Bowser Jr's Sickness is the fourth episode of The Mario Plushie Cinematic Universe.
Bowser Jr. comes home from school and rushes into his brother, Larry's, room, who has been sick for a while. After a long conversation, Larry points out the stain on Jr's nose. He explains it's from a nosebleed from a while ago. After the conversation, Jr. goes into the bathroom to clean up his nose. He goes as far as to drop a weight on his face and rub it in kitty litter. Somehow, it not only doesn't work, but makes the stain worse. Jr. goes to bed, unsatisfied.
Bowser wakes him up the next morning. Jr. is concerned, as he has a really sore throat. Bowser takes his temperature to reveal that Jr. has a fever of 104°F.note Concerned, Bowser enlists the help of Kamek and a certain two brothers... Wario and Waluigi. They are quickly deemed unfit and are replaced by Mario and Luigi. Mario agrees to enter Jr's nose, but Luigi can't, because he won't show up on the green screen. Kamek uses his magic to send Mario into Jr's nose.
Mario is adventuring through Jr's nose when he is found by a big germ. The germ follows him up until he finds a mysterious object in Jr's nose. Mario presses it, which starts a huge waterfall. While he's running, he is attacked by the germ, which quickly runs away after. Mario runs after the germ and dresses as a white blood cell. This catches the germ's attention, and Mario jumps out at it. This starts a big fight, and Mario runs away, sliding down one nostril while the germ is baited into the other.
Outside Jr's nose, Kamek realizes he's lost his wand. Bowser admits that he lost it, and this sets Kamek off. Kamek blocks off Jr's nostrils to make sure neither Mario nor the germ can escape. Meanwhile, Mario realizes the exit is blocked out, and the germ converges back with Mario. They engage in a heated battle. Bowser shouts that he found Kamek's wand, but this is revealed to be a ruse to distract Kamek. Mario sees the opening and escapes through Jr's nostril, along with the germ.
Bowser sees the germ and immediately goes full Papa Wolf mode, attacking the germ and killing it. This sets Kamek off, and he threatens Bowser. He looks down and immediately finds his wand, lampshading how It Was There the Whole Time. He sends a magic spell towards Bowser, but Mario jumps in and takes the spell, which renders him unable to fight. Bowser Jr. suddenly feels better and rushes over to defeat Kamek. Kamek seems to knock him to the ground, but Jr. takes his wand and uses it against him, sending him flying.
The episode ends with Bowser asking Mario to fix Larry's strep throat, to which he shakes his head "no".
This episode contains examples of:
- Artistic License – Anatomy: During the fight between Mario and the germ, Mario slides down one nostril while the germ slides down the other. Then, they both end up back at the same place. That doesn't happen in real noses.
- Artistic License – Biology: Hoo boy.
- The disease Jr. has is generally regarded to be strep throat, like Larry. Strep, however, is not a virus, even though the germ in Jr's nose is referred to as that. It's an infection of the throat.
- Furthermore, Mario dresses up as a white blood cell because "viruses attack white blood cells". First of all, strep throat doesn't necessarily attack white blood cells. Second, attacking white blood cells is not a trademark of a virus. If Jr. had some sort of disease that attacks white blood cells specifically, it would be some form of cancer or AIDS. So, safe to say, pretty inaccurate.
- Call-Back:
- The items found in Bowser Jr's nose in Jr's Sickness are all there from the montage. The soap, the weight, and the poop.
- At the end, Bowser asks Mario to fix Larry's strep throat, to which he gives a Blunt "No".
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: The B-plot. Kamek had his wand next to him on the bed the whole time, and if he had found it earlier, he wouldn't have had his Face–Heel Turn.
- Face–Heel Turn: After Kamek learns Bowser lost his wand, he decides to trap Mario in Jr's nose.
- "Fantastic Voyage" Plot: The plot, where Mario has to venture into Bowser Jr's immune system to fight the germ causing his sickness.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: Bowser pays his rival, Mario, to fix his son's illness, and they have an uneasy alliance after.
- Green Screen: A (terrible) green screen is used to convey Mario's adventure in Jr's nose.
- Healing Magic Is the Hardest: Larry is unable to use his magic to cure himself of his strep throat.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Mario jumps in front of Kamek's magic to save Bowser. Downplayed in that Mario doesn't actually die, but is just rendered unable to fight.
- Heroic Second Wind: Bowser Jr. recovers from his sickness just in time to join in on the fight with Kamek.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Kamek is defeated by Bowser Jr., who uses his own wand against him.
- Monstrous Germs: The germ found in Jr's nose is this.
- Mood Whiplash: The intense chase scene with Mario and the germ transitions immediately into Bowser and Kamek bickering.
- Mythology Gag: Jr. refers to a nosebleed from his "emo phase". This references an old, now deleted series by Mario Master 412, Bowser Jr. The Gangster, a Darker and Edgier version of his normal plush videos following Jr's life of crime.
- Papa Wolf: Bowser is quick to attack the germ to protect his sun.
- Post-Climax Confrontation: Kamek fights Bowser for losing his wand after Bowser Jr's sickness is cured.
- Potty Humor:
- Jr. tries to use cat litter to fix his stain. It doesn't work.
- Wario was apparently "toileting" when Kamek teleported him to Jr's room.
