Samurai Pizza Cats is the American adaptation of the anime series Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (キャッ党忍伝てやんでえ Kyattō Ninden Teyandē, lit. Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee), produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Sotsu Agency. The series originally aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from February 1, 1990 to February 12, 1991 for a total of 54 episodes.
Saban Entertainment picked up the North American rights to the series in 1991 and produced a 52-episode English adaption. The English version of the series first aired in 1991 on ITV in the United Kingdom, in 1992 on YTV in Canada and in 1996 in the United States on first-run syndication.
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Dubbing History[]
When Saban licensed the English version, proper translations of and information about the original Japanese episodes were either of poor quality or non-existent. It was decided to write completely original dialogue for the English dub, playing the show as a wacky, Animaniacs-esque comedy in contrast to the slightly less farcical original. The English-language version became a cult hit among anime fans due to its rapid-fire pop-culture references and farcical nature.
The dub was recorded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at CINAR Studios, according to Terrence Scammell's site[1], whilst the scripts were mainly written in Los Angeles. 2 of the 54 original episodes were undubbed as they were clip shows that did little to further the series' plot. Some episodes of the dubbed version were never aired in the United States due to censorship issues. Certain lines in the episodes were also redubbed to remove any risque or offensive jokes. The redubbed lines were recorded in Los Angeles, California.
The music in the English dub (replacing the original Japanese music) was by Shuki Levy and Haim Saban (credited as Kussa Mahchi). In keeping with the parodic nature of the show, the lyrics of the new theme song make a number of references to American pop culture. According to series writer Andy Thomas, the singer of the theme song, Michael Airington, another series writer, had a few drinks prior to the recording session, and resulted in him stuttering on the line "This cat gets down down with a love hangover" (describing Guido Anchovy); said mistake was kept in for the final version. This was backed up by Airington on his YouTube channel.[2] The line in the theme song "As soon as someone finds the script, we might begin the show" is also a reference to the above mentioned fact of Saban receiving improper translations of the original Japanese episodes and how Saban decided to re-write the script for the international release.
Cast[]
| Image | Character | Seiyū | Dub Actor |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Speedy Cerviche (Yattarō) |
Kappei Yamaguchi | Rick Jones |
|
Polly Esther (Pururun) |
Ai Orikasa | Sonja Ball |
| Wendee Lee (redub) (eps. 20, 41) | |||
|
Guido Anchovy (Sukashī) |
Jūrōta Kosugi | Terrence Scammell |
|
Seymour "The Big" Cheese (Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami) |
Ikuya Sawaki | Dean Hagopian |
|
Jerry Atric (Karasu Gennarisai) |
Naoki Tatsuta | Mark Camacho |
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Bad Bird (Karamaru) |
Kōichi Yamadera | Michael O'Reilly |
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Francine (Otama) |
Satomi Kōrogi | Pauline Little |
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Lucille (Omitsu) |
Yūko Mizutani | Susan Glover |
|
General Catton (Rikinoshin) |
Kiyoyuki Yanada | Michael Rudder |
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Bat Cat (Mietoru) |
Tsutomu Kashiwakura | Richard Dumont |
|
Meowzma O'Toole (Gotton) |
Wataru Takagi | Mark Hellman |
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Spritz T. Cat (Nekkii) |
Takehito Koyasu | Arthur Holden |
| Mark Hellman (ep. 34) | |||
|
Emperor Fred (Tokugawa Iei Iei) |
Kenyū Horiuchi | Mark Hellman |
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Princess Vi (Tokugawa Usako) |
Maria Kawamura | Liz MacRae |
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Big Al Dente (Inuyama Wankō-no-Kami) |
Kōzō Shioya | A.J. Henderson |
|
Carla (Okara) |
Chieko Honda | Eramelinda Boquer |
|
Guru Lou (Nekomata Reikainosuke) |
Kenichi Ogata | Walter Massey |
|
Bad Max / Crow Magnon (Zankaa) |
Yasunori Matsumoto | Arthur Grosser |
| Arthur Holden (ep. 15) | |||
|
