Series / Kabouter Plop

Plopper De Plop ^note  From left to right: Kwebbel, Lui, Plop and Klus (Not pictured Smal and Smul)

"Dag ploppertjes allemaal!"

Kabouter Plop ^note  Plop the Gnome (Lutin Plop) is a live-action Belgian children's series by Studio 100 about a group of gnomes. The main characters are Plop, Klus, Kwebble and Lui. In the early 2000's new characters were introduced: Big Eater Smul and the beautiful Smal. The show first began airing in 1997 on the Flemish station "VTM" and was also aired on the Dutch station 'Zappelin'. The series later gained a french version in 2007 called "Lutin Plop" for the Walloon region of Belgium. The characters from the show are also commonly spotted in various live shows in Belgium.

In October 2015, a new show starring Plop called Plop & de Peppers was created. This show stars Plop with three new characters Pip a female mouse, Pepijn a male bunny, and Pole a male mole.

On September 2017, a third show starring Plop was created called Plop & Felle which introduced a third female gnome as part of the main cast.

The official Youtube channel has tons of episodes from the show's past years including songs. The French/Walloon Youtube channel can also be found here.

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Tropes related to the series:

• Adaptational Attractiveness: In the Walloon version, Kwebbel (Pipolette in French) looks a lot younger and beautiful compared to the original Flemish version of the series where she is played by a middle aged woman (Agnes De Nul). Same goes for Lui (Dordebou) who is now the same size as (or even smaller than) the others while in the Flemish version he's the tallest of the bunch.
• A Day in the Limelight: Most of the main characters apart from Plop have had at least a few episodes and songs in which they play the central role.
• Agony of the Feet: A common joke used in many episodes. An example is an episode where Klus tricks the other gnomes into kicking a rock by pretending it's a soccer ball.
• All Trolls Are Different: The gnomes encounter a troll during their live show "Kabouter Plop en De Treitertrol" and in the movie "Plop wordt Kabouterkoning".
• An Aesop: At the end of every episode, Plops explains the moral of said episode to the audience.
• An Odd Place to Sleep: Lui has a habit of falling asleep in the weirdest places and in the weirdest positions. For exemple, he has already fallen dozed off in a boat, under a table and standing up.
• Anti-Sneeze Finger: Plop does this to Klus two times in the movie "Plop en het vioolavontuur".
• Artistic Age: Even though Plop looks (and acts) older than the rest of the gnomes, it's almost impossible to put any specific age on any of them. They can act like grown ups, build complex structures and have day jobs, and at the same time they get scared easily, cry over stuffed animals, play school and enjoy drinking milk and eating cookies more than anything else.
• Audience Participation Song: In most of the live shows most of the characters would encourage the audience to sing along with them at some point in a song and would even had one section sing them by themselves while they tell them what part they sing. The most notable would be the song Daar zijn vrienden voor and De Dagen Van De Week.
• Bedsheet Ghost: Klus uses this for scaring the other gnomes in the song "Het Spook". However, Plop figures out the truth and pulls the same trick on him, causing Klus to run off into the woods.
• Big Eater: Smul's main character trait is his love for cakes and tarts.
• Butt-Monkey: Klus regularly gets the short end of the stick when some of his own pranks backfire on him.
• Birthday Episode: The episode "Lui is verdwenen" features Plop,Smal, and Kwebbel preparing to surprise Lui with a birthday cake. However Lui gets bored of waiting and decides to leave somewhere. The three decide to look for him but are later sad after looking everywhere for him and not finding him, until the ending where Plop is narrating in bed and Lui was sleeping next to his bed the whole time. Plop then gives the birthday cake to him.
