PaRappa the Rapper (TV series)
| PaRappa the Rapper | |
|
Logo | |
| パラッパラッパー (PaRappa Rappā) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, Action, Adventure |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Hiroaki Sakurai |
| Produced by | Yoshio Urasawa |
| Music by |
Masaya Matsuura Tadashi Suzuki Yasuji Kuroha |
| Studio |
J.C.Staff Production I.G SME Visual Works |
| Network | Fuji TV (2001-2002) |
| Original run | April 14, 2001 – January 11, 2002 |
| Episodes | 30 |
PaRappa the Rapper (パラッパラッパー PaRappa Rappā) is a 2001 Japanese anime series aimed towards children in Japan that consists of 30 episodes. It features the rapping dog PaRappa and his friends in different adventures. Unlike the name, there's very little rap incorporated into the series' soundtrack (whereas the game was focused only on rapping).
Rodney Greenblat, the original creator of PaRappa the Rapper, only designed the characters of Matt Major and Paula Fox for the show. He had nothing to do with the plot, as he had found out that it was a kids-oriented show meant to sell PaRappa merchandise. Originally, he, along with the company, were to make a teenage/young adults-oriented show (which featured Lammy, Ma-San, along with a few other characters) meant for the target audience, which was teenagers, at the time.
Setting
The storyline seems to be set before either of the two PaRappa the Rapper games and UmJammer Lammy took place because MilkCan is never seen in the series. It could just be a different universe, though. Katy also never speaks of Milkcan (although she is shown with a bass in the opening), and Parappa's father's car looks the same before Parappa accidentally crashes it (this can be seen in Episode 1). The characters go to school and (as far as Parappa is involved) have a house which is easily found overhead in Parappa Town. Although his house can be seen, the various locations that were in the video game are no longer around (seemingly as if they never existed). The anime also doesn't explain how Chop Chop Master Onion lost his dojo (the reason is revealed in a cutscene in UmJammer Lammy), or why Lammy, Ma-San, and Joe-Chin have not appeared. However, characters from the sequels such as Chief Puddle and Hairdresser Octopus do make their appearances.
On another note, Parappa and Sunny's relationship seems to be very close, and as the episodes go by seems to get closer, climaxing at episode 28 out of 30 where it becomes almost blatant that they are more than just friends. The anime seems to be about how he bonds with Sunny instead of actually trying to win her heart all the time, until the latter episodes at least. They seem to be just very good friends at first. Although things shift at times in episodes(especially the latter episodes towards the final 3), for example episode 28, The Heart Does Not Pass!, blatant signs of a greater intimate relationship can be seen. It is blatantly apparent by the end of the anime's reign that Sunny and PaRappa were more than just friends in the end.
P.J. is the DJ at Club Fun. In episode 4, Parappa is surprised to know this and he may have asked P.J. to be his DJ. This could possibly be how they started off before the game took place.
Katy is into poems rather than singing. She has as much as a stronger role in the series as Parappa and Sunny only seems to be around whenever Katy is. There is little to no mention of anything about the other characters of the game, however Parappa's father is seen more often.
The first season of the anime, seems to be made up of 15 episodes and the rest of the 15 episodes are the second, during the second season, the story changes, but not by much, this meaning the Opening, Ending, Character Roster and Background development
Music
- Openings
- "LOVE TOGETHER: Parappa Rapper MIX" (LOVE TOGETHER〜パラッパラッパーMIX〜 LOVE TOGETHER: PaRappa Rappā MIX)
- April 14, 2001 - September 8, 2001
- Lyricist: Gota Nishidera / Composer: Gota Nishidera / Arranger: Nona Reeves / Singers: Nona Reeves
- Episodes: 1-15
- "Attitude"
- September 22, 2001 - January 11, 2002
- Lyricist: Masumi Kawamura / Composer: Masumi Kawamura / Arranger: AKIRA / Singers: Crystal Kay
- Episodes: 16-30
- Endings
- "SCHOOL GIRL"
- April 14, 2001 - September 8, 2001
- Lyricist: YUKI&CICO / Composer: ACCRRAAA J,PAVEL / Arranger: ACCRRAAA J,PAVEL / Singers: BENNIE K
- Episodes: 1-15
- "Yellow Balloon" (イエローバルーン Ierō Barūn)
On December 2, 2001, an Original Soundtrack of this anime (PaRappa Rappā Stage Volume 1) was made for Japanese retail only, many songs of this soundtrack are original score, remixed versions from the game or game songs directly taken from the game, this CD also has a second disk which is sold separately. Furthermore, the Song Love Together is a Remix from the Original Version, Nona Reeves was also in this song but the original version had a much more remixed style of its own with a much more hip hop beat to it.