Cannonball Battery (Bonkaa) |
Kōzō Shioya | Richard Dumont |
|
Mojo Rojo (Rekkaa) |
Hiroyuki Shibamoto | Gary Jewell |
| Kenyū Horiuchi | |||
|
Ronnie Geisssmuller (Wokkaa) |
Kenyū Horiuchi | Michael Rudder |
| Masami Kikuchi | |||
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Momma Mutt (Itsumono Oya) |
Yūko Mizutani | Jane Woods |
|
Junior (Itsumono Ko) |
Satomi Kōrogi (ep. 1) |
Bronwen Mantel |
| Ai Orikasa | |||
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Princess Vi's Servant (Koto) |
Sakiko Tamagawa (ep. 9) |
Jane Woods |
| Kotono Mitsuishi | |||
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The Professor (Sensei) |
Kenyū Horiuchi | Mark Hellman |
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News Seller | Wataru Takagi | Arthur Holden |
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Ninja Crows | Kenyū Horiuchi Naoki Tatsuta Kōzō Shioya Tsutomu Kashiwakura |
Arthur Holden Mark Hellman |
| |||
| Narration | Kenyū Horiuchi | Terrence Scammell |
Episodic Characters[]
| Image | Character | Seiyū | Dub Actor | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wally (Matsukichi) |
Michitaka Kobayashi | Michael Rudder | 2, 18 |
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Old Man Monkeybags (Omiya) |
Kenichi Ogata | Arthur Grosser | 4 |
|
Night Watchman | Arthur Holden | 5 | |
|
Ohm's Son (Shiraga Zenmainoshin) |
Tomoko Maruo | Tedd Dillon | 5, 10 |
|
Ruby (Okinu) |
Sakiko Tamagawa | Anik Matern | 8 |
|
Professor Ohm (Shiraga Genmai) |
Pierre Lenoir | 10 | |
|
Sunblock-16 (Haisensu #9) |
Wataru Takagi | Mark Hellman | 12-13 |
|
Speedy Fan Girls | Kotono Mitsuishi Akiko Yajima |
Jane Woods | 14 |
| ||||
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Yard Bird (Choinaa #7) |
Yūko Mizutani | Arthur Holden | 15 |
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Emperor Fred's Look-a-like (Imadori Sasabee) |
Kenyū Horiuchi | Mark Hellman | |
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Rufus T. Rhomboid (Eji Sontoku) |
Kei Tomiyama | Mark Hellman | 16 |
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Ruthless (Collector #9) |
Kōzō Shioya | Michael Rudder | |
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Fernando Curtainzuela (Pochi Puma) |
Tōru Furuya | 17 | |
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Burt Kennels (Wataru) |
Wataru Takagi | Arthur Holden | |
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Walkie-Talkie (Taikomochi #3) |
Kenyū Horiuchi | Richard Dumont | 20 |
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Seymour Jr. (Yoshibō) |
Kumiko Watanabe | Bronwen Mantel | 23 |
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Sylvia (Otome) |
Asami Mukaidono | Jane Woods | |
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Bucky (Heikichi) |
Wataru Takagi | Arthur Holden | 24 |
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Monster Masher (Kobutsuki #4) |
Kōzō Shioya Naoki Tatsuta |
Mark Hellman | 25 |
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Marty | |||
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Crablo (Chomoranma 1/2) |
Megumi Hayashibara | Arthur Grosser | 26 |
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CooCoo Bird (Zekko Bird) |
Wataru Takagi | Arthur Holden | |
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I. Beam (Hidari Kingarou) |
Hiroshi Masuoka | 27 | |
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Big Frank (Gesshunin #28) |
Kōzō Shioya | Michael Rudder | |
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Beaky Bickerson (Kitsutsuki no Uwatsuki) |
Toshimichi Ōtsuki | Gordon Masten | 29 |
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Love Bot (Pid #9) |
Yūichi Nagashima | Susan Glover | 30 |
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Owl Guru (Saishi) |
Kōzō Shioya | Arthur Holden | 31 |
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Potted Pig (Bunbuta Chagama) |
Masahiro Anzai | Michael Rudder | 32 |
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Mr. Conehead (Missile Seller Chobee) |
Yūichi Nagashima | Arthur Holden | 33 |
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Captain Nitro (Bakuhatsu #5) |
Bin Shimada | Richard Dumont | 35 |
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Puff Tart (Bakuhatsu #4) |
Kotono Mitsuishi | Patricia Rodriguez | |
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The Great Warrior (Kuroi Bushō) |
Hirotaka Suzuoki | Terrence Scammell | 37 |
| Mark Hellman | 51 | |||
