Sgt. Frog

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Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog (Keroro Gunsō)
ケロロ軍曹
(Keroro Gunsō)
Genre Comedy, Science Fiction, Shounen, Drama
Manga: Sgt. Frog
Authored by Mine Yoshizaki
Publisher Japan Kadokawa Shoten
United Kingdom Tokyopop
United States Tokyopop
Spain Norma Editorial
Serialized in
Original run –
No. of volumes 13
TV anime
Directed by Junichi Sato
Studio Sunrise
Network Japan Animax, TV Tokyo
Italy Italia 1
France TéléToon
Original run 3 April 2004 –
No. of episodes 135 Sgt. Frog/Keroro Gunso
Movies

Sgt. Frog, known in Japan as Sergeant Keroro (ケロロ軍曹 Keroro Gunsō?), is a comedy manga and anime series created by Mine Yoshizaki.

It is published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in the magazine Shonen Ace, and published in English by TOKYOPOP. The anime is produced by Sunrise, has aired on Animax and TV Tokyo since April 2004, and is currently at episode 135. In addition, around August of 2005 it was announced that a "Keroro Gunsō" theatrical movie was to be directed by Junichi Sato, produced by Sunrise, and set for release summer of 2006. A second movie has been announced for March 2007. The English manga releases amount to 13 volumes in total.

ADV has announced they have acquired exclusive rights to the English dub of Sgt. Frog. Currently, volume one of the DVD is slated for release in the United States around early 2007.[1]

Contents

[edit] Plot

Sgt. Frog features a frog-like alien invader named Keroro who winds up on Earth in the care of two siblings after he is caught by them, Fuyuki Hinata and his older sister Natsumi Hinata. Keroro spends most of his time building gunpla (gundam models), watching anime and browsing the internet. He does not concentrate in taking over the Earth and its people (known as Pekopon and Pekoponjin by other planets) while doing chores in the Hinata family. Keroro is easily sidetracked or distracted.

Keroro's team consists of 5 people: Keroro, Giroro, Tamama, Kururu, and Dororo (Formerly, Zeroro but he changed name after arriving on Earth)

The series takes its comedy from a combination of wordplay (puns, homophones), physical humor, cultural references, and situational humor.

[edit] Anime/Manga differences

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
  • The transfer from Manga to Anime is somewhat uneven, as some episodes will heavily resemble the manga while others only borrow the basic story or even use it only as a starting point.
  • Because Giroro, Kururu, and especially Dororo were introduced to the anime much earlier than in the manga, several storylines not featuring them at all were modified to include them.
  • Both the manga and the anime have heavy pop-culture references. Even in the same story, however, the references are wildly different. Particularly, the anime does not explicitly refer to Evangelion and other animations to which Bandai does not hold the copyrights, and only contains individual scenes recreating the "feel" of certain famous scenes in those animations. The anime is instead much more detailed and direct in its Gundam references, on the other hand, since Bandai does hold all rights to the Gundam franchise.
  • Whereas the manga is somewhat oriented towards teens, the anime is toned down to a level acceptable for children. For example, in the manga, when Natsumi reverts from an adult, her bikini (actually Aki's) does not, to her great embarrassment. In the anime, her bikini shrinks with her.
  • Perhaps the most subtle difference is that in the manga, Earth is referred to as "Pokopen", whereas in the anime, it is "Pekopon". "Pokopen" is a derogatory word Japanese used to describe China during the Second World War, and has since been banned from TV programs by the telecom authority in Japan.
  • Mutsumi (623) still has his radio show in the anime, but he is also a student in Natsumi's class, and his last name is Saburô (326) rather than Hojo.

