Kappa Mikey

Kappa Mikey
File:Kappamikey 01.jpg Kappa Mikey
Created by	Larry Schwarz
Starring	Michael Sinterniklaas Stephen Moverley Annice Moriarty Pete Zarustica Sean Schemmel Gary Mack Jesse Adams Evelyn Lanto
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	26 ordered, 13 aired as of September 3, 2006
Production
Running time	22 minutes approx.
Original release
Network	Nicktoons Network Nick Teletoon
Release	February 25, 2006 – present

Kappa Mikey is an American animated television series created by Larry Schwarz for the Nicktoons Network and premiered on Nickelodeon on August 20, 2006. It is one of the most recently added animated television series to the network.

Plot

Kappa Mikey is not an anime, but rather a homage to it. This program is produced by Animation Collective with voice recorded at NYAV Post (both American companies). The characters are voiced by many of the same actors from shows produced by 4Kids Entertainment (another American company), who have produced several anime dubs in the past. It is animated in three studios in New York City, using Adobe Flash, with some moments of CGI animation done in Maya.

The series centers around Mikey Simon, a teenage actor from Cleveland, Ohio, who embarks to Japan after winning a scratch-off card contest to star in the country's formerly popular anime series, LilyMu, and in doing this, rockets the show back to the top of the ratings, and becomes Japan's biggest anime star. Segments of LilyMu are seen at the beginning and end of each episode, but the show focuses primarily on the actors' and producers' lives off-set and Mikey's adjustments to the new world he has entered (similar in concept to The Famous Jett Jackson). The humor comes from the fact that because Mikey is a Beikokujin (American), he actually stands out visually from the other cast members. While most characters on the show are drawn in an anime-inspired style (thin outlines, big, detailed eyes, small mouths, and all ten fingers), Mikey is drawn in a retro-inspired American cartoon manner (thicker outlines, single black dot pupil eyes, a larger mouth, and only eight fingers), similar to the character designs of American animated programs like Dexter's Laboratory or The Powerpuff Girls.

Episodes often flow with a particular formula; the group is filming a segment of LilyMu, but the take is ruined, sometimes revealing the conflict that drives the episode. The group will work through a problem Mikey has or creates, sometimes with a minor subplot running beneath the main plot. After the problem is resolved, the LilyMu segment will be shot again and successfully completed the second time, often changed to incorporate whatever lesson was learned. For instance, in "Sumo of All Fears" Mikey is unable to lift both Lily and bus at the beginning segment, but in the second try the others arrive and save the bus for him.

The show has a large comedic overuse of face faults, such as a character's face and/or body turning into an exaggerated general appearance, or becoming much smaller. Clichés common to anime include the sweat drop, lines over the eyes or no eyes at all, big heads, flaming eyes, bodies becoming smaller (or chibi as referred to in anime fandom). Sometimes Mikey will try to do these things, but cannot due to being drawn in an American style.

Characters

Major characters

Michael "Mikey" Simon (Michael Sinterniklaas) - With help from a winning scratch-off card, Mikey transforms from a wannabe teenage American actor to the star of the once popular yet now declining LilyMu television show, which he brings back to the top of the ratings. Unlike other characters, he is drawn in an American retro style, therefore he has fewer face faults and other such anime characteristics than the rest of the team, which in one episode prompted him to make a meta-reference about it. Wholesome yet naive, Mikey often gets himself and his co-stars into strange disasters. On the show, he is Kappa Mikey, leader of Team LilyMu. Mikey seems to get the cast fired at some point in a couple of shows but he finds a way to get them back. Mikey seems to be almost as vain as Lily. In Saving Face he sold out his crew so he wouldn't get kicked off the show for having a pimple. Mikey had a rough time adjusting according to the episode Lost in Transportation. He didn't have his own chair like the cast, the battle wagon in LilyMu only holds three people (Mikey soon got his own motorcycle in the same episode which he rides in later episodes). Mikey also joined the outsiders, a motorcycle gang called The Chums, and since they were, he thought he fit right in. Later they gave him his own bike to show their apperciation for Mikey joining. He also has a crush on his co-star, Lily, even though she is mean-spirited and seems to never return his feelings in the way he wants her to.

