection with fame and money. The video, filmed in January of 2005 and released a month later, portrays a visibly aged and fat future version of the band, playing a reunion of sorts. Flake appears in a motorized wheelchair. At the end of the video, the rest of the band abandons Flake, after he arrives late. The Video was up for a nomination for the MTV European Music Awards in November 2005.

On the video "The Making of Keine Lust", guitarist Richard Kruspe-Bernstein discussed the meaning of the song and video.

Los

Los is almost complete acoustic, featuring a bluesy electric guitar solo and harmonica. It was due to be released as the fifth single from "Reise, Reise" but it was cancelled following the release of the first single, Benzin, from the next album, Rosenrot.

Amerika

"Amerika" was the second single released from Reise Reise. It deals with the worldwide dominance of the culture of the United States of America. It is sung largely in German with a chorus partly in English: We're all living in Amerika, Amerika ist wunderbar, We're all living in Amerika, Amerika, Amerika. It has received mixed reviews: some perceive it as anti-American, others as being opposed to globalization. The band view it as a satirical commentary on Cocacolonization

The video shows the band in Apollo-era space suits on the Moon with shots of other cultures acting like Americans. The end of the video shows that the band have actually been in a fake Moon set in a studio, complete with film crew, as a reference to Apollo moon landing hoax accusations. Till Lindemann, Rammstein's lead singer, wears a space suit with the name "Armstrong" on it - an obvious reference to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon.

During live performances of this song, Flake is often seen riding around on a Segway HT; confetti cannons, with red, white and blue confetti in them, are also used. This parodies the ticker-tape parade. During a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden on July 30, 2005, Till Lindemann suffered a knee injury when Flake accidentally ran into him with the Segway. This caused concerts scheduled in Asia to be canceled.

Moskau

Rumored to have originally been intended as a duet with Julia Volkova of Russian pop duo T.A.T.u., it instead features the vocals of Viktoria Fersh, whose voice bears a strong resemblance to Volkova's. The song refers to the Russian capital of Moscow and features two perspectives on the city: its beauty and culture, and the undercurrents of corruption.

Stein um Stein

The song is a slow and brooding monologue of someone building a little house to entomb his victim alive - a possible interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado.

Ohne dich

"Ohne dich" was released as a the third single from the album on 22 November 2004 in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Other countries' releases followed up from that date. It follows a slow, even romantic balladic style. The central motif is Without you, I cannot be, without you..., With you, I am also alone, without you...

The single includes as its 6th track the so-called beta version of what should have been part of Mutter. Indeed, Ohne dich was planned for Mutter, but then dismissed. Both versions, the current and the beta version, are very similar. Much of the instrumentation is the same for both versions, and Lindemann's voice is softer in the current version.

The video was filmed in the Kaun Valley and on the Pitz Valley glacier in Tyrol, Austria. It shows the band members climbing and hiking.

Amour

Amour has a rather mellow beat and lyrics that deal with love and the pain that goes with it. In fact, the strongest metaphor in the song is the comparison of love to a wild animal that many try and fail to tame.

USA Edition

On this release, the easter egg fragment is placed at the beginning of "Reise, Reise" in normal playback and not hidden.

Japanese Edition

Cover for Japanese edition of Reise, Reise

In May 2005 Rammstein released a special Japanese version of Reise, Reise. It has two bonus tracks, a bonus DVD and different cover art.Rammstein stated that they came out with a different cover/theme for the Japanese CD because they no longer liked the original cover of Reise, Reise, but preferred this cover. However, it was too late to change it so they decided to use it for Japanese version.

Reportedly, the first 38 seconds (as the introduction in the American version and "easter egg" in the European version) of the title track were removed for the Japanese Edition in deference to the JAL Flight 123 disaster.

The cover art uses the same source image as that of Rosenrot.

Bonus Tracks

Singles

  • "Mein Teil", the first single, released in July 2004.
  • "Amerika", released in September 2004.
  • "Ohne dich", released in November 2004.
  • "Keine Lust", released in February 2005.

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The cover art uses the same source image as that of Rosenrot. The full list of licensees can be found on both the Japanese and American, Korean, Asian, European Hamtaro websites. Reportedly, the first 38 seconds (as the introduction in the American version and "easter egg" in the European version) of the title track were removed for the Japanese Edition in deference to the JAL Flight 123 disaster. Full list of channels carrying Hamtaro is available on both the Japanese site and the English site. However, it was too late to change it so they decided to use it for Japanese version. This is just a partial list of channels. It has two bonus tracks, a bonus DVD and different cover art.Rammstein stated that they came out with a different cover/theme for the Japanese CD because they no longer liked the original cover of Reise, Reise, but preferred this cover. However, Hamtaro floats down the river in a sunflower instead of a peach; thus they call him Himawaritaro(Sunfower Boy).