Characters
Various new characters enter during the course of the anime; they made an appearance in all of the show's episodes, although they aren't in any of the games.
- Parappa Rappa (the main hero.)
- Sunny Funny (the girl that Parappa is in love with, that eventually during the later episodes returns that love and becomes his girlfriend.)
- Katy Kat (friend of Parappa.)
- P.J. Berri (Parappa's close friend and possibly sidekick, he is also a D.J. who works at Club Fun.)
- Matt Major (P.J. Berri and Parappa's closest friend, P.J. and Matt are the first to meet in Club Fun, but this isn't seen.)
- Paula Fox (at first, she was Katy's rival,now Katy and Sunny's best friend.)
- Chop Chop Master Onion (a karate master who is a good friend of PaRappa)
- Gaster (the antagonist of the series)
Secondary characters
- Groover (Gaster's sidekick)
- Dorothy (an old lady who was once a dancer)
The Rappa Family
- Papa Parappa Rappa (he has a stronger appearance in this series.)
- Pinto Rappa (Parappa's little sister.)
- Boxy Boy (created by Parappa's father to help Parappa when he is in trouble.)
- Uee (a strange figure that lives in Pinto's lunch box; it can do things like hold extra items for Pinto, and assist her in many ways like waking Parappa; Uee is something of a secret that for some reason Pinto won't tell anyone about.)
Several other characters appear as well, but only one important character appear in just one episode as a guest.
Episodes
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Initial P" "Inisharu wa Pī" (イニシャルはＰ) | April 14, 2001 |
| Series debut. Parappa attempts to reconcile two different promises he made with two different friends. First, he tells his buddy PJ and PJ's friend Matt that he'll play basketball with them on this particular day, but also tells Katy and Sunny that he'll go with them to Sister Gon's garage sale. Things get worse when Paula shows up and angers Katy by questioning her fashion sense. Gaster also further ruins Parappa's day by stealing his bike and the money from Sister Gon's garage sale. | ||
| 2 | "The Theater Stage Is Broken" "Gekijō ga Kowasareru" (劇場がこわされる) | April 28, 2001 |
| Dorothy, who happens to be Katy's friend, wants to become a dancer once again; however, she feels that she cannot because she is old. Katy and her friends find out that the theater is about to be taken down, so Parappa and his friends fix everything up for Dorothy to have one last dance on stage. | ||
| 3 | "A Tiring Class Change..." "Tsukareru Jugyō da na..." (疲れる授業だな…) | May 19, 2001 |
| A new teacher has appeared and has just started a new class, but he's shy and doesn't want to teach. Matt figures out a way to help by seeking the help of Boxy Boy. Matt, PJ, and Parappa start to cure their teacher of his fright—but instead, he turns crazy and goes after Parappa and his friends. | ||
| 4 | "So This Is Love?" "Sorette Koi no Tameiki?" (それって恋のため息？) | May 26, 2001 |
| Paula goes to a club only to find a mysterious DJ, whom she falls in love with. Soon after, she starts to dream more and more about him, and eventually learns that the DJ is PJ. At first she won't admit to liking him, but then tries to set up a date with him to see if she truly loves him. | ||
| 5 | "Being Completely Nude Everywhere" "Hotondo Hadaka da ne" (ほとんど裸だね) | June 2, 2001 |
| Parappa and his friends decide to go on a nice picnic together; that is, until they find a pendant which causes them to move through time, getting them into all sorts of trouble. They meet and befriend a goblin and help him find the love of the girl he loves, who looks an awful lot like Sunny. | ||
| 6 | "Let's Go For the Dishes" "Nansara Demo Ikeru yo ne" (何皿でもいけるよね) | June 9, 2001 |
| Parappa and friends visit a sushi shop, unknowing that is really a cover-up by Gaster and Groover to steal the next door bank's money. Through some unfortunate consequences, the money ends up getting blown up. Now Parappa and company have to do all they can to keep all the bank's customers calm whilst a new shipment on money comes in. | ||
| 7 | "Hey Bourgeois" "Burujyoa da nē" (ブルジョアだねぇ) | June 16, 2001 |
| Parappa and the gang try to help Chief Puddle win the heart of the girl of his dreams. But when her father forbids them from being together, she runs away, and gets trapped in a wildfire at the park. While Puddle attempts to save her, Parappa and co. attempt to put out the fire. | ||
| 8 | "Anyone Found" "Darenimo Mitsukaru na" (誰にも見つかるな) | June 23, 2001[1] |
| Parappa, PJ, and Matt are secretly building a rocket ship and plan on going to outer space until Sunny finds out and tells Katy and Paula. | ||
| 9 | "It's Too Early to Give Up!" "Akirameru no wa Hayaitte!" (諦めるのは早いって！) | June 30, 2001[1] |
| The annual Parappa Town dance is coming up, and Parappa is determined to ask if Sunny will go to the Dance with him, but his attempts to ask her out don't go as planned. To make things worse, at the Dance, Gaster and Gruber secretly rob everyone blind, and fail. | ||
| 10 | "Fragrant of the Banana" "Banana no Nioi ga Suru" (バナナの匂いがする) | July 7, 2001[1] |
| Parappa's favorite baseball player, Schimdt, comes to town. But before he can even ask for an autograph, Schimdt is kidnapped by Gaster and Gruber. Parappa, PJ, and Matt attempt a rescue mission. | ||
| 11 | "That Was Considerably Heavy" "Kanari Hebī Datta ne" (かなりヘビーだったね) | July 14, 2001 |
| Matt, PJ & Parappa goes on a trip to do "good deeds", but gets lost in the forest due to Gaster's meddling. | ||
| 12 | "Is It Scary?" "Moshikashite Kowai no?" (もしかして怖いの？) | August 11, 2001 |
| When a gaggle of ghosts drag Sunny to an old, spooky mansion, Parappa and friends must face their fears and rescue her. | ||
| 13 | "Acho! Acho!" "Acho! Acho!" (アチョ！アチョ〜！) | August 25, 2001[2] |
| Parappa and friends scramble to clean up the Fruits Dojo when Chop Chop Master Onion returns to town after a long training journey. However, when he gets back, the dojo falls down, so Chop Chop forces his students to clean up the dojo and to do an impromptu karate lesson, which showed that he was around the world to learn specific techniques. After much pestering from Paula, Chop Chop shows her to do "the Kilimangyro Chop". As she runs home, her friends follow her and find out that she learned it to she could slice oranges to make marmalade. | ||
| 14 | "For Whom Do You Vote?" "Nē Dare ni Tōhyō Suru?" (ねぇ誰に投票する？) | September 1, 2001[2] |
| School elections are coming up, and both Paula and Matt are on the ballot. PJ unexpectedly wins the ballot even though he helped both candidates. | ||
| 15 | "It's My Fault..." "Boku no Sei da..." (ボクのせいだ…) | September 8, 2001[2] |
| Gaster and Gruber steal Boxy Boy in hopes of using it to their advantage. But Parappa gets everyone in Parappa town to chase down the duo and get Boxy boy back. | ||
| 16 | "I Must Show Attribute" "Boku ga Kaseide Miseru" (ボクが稼いでみせる) | September 22, 2001[3] |
| When Parappa accidentally wrecks a nearby shop, he needs to find a way to earn $300 to pay for the repairs. Luckily, PJ, Sunny, Katy, Paula, and Matt decide to help him out. | ||
| 17 | "The Center of Attention" "Chūmoku no Mato na no yo" (注目の的なのよ) | September 29, 2001[3] |
| Katy wants to show off her new wedding dress designs, but no one aside from her friends seem to notice, until Gaster and Gruber show up with a deep sea plot. When they kidnap Katy, Parappa and the gang are led on a high-speed water chase. | ||
| 18 | "Droopy" "Shioshio da ne" (シオシオだね) | October 5, 2001 |