[edit] Characters

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Keroro Platoon

Main article: Keroro Platoon#Members

[edit] Human

Main article: Keroro Platoon#Allies (Human)

[edit] Other Characters

Nyororo 
A gelatinous alien resembling a hybrid of newt and snake, with a forked tongue, bulbous eyes and a a tentacle-ringed opening on its tail for absorbing moisture from Keronians. After draining their mositure, it quickly leaves. It doesn't just drink from Keronians, it will drain anything damp and moist. Keroro has a deep fear of Nyororos because of his own high susceptibility to humidity, and he ends up drained by them more than a few times in the anime. Its name comes from the Japanese word for 'slither', "Nyoro".
Angol Mois (アンゴル＝モア?)
Main article: Angol Mois
A girl who came from Angol planet to destroy the Earth (Only Keroro can control her mind of doing it by talking). She has an old connection with Sgt. Keroro and is respectful to him. Tamama gets so jealous when she carry on with Keroro, but she is so pure that she takes Tamama's envious attack as an encouragement. She has an ability to transform herself to alien human girl, and on the Earth, she pretend to be a high school student. She tends to add a four-letter-written Chinese compounded word to a sentence with "teiuka".
Ghost-girl (幽霊少女?)
A kimono-wearing ghost who inhabits the Hinata household's basement, and later Keroro's room. She was imprisoned there several hundred years ago after helping a Keronian (which she calls a Kappa) escape from an angry mob. She did not die in prison, but actually lived to be 90; however, her desire to see the Kappa again led her to the decision to remain in the world as a spirit. Normally content to sit and observe, she occasionally helps out Keroro's platoon when other ghosts are involved. The Keronian that saved her is believed to be an ancestor of Keroro or even Keroro himself. When she first does a next-episode introduction, she notes that she hasn't been given a name...
Sumomo 
A pink Keronian-like alien, Sumomo was a character in a one-shot side story in the manga, but in the anime she's a highly popular idol singer who makes the occasional recurring appearance. Members of her species are able to change forms from a Keronian-sized one to a human-sized version via rapid thyroxine secretion. In the TV show, she is a member of the Axolotl (a play on the amphibian group that includes newts and salamanders), while in the Manga she is an Ahotoronite (translated as "Stupid Slow-poke")
Neko 
Giroro's beloved cat that lives with him and the Hinata family. She was first found as a stray who Giroro found in the rain during episode 12. Neko began to befriend Giroro and lives with him in his tent. Neko continuously appears throughout the series.
3M 
An alien TV show host with a black robe and an onion-shaped helmet. An impostor regularly mentions ratings factors in centimeters. He is meant to resemble the Flatwoods Monster.
R Grey 
An alien TV show host, resembling the grey-headed, almond-eyed alien species known as the Greys.
Mr. G 
The cameraman for the Alien TV Duo sent to visit Earth.
Poyon 
A dedicated but somewhat clumsy member of the Cosmic Space Police, she first appears in episode 11 to arrest two fraudsters posing as alien TV show hosts. Poyan makes later appearances to stop certain unusual crimes that Keroro's platoon commits, such as illegal space warping and illegal planet creation. She ends her sentences in 'poyon'.
Poyan 
Another member of the Cosmic Space Police, albeit with short grey hair and a much more serious attitude. She ends her sentences in 'poya'.
Viper 
A cobra-headed nemesis of the Keroro Platoon, with a blaster over his left hand and a cigar. Brash and forceful, he delights in capturing and humiliating Keroro's team, as his species are their natural enemies. Viper kidnapped Dororo and Koyuki in hopes of luring the rest of the platoon, and defeating them. His plan backfired when the team unleashed a team attack in retaliation.