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Sundance Kid (Michael) |
Ryō Horikawa | Pier Paquette | 38 |
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Cosmo (Prince) |
Shō Hayami | Michael Rudder | |
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Deedee (Madonna) |
Hiromi Tsuru | Jane Woods | |
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Abigail (Ball) |
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Sir Chester Cheddar | Arthur Holden | ||
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Lucinda (Honey) |
Yūko Mizutani | Bronwen Mantel | |
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Empress Frieda (Usa-no-Tsubone) |
Sumi Shimamoto | Jane Woods | 40 |
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Frogface (Kusarigama Tarō) |
Wataru Takagi | Pierre Lenoir | 42 |
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Smiling Jack (Momikoshi Tokujirō) |
Tokujiro Namikoshi | Rick Jones | |
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Ben Bunny (Sasuke) |
Terrence Scammell | ||
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Fingers (Lupin #3) |
Kōzō Shioya | Arthur Holden | 43 |
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Mini-Midas (Mōkarimakka #3) |
Wataru Takagi | Bronwen Mantel | 44 |
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Time Master (Tokiokakeru #4) |
Arthur Holden | 45 | |
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Shell (Kamehame #8) |
Masami Kikuchi | Pier Paquette | 48 |
Additional Voices[]
- Mark Hellman
- Arthur Holden
- Rick Jones
- Pierre Lenoir
- Bronwen Mantel
- Michael O'Reilly
- Pier Paquette
- Michael Rudder
- Terrence Scammell
- Harry Standjofski
- Aron Tager
- Jane Woods
Songs[]
- Theme Song
- Vocals: Michael Airington
- The Pointless Sisters
- Vocals: Susan Glover and Sonja Ball
Transmission[]
| Date(s) | Channel | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-1995 | ITV | United Kingdom | 
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| 1992-1997 | YTV | Canada | 
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| 1992-1994 | Seven Network | Australia | 
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| 1996-1998 | Syndication | United States | 
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| 1996-2000 | Fox Kids | United Kingdom |
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| 2004 | Jetix | Latin America and Brazil | 
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Notes[]
- The Samurai Pizza Cats episode order is conflicting. The episode order that is given out on press releases and the original TV broadcasts placed episodes "Pizza Cat Performance Review", "Cold and Crabby in Little Tokyo" and "The Terror of Prisoner Island" as episodes 25, 26, and 27 of the series. However, modern home video releases and streaming services placed "Cold and Crabby in Little Tokyo", "The Terror of Prisoner Island" and "Pizza Cat Performance Review" as episodes 25, 26, and 27 which is slightly more close to the episode order of Kyatto Ninden Teyandee. However, the fifth and sixth episodes "Let the Cellar Beware" and "Singing Samurai Sensai-tion" (which were switched from the original Japanese version) were never corrected due to the episode previews.
Video Releases[]
| Distributor | Year | Format | Content | Region | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entertainment UK | 1991 | 
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Episodes 1, 3, 8-9 | PAL | United Kingdom |
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| 1 Volume | ||||||
| Video Treasures | 1992 | Compilation Film (Episodes 1, 50-51) |
NTSC | United States |
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| Samurai Pizza Cats The Movie | ||||||
| Madman Entertainment | 2013 | 
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The Complete Series | 4 PAL |
Australia |
|
| 2 Volumes | ||||||
| 2016 | The Complete Series | |||||
| 8 Discs | ||||||
| Discotek Media | 2013 | The Complete Series | 1 NTSC |
United States |
| |
| 8 Discs | ||||||
| 2015 | The Complete Series | |||||
| 8 Discs | ||||||
| 2016 | 
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The Complete Series* | ||||
| 1 Disc | ||||||
*Standard Definition Blu-Ray
References[]
- ↑ Voice Acting - Terrence Scammell. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBa4isQ4ULw
External Links[]
- Samurai Pizza Cats at the Internet Movie Database
- Samurai Pizza Cats (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia