
A Canadian All-CGI Cartoon for preschoolers produced by Halifax Film Corporation (now part of WildBrain) for CBC Kids, Animal Mechanicals presents us to a place like no other, a "snap-together-take-apart" world where everything transforms.
In this world, the Animal Mechanicals - Rex, Unicorn, Komodo, Mouse, and Sasquatch - are faced each day with a new mission from Island Owl, and are sent to help the inhabitants of their world. Each adventure has a variety of small challenges to overcome on the road to "Mission Accomplished". The challenges vary requiring the Animal Mechanicals to use their wide array of unique transforming "Mechana" abilities to finish the job.
The show ran from September 1, 2008, to November 29, 2011 with 3 seasons and 74 episodes. Incidentally, its run almost perfectly coincided with that of Bo on the Go!, another Halifax Film Corporation All-CGI Cartoon airing on CBC Kids at the time.
In 2019, the series was revived through the release of new nonverbal web-shorts produced by WildBrain Spark Studios, a subsidiary of WildBrain that produces original content for the WildBrain Spark network.
No, this has nothing to do with Mechanical Animals. Thankfully.
"Here we are! Mechana Trope Island!"
- Absurd Phobia: In "Balloon Volcano Island", Komodo is shown to freak out at the mere sound of a balloon popping.
- Accidental Rhyme: In "Mechana Chicken Springing Island", this happens:Sasquatch: Chickens can't fly and neither can I! Hey, that rhymes!
- Alliterative Name:
- The creatures and objects the Animal Mechanicals come across with tend to have one. For example, there's a Cow Castle, a Balloon Volcano, Turbo Tulips, Raccoon Rollers, Package Pigeons and Origami Owls.
- Oh, and Island Owl too.
- This also applies to some episode titles that don't refer to a creature or object with an Alliterative Name, like "Turbo Bean Trouble" or "Mechana Koala Cake Day".
- And the Adventure Continues: Every episode ends with a new challenge in the island of the episode arriving for the team and them preparing to face it via the phrase "We Animal! Mechanical! Can!". In some episodes it's not a new challenge but rather a reward (like eating as a team something previously shown on the island) or to repeat the main process done by the team in the episode.
- Animals Not to Scale: All over the place. For example, Unicorn's horn and the tip of Mouse's ears reach Rex's jaw. And that's leaving behind episodic characters like the Cow Castle (in "Cow Castle Hassle") and the Hide-N-Seek Hamsters (in "Mechana Hide 'N Seek Hamster Island"), which are way bigger than Rex.
- Animal Superheroes: The titular characters are mechanical beasts - a T-Rex, a unicorn, a komodo dragon, a sasquatch, and a mouse.
- Answer Cut: In the very rare instances on which the team has to split in two parties in order to solve a mission, the episode will first focus on one of the parties and then on the other. That switch happens after a member from the first party hopes the other is doing fine (or wonders how they're doing).
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!:
- A lot of time, the mission goes off track because easily-distracted Sasquatch has trouble paying attention to what he's doing. Usually, Komodo winds up getting inconvenienced by this.
- If Rex sees food on an island, he will forget about the mission and want to eat it no matter what. The other Animal Mechanicals have to keep him in line when this happens.
- Bag of Holding: Komodo's tail works like this, basically holding every tool needed for a mission no matter how big it is. Additionally, it's implied that Komodo also uses it to keep his more personal stuff, like his rubber ducky, his teddy bear, his flower and many other silly objects he refers to as being of his when one pops up accidentally during his Transformation Sequence.
- Banana Peel: Discussed very briefly in "Mechana Maple Syrup Squirrel Island", with a banana peel being one of the options Sasquatch suggests for scaring the Mechana Moose away.note
- Baritone of Strength: Sasquatch, being the resident Big Guy, has this.
- Big Eater: When Sasquatch's belief that he can muscle his way through things (despite whatever buzzing noise to the contrary Komodo might make) doesn't slow down the team, Rex's appetite does.
- Big "NO!": In "Bunny Boomer Island", Rex does this as Sasquatch is about to pound the remaining screwtop squirrel.
- Blow You Away: Unicorn can do this with her magic horn.
- The Snorosaurus in "Mechana Balloonosaurus Island" emits powerful snores that invoke this trope.
- Bookends: At the beginning of every episode, the team starts off their mission of the day with "We Animal! Mechanical! Can!". In the end, the phrase is said again, usually as a new challenge related to the island of the episode arrives for the Mechanicals.
- Brick Joke: Happens quite often.
- In "Mechana Dragonfly Island", Sasquatch tries to cut Mechana Bamboo with his bare hands despite Komodo telling him that won't work. Sasquatch, predictably, fails at doing so, and Komodo says "He never listens to me!". Later, and despite Sasquatch saying that a fallen Mechana Dragonfly looks heavy, Komodo argues it's actually light and tries to carry it, but fails because the Dragonfly is pregnant. At this, Sasquatch also says "He never listens to me!".
- In "Mechana Chicken Springing Island", Sasquatch in his Mechana Stretchy mode stands in for the broken spring of the Chicken Springer so the chicken springing contest can proceed. However, once he needs to launch a chicken, he decides to overuse his elasticity by stretching further and further, something that Komodo warns him about, but to no avail. Once the chicken is launched, it flies off the island, but Unicorn transforms and saves it. Sasquatch tells it to try the launching again, promising it he won't stretch too far this time. At this, Komodo says "That would be an excellent idea!", only to then turn to the camera and add "Why didn't I think of that?".
