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In nature, bears are fearsome creatures capable of swatting a full-grown man aside with a swish of its paw. Bears are also capable of busting up a beehive in order to rob thousand of bees of their honey while weathering the storm of stings. Bears rip, rend and even gallop when the occasion calls. Succinctly then, bears are not to be trifled with. Despite their might however, bears are treated by man with contempt and ridicule - bears are viewed as harmless entertainment fodder suited for man's pleasure and whimsy. The Coca Cola commercials from a few years back showed polar bears swilling coke, sliding on ice and all was fuzzy. Circus bears are a joke, muzzled and emasculated by a whip-wielding tamer. Watch as they exhibit perfect balance by riding a tricycle and stand on their hind legs begging for a treat. Finally, to seal their doom, two words: Teddy Bear. As if the insults through history weren't enough, bears are forced to sing in man's latest assault on bearkind. In Kuma Uta (Bear Song), players watch as a bear asks a number of questions in Japanese which one answers. Depending on the responses, the bear rushes back to its studio and creates a song which may be tuned and mixed further by the player. Once the song is ready for prime time, the bear grabs a microphone and sings the song in perfect Japanese. We're certain a few Kuma Uta onlookers will be left slack-jawed when watching the insanity onscreen but we think the bears are endearing. Gamers may also compose their own songs freestyle and watch as bears belt out the specially made tunes.
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