Ponygon and Kafk Sunbeam

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Not to be confused with Porygon.

Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gash!!/Konjiki no Gash Bell!! (金色のガッシュ!!) is a manga and anime series by Makoto Raiku. Ponygon and Kafk Sunbeam are two characters in this series.

1 Ponygon
2 Kafk Sunbeam
3 Stats
4 Spellbooks they burned
5 Notes
6 Navigational System

[edit] Ponygon

Ponygon (Umagon in the original) is a mamodo who resembles a small horse or donkey or a sheep according to Suzy Mizuno. Ponygon is seen many times throughout the series following Zatch Bell around, but he was not officially introduced until the episode, "Go for it, Ponygon". He appeared in episode 7, but was knocked into the air by some kids.

Ponygon makes fast friends with Zatch Bell and Tia, but not with Kiyo Takamine. Ponygon bites Kiyo's hand when Kiyo and Ponygon first meet. The frayed relationship is further strained when Kiyo sees that Ponygon is having difficulty trying to untie his spellbook from a rope net, and decides to help him by cutting the ropes. Ponygon becomes angry because his mother had made the rope herself, and now Kiyo had ruined it. Since Ponygon can't say anything except "Meru meru me", Kiyo had no idea what he was saying or what he was so upset for. Ponygon subsequently beats Kiyo up.

Kiyo later bans Ponygon from his house, then went to look for him after his classmates forced him to. After talking with Tia, Kiyo came to realize that Ponygon, being on Earth without a book owner, must feel extremely lonely, and the reason he bonded so well with Zatch and the others was because he thought of them as companions and fellow mamodo, and he gets along with Kiyo's classmates because he hoped that maybe one of them would end up being his book owner. Kiyo also comes to see that Ponygon only felt hostile towards him because he already had a mamodo, so he found no reason to try and get along with him. When Kiyo finally finds Ponygon, he tells Ponygon that he could stay with him and Zatch until he finds his book owner.

Ponygon only speaks the phrase "Meru meru me" or a variant thereof; it is Japanese sheep onomatopoeia. Since Ponygon cannot not speak in a language the others could understand, Kiyo couldn't figure out Ponygon's real name, which is Schneider. Kiyo decided to call him Ponygon because he's a pony, and when he first met him, he wanted him gone. In the original version, he is called Umagon; umagon meaning horse-monster. When Ponygon hears the new name, Ponygon went ballistic and beat Kiyo up again, although in later episodes, he seemed to be more used to the name.

Ponygon ranked second in the most recent Shonen Sunday popularity contest.

[edit] Kafk Sunbeam

Ponygon's reader is later revealed to be Kafk Sunbeam (Kafka Sunbeam in the original), a German engineer who has come to work in Japan, similar to Ponygon's roaming from England to Japan. Kafk first meets Ponygon, while he is being chased by a dog. He calms the dog and takes the spellbook and holds on to it until they meet again at the Devolo Ruins and battle Dalmos. It is later revealed that he came to meet Ponygon at the request of Dr. Riddles, which explains the note left by him telling Kiyo the location of Zofis' ruin-base. Although he seems to understand Ponygon in his own strange way, he too calls the horse by the name Kiyo had given to him. Ponygon then subsequently tries to use body language to prove his name is "Schneider" (physically forming the katakana of his name), but, yet again, no one understands the horse mamodo.

[edit] Stats

Japanese names: Umagon (ウマゴン Umagon) (Schneider (シュナイダー Shunaidā)) and Kafka Sunbeam (カフカ・サンビーム Kafuka Sanbīmu)

Spellbook color: Light Orange

Spell power: Fire Armor/shaped summonings (games only)

Shudoruk: Ponygon gains an armored body and super speed. (Assist)
Go Shudoruk: Ponygon's powered-up form in which he becomes bigger, stronger, and receives new armor. (Assist) (Gained in episode 65.)
Dioemuru Shudoruk: Ponygon receives flame-based armor, which allows him to manipulate fire for offensive and defensive purposes. (Assist)
Shudorudo: A rhombus-shaped shield appears to protect Kafk and Ponygon. (Defense)
Shudorusen: An angular missile is fired. (Attack)
Jio Ra Shudoruk: An upgrade to Ponygon's armor. (Assist)
Gigano Shudoruk: Ponygon and Kafk are enveloped in light. (Assist)

First appearance in anime: Ponygon: 7, Kafk Sunbeam: 58

Episode appearances: 7-8, 11, 17-20, 23-28, 32, 35-36, 40-43, 46-49, 51, 54, 57-60, 66-86, 88-98, 104-106, 109-112, 118-127, 129-144, 146-150

Japanese Voice actors: Umagon -- Satomi Koorogi, Sunbeam -- Hozumi Gouda

English Voice actors: Ponygon -- Dave Wittenberg, Sunbeam -- Henry Dittman

[edit] Spellbooks they burned

Dalmos (episode 65)
Fango (with help from Karudio) (episode 141)
Jedun (with help from Karudio) (episode 141, anime-only)
Zaruchim (manga only)

[edit] Notes

Ponygon's toy resembles the famous Godzilla monster Gigan.
Sunbeam likes to use the word "groovy". He also calls Dr. Riddles "Doctor Nazonazo" instead of "Nazonazo Hakase" in the Japanese version.