Cool Big Brother Viper
Viper's identical elder brother who, in episode 57, attemps to destroy the Keroro Platoon to avenge his brother's defeat. He abducts Keroro and traps Giroro (with a robotic duplicate of Natsumi), Tamama (with a gingerbread house) and Kururu (with a box labeled "Don't you dare open this"), then sends out a challenge to Dororo to resuce his friends. Cool Big Brother Viper is eventually defeated, and makes a return to kidnapp Karara, but a reformed Viper ends up aiding in his final defeat.
The Sergeant's Father 
The sergeant's father first appears in volume 2. He was a mentor to Keroro and taught him much, including a sergeant's way of life, a sergeant's pride, a sergeant's know-how, a sergeant's military discount, a sergeant's dancing technique, a sergeant's keen fashion sense, and a sergeant's secret to dieting success. Fuyuki's enthusiasm is dampened slightly when he hears the last four. His spike-tipped hairstyle resembles a German pre-WWI design (Pickelhaube). He speaks Japanese with a Kansai accent.
Dasonu Maso (ダソヌ☆マソ?)
An alien resembling a stereotypical 1970's disco star, with a pink suit and afro. He is summoned by breaking off the stub on one of his tickets, and travels in the form of a gigantic afro. His name and appearance are based on the disco-themed J-pop artist "Dance Man" (ダンス☆マン?) (who recorded the anime's first theme song), and Dasonu Maso is not afraid to admit he relies on people getting the two of them confused for his ticket sales. His appearances in the anime are a running gag in which he sends a beam from his eyes that causes whoever it strikes to grow an afro. He's also good friends wih Kururu (who used to scalp his tickets), Tamama and Keroro, who are big fans, while Giroro and Natsumi can't stand him and either flee or attack when he appears.
Kogoro (コゴロー? a.k.a 556)
One of Keroro's best friends, Kogoro is a space detective (Uchuu Tantei). However, he is virtually unemployed and depends on small amounts of money, which his sister Rabi earns through part-time jobs. His hobby is collecting colored boxes and utilising them in various ways. He always wears a cheerful expression on his face, and Rabi is the only one able to tell if her brother's mood has changed. Kogoro is a rather short minded and bothering person who just steps in at the wrong time. He mostly appears in episodes to mess plans or other things up by interrupting everyone or randomly appearing doing something just as random. In episode 49, Kogoro was found riding a small tricycle in the sewer, which is one of his more random appearances. His signature moves are also quite strange; his "Adhesion", as he says it, is simply just a transformation sequence that puts a helmet on him somehow. He can also summon a sword of energy from his bare hands, which he calls the "Kogoro Organic". He is meant to be a parody of Uchuu Keiji Gavan (Space Detective Gavan - "detective" here meaning a police detective) and is given a quick title card with lettering identical to the one on Gavan. His name is a parody of Kogorō Mōri, the incompetent detective in Case Closed/Detective Conan.
Garuru Platoon
Main article: Garuru Platoon
Tadpole Keroro
Main article: Garuru Platoon#Tadpole Keroro
Tadpole Giroro
Giroro as a child. He first appeared in volume 7. He has his skull emblem on his belly. Giroro also lacks the scar he has on his eye in adulthood.
Tadpole Zeroro (Dororo)
Dororo as a child, long before his name change. He first appeared in volume 7. He was always made by Keroro to preform horrible, demeaning, and deadly tasks. These tasks, and other horrible Keroro related experiences, are remembered by adult Dororo whenever his truama switch is on.
