Rainbow Brite (real name: Wisp) is a young girl who helps to bring color to the world, accompanied by the seven Color Kids, Twink the sprite, and Rainbow's horse, Starlite.Rainbow Brite and her allies frequently have to deal with the schemes of Murky Dismal, a short, mustachioed villain who, along with his oafish henchman Lurky, tries to make all of Rainbowland as dark and gloomy as his lair in The Pits.The franchise was initially adapted as a series of 5 TV specials in that aired during a syndication week. This was followed by a feature-length film, which in turn was followed a 13 episode TV series.Quite prominent in DeviantART, where most of the fan art features Rainbow Brite as a scene kid or an animesqueMagical Girl.
Blooper - In the first episode of the TV series, we see that Murky and Lurky have captured Lala Orange, Indigo and Buddy Blue. When Wisp and her group rescue them, Buddy's been switched with Patty O'Green, who had actually been rescued earlier.
Catchphrase - "We have to try!", "Oh no!", and "Rainbow! Help!" show up a lot.
Clap Your Hands If You Believe - In "The Beginning of Rainbowland" Wisp tells Twink who is being turned into an ice statue, "You can make it if you believe you can. Believe Twink! Try and believe!"
Darker and Edgier - Sure, The Movie starts with a nice and cheerful song about spring and waking up and being energetic and the first 15 minutes or so go on just like any other Rainbow Brite episode... and then the robot horse arrives and the cheerfulness goes right out the window not to be seen until the very end. And believe me, it does get dark before that.
Freudian Excuse - It is revealed in the episode "Mom" that when Murky was an infant, he loved colors, and he expressed this by coloring on the walls. This angered his mother, who told him, "You're going to get rid of every bit of that color if it takes you all day, if takes you the rest of your life."
Keep Circulating the Tapes - The only part of the show to get DVD treatment was the movie back in 2004. It has since gone out of print (again; the DVD release came long after the VHS release went OOP)
No longer true, at least in parts of the world: Britain got several volumes of random episodes that, together, add up to an almost-complete series. Australia got a "Complete Series" box set (this, however, is missing "Peril in the Pits"). More recently, Germany also got a set. The Movie however has so far only been released in Region 1.
Never Say "Die": Inverted in the movie when Rainbow explains why she has to go to Spectra:
"Don't you understand? Spring will never come again if something happens to Spectra. I've never been there, but it's part of me. It's part of the colors and the joy that we bring, and if Spectra dies, happiness everywhere will die. Without the light of life, we'll all...all of us will die."
Not-So-Harmless Villain: Murky has his moments, such as when he captured and tortured Moonglo with light. In the same episode he nearly killed Rainbow by pushing her into a pit.
Not Quite Flight: Starlite can gallop on rainbows as if on solid ground, but he still needs Rainbow to create them for him. Inverted in the movie with ON-X, a robot horse who can actually fly.
Off Model - Indigo's skin in "The Beginning of Rainbowland" is light in one scene.
Panty Shot - How repeatedly flashing the knickers of half the Rainbow Brite cast got a pass from the censors is a mystery.
Parental Bonus - The name of Color Kid Red Butler, Murky mixing a potion in a cocktail shaker and pouring it into a martini glass, etc. Double as Late to the Punchline moments for some viewers.
Remember the New Guy - Stormy, Moonglo and Tickled Pink show up in episode 4 with absolutely no explanation. In the same episode, Starlite looks at Murky's Paper-Thin Disguise and muses, "I thought I knew all the Colour Kids."
Really 700 Years Old - According to an offhand remark in an early episode, possibly everyone in Rainbowland, and definitely Murky at least.
Sealed Evil in a Can: The Monstromurk. It probably would have gone better for Murky if he hadn't made a habit of taunting him every night before bed...
Shout Out: DS game Treasure World has a the Rainbow Tiara, Dress, Skirt, and Belt that makes your character look exactly like Rainbow Brite.
0 reviews 