Samurai Pizza Cats
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| Samurai Pizza Cats | |
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| キャッ党忍伝てやんでえ (Kyattou Ninden Teyandē) |
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| Genre | Comedy, Kodomo, Mecha, Science Fiction, Shounen
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| TV anime | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | Tatsunoko Productions, Sotsu Agency (Japan) Saban (USA) |
| Network |  TV Tokyo |
| Original run | 1990 – 1991 |
| No. of episodes | 54
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Samurai Pizza Cats (SPC) is the western version of an animated series produced in 1990 in Japan by Tatsunoko Productions and Sotsu Agency under the name Kyattou Ninden Teyandē (KNT) (キャッ党忍伝てやんでえ). It was introduced to western audiences in 1991 by Saban. The eponymous stars of the show are three anthropomorphic cats who protect the city of Little Tokyo (Edoropolis) from crime while making a living running a pizza restaurant. The series combines action with humour, and is noteworthy for its tendency to poke fun at itself.
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[edit] Title
A very loose translation of the Japanese title is "Cat Ninja Legend Teyandē" or "Surprising Group Ninja Legend Teyandee". The word キャット kyatto is a transcription of the English word "cat", but the title uses the kanji 党 "tou" (group) with the katakana キャ "kya" (an onomatopoeia indicating surprise), so even the title itself contains a pun. The word "Teyandē" can be considered equivalent to the phrase, "What the hell are you talking about?"
[edit] Premise
The setting of the show is Little Tokyo (Edoropolis in the Japanese version), a town where the traditional meets the futuristic. It is populated by many kinds of living flesh and blood, anthropomorphic animals ("animaloids" - animal androids in the Japanese version), many of whom feature cybernetic body parts.
The ruler of Little Tokyo is officially Emperor Fred (Shōgun Tokugawa). Unfortunately, the Emperor is insane, because his wisdom teeth were removed. Therefore, Little Tokyo is actually ruled by the Emperor's daughter Princess Vi (Usa Hime) and a council. Heading the council is Prime Minister Seymour "Big" Cheese (Kōn no Kami), who constantly tries to overthrow the government and become Emperor of Little Tokyo.
Only Al Dente (Wanko-no-Kami), commander of the Palace Guard, has learned of The Big Cheese's underground plans. Having insufficient proof to expose The Big Cheese for what he is, Al Dente's only choice is to prevent his efforts from ever succeeding. To that end, he recruits three young cat warriors, the Samurai Pizza Cats (Nyankī, a pun of nyan ("meow") and Yankee). Each one has unique skills and weapons that help them keep the citizens of Little Tōkyō safe from Seymour Cheese's plots, which usually take the form of a giant robot.
[edit] Characters
[edit] The Samurai Pizza Cats (Himitsu Ninja Tai Nyanki)
- Speedy Cerviche ("ser-vee-chay") (Yattarō): Speedy is the leader of the Samurai Pizza Cats. As his name implies, Speedy is nimble and fast on his toes, a trait which comes in handy both when delivering pizzas and when fighting crime. He wields the magical Ginzu sword, whose power is unleashed in almost every episode as Speedy's special attack, the Cat's Eye Slash. It is noted in one episode that his 'normal' sword also has a name; Binky. Speedy is very self-confident and loves to pose for the camera after each victory. He has green eyes and wears white armour. There's been some controversy over the spelling of the name. Initially it was thought that Speedy's surname was spelled "Service" ("service" pronounced with Italian phonics sounds like "ser-vee-chay", making the name "Speedy Service" a tidy pun). However, most official packaging (such as the VHS box for the movie) spells his name "Cerviche", and thus is considered the most official one so far. "Cerviche" is a play on ceviche, a type of seafood. Voice: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese), Rick Jones (English)
- Polly Esther (Pururun Nyan): Polly is the only girl on the team. Although Speedy is the leader, Polly does her fair share of bossing her teammates around in the pizza restaurant. She has a fiery temper and a dynamic, independent personality. Polly battles evil with the power of love: she plays a flute when going into battle, her projectile weapons are heart-shaped, and she can charm foes to make them move in the range of her razor-sharp claws. She has blue eyes and wears red and pink armour. Her name is a play on the word polyester; Esther is also the heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. Voice: Ai Orikasa (Japanese), Sonja Ball (English)
- Guido Anchovy (Sukashii): Guido is the resident cool guy of the group. Tall, dark-furred, and a smooth talker, he is often seen chasing after girls, although he actually has little success in romance. Guido's weapon of choice is the Samurai Sunspot Umbrella (which he occasionally calls the Parasol of Doom), which can fire rings, fire a heat beam, be spun to hypnotise enemies, and be used as a club (when closed) or a shield (when open). Its handle conceals Guido's sword. Guido has red eyes and wears blue armour. His name is a reference to the anchovy fish. Voice: Juurouta Kosugi (Japanese), Terrence Scammell (English)
The Pizza Cats never remove most of their armor, even while working at the restaurant or walking in the streets normally, parodying the fact Superman manages to hide his identity merely by wearing glasses. The only exception to this is Polly Ester, who removed most of her armor when she went to Charm School, as well as during the time she was an idol singer, as half of The Pointless Sisters (Lovely Mipple in the original Japanese version). During these times, Polly is shown with short red hair and a hairband on which her ears sit on top.