- At the beginning of "Mechana Mole Miner Island", Komodo says that Mechana Crows like shiny things (namely, the gold of the Mechana Mole Miners). At the end of the episode, he, due to wearing a shiny bowtie, is taken away by those birds. Then, Sasquatch, following the two's most common shtick (see Running Gag below), asks him if he knew that Mechana Crows like shiny things.
- At the beginning of "Mechana Pegosaurus Island", Sasquatch can't remember what story has three little pigs in it, and pulls out some wild guesses ("Jack and the Beanstalk? Humpty Dumpty? Rumpelstiltskin?"). That gag is quickly left behind; however, at the very end of the episode, Sasquatch announces he just remembered the story he was thinking about: Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
- In "Mechana Hide 'N Seek Hamster Island", Rex gets fixated at the hamsters' snacks, but Unicorn makes him snap out of it. At the end of the episode, the hamsters invite the team to play hide and seek with them, and Rex is the first one to hide. Why? Just so he can eat some hamster snacks alone.
- Buffy Speak: In "Mechana Origami Owl Island", Sasquatch refers to the Platypus Paper Maker as "papaya-thingy" and to origami figures as "origami-thingies".
- Butt-Monkey: Komodo gets kicked around a lot, usually through Sasquatch's unawareness.
- Calling Your Attacks: Calling your skills in this instance.
- Captain Obvious:
- In the beginning of every episode, Island Owl always mentions there's a "very big mission today".
- Whenever the team arrives at an island, Rex says "Here we are! [name of the island]!".
- Whenever Unicorn uses her magic horn, another team member explains what she's doing ("She's using her magic horn to...!").
- Catchphrase:
- "Animal Mechanical Mission Time!"
- After Island Owl comes out of his egg:Island Owl: Good morning Animal Mechanicals!
Animal Mechanicals: Good morning Island Owl!
Island Owl: Very big mission today! - "Mechana can you/we do it?" "We Animal! Mechanical! Can!"
- Komodo has lots of them:
- "If I am correct, and I always am..."
- "Fascinating!"
- "Fascinating creature(s)!"
- "Curious!"
- "Question" (before asking something to Island Owl)
- "Bad idea!" (when warning Sasquatch of something)
- "Not good"
- Sasquatch has "It's pounding time!" and "Oopsie!".
- Unicorn always says a special phrase refering to each of the remaining team members whenever they use their respective special ability:
- Mouse tends to say "Unicorn is the coolest!" after Unicorn transforms.
- Chased Off into the Sunset: Few episodes end with the Animal Mechanicals chasing after something as part of a new mission that has arisen just after accomplishing the main one of the episode. Most of the time, that "something" in question is one of the main five. Examples include:
- Having to chase after a Gadget Crab after he has grabbed Komodo in "Flying Glitterfish Island".
- Chasing Big Eater Rex after he has run away with a maple syrup bottle gifted to the whole team in "Mechana Maple Syrup Squirrel Island".
- Chasing after Komodo, who has a ring stuck in his head and is being chased by a herd of ring-toss-loving rhinos in "Mechana Rhino Ring Toss Island".
- Circling Birdies: Whenever hit by something (Sasquatch most of the time), Komodo always lands with circling tools around his head. In the reboot, Island Owl circles everyone's head if one gets dizzy.
- In "Mechana Meteor Island", Sasquatch briefly sees meteors and stars circling around his head after getting hit on the head by a meteor.
- Circus Episode: "Mechana Circus Island".
- Coconut Meets Cranium: Naturally, it happens to Komodo in "Mechana Coconut Island". The first minutes of the team's visit to the island (read: before the first transformation of the episode) have him basically undergoing a coconut-based Humiliation Conga.
- First, while he's explaining about Mechana Coconuts, Sasquatch tries to warn him about a coconut that's about to fall, but Komodo, following one of the series' Running Gags, dismisses it. This, of course, leads to him getting bonked on the head and seeing Circling Tools.
- Afterwards, Sasquatch accidentally falls on him after trying to pound some Mechana Camels so they can move, ignoring Komodo's warning that they're stubborn. Once Komodo shakes away the Circling Tools caused by the accident, another coconut bonks him on the head.
- Then, Sasquatch gets to warn Komodo in time of yet another coconut that's about to fall, despite Komodo being far from it. Nonetheless, the red guy is standing right under a different bunch of coconuts and gets to mistakenly think that one of them is the one Sasquatch is referring to. Thinking quickly, he jumps away from said bunch, but unknowingly lands right under Sasquatch's coconut. The same results as the first time ensue.
- Finally, Sasquatch tries to pound a coconut so the camels can cool off with its milk. Komodo tries to warn him otherwise, but to no avail, as the pounded fruit ricochets right into Komodo's belly, causing him to do a pratfall and see tools yet again.
- Color-Coded Characters: Rex is green, Komodo is red, Unicorn is pink, Mouse is yellow, and Sasquatch is blue.
