DVD Box Cover. From left to bottom right: Polly Esther, Guido Anchovy and Speedy Cerviche
"A fully functioning, cybernetic, technologically advanced team of superheroes... andnobody'sgot a flashlight?"
— Polly Esther
Would somebody PLEASE cue that description?Samurai Pizza Cats is the English dub of Kyattou Ninden Teyandee (キャッ党 忍伝 てやんでえ, "Cat Ninja Legend, What Are You Talking About"note The word "Teyandee" is an Edo period slang term that does not have an actual translation for English. It is used by Yattarou/Speedy to show frustration or determination.), licensed by Saban Entertainmentnote Only Lasted until 2002 before Discotek Media acquired the rights to the English series in 2012., who didn't manage to get transcripts of the original anime dialog (or just horribly translated scripts, according to the writer). As such, the writers had to make up stories and dialog from scratch. It seems to have worked fairly well, all things considered. The show pretty much got turned into a really well-written Gag Dub, and the series is actually better known around the world as "Samurai Pizza Cats" than the original source.As for the plot: the eponymous Cats are the owners/employees of a pizza parlor, who defend their city and the royal family (pushy, spoiled Princess Violet [Usa-Hime], and her demented father, Emperor Fred [Shogun Tokugawa Iei-Iei]) from the machinations of the villainous Big Cheese (Kon-no-Kami). Between the giant robots, the ninja crows and the, um, peculiarities of their emperor, this is both harder than it sounds and easier than it ought to be.While the plots can be a bit formulaic, most of the show's appeal comes from the humor and the lame puns (some main characters being Speedy Cerviche [Yattarou], Guido Anchovy [Sukashii], Polly Esther [Pururun] and "Big" Al Dente [Wanko-no-Kami]), and an astounding number of running gags.The show is notable for being perhaps the only heavily edited, rewritten and hacked-up anime dub which international fans actually prefer to the original note perhaps with the exception of Lat Am dubbed Koni Chan. While the original show also took a light-hearted and goofy approach to its action show format, the English Pizza Cats is chock full of sly references, shameless puns, rapid-fire sardonic humor, and a total refusal to so much as acknowledge such an outdated concept as the fourth wall.Despite what you may have heard, it is not a lame Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesrip off, but a decent cartoon that can stand on its own merits. (It was, however, licensed as part of a TMNTFollow the Leader movement.) To quote the theme song, 'These 'Cats have more fur than any Turtle ever had!'There's a character sheet if anyone is interested.
All for Nothing: Happens in Episode 53 of the Japanese series. After Yattarou and Karamaru return safely after destroying the comet that would have wiped out Edoropolis, Omitsu is so happy to see Yattarou alive that she lets out a mega huge missile, blowing up Edoropolis in the process (ironically, the missile is labelled "Omitsu is so happy ~ !!") The townspeople are seen rebuilding it in the end of the episode, however, but still.
Alternative Calendar: One episode of the Japanese version states the setting as year 1991 of the Mecha era.
The Bad Guy Wins: Several, most notably "The Pizza Cats Are Only Human" and "Bad Bird Uncaged".
Bait-and-Switch Credits: The Japanese opening credits sequence features a scene in which Yattarou (Speedy) engages Karamaru (Bad Bird) in midair combat, the red backpack on his armor functioning as a jet pack. However, this ability is never used in the show itself, and in actuality the fact that the cats cannot fly under their own power becomes a plot point in one episode, necessitating the introduction of their Mecha Expansion Packs.
Additionally, Usahime's (Violet's) short appearance in the same sequence gives the impression of a much sweeter, gentler character than what is seen in the show itself.
Catchphrase: "Teyandee!" for Yattarou/Speedy. He says it out of frustration or determination.
There's also "Setsumei shiyou!" ("Allow me to explain!"), which is a Tatsunoko tradition. Usually said by the narrator, and precedes an often snarky or superfluous explanation of a plot point.
The City: Little Tokyo (Edoropolis in the original Japanese version, which is supposed to combine the old term for Tokyo, "Edo", with the suffix "-polis", which is usually a modern term to show that something is big. The Theme Song references this: "A time of the past!/A time of the future!").
Clark Kenting: To the extent that none of the bad guys can see that their main enemies work at a pizza place even though they wear the same helmets.
Cultural Translation: Kyattou Ninden Teyandee was packed with jokes and puns that Japanese viewers got. Those were replaced with American jokes and puns instead.
Curse Cut Short: In the Fan Club Oath: "So hail to thee, O Pizza Cat/Please ring your little bell/Although you may be pen and ink/We know you'll fight like-" "PIZZA CATS!"
