Garage Kids
Encyclopedia
Garage Kids is a French
animated television pilot
that was produced by Antefilms in 2001 in both France and US. It was the original concept for the French animated television series Code Lyoko
, which was released in 2003 and 2004 in the US.
Lyoko is portrayed quite differently in Garage Kids, being called "Xanadu" instead. The antagonist
appeared and acted very much like Xana in Code Lyoko, but was given no name in Garage Kids. The three main fighters, such as Yumi, with her telekinesis
, were able to exert their special powers outside of Lyoko. Aelita does not seem to exist in Garage Kids, and no character models of her were ever made.
Many of the locations are different, as well. Inside the factory, the scanners (which are much wider and shorter than the ones in the show) are atop a long set of stairs and the lab (simply a chair surrounded by multiple screens) is on ground level. The exterior of the factory does not appear to be changed. Kadic looks different (looking more like a Japanese junior high/high school in most respects) and pets are seemingly allowed there, since Odd makes absolutely no effort to hide the fact that Kiwi is with him.
The outfits for the virtualized characters range from slightly to drastically different, appearing to be based on designs from the older eras of Japan
. Ulrich's outfit has the most differences. Unlike his outfit in Code Lyoko, his pants are rather large and puffy (not unlike parachute pants
), based on early versions of samurai
armor. The others are not seen in virtualized form, but early character models shown them in roughly the same outfits as they wear in Code Lyoko, but with minor differences. The various character models (except for Odd's virtual form) can be seen at the links below.
Different voice actors are used in Garage Kids. As a result, the character's voices are noticeably different. They are also less than fluent in English, which is easily spotted in fragments of their conversations. All the voices sound much more like French voices. They also sound much younger (around 9-11 years of age). Their personalities, however, seem to remain the same.
The overall state of the computer-generated imagery in Garage Kids is poorly executed, in almost second-rate video-game starkness, when compared to the smooth, realistic Code Lyoko computer-generated imagery
; this is not terribly surprising, as the pilot was never meant to be viewed by the public. Also, some of the visual effects used in anime
are used in Garage Kids, but, with the exception of one scene in the episode "Claustrophobia," no anime effects are seen in Code Lyoko.
Garage Kids is not on any of the official Code Lyoko DVD box sets. Instead, it is available for download in Quicktime Movie format at the websites below.
) lights up with a strange symbol (a silhouette of Xanadu) and dark, ghost-like shapes begin to pour from the screen.
The next day, a bus arrives at Kadic. It drops off a student and his dog. They're named Odd and Kiwi, respectively. Odd is greeted by Jeremie, who also introduces him to his friend, Ulrich. Jeremie makes a comment about Kiwi, saying something about him looking "really dumb." Odd claims Kiwi is very sensitive and can get mean, and pushes the dog into Jeremie's face. Jeremie believes him at first, but Odd quickly reveals the act to be a joke (showing off his goofball smile). Ulrich just shakes his head in disbelief. Some time later, while showing Odd around the school, Jeremie points out Yumi, who is practicing Pencak Silat
with Ulrich. Jeremie makes sure to point out that getting on her bad side is not a good idea. As the two practice, Yumi eventually throws Ulrich to the floor and pins him. After a short stint of heavy breathing, Yumi blushes.
Later on, on the roof of Kadic, Yumi is telling Jeremie to hurry before they are late for class. For some unfathomable reason, Jeremie is sitting on the railing. He's messing with his laptop, claiming something to be weird. All of a sudden, the symbol seen on the computer in the first scene appears on his laptop and the same ghosts burst from the screen and escape into the sky. This causes Jeremie to lose his balance and fall. Luckily, Yumi is able to catch him before he hits the ground. She doesn't catch him physically, but rather through telekinesis
. Odd is understandably surprised as she floats Jeremie back up. She then asks Odd, who is now-trembling and rather scared, "Odd, can you keep a secret?"
They take Odd (followed by Kiwi) to an old factory. Within is a giant laboratory, complete with a computer, three scanners, and a couch for some reason. Ulrich heads for the scanners while Jeremie and Yumi head for the computer. Odd just stands there, in awe of his surroundings. Jeremie quickly sends Ulrich to a virtual world, known as Xanadu. Odd wonders what is happening, so Yumi gives a quick explanation about Xanadu. They don't know why it exists, but that they do know something is wrong with it.
In Xanadu, Ulrich walks around aimlessly for a bit before giant black ghosts begin to chase him. As the chase takes place, Odd asks why they go if it's so dangerous. Yumi explains that their world is in danger as well. Back in Xanadu, a ghost tries to crash into Ulrich. He dodges, and the ghost crashes into a pillar instead. A subsequent earthquake in the real world helps to accentuate Yumi's earlier point.
Eventually, Jeremie informs Ulrich that his saber is charged. Ulrich then draws a blue saber made out of binary code
. He quickly cuts one of the ghosts into several pieces. The other ghosts retreat, with Ulrich in hot pursuit. He chases them up a large mountain, eventually stopping at an over-sized tower. A few dozen ghosts are circling it. They break off and begin to pursue him.