- Comically Missing the Point: Sasquatch is prone to this:
- In "Mechana Dragonfly Island", Komodo explains that the Mechana Dragonfly needs to be thrown away in order to fly, like a paper airplane. Sasquatch thinks that means the Dragonfly will fly if they throw a paper airplane at her.
- In "Mechana Jukebox Island", Komodo tells Sasquatch that someone (i.e. Sasquatch himself) can stretch and get a disk from a tree while he/she dances along with the Be-Boppers. Sasquatch agrees with him saying that stretching is good for the muscles, so he tells the Be-Boppers to stretch while they dance.
- Cool Big Bro: Komodo and Rex function as this for Mouse. Unicorn is a Cool Big Sis. Sasquatch, on the other hand, fits more under Papa Wolf to Mouse, given that he's the oldest team member.
- Cuckoo Clock Gag: Happens naturally in "Mechana Cuckoo Clock Island". After Komodo uses a screwdriver on his tail to open up the giant cuckoo door, the cuckoo comes out and causes him to do a Surprise Jump. After landing, he sees Circling Tools and Sasquatch tells him that he should duck next time (something that Komodo told him to do previously when the cuckoo first attempted to come out).
- Deadpan Snarker: Komodo tends to act like this after accidentally becoming the victim of Sasquatch's shenanigans.
- Department of Redundancy Department: In "Mechana Circus Island", Komodo warns Sasquatch that "bouncer clowns are very bouncy".
- Do-Anything Robot: Komodo's special power is sprouting gadgets for the appropriate situation from his tail.
- A Dog Named "Dog": All the characters are named after what they are.
- Duck!: Happens in "Mechana Cuckoo Clock Island" as the giant cuckoo bird seems to be about to come out:Komodo: Sasquatch, duck!Sasquatch: Duck? I thought you said itnote was a bird, not a duck!
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- In "Bunny Boomer Island", the second episode of the whole series, Komodo gets considerably knocked out by Sasquatch as usual. However, the Circling Tools never appear despite doing so in the previous episode ("Turbo Bean Trouble").
- In the first four episodesnote , Komodo doesn't shake his head after getting dizzy.
- In Season 1, the Running Gag of Komodo warning Sasquatch and then Sasquatch repeating what Komodo just said was used much less in comparison to the other seasons.
- Said Running Gag also had a few common tweaks in Season 1 that got quickly discontinued. One was Sasquatch mentioning why Komodo gave him the warning in the first place immediately after saying it ad verbatim (e.g. quoting Komodo's "It's not a good idea to stick your hand in a Nuts-And-Bolts bush!" and then adding "It gets stuck!"). The other was Sasquatch telling Komodo "I told you [insert Komodo's warning in past tense]!".
- Ethereal Choir: Plays on the episode "The Elephant Train" whenever Rex becomes fixed on the titular train's snow cones.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: The basic ending to almost every episode.
- Failed a Spot Check: Sometimes, Komodo doesn't notice potentially harmful stuff that's very near to him, and, after dismissing a warning from Sasquatch about it, ends up getting cartoonishly injured. For instance:
- In "Mechana Maple Syrup Squirrel Island", Komodo can't find a loose Mechana Moose, not noticing it running towards him from the opposite sidenote . One "Not now, Sasquatch!" later, he ends up spinning around because of the moose's speed.
- In "Mechana Firework Firefly Island", he fails to notice a Fog Frog that's literally right in front of him and trips with it. And despite there being a lot of fog in the island, Sasquatch, who was very far from the frog, did get to see it and attempt to warn Komodo before the accident.
- Both in "Mechana Toucan Treasure Island" and "Mechana Hide 'N Seek Hamster Island", Komodo brags about having eagle eyes once the team must look for something —a treasure hunt clue and a giant hamster, respectively. In no time at all, and after Sasquatch fails to warn him, a toucan drops a clue right into his head and (on the other hand) a bunch of giant hamsters bumps on him.
- Fairy Tale Episode: "Mechana Pegosaurus Island" is a Whole-Plot Reference to The Three Little Pigs. Lampshaded in the beginning by Sasquatch, to whom the mission of the day reminds him of a story about three little pigs, but can't remember which. He even gets to mistake its title for those of other fairy tales.
- Fantastic Fruits and Vegetables: Some pop up from time to time during a mission, like Nuts-and-Bolts Berries (in "Bell Bot Island") and Air Pears (in "Baboon Balloon Island").
- Fat and Skinny: Sasquatch and Komodo, respectively. The bulk of the show's comedy is in the ways on which Sasquatch, through his dumb actions, accidentally ends up hurting Komodo. The show's official press kit
even refers to the duo as a "Laurel and Hardy team". - Flight: Unicorn's main special power.
- Floating Continent: Every island the team visits is this. They even live on one.
- Forbidden Fruit: The Pop Rocket Corn in "Cow Castle Hassle". Island Owl tells the Animal Mechanicals not to touch it, but Rex wants to eat it so badly that he breaks that rule. This causes the corn to fly away and ultimately block the path on the corn maze.
- Foreshadowing:
- In "Cow Castle Hassle", Mouse is frustrated that she won't be able to lead the Cow Castle through the entire corn maze, so Unicorn comforts her saying that someday she'll be able to lead the team. Later, as the Cow Castle is about to crash with a gate, Mouse ends up saving her using her Mechana Fast abbility to get in front of her and open said gate.
- Sasquatch and Komodo's fears on the episodes "Dino Mountain Island" and "Balloon Volcano Island" are anticipated during Island Owl's explanation of the mission. After the latter explains that (on one hand) the Animal Mechanicals will have to go to the top of the Dino Mountain and that (on the other) the balloons are popping everywhere, Sasquatch and Komodo doubtfully ask him to confirm those points. Later, during the missions, Sasquatch reveals his fear of heights and Komodo reveals his fear of popping balloons.
- Similarly, in "Hippo Hovercraft Island", Komodo is shown nervous as Sasquatch, during Island Owl's speech, gets excited at the Hippo Hovercrafts bumping. Later, in the Island, it's revealed that Komodo doesn't like bumping.
- Four Legs Good, Two Legs Better: Out of all the Animal Mechanicals, Unicorn is the only one who is not bipedal.
- Giant Flyer: The episode "Whale Plane Island" shows a large flying whale robot, referred to as a "whale plane" as suggested by the episode title, that the Animal Mechanicals have to help by setting up a runway for it to land on.
- Glad I Thought of It: In a rare downplayed version, Sasquatch does this to Komodo frequently, albeit unintentionally. Usually, after Komodo is smacked around by the problem of the day and ends up seeing stars (and tools), Sasquatch will quote what Komodo tried to warn him moments before the accident. It doubles as Ironic Echo.
- Hamster-Wheel Power: A Mechana Hamster in a wheel gives power to the Package Pigeons' factory in "Mechana Package Pigeon Island".
- Heavy Sleeper: The Snorosaurus in "Mechana Balloonosaurus Island". According to Komodo, it enters a deep sleep once a year and causes mighty winds with his snoring.
- Help, I'm Stuck!: In "Mechana Hide 'N Seek Hamster Island", the team must rescue a giant hamster that has gotten stuck in a tube because he ate too many hamster snacks.
- Hiccup Hijinks: In "Mechana Copycat Island", the team must help the titular copycat cure his hiccups. They succeed on doing it, but Sasquatch gets them in the end.
- How Did That Get in There?: Every time Komodo is used, he brings out three wrong tools during his Transformation Sequence. The third tool is always something silly which leads him in doing an Aside Comment oftenly along the lines of this.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl:
- Rex and Unicorn, the two members who can be considered the leader and supporting leaders of the team.
- Sasquatch and Mouse as well, with the latter being the youngest and smallest member of the group. Also exaggerated when Sasquatch goes Mechana Stretchy mode.
- I Can't Hear You: Very rarely will the Running Gag of Komodo warning Sasquatch of something have Sasquatch saying "What did you say Komodo?", only to then repeat Komodo's warning after the latter gets dizzy accidentally.
- "I Can't Look!" Gesture: When an island creature is about to have an accident, Komodo sometimes covers his glasses with his hands while saying "I can't look!", only to then remove one hand and give a worried look.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Almost every episode follows the pattern "Mechana (noun) Island" or simply "(Noun) Island". The only exceptions are "Turbo Bean Trouble", "Cow Castle Hassle"' "Pop Apart Penguins", "Jigsaw-Shark Puzzle", "The Elephant Train", "Snail's Pace Race" and "Mechana Koala Cake Day".
- Idiosyncratic Wipes: There's a special wipe for when going in and out of a Transformation Sequence.
- I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham:
- In "Hippo Hovercraft Island", Komodo is hesitant to ride the Hippo Hovercrafts, and even Unicorn gets to tell him why does he say so when he hasn't tried them out yet. In the end, as all the Animal Mechanicals aboard the hovercrafts, Sasquatch tries to encourage Komodo to try one, but, in doing so, pats him in the back with such a force that Komodo is sent tumbling into a hovercraft. It is not soon after that, as the hovercraft joins its peers, Komodo discovers he actually likes them.
- Similarly, in "Cobra Coaster Island", Komodo states that he doesn't see how a roller coaster can be enjoyable. This doesn't stop him from getting roped into a roller coaster ride anyway, after which he decides he still doesn't like it. That's a Bait-and-Switch Comment he makes - he genuinely loved the ride and wants to go again.
- Instant Messenger Pigeon: Mechana Package Pigeon Island, as the name implies, is inhabited by Mechana Pigeons that deliver packages to the other islands.
- Knew It All Along: More often than not, Sasquatch will give out a wrong appreciation of something, only to then be corrected by other Animal Mechanical. He then pretends to have been aware of that, oftenly with a "I knew that".
- Lame Pun Reaction: The Cow Castle in "Cow Castle Hassle" getting fed up with Sasquatch's "Moo-ve!" pun.
- Later-Installment Weirdness: Starting from the Season 3 episode "Mechana Spider Sailor Island", the series changed the format of Komodo's gags, while reusing previous one-off gags of him to the point of turning those into more prominent Running Gags. The reason for that change might be tied to lead storyboard artist Stan Gadziola assuming the role of series director from said episode onwards (the previous director being Gilly Fogg). The aforementioned changes consist on the following:
- There is an increase in how many times Komodo gets his Circling Tools in a single episode. Many of the episodes Gadziola directed (most notably "Mechana Copycat Island" and "Mechana Toucan Treasure Island") have the gag happening more than two times per episode, which was previously the usual maximum.