Lily (Annice Moriarty) - On the set, Lily is Japan's sweetheart, but off-duty, she has a bad temper and a pushy attitude, making her the stereotypical stuck-up and spoiled actress (among other stereotypes). She is the former star of LilyMu, and now seems to be the co-star. She can't stand that the fame and adoration that used to be hers are now given to Mikey. She is desperate to knock him off his star pedestal. Her attitude makes her an enemy of the rest of the cast at some points. According to the episode Saving Face, she has to wear a retainer.

Lily owns a pink Beetle-type car (also known as a "punchbug") which holds four people: herself, Gonard, Guano, and Mitsuki, and a bathtub in the trunk.

Mitsuki (Evelyn Lanto) - On the show, Mitsuki is the tough-as-nails bad girl member of the LilyMu team. Off camera however, Mitsuki is the complete opposite, being graceful and generous, even if the rest of the crew tends to unwittingly walk all over her all the time. Mitsuki has a crush on Mikey, and tries to make him feel welcome on the show and in Japan. There are times when Mitsuki compliments Mikey romantically. Mikey either doesn't understand what she is saying or isn't there to hear it. Her strong sense of right and wrong makes her the comedic foil to the rest of the cast as well as a voice of reason and conscience that's often ignored. However, when she does reach the end of her patience, Mitsuki can be quite devilish, as seen in Mikey Likes It (Garbage) and LilyMeow. She and Lily are roommates. Her name is derived from mittsu (three).

Gonard (Sean Schemmel; third voice of Son Goku in the Dragon Ball series) - On the show, Gonard is an evil, purple creature, a criminal bent on destroying Team LilyMu. Off camera, Gonard is a big, lovable, normally colored oaf. Gonard takes a quick liking to Mikey as a friend and helps him adapt to his new life in Tokyo. He lives with his mother, and has a fondness for Colonial dress. Gonard has several suspicious items stuck to the seat of his pants, which he often loses. He also knows how to speak with a British accent, taught by Guano. His ears seem to resemble that of an elf.

Guano (Gary Mack) - Guano is both a star, the writer, and the neurotic director of LilyMu. No one on the show is sure if he is in fact a purple, Pikachu-like creature, or just a man in a costume. If he's the latter, he apparently never takes the costume off. He is another friend of Mikey's and helps him get around Tokyo. On the show, he is the stereotypical cute sidekick, and all he says on camera is his own name (a clear reference to Pokemon). He is afraid of the dark (as well as his own shadow), never seems to shower, and is also afraid of girls (except for Lily and Mitsuki). He will not reveal where he lives, making LilyMu Towers fans speculate that he may in fact be homeless. His name comes from the Spanish word for bat droppings. In every episode he seems to stop the LilyMu show by yelling "CUT!" when something goes wrong, such as Mikey messing up or heavy objects falling on Gonard (occasionally, it is Ozu who yells cut at the beginning of an episode)..

Ozu (Stephen Moverley) - The ill-tempered producer of LilyMu, Ozu rules the show with an iron first. More often than not, he yells at and scolds the cast, except Mikey, who he sees as the savior of the show and who can usually do no wrong in his eyes. He has been the driving force in Japanese television for six decades. He owns a 500-year-old Bonsai tree, which he loves more than his cast. He seems to have had the same face, hair and head size since his birth. Ozu is constantly canceling the LilyMu show when Mikey or the cast does something wrong, such as destroying his Bonsai tree or Mikey losing the government's invisble coat. Gonard is his third favorite LilyMu star, with Mikey being the first, given the way Ozu treats him. It is unknown who the second is; it's possible that it is Guano or Lily - Guano because he is the writer and director or Lily because she is next in line for the star of the show, behind Mikey. He has a habit of firing the entire cast whenever they displease him, but is quick to hire them back once his rage has been pacified or their popularity reestablished. (In LilyMeow he mentioned that they are rehired but only until he remembered the original reason for firing them.)

Yes Man (Jesse Adams) - Ozu's chimp-faced assistant and sidekick. He doesn't seem to do anything for LilyMu, except agree with Ozu (hence his name). He often speaks in short, loud phrases, sometimes completely random phrases. According to The Fugi-Kid, he once went under the name of 'Denim Boy'. He is the most exaggerated character in the sense of a cartoon, as he usually pops up at various places of the screen at random times, usually to complete a statement started by Ozu. He is also the butt of all the other cast member's beatings, whether they intend it or not.