Cut-and-Paste Translation: As discussed in the intro, this turned into one due to a lack of useable Japanese scripts.
The Dragon: Bad Bird could easily be considered as Big Cheese's dragon, as his fighting skills rival, and sometimes surpass those of Speedy (and occasionally the whole team). In fact, in the final episode, Bad Bird shows himself to truly be Speedy's superior in combat. He is also the final obstacle before Speedy can destroy the machine pulling the comet towards Little Tokyo.
Dragon Ascendant Bad Bird actually finds mythical Power Armor for a threeparter and is the big bad, working only for his own goals!
Dub Induced Plothole: To make up for runtime lost by cutting some scenes from the original, "Youth is For Exploding" pastes in the stock Transformation Sequence, which features Polly. However Polly was not actually present at that time, having been sent on an elixir-fueled run around the globe earlier in the episode.
Dub Name Change: All of the characters get Anglicized names. Which seems out of place in a very Japanese setting, but the show is pretty out there anyway.
Elemental Powers: The Samurai Pizza Cats Rescue Team each represented one of these. Meowzma was earth, General Catton was fire, Bat Cat was wind, and Spritz T. Cat was water.
Everyone Loves Blondes: Dee Dee from the American Pizza Cats proves this. Also Francine.
Evil Counterpart: The Rude Noise to the Samurai Pizza Cats Rescue Team.
Evil Sounds Deep: Bad Bird in the original Japanese version and the Spanish dub, as he gets a much deeper voice than just about everyone else in the cast.
Follow the Leader: Accidental one at that. The approach they used for the new scripts worked so well it went to influence later shows (released for the US market) like Shin Chan, Lupin III, and even MXC!!
Four-Fingered Hands: Applies to virtually everyone in the show. This was one of the many rumored reasons for the show's long lack of DVD release that spread among Japanese fans, as Japan has a history of controversy over four-fingered characters.
Fur Bikini: Polly and Lucille wore white fuzzy bikinis in an episode. Yet they are already furries.
Furry Reminder: Several examples, such as the heroes succumbing to balls of yarn and canned cat food, Bad Bird being attracted to a shiny hairpin, the Rude Noise being scared of eyeball balloons, and Big Al marking telephone poles.
Gatling Good: Lucinda (Honey), Lucille's New York counterpart, has a pop-up minigun in her hairdo.
Gender Bender: The appropriately-titled episode "Gender Bender Butterfiles" involves a swarm of mechanical butterflies that cause those afflicted to become stereotypes of the opposite gender. Ventures into Ho Yay territory in the Japanese version when feminized Speedy kisses Guido.
Getting Crap Past the Radar: Several jokes in the show tend to fly over the kids' heads. Example: The rabbit pellet joke by Guido.
The episode "The Gender Bender Butterflies"...which didn't get past the radar in the US.
The Big Cheese constantly refers to female characters as hussies.
Plus, y'know, the homosexuality and crossdressing.
The American Pizza Cats doing their pre-fight intro, and The Vamp-y one calling the villains "bad boys" and saying she'll punish them with her whip in a husky voice.
After she does in fact, punish a group of Ninja Crows with her whip, the now beaten and wounded crows all look at her with fear, begging her to stop. However, one of them has hearts for eyes. Phew.
Good Times Montage: Parodied in the episode "Pizza Bird Delivers". Upon Bad Bird giving his farewell to Speedy before leaving his job at the Pizza Cat, a short montage of some of the good times he supposedly spent with the cats plays. To which Speedy responds:
Just Between You and Me: Lampshaded in the following exchange that takes place in one episode of the Japanese version. After it has been revealed that two giant robots rampaging through the city are being powered by hypnotized townspeople:
Karamaru (Bad Bird): *Evil Laugh* You'd like to know how we gathered up those people who are running the mecha, wouldn't you?
Yattarou (Speedy): Shut up! Now's not the time for that!
Pururun (Polly): We're trying to figure out what to do, so quit jabbering!
Karma Houdini: The show's main villains, The Big Cheese and Jerry Atric are still afloat (and not in a parade, like Big Cheese thinks) at the end of the series, although their destination is unknown.
Subverted since the reason why they are afloat is because they are probably exiled from Little Tokyo.
Large Ham: Big Cheese in all three dubs. Bad Bird in the Spanish dub.
Lemony Narrator: This narrator lampshades and talks to the main characters almost as much as Joe.
In one episode he actually gives the Cats a piece of vital information, because the episode was running long.
Macross Missile Massacre: Lucille, would-be love interest of Speedy and Guido, would shoot missiles from her head whenever she got emotionally overexcited.