Back in the lab, Jeremie tells Ulrich to come back, since it's getting too dangerous. Yumi disagrees, saying they can't go back later, and has Odd come with her to Xanadu instead. They appear on top of one of the over-sized towers, but are not actually seen. The camera backs up to show the whole of Xanadu, which looks exactly the same as the symbol seen on Jeremie's laptop. Towers of varying sizes can be seen scattered about its landscape and the "island" (which Xanadu is on) is connected by massive cables running into a black abyss. The Garage Kids logo appears on the screen once it fully backs away. Odd then comes out of the scanner, exhausted from the experience.
Now the credits start to play, showing various still images of the group. Among these are the four sitting on a bench while Jeremie works on his laptop, Jeremie and Odd trying to push an embarrassed Ulrich and Yumi together, a scene with Jeremie working and Odd sleeping while Ulrich and Yumi have a pillow fight, and, finally, another scene with the four sitting on a bench.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
animated television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
that was produced by Antefilms in 2001 in both France and US. It was the original concept for the French animated television series Code Lyoko
Code Lyoko
Code Lyoko is a French animated television series created by Thomas Romain and Tania Palumbo. The series centers on boarding school students Jeremie, Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd who travel to the virtual world of Lyoko to fight against multi-agent computer program XANA with Aelita, a being originally...
, which was released in 2003 and 2004 in the US.
Original concept
Garage Kids was originally intended to be the name and concept for Code Lyoko. They decided to switch to the current name and concept instead of sticking with what is seen in the five-minute pilot. The original hook of the series is seen below. Most of it is still true of Code Lyoko, except for some minor details.Built on the model of a soap opera which unfolds through the series, Garage Kids offers in each of its 26 episodes of 26 minutes a complete story in which Odd and his friends – Yumi, Ulrich and also Jeremie, a computer wizard – try to end one of the disturbances in the computer network caused by Xanadu's exuberance. While the idea of clandestine natures and hidden identities should seduce the children while feeding their imaginations, Garage Kids rests on the fascination that video games hold for kids today. A confrontation between the real world and Xanadu fully vindicates that of 2D and of 3D. Influenced by the poetry and the visual impact of Japanese animation, the series proposes a graphic universe that's particularly original and strong.
Original plot
This is the original plot for Garage Kids. Much of this still holds true for Code Lyoko, though various names and places have been altered.A group of kids whose adventures take place in the real world but also in a parallel and virtual world, Xanadu. The story? A boy of about twelve, Odd, arrives one day in his new neighborhood and quickly understands that his friends are gifted with extraordinary powers. Yumi, for example, is telekineticPsychokinesisThe term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
while Ulrich has the gift of displacing himself at the speed of light. These kids have in fact penetrated the secret of Xanadu, the fruit of the labours of a research group whose laboratory, set in an environment inspired by the old Renault automobile factory on the Île Seguin at Boulogne-Billancourt, is now abandoned. Created by the Professor, a learned eccentric who sunk into madness, Xanadu and its multiple disturbances threaten to destroy the real world.
Garage Kids and Code Lyoko
Garage Kids is similar in many ways to Code Lyoko, but several stark differences exist, as well. The differences are seen in the minor details, such as outfits and backgrounds, and the generally darker mood and atmosphere, which can be especially seen within the factory. The similarities can be seen in the larger details, such as the overall theme and characters involved.Lyoko is portrayed quite differently in Garage Kids, being called "Xanadu" instead. The antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
appeared and acted very much like Xana in Code Lyoko, but was given no name in Garage Kids. The three main fighters, such as Yumi, with her telekinesis
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
, were able to exert their special powers outside of Lyoko. Aelita does not seem to exist in Garage Kids, and no character models of her were ever made.
The outfits for the virtualized characters range from slightly to drastically different, appearing to be based on designs from the older eras of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Ulrich's outfit has the most differences. Unlike his outfit in Code Lyoko, his pants are rather large and puffy (not unlike parachute pants
Parachute pants
Parachute pants are a style of trousers characterised by the use of nylon, especially ripstop nylon. In the original loose-fitting, extraneously zippered style of the late 70s/early 80s, "parachute" referred to the pants' synthetic nylon material. In the later 80s, "parachute" may have referred to...
), based on early versions of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
armor. The others are not seen in virtualized form, but early character models shown them in roughly the same outfits as they wear in Code Lyoko, but with minor differences. The various character models (except for Odd's virtual form) can be seen at the links below.
Different voice actors are used in Garage Kids. As a result, the character's voices are noticeably different. They are also less than fluent in English, which is easily spotted in fragments of their conversations. All the voices sound much more like French voices. They also sound much younger (around 9-11 years of age). Their personalities, however, seem to remain the same.
The overall state of the computer-generated imagery in Garage Kids is poorly executed, in almost second-rate video-game starkness, when compared to the smooth, realistic Code Lyoko computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
; this is not terribly surprising, as the pilot was never meant to be viewed by the public. Also, some of the visual effects used in anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
are used in Garage Kids, but, with the exception of one scene in the episode "Claustrophobia," no anime effects are seen in Code Lyoko.
