19 reviews
Just visualize a scene where two anthropomorphic cats are fighting to win the affection of a female sheep. One of them violently smashes a tree, yes a tree, on his rival's face. Nothing but ordinary cartoon's slapstick served by over-the-top flashy Japanese animation but like some Jazz singer would say, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothing yet (which is a line spoken in the show, too). The smashed cat retorts:
"Well now I've seen everything, as if the destruction of the Brazilian Rainforest weren't enough for ya, you're the most environmentally irresponsible person I met!"
"Save that pinko pop ecology stuff for the next Greenpeace newsletter!"
Then the girl gets so emotional that her geisha hairstyle conceals homing missiles, launched in their direction, while she shouts "Stop talking' politics!" then the narrator comments, while the two cats are left smoking on a desolated crater, with shocked expressions, that "love can be a mind-blowing experience".
This comes from "Samurai Pizza Cats", (the real business and the cover are in the title) and those were a few quotes from the first episode, one that efficiently set the tone of sardonic, rapid-fire, fourth-wall breaking and tongue-in-cheek humor that'll make the series' trademark. I hope these quotes worked as appetizers, in fact, just copy-pasting a link to a quotes' section should be enough to convince you. And this is as quotable as a cartoon can ever get and some of them are from the Narrator whose freedom of tone might echo the opinion of those who think this is too silly, or idiotic, this is why it's almost impossible to hate: the show, as it is perfectly aware of its own silliness.
Take another scene for instance, the cats work in a pizza parlor but officially, they're Samurai protecting the Kingdom of Little Tokyo, and they have the duty to fight evil whenever it raises its ugly head, and when bravery is called, the three heroic felines, two male: Speedy Cerviche (the self-centered long-suffering leader), Guido Anchovy (the womanizing and laid-back sidekick) and one female Polly Esther (the temperamental and bossy feminist) use a launching cannon operated by the owner of the Pizza Cat restaurant named Francine, it's like a pulling trigger device that blasts the heroes in the air toward their destination.
In one episode where they are all replaced by the rescue team (each member helps them when they meet a tricky situation), so they're all blasted in the air although Francine isn't there. Then you have the most delightful running-gag of the show (which is saying a lot, as the series is full of mother) a mother Mutt and her son watch them flying in the air, the sons asks how the last cat managed to launch himself although no one operated the cannon, the mother reminds him that it's been a long time the writers stop caring for these details, which ironically works as a perfect bit of writing.
Seriously, who remembers "Samurai Pizza Cats", one of the most awesome animated TV shows of the early 90's, or should I say, the most underrated since its name has probably sunk into oblivion and is only remembered by a fistful of hardcore fans. Well, I guess one must be truly nuts to love this show and consider it superior to any other animated series about anthropomorphic warrior-like animals, especially the emblematic "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". But believe me, it takes quite a gourmet taste to grab a slice of THAT Pizza!
Indeed, not only it's better than "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", and I can talk since this is my generation, but it's cooler, funnier and full of the most hilarious one-liners one would ever hear in an animated TV aiming a young audience, actually, this is more a show for teens and young adults, and it features so many fourth-wall-breaking moments you even feel like you're part of the show. There's no wall anymore It is creative and original in every single way.
I mean how many cartoons have the bad guy, an egomaniac and flaming fox, who enjoys cross-dressing, openly flirting with male crew made of crows, dressing as a geisha or a cheerleader or even wearing female swimsuits. How many cartoons feature a kingdom governed by an Emperor so retarded it's his spoiled rabbit daughter who rules the town. It's not just "Litte Tokyo" but "Crazy Tokyo" and within their own craziness, all the characters are very consistent.
How many cartoons feature such lines "hey how come we show up at each episode and episode you act surprised?" or a Narrator asking "Is this the end of the Pizza Cats? After only seven episodes?", "I want to talk to my agent' or "Do you serve shrimps" "We serve everyone" Well, I stop here the quotations. But they're so integral to the show's greatness, and there is a reason for that.