Karamaru even refers to her as "Missile Girl" in the Japanese version.
Mecha Expansion Pack: The Extra Topping/Mega Up armor, which comes in the form of mechanical birds that attach to the cats to form jet packs.
Mechanical Lifeforms: The show's entire world is populated by robotic anthropomorphic animals (called "Animaloids" in the Japanese version, a portmanteau of "animal" and "android").
Megaton Punch: Polly does this on friends and foes alike.
Merchandise Driven: Character designer Noritaka Suzuki explained on his blog that the protagonists' flight armor forms actually originated from a toy company involved in the show's production.
In the recent official fanbook character designer Hiroshi Ogawa also recounts being told to make characters' feet bigger so their toys could stand properly.
Missing Mom: The reason for Princess Vi's mother not being in the show much is that she's traveling the world to see new cultures. Mainly cultures with good shopping.
Parental Bonus: Lampshaded in one episode of the Japanese version: The professor who often butts in to explain things refers to the song upon which a character's name is based as being popular "way back when your parents were little."
Pragmatic Adaptation: The original scripts weren't shipped along with the animation, so Bandai had to improvise. They improvised very well.
The Psycho Rangers: The Rude Noise (Yami no Yon Nin Shu). Although given their designs and weapons they're actually Pyschos of the Rescue team.
The Power of Friendship: The way the Cats were finally able to defeat the upgraded Bad Bird. And how Speedy and Bad Bird were able to defeat the incoming comet.
Recap Episode: Three of them, "Candid Kitty", "Big Cheese's High-Definition TV", and the Japan-only "Kie! Koon no Kami no Dai Kenkyu (Frightening! Koon no Kami's Big Research)".
Ridiculously Human Robots: Although the show's entire cast is comprised of robots, they still eat, drink, sleep, go to the bathroom, catch colds, have children, etc.
Schizo Tech: Little Tokyo has a curious mix of robots, high tech armor, and Shogun era Japan. The song even comments on it "Where the past meets the future!"
She's a Man in Japan: Amazingly subverted. Despite his frequent cross-dressing and flirting with his male henchmen, the Big Cheese retains his gender. In fact, the only thing about him that changes is his species - in the original he's a fox, but the dub makes him a rat.
Shout Out: Quite a few actually. They've had several references to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bat Cat is a reference to Batman, General Catton is a reference to the real life General George S. Patton, Spritz the Cat is a reference to Fritz The Cat, and so on.
Spiritual Successor: Arguably, Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger AKA Twelve Warrior Explosive Eto Rangers, since they share the same character designer. YMMV.
Spoof Aesop: "Whoever said 'Violence never solved anything'... wasn't a Pizza Cat!"
Stable Time Loop: The Cats end up traveling back in time in one episode and rescue Big Al, giving him the idea to create the Pizza Cats in the first place.
Stock Footage Several cases, but most obviously Speedy's Cat's Eye Slash, "Because it's in his contract!"
Evil Costume Switch: Bad Bird's Armor of Worc in the two-part episode, "Bad Bird Uncaged", complete with a flute that transforms into a bazooka or a machine gun (the latter which is only seen in the Japanese version).
Super Robot: The Supreme Catatonic (a.k.a. Nyago King or Nyago Ou in the original Japanese version.)
Take That: A lyric in the theme song says "They've got more fur than any turtle ever had."
Also in the first episode "Stop Dragon My Cat Around" there's a mention of a retirement home for aging Ninja Turtles.
There Was A Door: In one episode Polly gets SO TICKED off she runs right through the wall of the pizza place- even though the door was right across from her!
Tohoku Regional Accent: Okara, who comes from the rural Karakara village, speaks with this. Karamaru slips into the accent upon meeting her, being reminded of his own days back in the village. It also rubs off on the cats and even the narrator.
To the Batpole!: The top of the pizza parlor is actually a giant revolver, and the ovens are used to load the cats into it.
Verbal Tic: In the original Japanese version, Yattarou (Speedy) says "Teyandee!" a lot, which becomes his Catchphrase. Emperor Fred in the English/Spanish dub says "Fred" a lot.
Who Would Want to Watch Us?: When the Cats go to Guru Lou to see about getting a giant robot of their own, Guido off-handedly remarks, "If he's such a wise guy, what's he doing working on our stupid show?"
You Are Number Six: In Kyattou Ninden Teyandee, when the Pizza Cats are in their battle gear, Yattarou (Speedy) is known as "Nyanki #1", Sukashii (Guido) is known as "Nyanki #2", and Pururun (Polly) is known as "Nyanki #3".
The Karakara mecha all follow a "Name #<number>" convention, often forming a pun of some sort.
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