History WesternAnimation / KappaMikey

* AnimeThemeSong - One of the few, if not ''only'', instances of a J-pop band writing an original song for an American cartoon! ''Hey! X2 Look! X2'' was performed by the Beat Crusaders (best known for ''Tonight, Tonight, Tonight'', the 4th opening in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''), and was the only piece of music for ''Kappa Mikey'' that was not written in-house. This band tended to sing mainly in English and were influenced by the United States heavily. They also performed the original theme ''Hit in the USA'' for ''Anime/{{Beck}}''.

The initial response from the show's premiere was met with less-than-positive reviews, and there is still a large body of haters (professional animators, actual otaku, ThatDudeInTheSuede, in particular). The show is available on iTunes, and has gained a small cult following and dedicated internet fanbase. It is also succeeded by one {{Spinoff}} mini-series that is available on Website/YouTube and has... you guessed it... never seen the light of day in United States television.

** [[{{Mentors}} The Mentor]]: Ozu
** KidAppealCharacter: Yes Man

* NiceCharacterMeanActor[=/=]MeanCharacterNiceActor: Lily, Mitzuki and Gonard respectively. In ''Lily Mu'', Lily playw the cutesy heroine while Mitzuki is the stricter teammate. Gonard is the main villain of series. Off the set, though, Lily is a mean individual who only cares about her needs. Mitzuki is kind to a fault and Gonard is... well he not evil, [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} just Gonard]].

* BrickJoke - In one episode, Mikey accidentally destroys Ozu's precious Bonsai Tree. In a later episode Mikey pulls out a katana, cutting everything in sight, including, you guessed it a bonsai tree. Both even catch on fire after losing all of their branches.
* BrokenTreasure - Mikey at one point looses the photos containing Mitsuki's fond memories, and frantically takes replacements before she gets wise.

* CartoonPhysics - If Mikey is an example of a ''Western'' type of animation, shouldn't he have ''more'' cartoon physics than the anime characters?!

* AnimeThemeSong - One of the few, if not ''only'', instances of a J-pop band writing an original song for an American cartoon! ''Hey! X2 Look! X2'' was performed by the Beat Crusaders (best known for ''Tonight, Tonight, Tonight'' the 4th opening in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''), and was the only piece of music for ''Kappa Mikey'' that was not written in-house. This band tended to sing mainly in English and were influenced by the United States heavily. They also performed the original theme ''Hit in the USA'' for ''Anime/{{Beck}}''.

A 2006-to-2008 FishOutOfWater WorkCom [[Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} Nicktoon]] animated in-house at Creator/AnimationCollective, and NicktoonsNetwork's first original cartoon. The show blends tropes from both [[AnimationTropes American cartoons]] and [[JapaneseMediaTropes Japanese cartoons]]. ''Kappa Mikey'' is about American teenage actor Mikey Simon who wins a contest giving him a role in the flagging {{anime}} series ''Lily Mu'', and [[GrowingTheBeard ends up making it a hit]]. ''Lily Mu'' is a show that parodies, and includes, more {{Superhero}} and {{Shonen}} tropes than would fit in this article, and are all the more appropriate to contrast with the ordinary "real world" in the main show.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kappy-mikey04.jpg]]

->''Hey! Look! Out in the streets!\\
Don't you see the man is Kappa Mikey!''

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kappy-mikey04.jpg

A 2006-to-2008 FishOutOfWater WorkCom [[{{Nickelodeon}} Nicktoon]] animated in-house at AnimationCollective, and NicktoonsNetwork's first original cartoon. The show blends tropes from both [[AnimationTropes American cartoons]] and [[JapaneseMediaTropes Japanese cartoons]]. ''Kappa Mikey'' is about American teenage actor Mikey Simon who wins a contest giving him a role in the flagging {{anime}} series ''Lily Mu'', and [[GrowingTheBeard ends up making it a hit]]. ''Lily Mu'' is a show that parodies, and includes, more {{Superhero}} and {{Shonen}} tropes than would fit in this article, and are all the more appropriate to contrast with the ordinary "real world" in the main show.

Now with a [[Characters/KappaMikey Characters]] page. Any tropes specific to an individual character should go there.

* {{Animeesque}}: Except Mikey's animation, for obvious reasons.

-->''Hey! Look! Out in the streets!\\

--> --[-refrain from the theme song-]

A 2006-to-2008 FishOutOfWater WorkCom [[{{Nickelodeon}} Nicktoon]] animated in-house at AnimationCollective, and NicktoonsNetwork's first original cartoon. The show blends tropes from both [[AnimationTropes American cartoons]] and [[JapaneseMediaTropes Japanese cartoons]]. ''KappaMikey'' is about American teenage actor Mikey Simon who wins a contest giving him a role in the flagging {{anime}} series ''Lily Mu'', and [[GrowingTheBeard ends up making it a hit]]. ''Lily Mu'' is a show that parodies, and includes, more {{Superhero}} and {{Shonen}} tropes than would fit in this article, and are all the more appropriate to contrast with the ordinary "real world" in the main show.

The initial response from the show's premiere was met with less-than-positive reviews, and there is still a large body of haters (professional animators, actual otaku, ThatDudeInTheSuede, in particular). The show was available on iTunes, and has gained a small cult following and dedicated internet fanbase. It is also succeeded by one {{Spinoff}} mini-series that is available on Website/YouTube and has... you guessed it... never seen the light of day in United States television.

The initial response from the show's premiere was met with less-than-positive reviews, and there is still a large body of haters (professional animators, actual otaku, ThatDudeInTheSuede, in particular). The show was available on iTunes until November 2012, and has gained a small cult following and dedicated internet fanbase. It is also succeeded by one {{Spinoff}} mini-series that is available on Website/YouTube and has... you guessed it... never seen the light of day in United States television.