The show was produced by Saban company, one of our childhood heroes, and the original scripts were either nonexistent or badly translated.The writers used their imagination and came up with translations that had nothing to do with the original material, I'm not too sure since the show looks funny in Japanese, and they certainly didn't dub the cross-dressing, but this proves that sometimes, the absence of means can be a mean by itself.
On the surface, the show looks very formulaic (it is to some extent) with the same recycled image, Speedy pulling out his sword and terminating the episode's evil robot, the Pizza Cats introducing themselves every time and so forth, but the dubbing makes the difference. In one scene, Bad Bird, one of the bad guys wonders why they keep introducing themselves, he can read credits.
This is one of the few occurrences where the original is less popular than its foreign version, another oddity that makes "Samurai Pizza Cats" such a surreal case in the history of animation.
"Well now I've seen everything, as if the destruction of the Brazilian Rainforest weren't enough for ya, you're the most environmentally irresponsible person I met!"
"Save that pinko pop ecology stuff for the next Greenpeace newsletter!"
Then the girl gets so emotional that her geisha hairstyle conceals homing missiles, launched in their direction, while she shouts "Stop talking' politics!" then the narrator comments, while the two cats are left smoking on a desolated crater, with shocked expressions, that "love can be a mind-blowing experience".
This comes from "Samurai Pizza Cats", (the real business and the cover are in the title) and those were a few quotes from the first episode, one that efficiently set the tone of sardonic, rapid-fire, fourth-wall breaking and tongue-in-cheek humor that'll make the series' trademark. I hope these quotes worked as appetizers, in fact, just copy-pasting a link to a quotes' section should be enough to convince you. And this is as quotable as a cartoon can ever get and some of them are from the Narrator whose freedom of tone might echo the opinion of those who think this is too silly, or idiotic, this is why it's almost impossible to hate: the show, as it is perfectly aware of its own silliness.
Take another scene for instance, the cats work in a pizza parlor but officially, they're Samurai protecting the Kingdom of Little Tokyo, and they have the duty to fight evil whenever it raises its ugly head, and when bravery is called, the three heroic felines, two male: Speedy Cerviche (the self-centered long-suffering leader), Guido Anchovy (the womanizing and laid-back sidekick) and one female Polly Esther (the temperamental and bossy feminist) use a launching cannon operated by the owner of the Pizza Cat restaurant named Francine, it's like a pulling trigger device that blasts the heroes in the air toward their destination.
In one episode where they are all replaced by the rescue team (each member helps them when they meet a tricky situation), so they're all blasted in the air although Francine isn't there. Then you have the most delightful running-gag of the show (which is saying a lot, as the series is full of mother) a mother Mutt and her son watch them flying in the air, the sons asks how the last cat managed to launch himself although no one operated the cannon, the mother reminds him that it's been a long time the writers stop caring for these details, which ironically works as a perfect bit of writing.
Seriously, who remembers "Samurai Pizza Cats", one of the most awesome animated TV shows of the early 90's, or should I say, the most underrated since its name has probably sunk into oblivion and is only remembered by a fistful of hardcore fans. Well, I guess one must be truly nuts to love this show and consider it superior to any other animated series about anthropomorphic warrior-like animals, especially the emblematic "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". But believe me, it takes quite a gourmet taste to grab a slice of THAT Pizza!
Indeed, not only it's better than "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", and I can talk since this is my generation, but it's cooler, funnier and full of the most hilarious one-liners one would ever hear in an animated TV aiming a young audience, actually, this is more a show for teens and young adults, and it features so many fourth-wall-breaking moments you even feel like you're part of the show. There's no wall anymore It is creative and original in every single way.
I mean how many cartoons have the bad guy, an egomaniac and flaming fox, who enjoys cross-dressing, openly flirting with male crew made of crows, dressing as a geisha or a cheerleader or even wearing female swimsuits. How many cartoons feature a kingdom governed by an Emperor so retarded it's his spoiled rabbit daughter who rules the town. It's not just "Litte Tokyo" but "Crazy Tokyo" and within their own craziness, all the characters are very consistent.