  • It's Plop's birthday in the episode "Plops Verjaardagstaart", in which Plop believes the gang has forgotten about his birthday.
  • "Plop en de Wenssteen", in which Klus has forgotten about Plop's birthday and tries to give him a regular stone as a present, presenting it as a wishing stone. It backfires as Plop wishes for his birthday to be every day, and Klus has to make sure his wish comes true.
• Black Bead Eyes: Kwebbel,Smal, and Plop were mostly portrayed like this during the early years of the series until 2006.
• Black Face:
  • The episode "Kabouter Klusoemba" features Klus in black make up pretending to be a tribesmen.
  • Plop, Klus, Kwebbel, Lui, and Smul are all depicted in Black Face for the music video of the song "Wij Dansen".
• Big Fun: All of the gnomes with the exception of Smal. But especially Smul
• Blush Sticker: In the earlier episodes the gnomes were given red blush makeup.
• Catchphrase: Each gnome have their own greetings whenever they enter Plop's home.
  • Lui would usually respond to certain stuff such with "Ik Word Daar Zo Moe Van".
• Celebrity Star: Dutch singer Frans Bauer sings with the main characters in the song "Weet dat het zonnetje schijnt". He also plays Kabouter Amadeus in the film Plop en het Vioolavontuur.
  • Belgian singer and actor Jelle Cleymans also makes a cameo in the movie "Plop en Kwispel"
• Chased Off into the Sunset: In some episodes, a character's wrongdoing eventually results into them being chased off by their angry friends after occassionally saying "Ik zal je!"^note "I'll get you!", Klus is mostly the victim of these knowing his traits.
• Character Narrator: Plop always narrates what happened the previous day or earlier that day for every episode.
• Character Signature Song: All of the main character from the franchise (apart from Plop himself) have at least one signature song that revolves around their specific character habits and gimmicks.
  • Kwebbel has Jij praat te veel^note  You talk too much .
  • Klus has three: Klus heeft het gedaan^note Klus has done it, Klus wil vliegen^note Klus wants to fly, and Waar zijn mijn belletjes? ^note  Where are my bells.
  • Lui has Ik word daar zo moe van^note I become so tired of that and Het trommellied^note The drum song.
  • Smul has Hoipiepeloi
  • Smal has both Ik ben Smal^note I am Smal and Snuffeltje.
• Chuck Cunning Ham Syndrome:
  • Lui doesn't make appearances anymore since 2014.
  • Smul and Smal have been Out of Focus for most of the movies and the majority of the franchise's media outings outside of the original television show. Although Smal still appears in the live shows (even more so after Lui's retirement), Smul hasn't appeared since 2013.
• Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are: The song "Waar Zijn Mij Belletjes" deals with Klus looking for his missing two bells that were on top of his hat. He later learns that Lui found the missing bells and gave them to Kwebbel which she later sowed them back onto his hat.
• Companion Cube: Lui has a stuffed rabbit named Snuffie which he loves more than anything. In the episode Het konijn van Lui" he cries when it loses its eyes and ear, and then again when he thinks it's been stolen.
  • Smal also has a stuffed rabbit, and this one is named Snuffeltje. She sings a song about it.
• *Crack!* "Oh, My Back!": Plop during the episode "De beste kaboutertennisser".
• Dub Name Change: Due to Belgium containing two separate languages. The main characters (Except Plop) got their names changed in the Flemish and Wallonia versions of the show.
  • Kwebbel (Pipolette)
  • Klus (Bric)
  • Lui (Dordebou)
• Cry into Chest: Kwebbel (and Kabouter Slim) to Lui near the end of the movie "Plop in de Wolken"
  • Also Kwebbel to Plop in the special "Plop en het ei"
• Deranged Animation: The CGI music video for "Lalala"
• Costume Evolution: The outfits of the characters have never really changed over the course of the franchise, but some colorations have been altered over the years:
  • Kwebbel's cap was originally light red with white spots on it. It later changed to a pink cap with darker spots.