The initial response from the show's premiere was met with less-than-positive reviews, and there is still a large body of haters (professional animators, actual otaku, ThatDudeInTheSuede, in particular). The show is nonetheless available on iTunes, and has gained a small cult following and dedicated internet fanbase. It is also succeeded by one {{Spinoff}} mini-series that is available on Website/YouTube and has... you guessed it... never seen the light of day in United States television.

* NiceCharacterMeanActor / MeanCharacterNiceActor: Lily, Mitzuki and Gonard respectively. In Lily Mu, Lily play the cutsy heroine while Mitzuki is more the stricter teammate. Gonard is the main villan of series. Off the set though, Lily is a mean indiviual who only cares about her needs. Mitzuki is kind to a fault and Gonard is...well he not evil, [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} just Gonard]].

* AnimeThemeSong - One of the few, if not ''only'', instances of a J-pop band writing an original song for an American cartoon! ''Hey! X2 Look! X2'' was performed by the Beat Crusaders (best known for ''Tonight, Tonight, Tonight'' the 4th opening in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''), and was the only piece of music for ''Kappa Mikey'' that was not written in-house. This band tended to sing mainly in English and were influenced by the United States heavily. They also performed the original theme ''Hit in the USA'' for ''{{Beck}}''.

** The pilot has Ozu expressing a deep hatred for [[YuGiOh cards]], and that all shows seem to have them.

-->'''Mikey:''' can robots love?

-->'''Ozo:''' Er, internet.

The initial response from the show's premiere was met with less-than-positive reviews, and there is still a large body of haters (professional animators, actual otaku, ThatDudeInTheSuede, in particular). The show is nonetheless available on iTunes, and has gained a small cult following and dedicated internet fanbase. It is also succeeded by one {{Spinoff}} mini-series that is available on YouTube and has... you guessed it... never seen the light of day in United States television.

* AnimeThemeSong - One of the few, if not ''only'', instances of a J-pop band writing an original song for an American cartoon! ''Hey! X2 Look! X2'' was performed by the Beat Crusaders (best known for ''Tonight, Tonight, Tonight'' the 4th opening in ''{{Bleach}}''), and was the only piece of music for ''Kappa Mikey'' that was not written in-house. This band tended to sing mainly in English and were influenced by the United States heavily. They also performed the original theme ''Hit in the USA'' for ''{{Beck}}''.

* [[BigDamnMovie Big Damn Fan Movie]] - [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yLy1_iacvU Well,... the trailer, at least. ...and a damned GOOD one!]]

** Especially in Season 2, the ''[=LilyMu=]'' sequences were recycled and altered in new episodes.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs - One writer, or a pair of writers, depends on this a lot as jokes in a few episodes.
* BrickJoke - In one episode, Mikey accidentally destroys Ozu's precious Bonsai Tree. In a later episode Mikey pulls out a katana, cutting everything in sight, including, you guessed it a bonsai tree. Both even catch on fire after losing all of their branches.

* CutawayGag - Of the ''FamilyGuy'' variety, though not used so much as to make the show memorable for it.

* FashionShow - The episode ''Fashion Frenzy''.
* FeudEpisode - Several.
** ''Easy Come Easy Gonard'': Gonard and Mikey have a falling out. [[spoiler:Mitsuki has them make up later.]]

* [[GassHole Gasshole]]- Gonard on most occasions, though after she accidentally ate ice cream with "fart powder" on it, Mitsuki became one during the series finale, "Live [=LilyMu=]."

* HowTheCharacterStoleChristmas - Not the focus of the special, though... and it only lasts a minute.

* {{Love at First Sight}} - Mitsuki to Mikey in the pilot, Mikey to Lily in the pilot.

* NiceCharacterMeanActor / MeanCharacterNiceActor: Lily, Mitzuki and Gonard respectively. In Lily Mu, Lily play the cutsy heroine while Mitzuki is more the stricter teammate. Gonard is the main villan of series. Off the set though, Lily is a mean indiviual who only cares about her needs. Mitzuki is kind to a fault and Gonard is...well he not evil, [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} just Gonard]].

* TheMusical -- Or rather, the Karaoke Episode.

* TwoLinesNoWaiting

* TheJimmyHartVersion - The instrumental score is filled with original tunes that try and fail to disguise the songs they are built over.

* {{Irony}} - This never aired in Japan. It was otherwise MTV Network's first ''global'' acquisition and was translated into at least 15 languages. ... given what the show is trying to say, it's actually not surprising.

* BookEnds - The Lily Mu sequence bookends [[OnceAnEpisode each episode]]- the first time, the take is ruined, and the second time, they get it right and it is changed to incorporate whatever lesson was learned.
** [[Tropers/PriffyViole This Troper]] remembers an episode where they got it right on the first take. It was the one with the Mikey Super Fans.

* ComedyAesop

* ShallowParody - Characters [[LawyerFriendlyCameo resemble famous anime stars]], but the parody pretty much stops at appearances.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Notice that Lily and Mitsuki lack a Japanese accent, let alone not sounding like a Japanese.

* HoYay - Yes Man is just a ''biiiiit'' too willing to obey Ozu's every whim, even if it's purely because he was practically bred to be his personal assistant by occupation. He also sleeps literally underneath him! Ozu seems to also return his affections at times. The subplot of "Mitsuki Vanishes" is essentially about a couple breaking up and making up again.

* ParodyEpisode - Several. One of them involving ''TheRing'', of all things (though possibly because it was based on a Japanese horror film). Another episode parodies ''MurderOnTheOrientExpress'', although its title is a play on ''TheLadyVanishes''.