How many cartoons feature such lines "hey how come we show up at each episode and episode you act surprised?" or a Narrator asking "Is this the end of the Pizza Cats? After only seven episodes?", "I want to talk to my agent' or "Do you serve shrimps" "We serve everyone" Well, I stop here the quotations. But they're so integral to the show's greatness, and there is a reason for that.
The show was produced by Saban company, one of our childhood heroes, and the original scripts were either nonexistent or badly translated.The writers used their imagination and came up with translations that had nothing to do with the original material, I'm not too sure since the show looks funny in Japanese, and they certainly didn't dub the cross-dressing, but this proves that sometimes, the absence of means can be a mean by itself.
On the surface, the show looks very formulaic (it is to some extent) with the same recycled image, Speedy pulling out his sword and terminating the episode's evil robot, the Pizza Cats introducing themselves every time and so forth, but the dubbing makes the difference. In one scene, Bad Bird, one of the bad guys wonders why they keep introducing themselves, he can read credits.
This is one of the few occurrences where the original is less popular than its foreign version, another oddity that makes "Samurai Pizza Cats" such a surreal case in the history of animation.
- ElMaruecan82
- May 10, 2016
- Permalink
In Australia, there is an entire generation who remember this show fondly as the one that helped them get through whatever sickness they had at the time.
On Agro's cartoon connection at about 8:30am, this was one of those shows that everyone could agree was a funny poorly translated comedy that you couldn't help to just go along with and enjoy. This was spongebob before you were a stoner.
Thank you Samurai pizza cats for helping me get through glandular fever
- Rectangular_businessman
- May 27, 2024
- Permalink
On the surface, the show appeared to be nothing more than a spoof of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with a bunch of pizza loving cats who fight crime. But Samurai Pizza Cats proved to be much more than that. It was a show with it's own unique brand of humor, wit, glib, charm and Charisma.
Originally titled "Legend of the Cat Samurai", the show aired in Japan a few years before finally making it overseas where Saban took it and changed it into the show it is today. Because they had no transcripts made for them, the writers were forced to improv and make up stories to fit the characters actions - it worked beautifully. The final product ended up being a 'parody' of what it what it intended to be. Pizza had very little to do with it.
The reason why the show is so enjoyable is because it doesn't take itself too seriously. It is very light humored in nature. Even the villains are likeable. The show also is well rounded and manages to touch on the areas of friendship and love, something which other shows fail to do. The personalities were almost life-like, adding depth to the show.
In short, this was a great series and would have been even greater had the creators simply decided to make more episodes.
^_^
Originally titled "Legend of the Cat Samurai", the show aired in Japan a few years before finally making it overseas where Saban took it and changed it into the show it is today. Because they had no transcripts made for them, the writers were forced to improv and make up stories to fit the characters actions - it worked beautifully. The final product ended up being a 'parody' of what it what it intended to be. Pizza had very little to do with it.
The reason why the show is so enjoyable is because it doesn't take itself too seriously. It is very light humored in nature. Even the villains are likeable. The show also is well rounded and manages to touch on the areas of friendship and love, something which other shows fail to do. The personalities were almost life-like, adding depth to the show.
In short, this was a great series and would have been even greater had the creators simply decided to make more episodes.
^_^
Samurai Pizza Cats is one of my favourite cartoons of all time! There are so many people who just say its a rip-off of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but this just isn't true. As a girl I never really watched TMNT, but Samurai Pizza Cats is suitable for boys and girls. Pizza Cats is way more funny, and light-hearted. I love the lame little puns and jokes and the character names, (Polly Esther, Big Al Dente)... its such a cute and enjoyable show! Its definitely one of the most unique kids cartoons around in my opinion. The characters are so awesome and I always wanted to be just like them as a kid!! Its one of those really memorable cartoons of my childhood, along with Jem, Smurfs, Wacky Racers etc.