In May 2005 Rammstein released a special Japanese version of Reise, Reise. This story is based off of the old Japanese folk tale of Momotaro(Peach Boy). On this release, the easter egg fragment is placed at the beginning of "Reise, Reise" in normal playback and not hidden. Hamutaro to Fushigi no Oni no Ehon Tou/Hamtaro and the Mysterious Ogre's Picture Book Tower:. In fact, the strongest metaphor in the song is the comparison of love to a wild animal that many try and fail to tame. Now Hamtaro must race the captain for Bijou's love!. Amour has a rather mellow beat and lyrics that deal with love and the pain that goes with it. Bijou makes friends with the village hamsters, when a group of pirate hamsters suddenly show up! The captain falls in love with Bijou, and Hamtaro is jealous.

It shows the band members climbing and hiking. Bijou is called to a distant land, and Hamtaro follows. The video was filmed in the Kaun Valley and on the Pitz Valley glacier in Tyrol, Austria. Hamu Hamu Guran Purin/Ham-Ham Grand Prix:. Much of the instrumentation is the same for both versions, and Lindemann's voice is softer in the current version. It's a princess called ha Obi calling for help! Suddenly, the Ham-Hams are takes right out of their dreams and taken to a faraway land! Ha Obi is being forced to marry an evil cat genie! Can the Ham-Hams save the land from danger?. Both versions, the current and the beta version, are very similar. Hamtaro and the Ham-Hams are peacefully sleeping when Hamtaro suddenly has a vison.

Indeed, Ohne dich was planned for Mutter, but then dismissed. Hamu Hamu Hamu Maboroshi no Purincess/Ham-Ham-Ham Vison of Princess:. The single includes as its 6th track the so-called beta version of what should have been part of Mutter. However, an evil devil hamster is after it too! Will Hamtaro ever get his wish?. The central motif is Without you, I cannot be, without you..., With you, I am also alone, without you.... The Ham-Hams then tell him about a magical sunflower seed that will grant you any wish you want-- Hamtaro is determined to find it so that he can tell Laura how much he loves her. It follows a slow, even romantic balladic style. It's Laura's birthday, and Hamtaro is feeling neglected.

Other countries' releases followed up from that date. Hamu Hamu Rando Daibouken/Big Ham-Ham Land Adventure:. "Ohne dich" was released as a the third single from the album on 22 November 2004 in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. As of 2006, there are 4 Hamtaro movies. The song is a slow and brooding monologue of someone building a little house to entomb his victim alive - a possible interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. Same as Sandy/Maxwell, most Hamtaro fans have agreed that Oxnard and Pepper should be together. The song refers to the Russian capital of Moscow and features two perspectives on the city: its beauty and culture, and the undercurrents of corruption. Whether or not they really are romantically involved is unknown.

Rumored to have originally been intended as a duet with Julia Volkova of Russian pop duo T.A.T.u., it instead features the vocals of Viktoria Fersh, whose voice bears a strong resemblance to Volkova's. There was even one instance where Pepper thinks that Oxnard is interested in another girl and becomes upset. This caused concerts scheduled in Asia to be canceled. All of Pepper's appearances seem to indicate that both have definite feelings for each other. During a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden on July 30, 2005, Till Lindemann suffered a knee injury when Flake accidentally ran into him with the Segway. Oxnard/Pepper Another visible couple in the series. This parodies the ticker-tape parade. It is still not known if they will be a couple.

During live performances of this song, Flake is often seen riding around on a Segway HT; confetti cannons, with red, white and blue confetti in them, are also used. Also, in 'Stucky's Tunnel' there was a brief scene where Stucky flirts with Penelope, which upsets Cappy. Till Lindemann, Rammstein's lead singer, wears a space suit with the name "Armstrong" on it - an obvious reference to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon. In the game, Ham Ham's Unite, Cappy tells Hamtaro that he will not go back to clubhouse without Penelope. The end of the video shows that the band have actually been in a fake Moon set in a studio, complete with film crew, as a reference to Apollo moon landing hoax accusations. However, there has been some evidence. The video shows the band in Apollo-era space suits on the Moon with shots of other cultures acting like Americans. So far, it has been fairly dispproved due to Penelope's love for the other races (currently, she loves Herbert the Pig).

The band view it as a satirical commentary on Cocacolonization. The fans have paired the two together since they are the youngest of the ham hams. It has received mixed reviews: some perceive it as anti-American, others as being opposed to globalization. Cappy/Penelope A couple that has gotten a small following. It is sung largely in German with a chorus partly in English: We're all living in Amerika, Amerika ist wunderbar, We're all living in Amerika, Amerika, Amerika. There is also the fact that they have known each other longer than most of the other ham hams, but it is still an unknown. It deals with the worldwide dominance of the culture of the United States of America. Fans have paired Panda with Pashmina for pretty much the same reasons Stan was paired with Pashmina.