Tadpole Kururu
Kururu as a child. He first appeared in volume 11. He has earmuffs instead of headphones in his childhood, and wears diapers. Kururu also did not have glasses back then and had a more rather childish personality that is majorly different than his current personality.
Kawaaru
A lime-colored lizard-like alien that appears in episode 123, it has the ability to appear as someone's worst fear. Through the episode it took the fears of Kururu (Angol Moa), Natsumi (a slug), Keroro (his father, a broken Gundam and an invasion timer), Giroro (a ghost and bowls of seacucumbers), Dororo (a trauma switch diagram), and Fuyuki (a set of sports equipment).
Karara
A cute female Keronian who always speaks in Kansai-ben. At first ran away from Keron and her father because of an arranged marriage and ended up falling in love with Tamama. At her third appearance, she then tried to marry Kururu (as shocking as it is), and was revealed that she is Taruru's childhood friend and is the daughter of Dobaba, the president of Dobaba Industry, a powerful military industry, which might make her as rich as Momoka. But at that same episode she fell in love with Dororo when he saved her and Taruru from a tough situation. At her fourth visit to Earth, she then winded up loving Giroro when he had her in his arms. It's a bit obvious that she might have a crush on Keroro when she returns. She assists the Keroro Platoons in rescuing her sister, Chiroro but is captured by Cool Big Brother Viper but Dororo destroys him with "Blade of the Pheonix" and Karara lands in the arms of Giroro and she falls in love with him.
Chiroro
Karara's cute yellow sister who speaks hawaiian. She is kidnapped by Viper but thanks to her, Viper had a change of heart and helped the Keroro Platoons in defeating the Viper robot and rescuing a kidnapped Karara.
Alisa Southerncross
Alisa is a vampiress who visited Fuyuki in his vision dreams to change Earthlings with her deadly Medusa and vampire-like powers. She only appears when Fuyuki is the only one who can see her because of her feelings for him. During a Halloween party, she fights and easily defeats Dororo then kidnaps him and the rest of the platoon including Fuyuki. She fights Momoka and Koyuki and turns them into stone. She reveals her victims becomes spirits that are sealed in a box. She absorbs a man she turned into a fish creature's soul and becomes more powerful. She then fights and inprisons Mois and Tamama. She is defeated after being turned to stone by looking in a mirror, freeing the others. When Giroro attemps to destroy the Alisa, Fuyuki takes in her feelings and protects Arisa. Arisa disappears without a trace never to be seen again or so it seemed.
Kiruru
An ancient Keronian invasion weapon accidentally activated by Keroro and Fuyuki in the 1st theatrical movie. It resembles a white Keronian with a blue "X" on its forehead. It invades a planet by giving some of it's population red "X" marks. The "X"'s provide limited telekenetic power to the inhabitants, letting them give "X"'s to others, communicate mentaly, and read the minds of others. Though it is amusing for a while, the population realizes that their new powers eliminate the need for communication, media, and other jobs. The powers also let people see horrible secrets of others, and see what other people think of them, making them remove themselves from society. These two factors make the population extreamly depressed, giving Kiruru power. When he gains enough power, he grows to Godzilla-like proportions,uses its flexible, paper-like limbs to attack, (Similar to Zeruel from Evangelion.) and becomes invulnerable to all weapons. When he gets more power, he becomes a fortress, spewing thousands of copies in his first form. He can only be stopped by taking Mirara in her key form to the core of the Kiruru fortress.