- Both Komodo shaking away his Circling Tools after a Sasquatch accident and giving out his usual snarky response to him happen in a close-up shot of Komodo on which the aforementioned response is said as he stares at the camera awkwardly. That didn't happen in the previous episodes or seasons. And if Komodo got to stare at the camera back then, he did so quite sporadically.
- The Running Gag of Komodo ignoring a warning from Sasquatch and getting hurt as a result happens more often than before, even taking position as the episode's only Circling Tools gag in some cases.
- When a situation comes on which Mouse or Rex are needed, and before their transformations begin, Komodo would say that he cannot solve said situation because he has "sensitive feet" or "sensitive hands/fingers" (respectively). Again, that rarely happened in previous episodes.
- When there's going to be an accident (usually involving a one-off critter about to fall off the Island), Komodo covers his glasses as he says "I can't look!", only to then remove one hand and give a worried look.
- Letting the Air out of the Band:
- In "Jigsaw-Shark Puzzle", Sasquatch's transformation theme comes to a halt when he tries to transform without noticing that he's holding an uncomfortable Mouse up highnote .
- Also happens in "Mechana Skee Ball Island" after Sasquatch realizes he can't stretch from the start of the ski track in order to correct the numbers at the bottom.
- A Lizard Named "Liz": A T-Rex named Rex and a Komodo dragon named Komodo.
- Luck-Based Search Technique: A Running Gag consists on Sasquatch finding something of vital importance for the mission of the day by mere accident and/or coincidence.
- Mad Libs Catchphrase: When the team arrives at an island, Rex says "Here we are! [name of the island]!". There are also three more catchphrases of this type courtesy of Komodo:
- "One mighty mechana-[tool] to the rescue!"
- "I have {a} very sensitive [body part(s)]."
- "Not now Sasquatch! I am [doing X]!"
- Matryoshka Object: The penguins in "Pop-Apart Penguins" open up like Russian nesting dolls to reveal smaller penguins inside them.
- Mechanical Animals: The show features 5 mechanical Animal Superheroes who take on missions to help fellow inhabitants of their world. They are each named after the creature they resemble, with Rex, Komodo and Mouse taking after real animals while Sasquatch and Unicorn resemble more mythical creatures.
- Mime and Music-Only Cartoon: The revival has the characters making grunts rather than verbally speaking, and is focused on slapstick antics, unlike the original.
- Mischief-Making Monkey: The episode "Cobra Coaster Island" has the Animal Mechanicals going to an island with a roller coaster on it, to see why the roller coaster has stopped working. It turns out to be because of a monkey, who throws bananas at the Animal Mechanicals and at the roller coaster cars.
- Mole Miner: The episode "Mechana Mole Miner Island" has Mechana Moles working on a mine.
- Nerd Glasses: Komodo's always wearing these.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Komodo's gizmo ability and Unicorn's magic horn work this way, showing off the convenient gadget and magical ability (respectively) required for the occasion. Mouse's Speaks Fluent Animal ability also is this when suddenly introduced.
- Nice Mice: Mouse is a main character and a hero.
- Non Sequitur, *Thud*: In "Mechana Meteor Island", Sasquatch gets hit on the head by a meteor. He falls over in a daze, but not before shouting "Timber!".
- Not Now, Kiddo: A Running Gag has Sasquatch trying to warn Komodo of something that's going to hit him and Komodo dismissing it as Sasquatch disrupting what he's doing. This promptly ends up with him getting hit and seeing Circling Tools.
- Oblivious to His Own Description: Certain situations will elicit a conversation like this:Team: If only we had someone who could stretch that far... (everyone turns to Sasquatch, resident Rubber Man)Sasquatch: Yeah... but who could that possibly be? (Beat) I know! The Mighty Sasquatch can stretch that far!
- The Owl-Knowing One: Island Owl always gives the team their daily mission.
- Papa Wolf: If Mouse gets scared on a mission, Sasquatch is usually the first one to comfort her.
- Patience Plot: "Snail's Pace Race" has this with Sasquatch, who is can't wait for the Snail Race to begin. A slow Cog Catterpillar blocks the racetrack, which leads to him impatiently pounding it so as to clear the way. This only causes the catterpillar's cogs to fall down, making the team put them back again. While at that, Mouse teaches Sasquatch to take a deep breath and count to three when impatient. Once the catterpillar is fixed and moves away, the race starts, but turns out to be at a literal snail's pace, forcing Sasquatch to be patient yet again.
- Penguins Are Ducks: The penguins in "Pop-Apart Penguins" appear to have rounded beaks, as opposed to the points ones real-life penguins have.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Unicorn and Sasquatch, respectively.
- Pink Means Feminine: Unicorn, the team's Girly Girl, is pink.
- Plot Allergy: In "Baboon Balloon Island", Sasquatch is shown to be allergic to air pears (i.e. they cause him to sneeze), which difficults things when he needs to grab them using his stretching power.
- Plot Tailored to the Party: The challenges presented to the Animal Mechanicals during their missions are based around this, as they require the five to use their special abilities in order to overcome them. Subverted as only three Animal Mechanicals (rarely two or four) are used in a regular episode.
- The Pratfall: The usual cause of Komodo seeing Circling Tools.