- georgiepie_11
- May 20, 2006
- Permalink
Originally airing in Japan as Kyatto Ninden Teyandee in 1990 and picked up by Saban entertainment for a North American release a year later in '91, Samurai Pizza Cats is a zany, 4th wall breaking, meta-comedy anime about 3 cats living in an anthropomorphic animal world where they spend their days as employees of a pizza restaurant and by night (I mean still mostly day, but ykwim) fight crime as the titular pizza cats. The so-called crime they fight is most often the evil deeds of The Big Cheese, the prime minister, and his side-kick Bad Crow. Like most of Saban's imports of the 90s the show received a considerable overwrite and editting for the english version, resulting in a fairly different show in tone than the original Japanese, if not just a bit more over-the-top. To be fair, I didn't watch too much of the original Japanese version, as I had to go to crunchyroll to find it. With constant references to other celebrities of the time, openly comparing themselves against the ninja turtles, and riffing on what crazy things "the producers" would think of next, characters in the show seem to take the world seriously, storylines are fast and loose, but the comedy is considerably high quality considering the format of the show. I laughed a good bit, and definitely more so in the first half of its run, towards the end it felt quite repetitive and a bit too silly. I think something good to flip on for a 22 minute laugh, but there's no reason to watch this for the plot, its just there to have a good time. That said, again the original Japanese series did seem to have considerably more character development and consistency in some semblance of an overarching plot, something thats missing from its english counterpart. All-in-all, a good show that's easy to find on free services like Tubi and Midnight Pulp, or without ads on crunchyroll. The voice acting is great, the scripting is decent with the jokes the highlight, and the nonsense of it all ties everything together with charm. If you want some pepperoni you know who to call.
- coles_notes
- Nov 13, 2022
- Permalink
A creative, fun anime. This one involved the Pizza cats who were also samurais and fought evil characters when inter-rumping peace in Tokyo. See, the cats work on a Pizza restaurant!
This cartoon is really a hidden gem. It had the necessary humor to entertain children and adults. The situations were really comical with
the Japanesse touch. I really dug the sometimes black humor used because it fit perfectly with the characters.
I liked their comical adventures and the cartoon's ending always had a positive message.
Oh, this is pure nostalgia. I remember always sitting in front of t.v. every day at 4:00 p.m. waiting eagerly for the show.
This cartoon is tender but really humorous. I don't know where to find it but believe me, if it's released on DVD, it will be a HUGE success. This may be the best comical anime.
Also, the opening song is stuff for legend. Samurai Pizza Cats!!
This cartoon is really a hidden gem. It had the necessary humor to entertain children and adults. The situations were really comical with
the Japanesse touch. I really dug the sometimes black humor used because it fit perfectly with the characters.
I liked their comical adventures and the cartoon's ending always had a positive message.
Oh, this is pure nostalgia. I remember always sitting in front of t.v. every day at 4:00 p.m. waiting eagerly for the show.
This cartoon is tender but really humorous. I don't know where to find it but believe me, if it's released on DVD, it will be a HUGE success. This may be the best comical anime.
Also, the opening song is stuff for legend. Samurai Pizza Cats!!
- insomniac_rod
- Jul 16, 2006
- Permalink
I give this show a 10 out of 10! I loved from the first day I saw when I was only 5 or 6, and for more than 10 years I wondered what happened to it, then when I finally looked it up on IMDb and saw its shape now it only saddened me because there was never a official DVD volume or continuation on TV today which would have been wonderful.
Part of the reason the show never took off is mainly because it was obviously a very low-budgeted TV-show, with each actor or actress covering multiple acting jobs on the show, although this is not rare, each actor is not an exclusively known, the show has had its downfalls in this area, not much to credit it based on actors and writers.
All in all this show deserves much more credit than it has gotten over the years. It was an incredible cartoon with great comedy, which was only held back now because of its mistakes in the past.
Part of the reason the show never took off is mainly because it was obviously a very low-budgeted TV-show, with each actor or actress covering multiple acting jobs on the show, although this is not rare, each actor is not an exclusively known, the show has had its downfalls in this area, not much to credit it based on actors and writers.