Minor characters

Dr. Takashi Katashi - 'Plastic Surgeon To The Stars', he wears a generic doctor headband over his eye, much in the fashion of Kakashi Hatake from Naruto (his name is a parody of Kakashi's name as well). He performs an unintentional 'pimple enlargement' on Mikey, because he had to do two operations at once (first trying to remove Mikey's pimple, but failing; and turning Yes Man into a muscular man). He did plastic surgery on Socky, to make him beautiful: information which led to Socky's downfall.

Socky - Sock puppet pop icon with a mind of its own, spokesperson for Hitoshi Beauty Cream, and rival of Lily for Teen Trend's 50 Most Beautiful. However, he was removed from the list, after Mikey discretely revealed that the sock had once been a "dork".

Yoshi, the Camera Man - A blond haired, beer-bellied, seemingly American man. He operates the camera for the LilyMu show, and is featured somewhere in every episode, sometimes as a main role, but mostly as an easter egg. He also appears to be Ozu's coffee-and-donuts boy, although his is a tough job - Ozu has punished him rather badly for simply forgetting the cream and sugar in his coffee. He sometimes takes baths in the trunk of Lily's car (as shown in Lost in Transportation). He appears to live in LilyMu Towers with the other cast members.

Mom and Dad - Mikey's parents. They have yet to be seen (it is probable that they, like Mikey, are animated in an American style, since their answering machine(s?) and counter top are rendered in this way), but they have been featured in the episodes: Easy Come, Easy Gonard, Lost in Transportation, The Switch, and Saving Face. Even though they never answer their phone when Mikey calls them for help, their rather offbeat answering machine messages nearly always give some sort of help - even if it isn't in the way one would expect. Mikey appears to be their only child. In his absence from America, Mikey's parents have rented out his room to an accordion-playing troll.

Sushi Trio - Little sushi-beings that serve as scene changers or bumpers. They dance around and make cute noises. They are sometimes accompanied by other random characters, such as a sushi chef or a sumo wrestler.

Gonard's Mother - Gonard still lives with her in LilyMu Towers, or at least in the same place. She has an Irish-sounding accent.

Agent Yoshida - A Japanese government agent that bears a resemblance to Commander Amarao from FLCL, complete with eyebrows. He arrested Mikey for a crime he did not commit (Supposedly, he stole an invisibility coat). However, later on, he does arrest the real crook, with Mikey's help.

Lily's Mirror - A mirror with a mind of its own, which tells Lily how beautiful - or not - she is. It always talks in a synthesized monotone.

Speed Racer - An older version of the famed racer. He makes a cameo appearance in the theme song as the LilyMu team's limousine driver, and in the pilot episode.

Pirate Captain - Captain of a pirate ship and five other pirates. He first appears in episode Ship of Fools when he gives Mikey Simon a pirated video game in exchange for Gonard. Mikey manages to frighten the pirate into abandoning ship (courtesy of the Super Gonard balloon) in order to save Gonard. Later in the show, the pirate makes a cameo in the episode Mikey Likes It (Garbage). One of his pirates bears a striking resemblance to Lucky Roux, (one of captain Red-Haired Shanks' pirates) from the anime and manga One Piece. Another pirate makes a cameo in The Fugi-Kid (with a different appearance), and the Captain has a quick cameo in The Sumo of All Fears.

Pierre - The waiter of the unnamed 'Finest Restaurant in Tokyo'.

Mikey Cosplayers - They appear in some episodes. Big fans of Mikey, they dress in his LilyMu uniform and show up at social events involving him. One of them resembles Conan Edogawa from Detective Conan.

The Cat Burglar - An unnamed bandit who steals the invisibility coat in The Fugi-Kid. Throughout the episode, he was thought to have only one arm, due to the other being covered by the coat during the Mikey-witnessed theft. Agent Yoshida has been chasing him for five years-he has stolen over 2,000 cats, plus the bank robberies he committed using the coat and framed Mikey for. Known to Mikey as "The One-Armed Man" until revealed that the coat was covering one arm. ("What are you!? Some kind of TWO armed man!?") He also made a second appearance in LilyMeow/Lily Meow, revealing that he eats the cats after he catches them and that he is also allergic to cats. His extreme lankiness and strange chin give him a resemblance to characters from the Lupin the Third franchise.

Suave Mikey - First appeared in Ship of Fools. He looks exactly like Mikey (making him the only other known person in Japan to be drawn in an American style), with the exception of his black sunglasses and noticeably refined demeanor. He unintentionally fools Lily, who thinks that he is great, and Mitsuki, who thinks that he is a jerk, into thinking that he is the real Mikey Simon.

Spartacus Clone - A good imitation of the Thracian. He first appears in Ship of Fools as a cameo, and makes a second cameo in The Fugi-Kid.

Ozu's Robots - Ozu's robots that first appear in the theme song of Kappa Mikey. They reappear as security robots in Mikey Impossible. They appear again in Mikey Likes It (Garbage), dancing with Mitsuki, Guano, and Mikey in The Recycling Song.

News Reporters - Unnamed reporters who often get involved with the LilyMu team from time to time. They first appear in 'Saving Face', and reappear in 'The Fugi-Kid' and Mikey Likes It (Garbage).

News Anchor - A grey-haired man on TV who makes his first appearance in Ship of Fools. He announces the news from time to time.

Peter/Vito - This man is often is misheard by fans and viewers alike, and thus is thought to be named 'Peter' or 'Vito'. He is a Mafia member, and appeared in Ship of Fools, facing a pirate death sentence (walking the plank).

Mr. Tatami: Owner of Tatami Megastore, a carrier of LilyMu merchandise, and the Tatami Room. Father of the Tatami Twins. Mikey owes him 20 million yen.

The Tatami Twins: Two immensely fat little boys who are the sons of Mr. Tatami. They mistake Guano for a toy, and even throw Lily and Mitsuki into the 'Tatami Room' for 'shoplifting' (trying to save Guano). They could be a reference to the classic Mario Bros. (red and green shirts & overalls), who looked equally chubby at the time. Their heads look almost exactly the same as the Troublemaker Studios's logo.

Lawrence Von Martenhouse: An American actor (also drawn in an American style, like Mikey). He played Captain Impressive on American TV several years back, and this has made him Mikey's childhood hero. He puts on a rather embarrassing Dum-Dum Show at the Tatami Megastore, the result of which 'inspires' Mikey to become a bad boy. Von Martenhouse eventually gets to be Captain Impressive one last time, trying to stop a riot that Mikey started. Is currently on the Dum-Dum Hour.

Kello: A small kitten that Mikey finds and adopts in order to get attention for himself. The kitten ends up stealing the spotlight from the entire LilyMu cast, since he is "cute". He is a parody of Hello Kitty.

Dr. Igor: Appearing in 'Big Trouble In Little Tokyo', Dr. Igor is a mad scientist who lives on in the 'secret floor' (the 13th) of Lilymu Towers, and the only way to get there is by revealing the secret panel behind all the other buttons in the elevator. He claims to have created all the monsters in the old monster movies in the past, and invented ways of making them huge. Now, he makes a hobby out of skrinking monsters so they become tiny.

Forbes- Dr. Igor's son and assistant. He is a mutated delinquint with a bat's face and ears, chicken's feet, scaley arms, and a tail. He is very charismatic, and is the only other character besides MIkey known to come on to Lily and Mitsuki without hesitation.

List of episodes

Episodes are in the order of airing.

Note that most Kappa Mikey episodes have two ongoing plots - a main plot, usually involving Mikey, and a subplot that may somehow loosely tie into the main one. Template:Spoiler

Episode 1 - The Switch

Original Airdate: February 25, 2006 and September 10, 2006 on Nickelodeon

Due to inability to find an apartment in Tokyo, Mikey (who had previously been staying in a capsule hotel) seeks one in LilyMu Towers, where his friends all live - but, nobody has moved out of the building for years. Ozu presents a solution - Mikey will move into the apartment shared by Lily, who despises the situation, and Mitsuki, who is overjoyed. (This is straightened out by the end of the episode.) In the subplot, Guano, whose collapsable box tower is repeatedly destroyed, is slowly losing his grip on sanity, subsequently leading to Gonard handcuffing himself and Guano together so he can keep an eye on him-- but they end up losing the key.