"Amerika" was the second single released from Reise Reise. There is also a rumor about Stan falling for Flora, the nurse ham. It was due to be released as the fifth single from "Reise, Reise" but it was cancelled following the release of the first single, Benzin, from the next album, Rosenrot. There have been a couple of instances where Pashmina seemed to like Stan (Stan impresses her at one point in 'Bijou's Favorite Ribbon' and in 'Pashmina's Present' Stan gives Pashmina a pink rose, which she likes until Stan reveals other roses for Bijou, Penelope, and even Sandy.) It is still not confirmed. Los is almost complete acoustic, featuring a bluesy electric guitar solo and harmonica. Many fans have paired Stan and Pashmina for various reasons (They look cute together, Stan should be with a girl ham...). On the video "The Making of Keine Lust", guitarist Richard Kruspe-Bernstein discussed the meaning of the song and video. However, it is still unknown.

The Video was up for a nomination for the MTV European Music Awards in November 2005. It also makes the most sense since Dexter is a more refined hamster compared to Howdy, who is rough and tells many bad jokes. At the end of the video, the rest of the band abandons Flake, after he arrives late. Currently, she isn't looking into a relationships, but a rumor of a japanese episode confirms that she loves Dexter. Flake appears in a motorized wheelchair. Instead, she wants them to be friends. The video, filmed in January of 2005 and released a month later, portrays a visibly aged and fat future version of the band, playing a reunion of sorts. Dexter and Howdy are always seen fighting for her love, but she doesn't seem to be paying attention to them.

Keine Lust, also released as a single, digipack and two-track, describes the band's disaffection with fame and money. It is unknown who Pashmina really likes. The alarmed father rides for help, holding the child in his arms, only to find that his son is dead; Rammstein replaces this with a typically morbid twist: after running into a storm sent by the "king of all the winds" which threatens all the passengers, the terrified father suffocates the child by holding him too tightly and the child's soul joins its "brothers" in the winds. In the series, the love triangle involved Dexter, Howdy, and Pashmina, but fans have also added in Stan and Panda. In the poem, the child cries out that the Erlkönig is abducting it. Dexter/Howdy/Stan/Panda/Pashmina Another often debated love triangle. Rammstein's version differs markedly from Goethe's original in describing the fate of the child. Unlike all the other couples, almost all Hamtaro fans agree that Sandy and Maxwell should stay together.

As in the poem, the travellers are menaced by a mysterious spirit which "invites" the child to join him (though only the child can hear the spirit's invitation). It ends with Maxwell barely admiting his feelings to Sandy and the two of them holding each other's paw on the night of Tanobata. The song replaces Goethe's travelling man and child on horseback with a man and child on an aircraft, and the Erlkönig himself with the "king of all the winds". The episode showed that their relationship wasn't really solidified yet, despite the other episodes. Other than this somewhat oblique reference, the song does not have anything to do with Tibetan Buddhism or the Dalai Lama. In the Japanese episode 'Chisana Koi Monogatari', Maxwell is shown as being clueless about his relationship with Sandy, much to Sandy's dismay. "Flugangst" ("fear of flying", or more loosely "flight fright") was also considered as a name before Rammstein settled on "Dalai Lama" in reference to the current Dalai Lama's well-publicised dislike of air travel. Sandy was also seen giving Maxwell a Valentine's Day seed, though Stan wanted it.

The band apparently considered calling the song "Erlkönig" in homage to Goethe's poem. In 'Bijou's Favorite Ribbon' they were poked fun at by Stan. Dalai Lama is an adaptation of der Erlkönig, a poem written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) in 1782 and subsequently set to music by many composers, including Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) in 1815. Later episodes show Sandy and Maxwell together more often. This content led to its airing on TV being restricted to after 11pm. After being forced by the other girls to tell Maxwell about Sandy's feelings, Hamtaro finally tells Maxwell, and he begins to love Sandy as well. The video shows Till eating and copulating with an angel; Flake performing ballet; Richard wrestling his twin, Oliver writhing on the floor in a spasm; the whole band fighting in a mudpit; and five of the band members crawling out of a Berlin U-Bahn (subway) station while held on leashes carried by "Frau" Christoph Schneider, who is dressed as a woman. Sandy's feelings for Maxwell were first revealed in 'Let's Dance Sandy' when Maxwell helped her up after messing up during practice for the Sunflower Seed Festival.

Flake escapes from the pot and starts running around the stage with flames erupting from his arms and legs, while chased by a knife-wielding Till. Sandy/Maxwell The most clearly visible couple in the series. After the second chorus, Till takes a flamethrower and roasts the bottom of the pot, "cooking" Flake. Even then, it's following is still just as strong as the Hamtaro/Bijou following. Keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz appears in the pot, with metal cylinders attached to his arms and legs, and plays the keyboard during the song. From the looks of it, it seems like Boss/Bijou has no chance at becoming a canon couple with Boss dropping out. He pulls out a giant cooking pot with a portable keyboard attached to one side. Boss, on the other hand, seems to have a crush on this new French hamster.

