Almond: Awesome! I've always wanted to fight a real monster. Cucumber:I haven't!
Tomorrow's the first day of school at Puffington's Academy for the Magically Gifted and/or Incredibly Wealthy, and Cucumber's all packed up to move in. Before he can tuck into his last dinner at home, a letter arrives: Cucumber's father, Lord Cabbage, has been kidnapped and imprisoned by the henchmen of the evil Queen Cordelia, who plans to Take Over the World! Despite being meek and studious and having a little sister who probably would do a better job, saving the world is strictly the duty of Cucumber. Cucumber sneaks into the Caketown Castle dungeons to speak with his father, who tells him Cordelia's plan: to amassthe Disaster Stonesand awaken the Nightmare Knight! Cabbage tells Cucumber to meet with the Dream Oracle, who will grant him the legendary Dream Sword, an invaluable weapon against the Nightmare Knight.And so begins Cucumber's quest.Cucumber Quest is a webcomic by Gigi Digi of Hiimdaisy fame, and so far reads like a snarky love-letter to classic SNES-era video games, presented with a Paper Mario-style sense of humor. It can be read here.Has a slowly filling character sheet. Put character-specific tropes there.Now has its very own fan dub, complete with soundtrack.In addition, there is now a music album based on the comic in the works (made by the same person behind the Ruby Quest album). It can be found here
Cabbage's explanation of the background of the Nightmare Knight is accompanied by a shift to paper cutouts.
A presumably less deliberate example: some stylistic elements like the crayon-style outlines are used inconsistently from page to page.
The paper cutouts appear again in Princess Nautilus' explanation of the Disaster Masters.
Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: A lot of the characters have some kind of character design element that is perfectly in line with their name. For example, Bacon's hair is wavy and greasy and looks like bacon while Peridot's is boxy and resembles green gemstone.
Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Despite their constant sibling squabbles, Almond and Cucumber's reunion during the battle with Splashmaster is genuinely adorable and heartwarming. Hugs and snuggles and relief all 'round!
Band Land: The Melody Kingdom, if its name is anything to go by. Oh, and its skyline seen at the end of the Chapter 1, which displays such features as a treble clef tower and a range of harp-shaped mountains.
Beach Episode: Starting in earnest here, with all present cast members morphed into swimsuits for the duration.
Bloodless Carnage: While fighting the Splashmaster, Almond cuts off two of his tentacles, then slices his entire body in half. Instead of blood, there's an explosion of light and water.
Double Standard: Satirized with the whole "Little sisters can't be heroes!" subplot.
Drowning Pit: Splashmaster drags Nautilus and Carrot under the water, and even deflects the underwater breathing spell that Cucumber tries to cast on them to ensure that they drown.
Edible Theme Naming: Applies to every named character who lives in the Doughnut Kingdom, except for the Oracle. In a more specific example, Cordelia has a trio of goons named Bacon, Dame Lettuce, and Sir Tomato.
Evil Is Not a Toy: The Nightmare Knight warns Cordelia to watch her tone.
Functional Genre Savvy: Pretty much everyone besides Cucumber is this. They are all absolutely sure things must play out a certain way (ie. Cucumber being The Hero and using the Dream Sword to fight the Nightmare Knight) even when they make absolutely no sense (ie. Cucumber a rather rubbish hero and there are other, less exciting, ways to stop the Nightmare Knight).
Hammerspace: Almond's pocket is where she keeps her sword, according to a bonus comic and page 333 of the comic proper.
Hostile Comic Takeover Bacon takes over the website for April Fool's 2013, and modifies much of the site to resemble himself. Including the banner, the latest page, and the character page and their descriptions.
Idiot Ball: Time will tell if Almond's decision to simply hand over the last Disaster Stone because she feels the quest wouldn't be epic enough if they didn't will be this or simply the usual genre enforcement of the world. Or both.
It's Up to You: As much as Cucumber attempts to avert this, no one will let him off the hook about this world-saving business.
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: It would work better if Lettuce cared that Parfait doesn't want to be happy with Tomato.
Just Break The MacGuffin: Cucumber mentions it would make more sense to do this with the disaster stones twice. Sir Carrot even agrees with him. But the other characters think that's a boring idea, and are insistent on sticking to the genre. Almond even gleefully gives the last disaster stone to Peridot to prevent Cucumber and Carrot from breaking it, so that the villains can summon the Nightmare Knight.