- Pun-Based Creature: Some pop up from time to time on an island, like the "Skee Balls" (living balls that ski), the "Beardozers" (crosses between bear and bulldozer that sleep ―i.e. doze― a lot) and the "Mechana Copycat" (a cat that produces copies of toys).
- Puzzling Platypus: In "Mechana Origami Owl Island", Sasquatch has trouble pronouncing "platypus" so as to refer to the island's Platypus Paper Maker. He gets to call it "papaya-thingy" and "papoose".
- Red Is Heroic: Komodo is red.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Overly impulsive Sasquatch is the red oni to careful Komodo's blue oni, and they both end up clashing with each other in every episode (both figuratively and, most of the time, literally). Ironically, their oni colors are switched in their bodies: Sasquatch is blue and Komodo is red.
- Rhyming Names: When not based on Added Alliterative Appeal or on a Pun , a creature or object the team comes across with can have this on their name. For instance, there are "rock-blocks" and a Baboon Balloon.
- Some episode titles exhibit this too, like "Cow Castle Hassle" or "Snail's Pace Race".
- Rubber Man: Sasquatch's special power is the ability to stretch his arms and legs to super long lengths. He does have a stretch limit though, and the longer his limbs reach, the less strength they have.
- Rube Goldberg Device: The hamster that gives power to the Package Pigeons' factory is fed by a device of this kind, which sends its snack through a convoluted mechanism that consists on a boot, a dartboard, some slides and a scoop. In fact, said scoop's bolt is loose, difficulting the hamster to eat; and Komodo must use a wrench to fix the problem.
- Rummage Fail: As mentioned in How Did That Get in There? above, Komodo always brings out three wrong tools on his Transformation Sequence before getting the one he needs at the moment.Komodo: (Gets a hammer out of his tail despite needing a screwdriver) Nope! (A wrench appears on his tail) Nope! (A sandwich appears) That's my lunch! (The screwdriver finally appears) Aha! One mighty mechana-screwdriver to the rescue!
- Running Gag:
- Sasquatch unintentionally causing Komodo to be the Butt-Monkey, which usually leads to the latter getting Circling Tools. This, on itself, is the base of some recurring gags:
- The most common gag is this: Komodo warns Sasquatch of something. Sasquatch does it anyway, causes Komodo to have Circling Tools around his head and rolling eyes by doing that (frequently by crashing with him) and tells Komodo what he has just warned him. Komodo shakes away the tools and answers Sasquatch in a usually sarcastic manner.
- Sasquatch sees that something is about to hit Komodo while the latter is distracted (most of the time doing an activity that's ironically related to the aforementioned "something", like looking for it). He tries to call his attention with "Uh... Komodo?". Komodo, oblivious, tells Sasquatch not to bother him, usually in the form of "Not now Sasquatch! I am [doing X]!". He then gets hit and sees the Circling Tools. Sasquatch asks him if it's a good time to warn him of what just happened. Komodo shakes away the tools and agrees with him sarcastically, most of the time with "Better late than never".
- Komodo gets hurt in some way (most commonly by Sasquatch). Sasquatch refers to something related to what caused Komodo's accident. Komodo says "I noticed that".
- "Pounding Time"; otherwise known as Sasquatch trying to fix something by pounding it. It rarely if ever works.
- Komodo will always pull three wrong tools during his Transformation Sequence before the correct one appears, the third tool being something silly or unusual like a flower, a rubber duck, and a pair of underpants.
- Sasquatch comments on a problem, indirectly and inadvertently hinting at a solution to it. That solution turns out to be correct.
- In a much more prominent variant of this gag, after Sasquatch gives out a solution, an exchange along these lines happens:An Animal Mechanical (usually Komodo): Sasquatch, you're a genius/you're brillant!noteSasquatch: I am? I mean I am...! Uh... why am I a genius/why am I brillant?note
- In a much more prominent variant of this gag, after Sasquatch gives out a solution, an exchange along these lines happens:
- When it's Sasquatch's turn to use his stretching power, Komodo (or rarely another Animal Mechanical) will usually drop him a hint along the lines of "We need someone that can stre-e-etch!". Sasquatch wonders who can that be. It takes for Komodo to clear his throat at him and/or Mouse to giggle at him (or just a simple Beat) in order for Sasquatch to finally remember he's the resident Rubber Man of the team. Cue Sasquatch's Transformation Sequence.
- Sometimes, Mouse giggles at Sasquatch after he realizes he's needed.
- A variant of this gag has the other team members look at Sasquatch after someone announces they need someone that can stretch. Sasquatch foolishly looks behind him as if there's someone else behind to which everyone is looking.
- In another variant, Sasquatch says he just had an idea after remembering his stretching ability. At this, Komodo says "Why didn't I think of that?" before cutting to Sasquatch's Transformation Sequence.
- Yet another variant has the other Animal Mechanicals pointing directly at Sasquatch as Komodo clears his throat.
- Rex, in a gag unrelated to both Komodo and Sasquatch, seeing food and going nuts. That sometimes includes him repeating the food's name like a Broken Record, having derpy eyes and even speaking in third person (e.g. "Rex likes cake!").
- Sasquatch unintentionally causing Komodo to be the Butt-Monkey, which usually leads to the latter getting Circling Tools. This, on itself, is the base of some recurring gags:
- Running on the Spot: Very rarely will Komodo do this as Sasquatch is about to hit him, which innevitally ends up happening.