All in all this show deserves much more credit than it has gotten over the years. It was an incredible cartoon with great comedy, which was only held back now because of its mistakes in the past.
- BlazinChrist777
- Jun 4, 2006
- Permalink
- Irishchatter
- Aug 26, 2018
- Permalink
Samurai Pizza Cats has been on T.V for nearly 10 years, despite there only being just about over 50 episodes, it still proves to be one of Japan's best cartoons. Most people will have never heard of this cartoon (because of other cartoons like Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z and of course... Pokemon). The funniest part of the cartoon was the narrator, sometimes screwing up his lines and making crazy comments. In short Samurai Pizza Cats is a lost classic
- grant.mclellan
- Apr 27, 2000
- Permalink
When this show first premiered in 1991, I immediately didn't watch it, dismissing it as nothing more than a lame "Ninja Turtles" rip-off. But then, on one rainy afternoon, there was nothing else on, and I began to watch it. This show is just SO funny! What other cartoons feature a cross-dressing villain, heroes whose secret identities are exactly the same as their hero personas, and a total babe with a missile launcher in her head that nukes whatever upsets her? I watched it religiously until 1997, when all my local carriers quit showing it. But, trust me, this show is one of the best forgotten gems of animation. And always remember, "although they may be pen and ink, we know they'll fight like...PIZZA CATS!!"
This is such a great idea for a Anime series! One of the best Anime cartoons ever has to be Samurai Pizza Cats. This is funny, yet it also has action. I recommend that all Anime/cartoon comedy lovers try to watch this somehow.
- AtomicAnthony
- Jan 24, 2003
- Permalink
This show is funnier than Woody Allen's "What's Up, Tiger Lily?," which is very much in the same vein.
Like Allen's film, the SPCs are a Japanese production given a very funny English soundtrack, only this time the Japanese production was a spoof of anime to start with. The result: A very, very funny show, both visually and in the soundtrack, with no slow spots or inappropriate humor.
The English soundtrack was made up out of whole cloth, because there were no transcripts of the Japanese scripts to translate. The crew made a virtue out of necessity.
Beware the funny-looking blue stuff.
Like Allen's film, the SPCs are a Japanese production given a very funny English soundtrack, only this time the Japanese production was a spoof of anime to start with. The result: A very, very funny show, both visually and in the soundtrack, with no slow spots or inappropriate humor.
The English soundtrack was made up out of whole cloth, because there were no transcripts of the Japanese scripts to translate. The crew made a virtue out of necessity.
Beware the funny-looking blue stuff.
- dthompson-17
- Mar 28, 2006
- Permalink
Samurai Pizza Cats was originally made by Tatsunoko Studios in Japan as "Cat Ninden Teyande". Saban bought the rights to dub the show, and has made English, French, German, Spanish, and Hebrew dubs. The dubbed version, "Samurai Pizza Cats" was produced by Andy Thomas, who had new stories written to match the animation. This was very well done (in fact the lip synic is often better, since the writers matched the dialoge to the mouth movements) and resulted in a very funny show. Although Saban marketed the show for children, the show has humour that can be enjoyed by all ages. Most fans of the show are actually teens and young adults. The show features heroic cats in armor (who also run a pizza shop), a villain who enjoys cross-dressing, ninja crows who build giant robots, and a sarcastic narrator. If it's ever on where you live, don't be put off by Saban's dumb ads, it's actually a very fun show for kids or adults.
I didn't get to see all the episodes of this show.But what episodes I did see were hilarious.This is by far the best show. It makes me sad that when it was being shown Fox and other corporations kept switching air times and showing the same ones over and over..This is a great show.I just hope they'll bring it back on the air.If I could i would buy all the episodes if offered..Because... The pizza cats are samurai , and i'd like to note... Their antics take your breath away.. Like fur balls in your throat. We kittens are a special breed we never call retreat. Whenever Big cheese knocks us down.. We land upon are feet. So hail to thee oh Pizza cats , please ring your little bells.Although you may be pen and ink , we know you'll fight like...
PIZZA CATS !!
PIZZA CATS !!