Know When to Fold 'Em: Carrot argues this. Baguette quickly retorts that the monster he was faced with had neither claws nor teeth.
The Last of These Is Not Like the Others: With the set of things being visual and placed in a circle, it doesn't really fall specifically under any of the subtropes, but it's immediately apparent that the Disaster Stones have some sort of generic elemental theme, with the orbs having pastel colorings with symbols on them of a cloud, fire, flower, a... lighting-bolt looking thing, a music note, wind, and... a pitch black orb with a bright red power on/off symbol on it.
Refusal of the Call: Cucumber thinks he's probably the least qualified person to save the world and wants to go to school. No one will have any of it.
Rhetorical Request Blunder: Cucumber absent-mindedly wishes that he could know where Saturday is—and Saturday is immediately teleported right in front of him. Nautilus realizes what's up:
Nautilus: We didn't see it, but a star must have passed by right when you made that absentminded wish just now!
Cucumber: Huh?! If I'd known that, I would have made a good one!
Retroactive Wish: He immediately begins making more wishes, unsuccessfully.
Role-Playing Game Verse: All significant characters have stat distributions on the site's Character page and Gigi has released inventories for Cucumber and Almond on her Tumblr. However, while the comic resembles an RPG in presentation and story, actual gameplay elements like stats or MP haven't made an appearance in the work itself.
Rubber Forehead Aliens: Despite looking vaguely feline in appearance, there's nothing to suggest Cordelia is anything but an exceptionally pointy rabbit. Cosmo, however, is a bit easier to recognize as being from the Moon.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: "Puffington's Academy for the Magically Gifted and/or Incredibly Wealthy" would imply that to get in you need either magical skill or enough money for lack of skill to not matter.
Chardonnay crashing onto Nautilus's head while searching for Cucumber is incredibly reminiscent to Twink landing on Mario's head while searching for him in Paper Mario.
Captain Caboodle pretty much quotes Buzz Lightyear upon meeting Cucumber and Nautilus.
Squee- done by Queen Cordelia on page 118. It's surprisingly adorable after she had finished chewing out her henchmen and threatened to turn them into stone.
Stating the Simple Solution: Cucumber suggests that he simply destroy the Disaster Stones instead of going on a long-winded quest. Cabbage panics and says it would make him the most boring legendary hero ever.
Cucumber does this again when he, Almond and Carrot are exploring Saturday's hideout for the Dream Sword and discover the last Disaster Stone. Cucumber considers holding onto it and not even bothering to grab the sword. Surprisingly, Carrot agrees with him, putting the safety of the kingdom over the adventure. Unsurprisingly, Almond finds that idea boring.
Stay in the Kitchen: "When's the last time you ever heard of a little sister becoming a legendary hero?"
Stealth Pun: Grizzlygum is a bear with no teeth, just gums. In short, he's a GUMMY bear.
Unsound Effect: Doors closing with the sound effect "shut" appears to be becoming a minor Running Gag.
Readers of Hiimdaisy will already be familiar with the all-purpose sound effect "PFFT."
Unusual Ears: The Dream Oracle's resemble membranous wings.
Useless Useful Spell: Inverted — The Extremely Specific and Pretty Much Completely Worthless Capsule Spell Machine grants Cucumber "the power to place a comically oversized bathtub drain on any surface." It proves surprisingly useful against Splashmaster, doubling as Chekhov's Skill.
Cucumber and Almond are just Kids. Almond is a Slightly Younger Kid.
We at least know that Cucumber is not 9. Because that's how old his father thinks he is.
Verbal Tic: Baguette has a tic, man. Tartelette does too, hon. Lettuce, like, probably counts, too. As does Crabbro, bro.
Verbal Backspace: Cucumber does an impressive one while being introduced to Princess Nautilus:
Cucumber: Oh, or how about I call you Nautie for sh— [Nautilus glares at him] Cucumber: ...how about I call you Nautilus. Nautilus:That would be wonderful! ♥
You Can't Thwart Stage One: Cuco would very much like to avert this trope by preventing the Nightmare Knight's summoning, but the enemy—and even some of his allies—are determined to have it played straight. The fact that Cucumber is the only one who even considered the possibility of this trope being averted really plays into his role as Only Sane Man.
Has a slowly filling character sheet. Put character-specific tropes there.Now has its very own fan dub
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