In live performance, Till Lindemann appears dressed as a blood-stained chef holding a microphone with a large butcher's knife attached to the end. One episode showed Bijou trying to help welcome her friend from France to Japan and Hamtaro and Bijou were dancing together at one point. The song has also been remixed by Arthur Baker and Pet Shop Boys (these are included on the CD single). In the Japanese version, it seems that Boss has given up on Bijou at some point. Mein Teil attracted considerable controversy in Germany, with the media dubbing it the "Kannibalensong", and this helped to boost it to second place in the German music charts after its release in early August 2004. However, it is definitely not certain whether they will harbor any feelings for each other and Boss tends to think of Sparkle as an annoyance (especially in Ham Ham Games). It was written after one of the band brought a newspaper with the story to a rehearsal. A japanese episode also showed Boss suddenly falling for Sparkle, but that was because Boss ate a seed that made him fall in love with her (the seed was originally meant for her to give to Hamtaro).

Mein Teil ("My part", German slang for "my penis") was inspired by the 2001 Armin Meiwes cannibalism case. As a result, some fans have begun to pair Boss with Sparkle due to some of their similarities. The American version has this "hidden" track on the beginning of the album with no rewinding involved.). Sparkle, in the later japanese episodes, begins to have a crush on Hamtaro as well, and goes through great lengths to get Hamtaro to notice her, similar to how Boss tries to get Bijou to notice him. (This can only be done on the European version of the album. However, a couple of the games and even the Ham Ham Grand Prix movie seems to support Hamtaro/Bijou more. Easter egg: If the CD is rewound back 38 seconds into negative time at the beginning (right before Reise, Reise) and then played, a fragment of the flight recorder of the aforementioned aircraft disaster can be heard. It is known that that Bijou loves Hamtaro and Boss loves Bijou, but Hamtaro's take on the relationship is never truly explained (although his actions at the end of "Bijou's Favorite Ribbon" suggest that he has feeling for Bijou).

1"Teil" means "part" or "piece", but it is also a slang word for penis, similar to the English word "thing". Both couples have had equal amounts of evidence, and even entire episodes based on the two couples ('Bijou's Favorite Ribbon' supports the Hamtaro/Bijou pairing, while 'Scary Museum' supports Boss/Bijou). 520 out of the 524 passengers and crew died, and it is still the worst single aircraft disaster in history. Both Hamtaro/Bijou and Boss/Bijou have strong followings and often clash with each other. A Boeing 747, Japan Airlines Flight 123 took off from Haneda airport, Tokyo, and about 30 minutes later, crashed into the side of a mountain. Hamtaro/Boss/Bijou/Sparkle A love triangle often debated between the fans. The airplane accident on which the album is based occurred on the 12 August 1985, very nearly 20 years ago exactly. Of all the couples, Sandy/Maxwell, Hamtaro/Bijou, and Oxnard/Pepper are the most canonical.

There is a video for the title track found here [1] combined with clips of The Day After Tomorrow. Couples often discussed and supported by the fans. It is also suggestive of the overarching 'travelling' theme of the album. Azarashi-chan/あざらしちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. The whole cover art is an allusion to the song Dalai Lama, which deals with an airplane accident. Penguin Ham/Penhamu-kun/ペンハムくん: Never appears in English TV series. All versions include a booklet with the lyrics. How/Nande-kun/なんでくん: Never appears in English TV series.

The CD itself has a silver matte/reflective relief surface which depicts a radar. Moguru-kun/もぐるくん: Never appears in English TV series. The inner part of the Digipak edition case shows a picture of the six members in suits wielding suitcases and weapons leaving from a crashed airplane. Candy/Kyandei-chan/キャンディーちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. Its caption ("Flugrekorder//nicht öffnen") means "Flight recorder//do not open". Ice/Aisu-kun/アイスくん: Never appears in English TV series. The case cover shows a damaged airplane blackbox (which are painted orange to enable quick location among crash debris) depicted on the front and back covers. Magical/Majikaru-kun/マジカルくん: Never appears in English TV series.

. Mystery/Misuteri-chan/ミステリーちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. Given Rammstein's propensity to use puns, a double meaning could well be intended, in which case the title would also translate to 'Journey, Journey'. Okiinii-chan/オーキニーちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. Hence the translation of the title would be Arise, Arise, as seen in the song of the same name. Sky Ham/Sorahamu-kun/そらハムくん: Never appears in English TV series. As used in Reise, Reise aufstehen! Kommt hoch nach alter Seemannsart, the album name is an old sailor's expression to wake or rise other sailors. Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(video game).