Episode 2 - Mikey Impossible

Original Airdate: February 25, 2006 and September 17, 2006 on Nickelodeon

Ozu decides to take a vacation- his first in several decades. Before going, he reads off a long list of rules, most importantly, not to harm his prized 500-year-old Bonsai tree. Of course, even before he reads this, Mikey accidentally sets the tree aflame. Now, Mikey and most of the gang (excluding Lily, who is their temporary boss, and doing all she can to keep them busy) must work to replace the Bonsai before Ozu gets back from his unusually short vacation. There is no real subplot in this episode.

Episode 3 - Ship Of Fools

Original Airdate: March 4, 2006

After hearing of the release of his new video game, Mikey tries desperately to get his hands on it - but at the release, fans carry away every available copy. After many unsuccessful attempts at obtaining a copy, he is forced to 'pirate' a copy - that is, get it from actual pirates. He does get the game, but the pirates take something from him in exchange - Gonard! Now, Mikey must save his friend, even if it endangers his life, and the game. In the subplot, in Mikey's absence, Lily and Mitsuki are swept into the charm of Suave Mikey, a Mikey look-alike (they are even drawn the same way) whom they mistake for the real Mikey.

Episode 4 - Saving Face

Original Airdate: March 11, 2006

After being licked by a pig repeatedly, Mikey develops a large pimple. He makes every effort he can to hide the pimple, until an evil tabloid publisher snaps a picture, and threatens to publish the pimple if Mikey does not give him embarrassing secrets about his friends. In the subplot, Lily is outraged over her replacement as spokesperson for Hitoshi Beauty Cream. Her replacement? Socky, a sock puppet popculture idol. She works to beat him out for Teen Trend's 50 Most Beautiful List, a feat that could be helped discretley by Mikey.

Episode 5 - The Fugi-Kid.

Original Airdate: March 18, 2006

LilyMu has a prop on loan from the government: a hi-tech invisibility jacket. Naturally, Mikey goes and fools with it, leading to its theft by a 'one armed-man'. Mikey is framed, convicted, and nearly goes to jail - but, he escapes from the officer holding him, and finds himself on the lam. In order to clear his name, he must catch the man who stole the coat and prove himself innocent. There is no subplot.

Episode 6 - Mikey Likes It (Garbage).

Original Airdate: March 25, 2006

Mikey can't figure out Japan's recycling system, until Mitsuki and Guano explain it to him using a show tune. Of course, then, he is obsessed with it, and begins throwing out personal belongings, including Mitsuki's beloved photo album. He recovers the album, but the pictures are gone. Now, he must attempt to recreate the pictures before Mitsuki notices. In the subplot, Gonard and Lily are tricked into a sham romance to stir publicity. This is bad enough for them- until, one day later, Ozu decides to use Guano to heat things up.

• The part in which Gonard and Guano use white gloves to slap each other is a reference to Bugs Bunny. He would take his white glove off and slap people with it.

Episode 7 - Easy Come, Easy Gonard

Original Airdate: May 27, 2006

Mikey is elated upon receiving his first paycheck from LilyMu Studios (after the initial shock that he is paid for acting), so he's naturally eager to spend it. He ends up buying off a younger crowd of fans by promising them to pay for merchandise in his likeness from Tatami Megastore. However, the owner of Tatami Megastore, Mr. Tatami, informs him he owes 20 million in yen (approximately $173,000) for the toys he bought, and he has to get the money in 24 hours or face certain doom in The Tatami Room. His plans for raising money backfire, as does his friendship with Gonard in the resulting fight. In the subplot, Mitsuki and Lily attempt to rescue a scared-witless Guano from the two spoiled sons of Mr. Tatami, who think that Guano is a toy.

• Every time somebody sees the Tatami Room they see a hotel first.

• Apparently, Guano has a UPC code on his butt (or the botton of his costume if it's a costume).