[edit] Kururu's Inventions

Main article: List of Kururu's inventions

[edit] List of Pokopen Suits

Main article: List of Pokopen Suits

[edit] Anime on air time in Japan (in JST: UTC+9)

  • TXN: from 5:30 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. every Friday.

[edit] Merchandising

One of the signature elements of the original manga series is a frequent number of Gundam references, ranging from Keroro's Gunpla obsession to the Keronian military equipment being based on those from various Gundam series. As a result of this, the series was picked up by Bandai who have supported it with an extensive line of merchandise. For example, Keroro action figures are called "Keroro in Action?!", a play on the long running "Mobile Suit in Action!!" Gundam action figure line (on the packaging, the Keroro name is even designed to appear to be hastily pasted over the MSiA!! name). Other such lines include the forthcoming Keroro FIX (based on Hajime Katoki's popular Gundam FIX Figuration) and Keroro model kits, which include special neck joints to allow the user to place the heads on various Gundam kits.

[edit] Voice cast

[edit] Keronians

Keroro Platoon

Garuru Platoon

Kiruru

  • Ogiyahagi (Hiroaki Ogi / Ken Yahagi) (Kiruru)
  • Yoshinori Fujita (Kiruru (TV))

Other Keronians

Film

[edit] Allies of Keroro

Hinata Family

Friends of the Hinata Family

Other Allies

[edit] Other Important Characters

Viper Family

Other

  • Juri Ihata (Sumomo)

[edit] International

  • ADV Films in North America have added a brief teaser page to their website to announce their licensing of the anime. The site turns to static before playing a short clip of Keroro dancing to 'Afro Gunsou' and then leaving the message 'hacked by the frog'. This was followed up by a press release by ADV stating that they have licensed the Sgt. Frog properties for the US except for the manga which is licensed by Tokyopop and is available in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is confirmed that the anime dub will be released for DVD only in the United States as of Febuary 2007.
  • In Italy, the anime series has been broadcasted on Italia 1. It was first broadcasted on September 11, 2006.
  • In Hong Kong it been broadcast on TVB
  • In Taiwan, Keroro is broadcast on Cartoon Network. It is pronounced Key-row-row in Taiwan.

[edit] Trivia

  • In chapter 42 of the Sgt. Frog manga, one of the effects in Keroro's special game of sugoroku ("parcheesi" in the English version) turns Natsumi into seven duplicates of herself, which is captioned in the Japanese version with Shichi-nin no Natsumi, a reference to the anime/manga 7 of Seven (Shichi-nin no Nana 七人のナナ), which Mine Yoshizaki had a hand in. In the anime version of 7 of Seven Mutsumi Hojo ("623") appears as a central plot character for several episodes as "Examinee 623", and is even the host of his own radio program like in Sgt. Frog. In episode 89, Giroro undergoes a similar seven personality split.
  • Kogoro ("556") is a tribute to Ooba Kenji, the actor who played the role of Space Sheriff Gavan, the first Metal Hero of the Toei Tokusatsu Metal Hero genre. His sister Rabi is a tribute to Morinaga Naomi, who played Annie from the third metal hero series Space Sheriff Shaider. GaoGaiGar fans also know him as the voice of the main character, Guy.
  • Poyon's gun says SPD which is a homage to Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger (SPD in Dekaranger stands for Special Police Dekaranger.)
Spoilers end here.

[edit] Controversies

  • In Korea, some bloggers with anti-Japanese attitude were demanding Korean TV station to shut down the Keroro series, as they were arguing that the animation promotes militaristic imperialism among young children. Some of their points were that the yellow hats of Keronians were worn by Japanese soldiers during the World War II and the opening song of the second arc was displaying "Kyokujitsu-ki" (Japanese War Banner). However, most Koreans agree that this is an overreaction, as all of Sgt. Frog's military invasion plans fail humorously (often miserably) and this can be viewed as ridiculing the obsolete imperialism in the context of the modern Japan. Rather, Sgt. Frog is promoting the concept of friendship, fairness and goodness if not how NOT to go about taking over the world.

[edit] See also

  • Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2
  • Keroppi

[edit] References

  1. ^ ADV Official Sgt. Frog Licensing Announcement URL Accessed November 22, 2006.

[edit] External links

Sgt. Frog
Keroro Platoon (Keronians) Sergeant Keroro | Private Second Class Tamama | Corporal Giroro | Sergeant Major Kururu | Lance Corporal Dororo/Zeroro
Keroro Platoon (Pekoponians) Fuyuki Hinata | Natsumi Hinata | Momoka Nishizawa | Mutsumi Saburo | Koyuki Azumaya
Garuru Platoon First Lieutenant Garuru | Superior Private Taruru | Recruit Tororo | Lance Corporal Zoruru | Chief Medic Pururu
Villains Keroro Double | Keroro Platoon Double | Kiruru
Other Aliens Angol Mois | Sumomo | Viper | Karara | Chiroro | Mirara | Kiruru.
Miscellaneous: List of Kururu's inventions | List of Pokopen Suits
Media: Keroro Gunso the Movie | Keroro Gunso: Meromero Battle Royale | Keroro Gunso: Meromero Battle Royale Z
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