The album ranked at #67 for Top 100 Albums of 2004 by Rate Your Music. Broski/Safua-kun/サーファーくん: Surfing hamster. It has been in the Top 10 in several European charts and a number 1 hit in Germany. Gelato/Jieraado-chan/ジェラードちゃん: Never apperas in English TV series. It was released in North America on 16 November of the same year. Never appears in English TV show; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(video game). Reise, Reise was Rammstein's fourth studio album, released on 27 September 2004 in Germany, followed shortly by its release in the rest of Europe. Kurohamu-kun/くろハムくん: News reporter hamster.

"Keine Lust", released in February 2005. Minoko-chan/きのこちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. "Ohne dich", released in November 2004. Never appears in English TV show; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(video game). "Amerika", released in September 2004. Radar/Mimiyori-kun/みみよりくん: News reporter hamster. "Mein Teil", the first single, released in July 2004. They never make an appearance in English TV show (with the exception of the Ham Ham Games episode); appear in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(video game).

"Amour" - French for "Love". Rainbow Girls/Reinbokarusu/レインボーガールズ: Three members of Team Rainbow; Prince Bo is the leader of Team Rainbow. "Ohne dich" ("Without you"). Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(video game). "Stein um Stein" ("Stone by stone"). Stripes/Zebera-san/ゼブラさん: Member of Team Djungle. "Morgenstern" ("Morning star"). Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game).

"Moskau" ("Moscow"). Bunny/Usagi-san/ウサギさん: Member of Team Djungle. "Amerika" ("America"). Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game). "Los" ("(Let's) go" or "-less"). Primarily wears a frog outfit, but often changes. "Keine Lust" ("No desire"). Warts/Kaeru-san/カエルさん: Member of Team Djungle.

"Dalai Lama". Sabotenburazasu/サボテンブラザース: Never appears in English TV series. "Mein Teil" ("My part"). Leo/Taion-san/ライオンさん: Member of Team Djungle; never appears in English TV series, appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game). "Reise, Reise" ("Arise, arise" or "Journey, journey" / "Travel, travel"). Ojare-chan/おしゃれちゃん: Never appears in English series. Never appears in English TV series (with the exception of the Ham Ham Games episode), but appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game) and Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue.

Prince Bo/Nijihamu-kun/にじハムくん: Prince of Rainbow Land. Chibikuri-chan/ちびくりちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. Tomato/Tomato-kun/トマトくん: Never appears in English TV series. Naasu-kun/ナッスーくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Sunflower/Himawari-chan/ひまわりちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. Shake/Shieiku-chan/シェイクちゃん: Never appears in English TV series. Potato/Poteto-kun/ポテトくん: Never appears in English TV series. Little Hams/Chibi-chanzu/ちびちゃんず: Never appears in English TV series.

Buster/Taiho-kun/たいほくん: Never appears in English TV series. Ook-Ook/Ukihamu-kun/ウキハムくん: Never appears in English TV series. He also runs a photo studio in the Ham-Ham Clubhouse with his girlfriend, Barette. Seamore never makes an appearance in the English TV series, but appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game).

Seamore/Kanehamu-kun/カメハムくん: Hamster with a turtle shell on his back; can swim. Never makes an appearance in English TV series; makes an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game). Barette/Poniiteru-chan/ポニーテールちゃん: Runs the photo studio in the Ham-Ham Clubhouse with her boyfriend Seamore. Never made an appearance in English TV series; made an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game).

Spat/Debihamu-kun/デビハムくん: Hamster in a devil costume, fights Harmony and tries to ruin love for all hamsters. Never made an appearence in English TV series; made an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game). Harmony/Enjieru-chan/エンジェルちゃん: Hamster in an angel costume, fights Spat and tries to save love for all hamsters. Flora/Nasu-chan/ナースちゃん: Nurse hamster; never made an appearance in the English TV show, but made an appearance in Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue and Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game).

Chef Ham/Koshiku-kun/コックさん: Chef hamster. In a later Japanese episode, Laura's Grandfather places Robo Joe in a Battlebots-like tournament. Robo Joe's main function is the ability to learn and mimic what he hears; both human language and ham ham language (When Laura's Grandfather plays back some of the sounds he's recorded, the ham ham's voices are heard normally). Mecha Jirou/Robo Joe: Created by Laura's Grandfather, Robo Joe is a robot hamster who's appearance seems to be based on Hamtaro.

One of the very few who can stand Howdy's jokes. Develops a short-lived crush on Dexter. Hannah/Hana-chan/ハナちゃん: Childhood friend of Howdy. Despite this, he is a source of wisdom for the ham hams.

He is narcoleptic (he falls asleep often). Elder Ham/Chorohamu/長老ハム: Elderly hamster who is always falling asleep while talking. Used to be involved with Elder Ham. Auntie Viv/Ohamubaa-san/おハムばあさん: Extremely fit elderly hamster with an attitude.