Garage Kids is not on any of the official Code Lyoko DVD box sets. Instead, it is available for download in Quicktime Movie format at the websites below.
Synopsis
Garage Kids begins on a stormy night in the city. A computer in a random room (it looks like a dorm room at Kadic, albeit with a more roomier look and a higher bedBed
A bed is a large piece of furniture used as a place to sleep, relax, or engage in sexual relations.Most modern beds consist of a mattress on a bed frame, with the mattress resting either on a solid base, often wooden slats, or a sprung base...
) lights up with a strange symbol (a silhouette of Xanadu) and dark, ghost-like shapes begin to pour from the screen.
The next day, a bus arrives at Kadic. It drops off a student and his dog. They're named Odd and Kiwi, respectively. Odd is greeted by Jeremie, who also introduces him to his friend, Ulrich. Jeremie makes a comment about Kiwi, saying something about him looking "really dumb." Odd claims Kiwi is very sensitive and can get mean, and pushes the dog into Jeremie's face. Jeremie believes him at first, but Odd quickly reveals the act to be a joke (showing off his goofball smile). Ulrich just shakes his head in disbelief. Some time later, while showing Odd around the school, Jeremie points out Yumi, who is practicing Pencak Silat
Pencak Silat
Pencak silat is an umbrella term for the indigenous martial arts created in Indonesia. The leading organization of pencak silat in Indonesia is IPSI...
with Ulrich. Jeremie makes sure to point out that getting on her bad side is not a good idea. As the two practice, Yumi eventually throws Ulrich to the floor and pins him. After a short stint of heavy breathing, Yumi blushes.
Later on, on the roof of Kadic, Yumi is telling Jeremie to hurry before they are late for class. For some unfathomable reason, Jeremie is sitting on the railing. He's messing with his laptop, claiming something to be weird. All of a sudden, the symbol seen on the computer in the first scene appears on his laptop and the same ghosts burst from the screen and escape into the sky. This causes Jeremie to lose his balance and fall. Luckily, Yumi is able to catch him before he hits the ground. She doesn't catch him physically, but rather through telekinesis
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
. Odd is understandably surprised as she floats Jeremie back up. She then asks Odd, who is now-trembling and rather scared, "Odd, can you keep a secret?"
They take Odd (followed by Kiwi) to an old factory. Within is a giant laboratory, complete with a computer, three scanners, and a couch for some reason. Ulrich heads for the scanners while Jeremie and Yumi head for the computer. Odd just stands there, in awe of his surroundings. Jeremie quickly sends Ulrich to a virtual world, known as Xanadu. Odd wonders what is happening, so Yumi gives a quick explanation about Xanadu. They don't know why it exists, but that they do know something is wrong with it.
In Xanadu, Ulrich walks around aimlessly for a bit before giant black ghosts begin to chase him. As the chase takes place, Odd asks why they go if it's so dangerous. Yumi explains that their world is in danger as well. Back in Xanadu, a ghost tries to crash into Ulrich. He dodges, and the ghost crashes into a pillar instead. A subsequent earthquake in the real world helps to accentuate Yumi's earlier point.
Eventually, Jeremie informs Ulrich that his saber is charged. Ulrich then draws a blue saber made out of binary code
Binary code
A binary code is a way of representing text or computer processor instructions by the use of the binary number system's two-binary digits 0 and 1. This is accomplished by assigning a bit string to each particular symbol or instruction...
. He quickly cuts one of the ghosts into several pieces. The other ghosts retreat, with Ulrich in hot pursuit. He chases them up a large mountain, eventually stopping at an over-sized tower. A few dozen ghosts are circling it. They break off and begin to pursue him.
Back in the lab, Jeremie tells Ulrich to come back, since it's getting too dangerous. Yumi disagrees, saying they can't go back later, and has Odd come with her to Xanadu instead. They appear on top of one of the over-sized towers, but are not actually seen. The camera backs up to show the whole of Xanadu, which looks exactly the same as the symbol seen on Jeremie's laptop. Towers of varying sizes can be seen scattered about its landscape and the "island" (which Xanadu is on) is connected by massive cables running into a black abyss. The Garage Kids logo appears on the screen once it fully backs away. Odd then comes out of the scanner, exhausted from the experience.
Now the credits start to play, showing various still images of the group. Among these are the four sitting on a bench while Jeremie works on his laptop, Jeremie and Odd trying to push an embarrassed Ulrich and Yumi together, a scene with Jeremie working and Odd sleeping while Ulrich and Yumi have a pillow fight, and, finally, another scene with the four sitting on a bench.
Music
- The song in the ending credits is called Love Foolosophy by the English group called JamiroquaiJamiroquaiJamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
. It is available on the CD called A Funk Odyssey. - The background music is called "Pirates" by Randy Edelman. The music is also used for the movie "Six Days, Seven Nights".