- The New York Pizza Cats: Little Tokyo is not the only city under the protection of a Pizza Cat team. Episode 38: A Mission in Manhattan involved the Samurai Pizza Cats travelling to the city of New York and meeting their counterparts:
Their names are plays on popular American singers of the time.
[edit] Other good guys
- The Narrator: always unseen, the Narrator provides voiceover for the episodes and interacts with the characters. He often makes witty or sarcastic comments, many of which spoof plot holes and clichés, with one episode of the US version being notable for him reading the wrong narration. Occasionally, in the US version, some of his lines are changed, and a different, more "politically-correct" Narrator takes over. For instance, the original Narrator's line, broadcast in Canada was: "And so, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Samurai Pizza Cats, movie-goers around the world can thrill to yet another pointless display of senseless violence and meaningless destruction!" while the US line used the PC Narrator's voice and was changed to: "movie-goers around the world can thrill to yet another heroic display of untamed bravery and never-ending action!" Voice: Kenyuu Horiuchi (Japanese), Terrence Scammell (English)
- Francine (Otama): Francine is the feline owner of the Pizza Cat Restaurant. She does not actively participate in missions, but still plays a vital role. Whenever the Samurai Pizza Cats are needed somewhere, either to deliver a pizza or to battle evil, she operates the launching cannon (in a parody of the live-action Japanese film Cyber Ninja) which blasts the heroes in the air. She also handles communications and finances, and is known in the English language version for speaking in rhyme. Voice: Satomi Koorogi (Japanese), Pauline Little (English)
- The Rescue Team (Otasuke Ninja): whenever the Samurai Pizza Cats are in serious trouble (or they just have better things to do), they ring the bell on the collar around their necks, alerting Francine to call part or all of The Rescue Team into action. Ironically, one lone member of the Rescue Team is usually enough to accomplish what the three frontline heroes could not. The Rescue Team comprises of four more cats, each with a different ability based on one of the classic four elements:
- General Catton (Rikkinoshin): a play on real life's General Patton, Catton has a pair of flamethrowing cannons on his back. He is the leader of The Rescue Team. He generally speaks in clichés ("I have not yet begun to fight! You ain't seen nothin' yet!")
- Bat Cat (Mietoru): this cat uses a wing and propeller device to become airborne. His English name is most likely something of a play on Batman, though he does not resemble the character in any way.
- Meowzma O' Tool (Gotton): this member of The Rescue Team has drills on his gloves, helmet, and tail that allow him to burrow under the earth.
- Spritz T. Cat (Nekki): unlike most cats, Spritz loves the water. He uses high pressure water jets. The "T." stands for "the". His name is a play on Fritz the Cat, a comic book character created by Robert Crumb.
- Lucille (Omitsu, Omi-chan): a ram and owner of a tea house, Lucille is the main object of both Speedy's and Guido's affections, and primary cause of conflict between them. Her hairstyle and shoulder pads conceal a number of homing missiles, which are launched whenever she gets overly-emotional. She and Polly were briefly, unknowingly recruited by the Big Cheese to form a girl group called the Pointless Sisters (Lovely Mipple in Japan; also, Mipple is a portmanteau of Omitsu and Pururun), a reference to the Pointer Sisters. Her Japanese name, Omitsu, is possibly a reference to the Omitsu of Ganbare Goemon fame, with whom she shares many similarities such as occupation and relationship to the main characters. Voice: Yuko Mizutani (Japanese), Susan Glover (English)
- Big Al Dente (Inuyama Wanko-no-Kami): a dog, Big Al is chief of the Palace Guard. He is also the boss of the Samurai Pizza Cats and assigns their missions. His name is a reference to the al dente pasta cooking method. Voice: A.J. Henderson (English)
- Emperor Fred (Shogun Tokugawa Iei Iei): a panda and legal ruler of Little Tōkyō, Emperor Fred does not hold any real power because he is insane and tends to act like a scat singer. He tends to only utter his own name ("Fuh-RED!"), except on some occasions when he takes to scat singing. However, he does speak coherently in at least four episodes. Voice: Kenyuu Horiuchi (Japanese), Terrence Scammel (English)
- Princess Vi (Usako Hime Tokugawa): full name Violet, Princess Vi is the young rabbit daughter of Emperor Fred, and unofficial ruler of Little Tōkyō. She is rather spoilt and temperamental and has a tendency to banish all who displease her to Prisoner Island. Later, when Prisoner Island becomes too crowded, she banishes people to Extras Island. Voice: Maria Kawamura (Japanese), Susan Glover (English)
- Guru Lou (Nekomata Reikainosuke, Daisensei): an old cat, Guru Lou lives alone in the mountains outside Little Tokyo. Whenever the Samurai Pizza Cats are in great trouble, they seek his advice, however reluctant he may be to give it. He also showed them how to unlock the power of the Supreme Catatonic, which the Samurai Pizza Cats call upon occasionally during battle, furnishing them with their own giant robot, as well as additional armor that enables them to fly. The name is a reference to the catatonic state. Voice: Walter Massey (English)
- Mother/Momma Mutt and Junior (Itsumono Oya and Itsumono Ko): a small but constant part of the show, this canine mother and her son appear to make a silly comment every time the Samurai Pizza Cats blast off on a mission. They can be surprisingly sharp-tongued, making social criticism toward both their own world and the real world. In KNT, they may have been tanuki instead of dogs.
[edit] Villains
- Seymour Cheese (Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami): the prime minister of Little Tokyo; more often referred to as The Big Cheese. In the Japanese version he is a fox, but in the English version he identifies himself as a rat, a modification to reinforce his position as an enemy to the cats. He is the arch-nemesis of Little Tokyo and the Samurai Pizza Cats. He always tries to seize control of the city, but is invariably thwarted by the heroes or his own incompetence. He has the bad habit of literally exploding with anger every time he is disappointed at his failure, which usually happens near the end of every episode. The Big Cheese is a flamboyant showoff, prone to overacting, crossdressing, and flirting with male subordinates. His voice is strongly reminiscent of comedian Paul Lynde. Voice: Ikuya Sawaki (Japanese), Dean Hagopian (English)
- Jerry Atric (Karasu Gennarisai): an elderly crow, Jerry Atric is the Big Cheese's trusted advisor and leader of the Ninja Crows. His voice of reason counterbalances The Big Cheese's impulsive nature. His name is a play on the word geriatric, which refers to the elderly or the branch of medicine dealing with treating the elderly. Voice: Terrence Scammell (English)
- Bad Bird (Karamaru): a crow, Bad Bird is first among The Big Cheese's army of ninja crows and rival of Speedy. He executes most of The Big Cheese's plans. Bad Bird and his henchmen follow the age-old archetype of raven ninja, or Tengu. In the last episode he reforms, helps Speedy save the world from an incoming comet, and reunites with his childhood sweetheart Carla (Okara). Voice: Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese), Michael O'Reilly (English)
- Yard Bird (Choinaa Nana Gou): a hyperactive and very fast ostrich/emu that appeared in only a few episodes (mainly as The Big Cheese's delivery boy). He contains a design defect where he will explode if he stops moving for more than 2 seconds. In KNT, the character was modeled after Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Japanese reading: Jakkii Joinaa-Kaashii), the Olympic gold medalist. "Choinaa" rhymes with "Joinaa".
- Ninja Crows (Karasu Ninja): Jerry Atric and The Big Cheese's personal army of henchmen, these crows are led by Bad Bird. They are often the first to face the Pizza Cats in battle, and are usually disposed of easily by them. By one episode's account they are from Korea, or at least their helmets were made there.
- The Rude Noise (Yami no Yon Nin Shu): a heavy metal band of four crows that is sometimes hired by The Big Cheese, The Rude Noise are the villain's equivalent of The Rescue Team. The Rude Noise is comprised of:
- Bad Max, AKA Crow Magnon (Zankaa): Leader of The Rude Noise. His name is a play on Mad Max, a character from a movie by the same name, played by Mel Gibson; his alias is a play on the prehistoric man of the Cro-magnon caves.