Episode 8 - Lily Meow or LilyMeow as the opening theme would call it

Original Airdate: June 3, 2006

Mikey adopts a lost kitten named Kello to gain popularity, but instead the cat gains more popularity than the entire LilyMu franchise. After the platform that Kello the kitten was on from above comes crashing down, he gets injured, Ozu blames the LilyMu team (except Guano) and fires them. They then hire the same coat crook from the 'Fugi-Kid' to steal the kitten, but little do they know, the coat crook eats cats. They're able to stop him (despite the fact that it was them who hired the bandit to steal the cat in the first place). The fans then celebrate team Lilymu's victory and they get the most attention again (plus, Ozu re-hires them until he can remember why he fired them in the first place). Kello realized that the Lilymu team were getting the most attention. He does a juggling trick to get some attention, but in vain. He then plans to use his own monument to crush Mikey and his friends, but Guano foils his evil plot. They have him air on a show similar to the Teletubbies, hoping it will punish the kitten for his evil ways. In the subplot, Lily and Mitsuki have a spat over the placement of their characters' mannequins in a LilyMu store.

Episode 9 - Splashomon

Original Airdate: August 27, 2006

Ozu's new prized Jade Tigerfish is stolen so they start a crime scene investigation on who took the Jade Tigerfish. Guano says Gonard took it. Lily says Mikey did it. Then Mikey says he took it(only to tell a story) but after he does Mitsuki admits she took it because she was afraid Ozu was going to kill it. He actually intends to make it the centerpiece of his new aquarium.

Episode 10 - The Good, The Bad, The Mikey

Original Airdate: July 8, 2006

Mikey, Gonard and Guano catch The Dum Dum Show in the Tatami Megastore. However, the embarrassing antics of the actor who played Mikey's favorite superhero "Captain Impressive" embarrass Mikey. Not wanting to wind up with the same fate, Mikey turns himself into a badboy, which causes a chain reaction of badness. Also, Lily teaches Mitsuki all about dating, something she thought she could reconsider when she finds out that's Mitsuki's secret love is Mikey.

Episode 11 - The Sumo Of All Fears

Unable to lift a heavy prop, Mikey goes to the gym. There,he gets a new rival in the shape of a Yokozuna, which challenges him. He and Guano get trained by a janitor. Will Mikey win the challenge? Will he become the new Yokozuna? In the subplot, Gonard pretends he was beaten up to get the girls to pamper him.

Episode 12 - Lost In Transportation

Original Airdate: August 20, 2006 on Nickelodeon

Because he doesn't fit in the LilyMu battle wagon, the stubborn Mikey wanders off looking for acceptance and falls in with a biker gang called The Chums. This is bad, because the rest of the gang is at the birthday party of their biggest sponsor's son- and he wants Mikey.

Episode 13 - Big Trouble in Little Tokyo

Original Airdate: September 3, 2006 on Nickelodeon

Guano is tired of the LilyMu cast not listening to him. Mikey doesn't even listen to him when he tells him not to go to the secret floor in LilyMu tower. When they get to the floor, they meet a mad scientist who made all the monster movies. But when everyone started bossing him around, he confined himself to the secret floor. Eventually, he kidnaps Guano, but after listening to him and understanding his feelings, he tries to free Guano. But Mikey, in an attempt to free Guano himself, supersizes Gonard! Gonard starts to attack the city, so Guano supersizes himself and defeats Gonard and turns him back to normal. In the subplot, Ozu has Yes Man perform dangerous comical bloopers.

• Many monsters that the LilyMu cast talks about are paradies of Godzilla and Mothra

References

References to the United States

• In an episode, Mikey refers to "The three headed mega dragon". This could be a refrence to the classic Japanese movie monster King Gidorah.
• In Socky's music video, his on-screen name (somewhat obscured by the Nicktoons watermark) is "Slim Socky", a parody of Eminem, who has an alias of "Slim Shady".
• The episode Ship Of Fools is most likely named after a song called Ship Of Fools by the Doors. Ship of Fools is also a classical novel.
• Lily consults a talking mirror about her beauty. This mirror is much like the one in Disney's animated version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. There is also a talking mirror in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, which London Tipton (and occasionally Maddie Fitzpatrick) consults about her beauty as well.
• In "Easy Come, Easy Gonard", the countdown clock shown is from the American television series 24.
• In the episode "Lily Meow", Yes Man says "Four Legs Good!!" which is a reference to George Orwell's book "Animal Farm".
• In the episode "Sumo of all Fears", the Lilymu episode is almost identical to the climax to the first Spider-Man film.
• In the episode "Ship Of Fools", while Mikey and Guano are shipwrecked, Mikey begins to talk to a broken volleyball with a bloody handprint face on it, similar to the volleyball companion Wilson in the movie "Castaway". The name could also be a refrance to a doors song, ship of fools.
• In the episode "Lost in Transportation", when Mikey is in the coffee shop with the bikers, he trys to "dance his way out", so he jumps up on the counter and does a dance very similar to the Pee Wee Herman dance. The scene is a reference to "Pee Wee's Big Adventure".
• In LilyMeow Yes Man yells out "Cat Scratch Fever" this maybe a reference to the "Ted Nugent" song named Catscratch Fever or the TV show Catscratch.

