In the pilot episode for the Donkey Kong Country animated series, King K. Rool, fed up with Donkey Kong's constant interference in his attempts to steal the Crystal Coconut, decides that DK must go. To that end, he uses a curse to remove DK's strength by having a robot double of Candy Kong cut his hair. With DK powerless, can Kongo Bongo Island be saved?
Tropes
- Adaptational Dumbass: Donkey Kong in the manga version given that the Fem Bot Candy's robotic appearance is even more obvious and he still doesn't get it.
- Balloon Belly: DK devours every banana in the plantation and is noticeably fat after doing so. It's not until he eats the potion-grown banana that he slims back down.
- Biblical Motifs: The spell put on Donkey Kong is evocative of the story of Samson and Delilah, where the normally strong Donkey Kong is robbed of his strength when the Fem Bot Candy cuts his hair.
- Dirty Coward: When his troops are all defeated by DK, K. Rool sheepishly tries to talk his way out of it and runs for his life.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The accident that causes Candy to go into Bluster's cake headfirst was just that, a pure accident caused by DK. But she still says he's just as bad as Bluster (who is sexually harassing her despite being her boss) and orders him to leave.
- Deus ex Machina: Cranky brews a potion that should restore DK's strength and hair, but Candy needs to give it to him. Bluster, however, decides that he doesn't care if K. Rool rules over Kongo Bongo just so long as DK is out of his way. To that end, he snatches the potion from Candy and pours it out onto the ground... causing a banana tree to grow, whose fruit returns DK to normal.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The interior of K. Rool's lair looks slightly different, and Krusha is much smarter and more menacing here than in subsequent episodes. Cranky also functions as a visual narrator to introduce the premise and cast of characters.
- Fem Bot: King K. Rool's Evil Plan involves the creation of a gynoid replica of Candy, who then has a spell cast on DK so that without his hair, DK is rendered powerless. In the manga, her roboticness is even more obvious and she uses an electric razor in her jaw to shave Donkey Kong's hair.
- Gag Haircut: Played for Drama. Candy Clone offers DK to give him an Intimate Haircut, rendering him bald as a way to rob DK of all his strength. Apparently that cowlick on his head isn't his hair, it's how his skull is shaped.
- Limited Wardrobe: The first scene officially starring Donkey Kong has him mulling over what to wear, made funny by the fact that they are all the same type of tie.
- Magic A Is Magic A: Cranky's Voodoo Undo potion can reverse any spell, but it only works if the person who originally cast the curse gives it to the victim. Cranky, however, reasons that it will still work if Candy gives the potion to DK, since Candy Clone was identical to her.
- Mr. Exposition: Cranky Kong breaks the Fourth Wall to let viewers in on key differences between the TV series and the games they are based on.
- No-Sell: Once cursed, this is what DK's punches do to Krusha.Krusha: Ooh, you're ticklin' me.
- Offscreen Airplane Pull-up: Funky Kong's plane nosedives after it falls off of the boardwalk road thing, only to come back up after it falls offscreen.
- Token Evil Teammate: Bluster is the only Kong who doesn't care about DK and outright tries to destroy the potion so that he will no longer be competition for Candy, outright saying he doesn't mind if K. Rool takes over.
- Villain Song: "Candy Clone", the song that the Fem Bot replica of Candy introduces herself with.Every monkey's dream
For your evil scheme
It's so cool
To work for King K. Rool. - Weight Woe: Candy rejects Bluster's birthday cake he got for her due to claiming she's watching her figure.
- The Worf Effect: The spell K. Rool and Candy Clone use on DK robs him of all of his strength, leaving the rest of the episode with the Kongs to figure out a way to cure him.