- Cannonball Battery (Bonkaa): His name is a play on famous jazz saxophonist Julian Cannonball Adderley.
- Mojo Rojo (Rekkaa)
- Rony Guisemore (Uokkaa): His name is likely a play on Tom Sizemore.
[edit] Translation
As is with many cases of early anime translation, the product released to the western market was quite different from the original Japanese cartoon. However, the case of the Samurai Pizza Cats dub is special.
First of all, the difference in translation was one born out of necessity. When Saban bought rights to the show, the translators were supplied with the tapes of the series in Japanese, but not with any transcripts. Furthermore, the show was apparently chock full of esoteric Japanese cultural and linguistic references. Under these circumstances, Andy Thomas, the Saban producer, decided to have brand new scripts written to match the animation. As a result, the show ended up being something of a spoof of its own self, much as if it was the target of a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode.
Secondly, Samurai Pizza Cats may be said to be one of the few anime shows whose majority of followers feel that its translation has not been detrimental to its value. The creativitity of the new scripts and the fact that even the lip-synch was modified to match the new lines, together with the show's good-natured silliness and tendency to make fun of itself (and others), have proven to be popular with viewers. Despite all of this, several edits were made because of purportedly violent or inappropriate content. Other small scenes were dropped, either because of extensive Japanese references, or because of time slot constraints.
Also noteworthy is that Seymour Cheese retained his stereotypical homosexual traits (cross-dressing, flirting with male subordinates) after translation. While gay or transgender characters are fairly common in anime, they are almost always toned down or censored when a show is licensed for broadcast in an English-speaking market.
The Samurai Pizza Cats has been broadcast in Australia and New Zealand, as well as various countries of Europe and America, most notably the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Peru, Hong Kong, Mexico, Israel, Kenya, South Africa, Armenia, and the United States, from 1991 onwards. Of the 54 episodes that were originally produced, 52 were translated, and as little as 40 have been shown in some countries due to censorship or other issues. The two untranslated episodes were clip shows that did little to further the series' plot.
Recently, an English DVD has appeared on Amazon.com, containing only five episodes of the series.[1] It is unknown if there will be another DVD release containing more episodes.
Despite the show's relative popularity and recent fan petitions for a complete English DVD release, there are currently no plans to do so. The series, however, is available on DVD in French.[2]
[edit] Trivia
- In the opening credits, the word "samurai" is misspelled "samuri", and appears this way in some images of the series' title; however, the word is spelled correctly on official merchandise (such as videocassettes).
- All of the English voice acting, with the exception of the theme song, was recorded in Canada.
- Michael Airington, a writer for the show, also sang the theme song. According to Andy Thomas, Airington had a few drinks before the recording session for the song started, and as a result, accidentally repeated some of the lyrics (i.e., "this cat gets down down with a love hang over").
- Some lyrics of the theme song make references to American pop culture. The lyric "they've got more fur than any turtle ever had" subtly implies that the Samurai Pizza Cats are superior to the similarly themed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; the lyric "they're stronger than dirt" refers to an advertising slogan once used for industrial cleaner Ajax.
- Hogan the Wonder Cat, listed in the show's credits as "Spiritual Advisor", was Andy Thomas's real pet cat.
- Various sources (including the IMDB) often list Francine's surname as being Manx, but her last name is never actually given on the show. Manx—referring to a breed of cat—was a name improvised by Samurai Pizza Cats fan Daniel Kary, and has since been adopted as fanon.
- Rumor has it that an alternate series finale was planned (but never produced) in which Otama (Francine) was revealed to be the mastermind behind every battle in the series, using her personal wealth to orchestrate the conflict between the Pizza Cats and the Ninja Crows in a great "game" for her own amusement.
- Although Polly removes her helmet in a few episodes (as mentioned above), Speedy and Guido never remove their helmets throughout the entire series.
- Samurai Pizza Cats was first shown in the US as a cartoon that Jeb the dog was watching on VR Troopers. Several times the family of Masked Rider was seen watching it as well. Clips of SPC were also seen on a TV in a bowling alley in the pilot episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
- The show breaks the fourth wall fairly often, especially the narrator.
- The series occasionally pokes fun at the Japanese writings left in the series, usually by characters being unable to read the text and calling them squiggles. Even at one point stating, "it's Japanese. This is a Japanese cartoon." Also, this is one of the few shows that made no attempt to remove Japanese references in order to appeal to Western audiences.