  • Klus's cap has changed from dark green in the first seasons, to light green in recent years. In films and clips where a green screen is used, he mostly wears a blue-green coloured cap because his normal green cape would otherwise be painted out in the edit.
  • Lui's originally grey beard has gradually shifted to dark brown over the years.
• Dance Party Ending: The ending of Plop Wordt Kabouterkoning features Plop, Klus, Kwebbel, Lui and the entire gnome kingdom throw a dance party in honor of the crowning of the new gnome king.
• Dark Reprise: When ever a sad moment happens in the show. A sadder and soberer version of the shows theme song is heard such as the episode "Het Konijn Van Lui".
• Darkest Africa: The music video for "Wij Dansen" features Plop, Kwebbel, Smul, Klus, and Lui dressed up as an African tribe complete with black makeup.
• Edutainment Show
• Egg MacGuffin: The gang takes care of an egg in the TV special "Plop en het ei"
• Ensemble Cast: The series has a total of seven main characters (Plop, Klus, Kewbbel, Smul, Smal, and Felle) but was demoted to five after Lui and Smul disappeared from the series after 2014.
• Everybody Cries: Near the end of the movie "Plop in de Wolken"
• "Everybody Laughs" Ending: Very common in the series.
• Every Episode Ending: Plop would always end an episode with him saying "Plopper De Plopper De Plop" and his night cap would rise up before panning away from the mushroom house.
• Exact Eavesdropping: Seen in the music video and song Jij Praat Teveel
• Face Doodling: Lui gets drawn on while sleeping during the live show "Plop en de Treitertrol".
  • The same happens during the episode "Lui is groen".
• Framing Device: The show's stories is told by Plop before going to bed.
• Fat and Proud: Most of the main characters except Lui,Smal and Klus are chubby. In Walloon version, they are less chubby and a bit slimmer most notable being Kwebbel (Pipolette)
• Fear of Thunder: Lui is extremely scared of thunder, as shown both in the episode "Donder en bliksem" and the movie "Plop in de Wolken".
• Food Porn: Tarts, porridge, and plop milk in the show all look very tasty
• Funny Animal: All three of the animals in the new series Plop & de Peppers
• Forgotten Birthday: Used in the episode "Plops Verjaardagstaart" where Plop later gets sad thinking the other gnomes didn't arrive for his birthday.
• Gag Nose: All of the gnomes have this.
• Gag Series: The show is mostly themed to slapstick and can be silly most of the time.
• Genki Girl: Kwebble and Smal, especially Kwebbel
• Gentle Giant: Lui, even though he's the tallest and strongest of them all, is the one crying the most - often over something cute or innocent, like when the others are yelling at him.
• Hand-or-Object Underwear: Lui does this a couple of times in the movie "Plop en de Wenssteen".
• Happy Birthday to You!: The series equivalent is the song "Plop Is Jarig" but does use an actual birthday song "Lang Zal Hij Leven" which is traditional is a Dutch/Flemish birthday song.
  • The Dutch version "Lang Zal Ze Leven" is sang by Plop, Kwebbel and Smal in "Lui is verdwenen" and "Plops Verjaardagstraat"
• Image Song: Each of the main characters have a song dedicated to one of them.
  • Plop (Het Ploplied)
  • Kwebbel (Jij Praat Teveel)
  • Klus (Klus Wil Vliegen and Klus Heeft Het Gedaan)
  • Lui (Ik Word Daar Zo Moe Van)
  • Smal (Ik Ben Small and Snuffeltje)
  • Smul (Hoipiepeloi)
• Inelegant Blubbering: Plop, near the end of "Plop in de Wolken"
• Innocent Blue Eyes: Aimé Anthoni (Klus) has very big, expressive, blue eyes.
• Keet: Klus
• Kid-Appeal Character: Klus and Smal are very popular with children in Belgium. Both are commonly seen during live shows at Plopsaland and Plopsa Indoor Hasselt.
  • In September 2017, a young female gnome was introduced in the third shows starring Plop called ''Plop & Felle''. Felle is the youngest of the main cast.
• Limited Wardrobe: The gnomes always wear the same outfit day after day. This is lampshaded in the film Plop en de Kabouterbaby, where it is revealed that all gnomes have entire wardrobes consisting of completely identical outfits.
• Meaningful Name: Each of the gnomes except Plop have appropriate names:
  • Kwebbel = Blabbermouth/Chatter
  • Lui = Lazy
  • Klus = Chore
  • Smal = Slim
  • Smul = Yum
• Mistaken for Romance: In "Kwebbel gaat trouwen" Kwebbel receives a marriage invitation and gets excited thinking that she's going to get married by any male gnome. She later starts flirting with Lui until Plop later learns that it was a prank by Klus.
• Motor Mouth: Kwebble even a song was dedicated to this titled "Jij Praat Te Veel"
• Mouse World: The gnomes are very small and are half the size of a squirrel. As seen in a few films where they encounter humans outside the forest.
• Never Bare Headed: Averted in the song "Waar is mijn Kaboutermuts?" which is about Plop looking for his missing hat. He decides to wear a watering can, a tea pot, a cup, and a pan in place of his hat.
• Never Wake Up a Sleepwalker: Lui is sleepwalking in the episode "De slaapwandelaar".
• Pink Means Feminine: In the later years of the series, Kwebbel's hat was changed from red to light pink.
• Race Against the Clock: The movie "Plop in de Wolken" has the gang out on an adventure to save Plop's grandfather before it's too late.
  • The movie also features a literal Death's Hourglass.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Klus, Smul, and Lui do this when they get tired of dressing as females gnomes during a girl's only party in "Het Meisjesfeest".
• Sick Episode: The episode "Niezen" features Klus catching a cold and doesn't cover his mouth much to the disgust of Plop, Kwebbel and later Smal.
• The Movie: The show has gained a couple movies over the years.
• The Smurfette Principle: Kwebbel was the only female of the main cast until Smal was introduced to the series in 2000. More female gnomes started showing up in movies.
• The Chew Toy: Klus mainly when ever his pranks backfire on him or when his pranks cause a big problem.
• The Leader: Plop
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: All of the male gnomes deliver this to Kwebbel in song form since they are tired of Kwebbel's constant chattering and eavesdropping in Jij Praat Teveel
• Triumphant Reprise: A triumphant version of the song "Wat Een Feest" is played near the end of the film Plop Wordt Kabouterkoning during a royal party held in honor of the crowning of the new Kabouter king.
• Trrrilling Rrrs: In the Flemish version, whenever Kwebbel sings she would sometimes have a singing style resembling an opera singer. Such as: Sinterklaas Kapoentje.
• The Tooth Hurts: Lui has toothache in the episode "Lui heeft tandpijn". The gang later helps him by pulling out his tooth.
• Our Gnomes Are Weirder: They are the Belgian version of gnomes called "Kabouters" that act a bit different compared to the typical gnomes seen in media.
• Pokémon Speak: Downplayed. The gnomes tend to repeat their own names when they are excited, angry, or worried.
• Sinterklaas: While never seen, they did do a cover of "Sinterklaas Kapontje" and "O kom maar eens kijken"
• Santa Claus: A gnome version of Santa Claus appearances in one of the movies. He's called "De kerskabouter" complete with a song called "de Kerstkabouter Komt".
• Security Cling: Lui and Kwebbel during the movie "Plop in de Wolken".
• Signature Laugh: Plop's deep laugh whenever he becomes amused or very happy.
• Slice of Life: Follows the daily and mostly zany lives of a group of gnomes.
• Slapstick: This is the type of humor the series mostly involves.
• Spotlight-Stealing Squad: The movies and merchandise of the franchise have always mainly focused on the original four characters. Despite adding Smul and Smal to the cast in later years, they only made rare appearances outside of the main television show. At least Smal has fairly recently taken a more prominent position due to Lui's retirement in 2014.
• Still Sucks Thumb: Klus, while sleeping
• Vocal Evolution: Due to most of the cast getting older, their character's voices have deepened over the years.

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Zo dan ga ik nu naar kabouter droomland en jullie weten het he
Plopper de plopper de plop (Hat raises up)
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