Clockwise from upper-left: Ti-Gey, Mousley, Princess Aurora, Bambù, Prezzemolo, Pagui
Prezzemolo is a 2002 Italian animated series based on the mascots of the amusement park Gardaland and consisting of 26 11-minute episodes that tell a continuous story. The main character is the eponymous dragon Prezzemolo (Italian for “parsley”) who gains temporary superpowers by eating strawberry pizza. Along with wisecracking bat Mousley, Love Interest Princess Aurora, local Gadgeteer Genius Bambù the panda, ditzy seagull Pagui, and the two-faced tiger Ti-Gey, he travels across the galaxy in a device called the Globosphere, looking for the four magical elements needed to defeat the evil witch Zenda, who is trying to become immortal.It’s better than it sounds.
This show provides examples of:
- Aliens Speaking Italian
- Big Bad: Zenda
- Character Title
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Ti-Gey
- The Ditz: Pagui
- Embarrassing First Name: “Prezzemolo” means “parsley,” a fact that Ti-Gey makes fun of.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Bambù
- Heel–Face Turn: Morgana and Ti-Gey
- Improbably Low IQ: Pagui has an IQ of less than zero.
- Interspecies Romance: Between Prezzemolo the dragon and Aurora the human.
- Malaproper: Pagui’s shtick is to mix up words. He is then promptly corrected by somebody else.
- Planet of Hats: Our heroes visit a planet that is inhabited by robots.
- Power-Up Food: Strawberry pizza for Prezzemolo.
- The Smurfette Principle: Aurora is the only female out of the main characters.
- Token Evil Teammate: Ti-Gey, although it varies whether or not he can be considered a "teammate".
- Token Human: Aurora is the only human in a cast of animal characters.
- Transformation Sequence: Prezzemolo goes through one every time he eats strawberry pizza.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Strawberry pizza for Prezzemolo.
- Wicked Stepmother: It turns out that Aurora’s stepmother is actually Zenda.
- You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Aurora, as lampshaded by the theme song.