- bobafettjw
- Jun 19, 2000
- Permalink
- NickSoapdish
- Aug 3, 2005
- Permalink
I never really bothered with this show because I was a teenager and I didn't really give a hoot about it one way or the other. It wasn't just a blatantly obvious rip-off of the TMNT but it was just silly and juvenile. I just didn't get the humor in it and I never wanted to get it. YTV started airing this after they went to air in 1988 but the quality of their afternoon programing is still lacking. I hoped for a miracle that they would put stuff on that's worthwhile and so far that hasn't really happened. I really wish that they would get up off their duffs and think of better things to air than this. If YTV can do this then I will be completely happy.
- blackarachnia2
- Apr 12, 2006
- Permalink
I also loved this serie, but I have to disagree with Georgiepie
In the line :'They're so bad, they've got more fur than any turtle ever had!' you can find the clue that they really did compeat with the TMNT.
Theme Song: Will somebody please cue that bird?
Samurai Pizza Cats!
(Oh yeah!) Who do you call when you want some pepperoni?
Samurai Pizza Cats!
-Speedy Cerviche: Right on!- They're stepping out crime, and you know that ain't baloney!
There's Speedy Cerviche, he's the leader of the bunch.
-That's right!- A heck of a fighter, makes a heck of a lunch.
And little Polly Esther, who's never afraid, -Polly Esther: That's me!- of going into battle when the bad guys invade.
Here's Guido Anchovy, a wild romantic rover.
This cat gets down, down, with a love hangover!
Here come the Pizza Cats!
They're so bad, they've got more fur than any turtle ever had!
They're stronger than old cheese... -Stronger than old cheese!- Stronger than dirt... -Stronger than dirt!- -Speedy and Guido in the background: Five, six, seven, eight!- Step on their tails... -Not on my tail!- And you're gonna get hurt... -Don't hurt me!- Samurai Pizza Cats... They're fighting crime... All over town!
Four... Three... Two... One... Pizza Cats are on the run!
The Big Cheese is the villain, who's lower than low.
It's a rotten shame he lives in Little Tokyo.
We've got our nasty Bad Bird and some nasty Ninja Crows.
As soon as someone finds the script, we might begin the show!
Sit right back, kick up your feet and turn the sound up high.
And if you want the full effects, go eat a pizza pie!
(Samurai Pizza Cats!) Hahaha! Oohh...
In the line :'They're so bad, they've got more fur than any turtle ever had!' you can find the clue that they really did compeat with the TMNT.
Theme Song: Will somebody please cue that bird?
Samurai Pizza Cats!
(Oh yeah!) Who do you call when you want some pepperoni?
Samurai Pizza Cats!
-Speedy Cerviche: Right on!- They're stepping out crime, and you know that ain't baloney!
There's Speedy Cerviche, he's the leader of the bunch.
-That's right!- A heck of a fighter, makes a heck of a lunch.
And little Polly Esther, who's never afraid, -Polly Esther: That's me!- of going into battle when the bad guys invade.
Here's Guido Anchovy, a wild romantic rover.
This cat gets down, down, with a love hangover!
Here come the Pizza Cats!
They're so bad, they've got more fur than any turtle ever had!
They're stronger than old cheese... -Stronger than old cheese!- Stronger than dirt... -Stronger than dirt!- -Speedy and Guido in the background: Five, six, seven, eight!- Step on their tails... -Not on my tail!- And you're gonna get hurt... -Don't hurt me!- Samurai Pizza Cats... They're fighting crime... All over town!
Four... Three... Two... One... Pizza Cats are on the run!
The Big Cheese is the villain, who's lower than low.
It's a rotten shame he lives in Little Tokyo.
We've got our nasty Bad Bird and some nasty Ninja Crows.
As soon as someone finds the script, we might begin the show!
Sit right back, kick up your feet and turn the sound up high.
And if you want the full effects, go eat a pizza pie!
(Samurai Pizza Cats!) Hahaha! Oohh...
- kooswillem
- Nov 17, 2024
- Permalink