- Seahorse Steed: "Mechana Koala Cake Day" has two seahorses that pull a Crab Catamaran. As the bolts holding them have fallen off, the team must bring the seahorses back so the catamaran can take a group of koalas across a lake to have cake with their cousins.
- Security Cling: Played for Laughs in "Balloon Volcano Island". Komodo is so scared at the balloons popping, that he ends up leaping on Sasquatch's arms twice. And in both ocassions, the team must chase something afterwards (a balloon and a bouncing hedge, respectively), which leads to Sasquatch unconsciously throwing Komodo away before joining the others. The second time this happens, Komodo gets the usual Circling Tools after hitting the ground.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Used briefly in "Mechana Pegosaurus Island". Based on the story of The Three Little Pigs, the Animal Mechanicals think briefly of using bricks to build a house that can protect the Mechana pigs from the Pegosaurus's falling pegs. However, the island appears to not have any bricks, so they use the pegs instead. This works out, but, once the mission is accomplished, the Pegosaurus reveals the island does indeed have bricks.
- Share Phrase: The Mechanicals' maxims, which include "Nothing is impossible for Animal Mechanicals!", "Animal Mechanicals never give up!" and "Animal Mechanicals can do anything!". Whoever says them tends to vary.
- There's also the third person Mad Libs Catchphrase "[Name]! Making it happen!".
- Shout-Out:
- Unicorn having a magic horn is inspired from My Little Pony.
- Sometimes Komodo makes the iconic Karate Kid pose when doing, well, karate moves.
- One of Komodo's silly tools is a pair of Groucho Marx glasses.
- In "Giraffe Crane Island", a woodpecker pecks on Komodo and Sasquatch's heads, similar to Woody Woodpecker.
- In "Mechana Chicken Springing Island", Komodo makes the Superman flying pose when getting launched by the Chicken Springer.
- In "Mechana Buffalo Bus Island", the flash of the chipmunks' cameras startles the Buffalo Bus, just like King Kong.
- In "Mechana Pegosaurus Island", the team must protect three Mechana pigs from the title Mechana Pegosaurus' falling pegs. This reminds Sasquatch of a story about three little pigs, but he can't put his finger on its name. After remembering that story, the Animal Mechanicals have the idea of building the Mechana pigs a house, even using straw and sticks in their first attempts. However, those houses get squashed easily by the pegs. The Mechanicals end up using those pegs to successfully build a much stronger house.
- In the same episode, Sasquatch guesses the story about the three little pigs is called Jack and the Beanstalk, Humpty Dumpty, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
- In "Mechana Hide 'N Seek Hamster Island", a hamster gets stuck on a tube because of eating too much.
- Sick Episode: In "Puffer Cloud Island", the mission is to help a puffer cloud who is sick.
- Silence Is Golden: Employed full-time in the revival. There is only non-verbal grunts, groans, and cries from the characters, rather than dialogue.
- Simple Solution Won't Work: In "Mechana Balloonosaurus Island", a sleeping Snorosaurus's mighty snores send the Balloonosaurus's balloons away from a group of party bunnies. Mouse says that if someone were blowing at her, she would just move out of the way, thus suggesting that the Balloonosaurus should do the same. However, Komodo is quick to point out that balloonosauruses don't like moving, as they need all of their energy to blow up balloons. At this, Unicorn suggests to move the snorosaurus instead as an alternative solution, which ultimately ends up working.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Mouse can understand what the gibberish-speaking inhabbitants of the islands say. As this ability isn't addressed directly, at first she is presented as being Suddenly Fluent in Gibberish.
- Speed Stripes: Expect them to appear when Mouse uses her Mechana Fast abbility.
- Spell My Name with a "The": Downplayed. During a mission, Island Owl is sometimes refered to as "The Island Owl".
- Stock Audio Clip: In Season 3, the Running Gag of Komodo getting flinged away tends to get accompained by the same "Woooah-oooah-waaaaaah!" cry coming from him.
- Stock Footage: A lot! The beginning sequence (the team waking up and heading for Island Owl in order to get their mission and Island Owl coming out of his egg), the sliding-down to the main island one and, of course, the transformation ones.
- Strictly Formula: Most episodes follow the same formula. The Animal Mechanicals get their mission from Island Owl. They slide to the Island that needs helping. Sasquatch accidentally hurts Komodo at one or more points, usually making the latter see tools and stars circling around his head. Three Animal Mechanicals (most of the time) use their powers to solve the main problem in the Island, which sometimes worsens due to an impulsive or idle-headed action from Sasquatch. The problem gets solved, and the Animal Mechanicals either get a reward from the inhabitants of the Island or have to solve another problem that has just emerged. At this point, they all shout "We Animal! Mechanical! Can!", which ends the episode. Rinse and repeat.
- Super-Senses: Mouse's radar dish ears gives her super hearing.
- Super-Speed: Mouse's main special power.
- Super-Strength: Rex's special power.
- Surprise Jump:
- A minor Running Gag has Sasquatch jumping backwards when startled by something, inevitally landing on Komodo and making him see Circling Tools.