References to Japanese culture

• Sean Schemmel (Gonard) is the only Kappa Mikey cast member who voices a character who is a direct spoof of a show he was directly involved in. He is the English voice of Goku and miscellaneous characters from Dragon Ball Z, which Gonard's [off-set] design is deliberately spoofing.
• In the theme song, there is a girl wearing a hat similar to Puchiko's from Di Gi Charat, except that the hat is pink.
• Seen in the theme song, (and a photograph in Dr. Katashi's office) is a pink-haired "persocom", as immortalized in Chobits. Although from the before-and-after pictures in the plastic surgeons office, it appears she merely had cosmetic surgery.
• After getting kicked out of their old appartment by Ozu in "The Switch" Their new roommate is apparently being targeted by one of the spirits from the movie Kairo. When Mikey comes to visit them, the first thing he points out is a grease stain on the wall where their roommate used to be (the sign that said spirit has taken the life of its victim).
• In the episode "Saving Face", the highly successful sock puppet pop idol Socky has an entourage of three women who look suspiciously like Kagome Higurashi from InuYasha, Shampoo from Ranma 1/2, and Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion by Hideaki Anno. Also accompanying Socky is an agent/bodyguard who strongly resembles Batou from Ghost in the Shell.
• Characters from Street Fighter make appearances in various areas of the show. They include Zangief as a Mikey cosplayer, Chun-Li when Mikey tried to steal her copy of the LilyMu videogame, and M. Bison as a sad fanboy (however, most likely just parodies of said characters).
• The pirates in the "Ship Of Fools" episode seem to resemble One Piece pirates. Much like the One Piece pirates, these guys have exaggerated physical features.
• Although he hasn't shown up in an aired episode as of yet, there's a Speed Racer imposter shown in the intro.
• Dr. Katashi, the plastic surgeon from "Saving Face", looks suspiciously like Kakashi Hatake from Naruto. He even sports a band covering one eye, although he also bears a slight resemblance to Professor Oak from Pokémon. On the other hand, his hair is shaped just like Kakashi's, only it's blonde (much like Naruto Uzumaki's hair color) instead of silver.
• In the episode "Lily Meow" the character Kello the Kitten's name is most likely a reference to Hello Kitty.
• The form of a green Mega Man appears, possibly a reference to the American animated series Captain N: The Game Master, where Mega Man was green.
• In the episode "The Fugi-Kid", the officer bears a striking resemblence to Commander Amarao from FLCL with his large eyebrows.
• Lily and Mitsuki are satirically based on Asuka Langley and Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
• Mitsuki is also the same name as the protagonist Mitsuki Kouyama of Full Moon wo Sagashite.
• Other anime characters seen in the background of various episodes include a lookalike of Conan Edogawa from Detective Conan (as one of the Mikey cosplayers) and a woman who resembles Kuchiki Rukia from Bleach with glasses (as a random, disposable background character).
• Some of the biker gang members' designs in "Lost in Transportation" may have been references to the famous anime movie Akira, particularly the clown-faced member (the rival gang in Akira was known as the Clowns). However, this is not the case for Beef, the group's leader; he looks more like a 1960's era Osamu Tezuka character.
• A blue haired girl in this show resembles Mint Aizawa (Corina Bucksworth) from Tokyo Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power).

Errors

Cultural errors

• In the episode, Ship of Fools, the video game boxes for the Lily-Mu video game have a rating of "E for Everyone" from North America's Entertainment Software Rating Board rating system rather than a rating from Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization rating system.

See also

• Anime-influenced animation

External links

• Official website
• Nicktoons Network minisite
• Nick.com Mini site
• Kappa Mikey in Teletoon