At one point, Boss considered him more of a man than he was. Mainly, he's seed vendor that feeds anyone he sees. He appears in the series from time to time with different roles. Sabu/Sabu/サブ: Hamster with a dove named Françoise.

Left his wealthy owner to travel the world. Omar/Oashisu-kun/オアシスくん: Hamster from a far away land that looks exactly like Snoozer. Compared to Oxnard, however, she is a lot more braver and can be very rough. She is the pet hamster of Kana's cousin, who lives in the country.

Pepper/Jajahamu-chan/じゃじゃハムちゃん: Pepper is Oxnard(Japanese: Koushi-kun)'s girlfriend. Because of this and many other reasons, she has seen Bijou as a rival. She has been unsuccessful and may not get to be with Hamtaro since there have been small hints that Hamtaro loves Bijou. In the japanese episodes, Sparkle began to bear a crush on Hamtaro and has since then been trying to get him to notice her.

She didn't like the ham hams at first, but she progressively became attached to them. Sparkle is a spoiled pop star hamster. Sparkle/Kururin-chan/くるりんちゃん: Owned by Glitter. Rivals Cappy in hide and seek, though the two have become best of friends lately.

He chants "roly-poly" as he rolls to get around. Stucky/Nekenai-kun/ぬけないくん: Run away hamster stuck in a hamster tube toy. Being the worst ninja in his home, he left so he could be appreciated by non-ninja hams. Nin-Ham/Ninhamu-kun/ニンハムくん: Ninja hamster who comes from a far away valley.

The English Wikipedia will refer to Hamtaro characters by the names used in the English-language editions. The English name is listed after the Japanese name. . This television program teaches children about sharing, adventures, and real life situations.

The show also features the household's dog, Brandy (Burandon or "Don-chan" in the Japanese series). Hamtaro is owned by a girl named Laura Haruna (Hiroko Haruna or "Roko-chan" in the original Japanese). Supporting characters include other hamsters. Hamtaro is licensed by ShoPro Entertainment in North America.

The anime is based on Ritsuko Kawai's animated storybooks. Hamtaro (Japanese: とっとこハム太郎 Tottoko Hamutarō, Trotting Hamtaro) is a children's anime television program whose main character is the eponymous hamster named Hamtaro (Hamutaro in the original Japanese). Ebichu mainly differents from Hamtarou, for containing sex scenes. Another manga about a hamster, Oruchuban Ebichu, is thought to be the "anti-Hamtaro".

Daiwon C&A Holdings: All market character products from Japan and United States. Seiko: Limited Edition watches. VIZ Media: books, English-language comics, videos/DVDs. Smuckers: Smucker's Snacker's.

Banpresto: Arcade kiddie ride. Sega: Arcade painting game, Sega Pico titles (Japanese market only), Cocopad titles (Japanese market only). For the Game Boy Advance: Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue, Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games/Ham-Ham Sports, Hamtaro E-Cards for the E-Card reader(Japanese market only). For the Game Boy Color: Hamtaro (Unreleased in the US/Rest of the World), Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite.

Nintendo: video games -

    . The Learning Company: Hamtaro: Wake Up Snoozer! for the IBM PC/PC compatibles/Apple Macintosh. Hasbro: plushies, collectable toy line. Ltd.: Plushes, collectible toy line, talking toys, musical toys, standalone electronic games (for the Japanese/Asian market only, but can also be found in some import stores in North America and Europe).

    Epoch Co. Columbia Music Entertainment: Japanese music CDs. Shogakukan: Ritsuko Kawai's books, other Hamtaro related titles, Japanese videos/DVDs. In Taiwan on YOYO TV.

    In Mexico on TV Azteca. In New Zealand on Cartoon Network Pacific and TV3 (New Zealand). Also aired for a short time on Network Ten. In Australia on Cartoon Network Pacific.

    In Hong Kong on TVB Jade. Those who live near the borders the might be able to get Hamtaro on NTV7 and/or RCTI as well. In Singapore on Channel I over Starhub cable (previously known as Singapore Cable Vision) and TCS Central. In Italy on Italia1.

    In Indonesia on RCTI. In Thailand on Channel 7 and UBC. In Malaysia (and possibly Brunei) on NTV7 (It may be possible that Brunei viewers also get Hamtaro on NTV7 via the Kristal-ASTRO satellite service). In the Philippines on GMA Network.

    In Korea on SBS (Korea) (2001), AniOne TV (2002) and Tooniverse (2003) (hangul:방가방가 햄토리, Banga Banga Hemtori). In Latin America on Cartoon Network LA (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico). In Mainland Europe on Fox Kids. In Finland on MTV3.

    In Germany on RTL 2. In the United Kingdom on Fox Kids. In Canada on YTV. Hamtaro has not broadcasted since then in the USA.

    It included the long-awaited 1 hour Hamtaro OVA, Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games, followed by a Hamtaro marathon of the last 6 episodes that were in English. Hamtaro has been canceled on Cartoon Network since March, 2004, although in late-August of 2004, Cartoon Network's "Saturday Block Party" was featuring Hamtaro. In the United States on the Cartoon Network, some rumor it may end up on Nick Jr. In Japan on TV Tokyo and TV stations of TXN.

    Don-chan / Brandy - Laura's dog. Burandon a.k.a. Tonkichi / Herbert - Jingle's pet pig. They currently have a child.

    Yoshi. After some conflict with her father, she finally get married to Mr. After several dates, she decides she and Philip should get married. He hated Philip Yoshi, who Charlotte loves.

    She is the daughter of Chairman Rooster, who is very strict and wants Charlotte to marry a wealthy husband, who can support her and the Rooster name. Sakura Inatori (稲鳥さくら Inatori Sakura) / Charlotte Rooster - Laura's teacher's girlfriend, who later becomes his wife. He is now married to her and even has a child in the japanese version, who the ham hams often try to protect. However, he has conquered his fear several times to win Charlotte Rooster's heart.

    Outside of his job, he is more wimpy and has a constant fear of chickens. A young teacher, who is very good at his job. Philip Yoshi - Laura's teacher. Ichiro Yamada (山田一郎 Yamada Ichirō), later Ichiro Inatori (稲鳥一郎 Inatori Ichirō) / Mr.

    They love Cappy very much and so, they constantly spoil him. Yu and Sae / Kip and Sue - Cappy's owners. Unfortunately, he is very shy, the opposite of Stan. Has a crush on Hillary.

    Norio (ノリオさん Norio-san) / Noel - Stan's owner. Best friends with Kylie. Jun (ジュンち Jun-chan) / June - Pashmina's owner. Her athleticism has inspired Sandy's own athletic nature.

    A very athletic girl who has one several gold medals in gymnastics. Hikari / Hillary - Sandy's owner. Best friends with June. Kyoko (キョウコちゃん Kyōko-chan) / Kylie - Penelope's owner.

    Maria (マリアちゃん Maria-chan) - The owner of Bijou. Laura has a crush on him. Taichi Kimura (木村太一 Kimura Taichi) / Travis - Laura's friend. The only human character who can actually talk to the ham hams.

    Momo Iwata (岩田モモ Iwata Momo) / Mimi - Panda's owner. Best friends with Laura. Kana Iwata (岩田カナ Iwata Kana): Oxnard's owner. Yume Haruna / Willow Haruna - Laura's grandmother.

    Yumetaro Haruna (春名ユメ太郎 Haruna Yumetarō) / Forrest Haruna - Laura's father. Hiromi Haruna (春名ヒロミ Haruna Hiromi) / Marian Haruna - Laura's mother. Best friends with Kana.
    . Several episodes involve the ham hams trying to help Laura with whatever problem she's facing.

    Laura cares for Hamtaro very much just as Hamtaro cares for her. Roko-chan (ロコちゃん) / Laura Haruna - Hamtaro's owner and the main human character. Hiroko Haruna (春名ヒロ子 Haruna Hiroko) a.k.a. Lazuli or (in Japan) Lazuli-chan (ラズリーちゃん Razuri-chan) - owner unknown, not yet made television debut outside Japan.

    Lapis or (in Japan) Lapis-chan (ラピスちゃん Rapisu-chan) - owner unknown, not yet made television debut outside Japan. Whenever he is corrected, he usually replies "You changed your name again?". Whenever he appears, he usually mispronounces someone's name (Hamtaro most of the time). He also has a habit of forgetting names.

    In 'Hamtaro, Please Come Home' and all other appearances afterwards, he is seen with Herbert the Pig. Always seen carrying his guitar. He is also very clueless about many things, but tends to let out some wise advice. He speaks in rhymes, which often confuse the other ham hams.

    Appears occassionally throughout the series. Tongari (トンガリくん Tongari-kun) / Jingle - a field hamster. He has developed some sort of a rivalry with Stucky, especially when it comes to hide and seek. While he loves his home, he doesn't like being spoiled and even looks up to Boss due to Boss' independence as a field hamster.

    The two hats he mostly commonly carries are his green swimming cap and the giant saucepan that he usually is hiding under. One of the younger ham hams, Cappy loves hats. Kaburu (かぶるくん Kaburu-kun) / Cappy - Owned by Kip and Sue. Has built and repaired many things throughout the duration of the anime as well as the game.

    A ham ham who's fur matches his name, he is the builder/carpenter of the ham hams. Panda (パンダくん Panda-kun) - Owned by Mimi. He is always sleeping, but often utters some helpful advice when the ham hams are in need of it. It is unknown where he came from.

    Neteru (ねてるくん Neteru-kun) / Snoozer - A mysterious hamster that Boss found in his hideaway (which would soon become the clubhouse). He is often seen shaking his maracas or riding his skateboard. Initially, Sandy and Stan were seperated when Noel (who had a crush on Hillary) offered to take care of one of her hamsters. As a result, he is often an annoyance to the other guys, especially Boss, Howdy, and Dexter.

    Sandy's twin (older) brother, who is often caught flirting with the other girls. Torahamu-kun (トラハムくん Torahamu-kun) / Stan - Owned by Noel. In the english version, she has a valley girl accent. While it seems like the two have confessed in the English version, a Japanese episode confirms that they aren't romantically involved yet.

    She has a crush on Maxwell. Her interest in gymnastics have been influenced by Hillary, who is a gold medal gymnast. A sporty young girl ham who carries a ribbon. Torahamu-chan (トラハムちゃん Torahamu-chan) / Sandy - Owned by Hillary.

    Though not revealed in the English version, he tends to be just as clueless as Hamtaro when it comes to love. Has a crush on Sandy. Always carries a book around and is often turned to for knowledge. Noppo (のっぽくん Noppo-kun) / Maxwell - Owned by the eldest son of a bookstore owner.

    Unlike the other ham hams, Penelope can't say anything more than 'ookwee' or 'ookyoo' (though she has been heard saying 'bookwee' during the Halloween episode) Though not explained, fans have speculated that this is due to her age. This includes Herbert the Pig, a boy by the name of Ethan (who later befriends Mimi, much to Penelope's dismay), and a rabbit at Ethan's school. In season two, she has been seen to have affection for characters beyond her own race. She is both innocent and naive, but due to her age, she often gets herself into trouble more than most of the other ham hams.

    She feels attached to Pashmina, though she's friendly to everyone else. Considered the youngest of all the ham hams, Penelope is usually never caught out in the open without wearing her yellow blanket (though a few seconds in the opening theme shows her blanket coming off, revealing her brown fur). Chibimaru (ちびまるちゃん Chibimaru-chan) / Penelope - Owned by Kylie. She would rather have them get along.

    Dexter and Howdy often fight for her affection, but she doesn't seem to notice. She always wears her pink scarf and loves the color pink. Considered to be the more motherly ham ham as seen with Penelope. Mafura (マフラーちゃん Mafura-chan) / Pashmina - Owned by June.

    He loves Pashmina, but often battles with Howdy for her affection. A refined hamster and is incredibly smart. Megane (めがねくん Megane-kun) / Dexter - Owned by Curtis. He often rivals for Pashmina's affection with Dexter, causing many bouts between them.

    In the english version, he has a southern accent and a kansai accent in the japanese version. A ham ham notorious for telling bad jokes, especially at the wrong times. Maido (まいどくん Maido-kun) / Howdy - Owned by Goldie. Most of the time, Oxnard's predictions come true, especially for Boss (which usually end in Boss getting hurt in some way).

    He is also a great at tarot card reading, which soon attracts the other girls, much to the dismay of the other boys. He originally started as an easily frightened ham ham, but he has been a lot more braver and more dependable in recent episodes. He has the biggest appetites of the ham hams and also has a crush on Pepper. One of Hamtaro's best friends in the series.

    Koushi (こうしくん Kōshi-kun) / Oxnard- Owned by Kana. However, he cannot deal with the sea for he is prone to sea sickness. He has even developed a field hamster sense that tells him what kind of weather is rolling in. Because he is a field hamster, he is more familiar with nature and is more independent compared to the other ham hams.

    He has a bit of a temper, but he is very dependable, courageous, and nice, even shy at times (especially around Bijou). Often times, he will try to look like he knows everything, only to have it backfire in his face. The self proclaimed leader of the ham hams (though the ham hams do consider him the leader most of the time). Boss has a crush on Bijou.

    Taisho (大将君 or タイショーくん Taishō-kun) / Boss - a field hamster. She used to live in France before moving to where she is now (most likely Japan) and feels more attached to Japan and even refused to go back to France. A somewhat conceited hamster who loves her blue ribbons, but she isn't above getting dirty when she needs to help her friends and has been known to be generous and helpful. Bijou has a crush on Hamtaro.

    Ribon (リボンちゃん Ribon-chan) / Bijou - Owned by Maria. He is also very clueless about...pretty much a lot of things, especially love (much to Bijou and Sparkle's dismay). However, he cannot stand being ignored by Laura, and when she once did this, Hamtaro left her and tried to make his own home, which brought them to Ham Ham Land (As shown in the first Hamtaro movie). One of the more courageous ham hams, Hamtaro isn't above helping out his friends and his owner Laura.

    Hamtaro is involved in a love triangle between himself, Bijou, and Boss. Hamutaro (ハム太郎 Hamutarō, sometimes ハム太郎くん Hamutarō-kun) / Hamtaro - Owned by Laura.