- In "Balloon Volcano Island", Komodo does this every time he hears a balloon pop. In the end, Sasquatch accidentally falls on a balloon and pops it, which causes Komodo to jump in fear and end up stuck on a tree's branch. Getting him down ends up being the team's new mission.
- At the end of "Tiger Knight Island", Sasquatch does this after getting scared by the Tiger Captain's roar. He ends up stuck on one of the Captain's round platforms, and, again, it's the team's new mission to bring him down.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: The bunnies from "Mechana Balloonosaurus Island" are basically the same ones from "Bunny Boomer Island". Ditto for the koalas in "Mechana Koala Cake Day" and the ones from "Mechana Copycat Island", with the only difference between them being their body color (grey and red respectively).
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: In "Mechana Mole Miner Island", the team decides to use a piece of gold in order to lure some crows away from their nest and get back all the gold they have stolen from the Mechana Mole Miners. Sasquatch initially tries to lure the crows, telling them that "We're not trying to trick you or anything!".
- Sweet and Sour Grapes:
- Happens in "Snail's Pace Race". See Patience Plot above.
- In "Mechana Cricket King Island", Big Eater Rex wants to try out the crickets' snacks. In the end of the episode, the crickets allow him to do so, only for him to discover that the snacks taste terrible upon trying one.
- Telescoping Robot: Sasquatch with his stretching limbs.
- Theme Tune Roll Call: The main characters list themselves along with their respective special abilities in the intro.
- Thieving Magpie: Thieving Crow, more like. In "Mechana Mole Miner Island", some Mechana Crows steal the titular Mole Miners' gold, and it's up to the Animal Mechanicals to stop them.
- Third-Person Person:
- Sasquatch tends to use this trope a lot, oftenly in the form of "The Mighty Sasquatch" (e.g. "The Mighty Sasquatch will [do X]!").
- Rex sometimes talks like this when wanting to eat something.
- Timber!:
- See Non Sequitur, *Thud* above for an example in "Mechana Meteor Island".
- In "Mechana Cable Carp Island", Komodo unbolts a broken bolt tree and shouts this. Sasquatch, not being that bright like always, just stands in the way of the tree, which, upon falling, flings him towards Komodo, which causes his usual Circling Tools. Komodo, still in a daze, must then explain the meaning of "Timber" to Sasquatch. Immediately afterwards, Komodo unbolts another bolt tree which the team plans to use as a replacement to the broken one. He shouts "Timber!", but Sasquatch forgets its meaning and stands in the way yet again. It's not after he knocks out Komodo again that he remembers it means "falling tree".
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Mouse is the tomboy, being rougher and tumble in attitude and ability. Unicorn is more refined in her behaviour, and using her special powers requires finesse. So they're also Force and Finesse, with Mouse being the Force and Unicorn being the Finesse.
- Transformation Sequence: This showcases how the Animal Mechanicals upgrade their bodies for wielding their special powers.
- Transforming Mecha: Transforming animal-like mecha, to be precise.
- Treasure Hunt Episode: In "Mechana Toucan Treasure Island", the Animal Mechanicals go on a treasure hunt. The treasure turns out to be chocolate coins, which Rex sneaks away with so as to eat them all by himself. The other Mechanicals end up going on another treasure hunt to look for Rex.
- Two Girls to a Team: Mouse and Unicorn are the only girls on the team.
- Visual Pun: Aside from the Pun-Based Creatures mentioned above, there's also the Chicken Springing Contest in "Mechana Chicken Springing Island", on which chickens are flinged away á lá Angry Birds via a bird machine with a metal spring.
- Weather Manipulation: Unicorn can do this via her magic horn.
- What Does This Button Do?: If Sasquatch finds a button or lever and asks what's it for before pushing or pulling it, expect a screw-up to ensue.
- Whateversaurus: The Pegosaurus from "Mechana Pegosaurus Island", the Balloonosaurus and the Snorosaurus from "Mechana Balloonosaurus Island".
- Who Would Be Stupid Enough?: Subverted in "Turbo Bean Trouble". Komodo asks who would be foolish enough to fall for the Turbo Bean trap the team has just prepared, only to then get hit by Sasquatch, who is holding the flying Turbo Bean. Sure enough, Komodo falls in the trap and gets the Circling Tools.Sasquatch: Phew. That was close.
Komodo: Speak for yourself. - Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: Exaggerated. Not only do the characters' pupils shrink (and grow) constantly based on their emotions, but, more often than not, the pupil of one eye ends up being comically smaller than the one in the other. The latter case is most prominent when Komodo gets dazed or when Rex undergoes a Sanity Slippage when hungry.
- Winged Unicorn: Unicorn's Mechana ability allows her to turn into one.
- Women Are Wiser: Compared to the others, Unicorn and Mouse don't have any Running Gag associated to them (Sasquatch has his stupidity while Komodo has his pratfalls and Rex has his appetite) and are more levelheaded in comparison. While Unicorn plays Straight Woman to Rex when he's hungry, Mouse commonly reacts to Sasquatch's stupidity by giggling at it.
- The Wrong Way on the Escalator: In "Dino Mountain Island", all five Mechanicals attempt to go up an escalator, but it's running the opposite way and they all fall off. Once they repair the up/down buttons, they go up the escalator with no issue.
- "Animal Mechanicals, mission accomplished!"