| After saving a flower from a bust street, and replanting it in the park, Sunny learns of another one of Gaster's and Gruber's plot. In the midst of this incident, a weird pollen is spreading across town, and every flower in town is starting to droop. | ||
| 19 | "At Full Speed PJ!" "Buttobashite yo Pī Jei!" (ぶっとばしてよＰＪ！) | October 12, 2001 |
| While the gang tries to make the best of things when a hurricane hits Parappa Town, PJ prepares for a DJ contest. Meanwhile, Gaster and Gruber plot to trap the entire town inside Club Fun. | ||
| 20 | "I'm Spectacular!" "Īne Supekutakuru!" (いいねスペクタクル〜！) | October 19, 2001 |
| Katy, Sunny and Paula wants to make Matt's birthday into a huge spectacular day, but Matt's not happy about it. Everyone in town wishes him a happy birthday, so Matt runs away and decides to hide until the day is over. | ||
| 22 | "Ah, The Dinosaur Is Looking This Way" "A, Kyōryū ga kocchi Mita" (あ、恐竜がこっち見た) | November 2, 2001 |
| A Sports day is being held at the school, and one of the competitors proves to be quite intimidating. While in a close race, Parappa gets help from his little sister's pet. | ||
| 23 | "Surfer's Elegance" "Sāfā na Fuzei" (サーファーな風情) | November 9, 2001 |
| Prince Fleaswallow says he is waiting for Catherine, so Parappa and his friends go look for her, but it seems they have no luck doing so. Meanwhile, Fleaswallow teaches Parappa how to surf. | ||
| 24 | "Now! Where's Our Director?" "Nau! kantoku tachi dokoka?" (ナウ！監督達どこか？) | November 2, 2001 |
| Chop Chop Master Onion thinks he's going to become a movie star, but it's another one of Gaster's evil plans, which Parappa quickly discovers and foils. However, to keep their sensei's dream alive, PaRappa and the gang try to make a movie themselves. | ||
| 25 | "Did You Say You Didn't Sleep!?" "Nemurenai dattē?!" (眠れないだってぇ？！) | November 16, 2001 |
| After catching a cold from Gaster, PJ can't sleep, which has an adverse effect on him. What's worse, he starts to grow larger every time he eats. After being sucked into PJ's little world (via his nose), Parappa and co. try to expunge the Gaster Virus and save their friend. | ||
| 26 | "Muscle Pain Is A Sure Thing Tomorrow" "Ashita wa Kitto kKnnikutsū" (明日はきっと筋肉痛) | December 7, 2001 |
| . | ||
| 27 | "Nice Flavor Today" "Kyō mo Naisu Furēbā" (今日もナイスフレーバー) | December 14, 2001 |
| Impressed by Hairdresser Octopus's new car, Parappa decides to try it out for himself, resulting in getting chased all the way to the clouds. | ||
| 28 | "I Won't Hand You My Heart!" "Hāto wa Watasanai!" (ハートは渡さない！) | December 21, 2001 |
| Parappa and Sunny finally have their chance to be together at a Christmas party. But when Sunny's heart becomes stolen by a jealous witch, Parappa tries to get it back with help from his friends, Santa Claus, and (reluctantly) Gaster and Gruber. | ||
| 29 | "PJ and Friends" "Pī Jei to wa Tomodachi nandesu" (ＰＪとは友達なんです) | January 11, 2002 |
| . | ||
| 30 | "Give Me The Parappa Hat!" "Parappa Bō wo Kure!" (パラッパ帽をくれ) | January 11, 2002 |
| Series Final: After caring for a couple of birds, Parappa finds that his hat was used as their nest, and that it has four bird eggs inside it the next day. After the eggs hatch, Parappa and the gang must find someone to care for the baby birds. In the meantime, Parappa's hat becomes a fashion statement across town. | ||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "パラッパラッパー". J.C.Staff. Archived from the original on 2001-06-25. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "パラッパラッパー". J.C.Staff. Archived from the original on 2001-08-19. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "パラッパラッパー". J.C.Staff. Archived from the original on 2002-02-04. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
External links
- Official Fuji TV Website
- PaRappa the Rapper (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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