KO Beast
Encyclopedia
K.O. Beast, known in Japan as , is an anime
series.
, a British-based magazine, brought the first three episodes to the UK market on its own label (this was Anime UKs only release). The anime itself was fine in and of itself, but that version had unintended consequences, amounting to an odd mix of accents from mockney
and American to Essex girl
.
It was released in America by The Right Stuf International
. The American version made references to Pokémon
due to the voice cast having also worked for the dub of Pokémon.
The Three Beasts, Wan Derbard (Wan Dabadadatta) of the Tiger Tribe, Bud Mint (Baado Mint) of the Bird Tribe, and Mei Mer (Mei Mah) of the Mermaid
Tribe, are taken prisoner along with Mei Mer's companion Tuttle Millen (Mekka Mannen, also of the Mermaid tribe), but manage to escape thanks to a little girl named Yuuni Charm Password. Together they seek Gaia, which they believe to be a fabulous treasure, but they are pursued by Uranus's minions : V-Darn the vicious mage-knight, V-Sion the warrior woman and Akumako, V-Darn's sadistic imp
-like partner.
To these are added the child Yuni, who is female, and a bulky male Tuttle (so-written in the English subtitles) to complete a typical five-character adventure team. All but Yuni are "beasts" who usually appear in anthropomorphic form but who can easily shapeshift
. For instance, when Wan becomes angry, he turns into a tiger
, though he still wears his trousers, as does Bud, who becomes a rooster
when he is frightened or disgusted. Mei Mer's legs are replaced by a porpoise
's tail; Tuttle becomes a sea turtle, his cumbersome body becoming an armored sphere. The first three are heroes of their tribes of beasts, each committed to protecting a magical statue of their tribe, which are called "Jinn." Each has a stereotypical childish desire: Wan is hungry, Bud Mint wants girls, Mei Mer wants wealth. In addition, Bud often begins his responses with English
expletives or sayings. The joke is that the symbol of the US is the eagle
, but he is a chicken.
Their enemies are the human beings V-Darn and V-Sion, whose names involve a pun on the Japanese word for "beautiful," namely bi for v, and the story begins with all heroes captured and taken to the enemy stronghold, and the three statues taken.
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....
series.
History
In 1993-1994, Anime UKAnime UK magazine
Anime UK was a British magazine founded in 1991 dedicated to Japanese animation and published for six years before ceasing publication in 1996. Peter Goll, Steve Kyte, Helen McCarthy, and Wil Overton founded the magazine in London, England...
, a British-based magazine, brought the first three episodes to the UK market on its own label (this was Anime UKs only release). The anime itself was fine in and of itself, but that version had unintended consequences, amounting to an odd mix of accents from mockney
Mockney
Mockney is an affected accent and form of speech in imitation of Cockney or working class London speech, or a person with such an accent...
and American to Essex girl
Essex girl
An Essex girl is a pejorative stereotype in the United Kingdom of a female who is said to be promiscuous and unintelligent, characteristics jocularly attributed to women from Essex. It is applied widely throughout the country and has gained popularity over time, dating from the 1980s and 1990s...
.
It was released in America by The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
. The American version made references to Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
due to the voice cast having also worked for the dub of Pokémon.
Story
The series is set in the distant future in which the Earth is split in two. The southern hemisphere is placed in another dimension while the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere are able to morph into beast-like humanoids. Eventually the humans of the southern hemisphere, led by Uranus, attack the Beasts.The Three Beasts, Wan Derbard (Wan Dabadadatta) of the Tiger Tribe, Bud Mint (Baado Mint) of the Bird Tribe, and Mei Mer (Mei Mah) of the Mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
Tribe, are taken prisoner along with Mei Mer's companion Tuttle Millen (Mekka Mannen, also of the Mermaid tribe), but manage to escape thanks to a little girl named Yuuni Charm Password. Together they seek Gaia, which they believe to be a fabulous treasure, but they are pursued by Uranus's minions : V-Darn the vicious mage-knight, V-Sion the warrior woman and Akumako, V-Darn's sadistic imp
Imp
An imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word may perhaps derive from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree.-Folklore:...
-like partner.
Characters
The series has three main characters:- Wan - the male leader who dresses in red
- Bud Mint - the male loner
- Mei Mer - the female.
To these are added the child Yuni, who is female, and a bulky male Tuttle (so-written in the English subtitles) to complete a typical five-character adventure team. All but Yuni are "beasts" who usually appear in anthropomorphic form but who can easily shapeshift
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
. For instance, when Wan becomes angry, he turns into a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, though he still wears his trousers, as does Bud, who becomes a rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
when he is frightened or disgusted. Mei Mer's legs are replaced by a porpoise
Porpoise
Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen...
's tail; Tuttle becomes a sea turtle, his cumbersome body becoming an armored sphere. The first three are heroes of their tribes of beasts, each committed to protecting a magical statue of their tribe, which are called "Jinn." Each has a stereotypical childish desire: Wan is hungry, Bud Mint wants girls, Mei Mer wants wealth. In addition, Bud often begins his responses with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
expletives or sayings. The joke is that the symbol of the US is the eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, but he is a chicken.
Their enemies are the human beings V-Darn and V-Sion, whose names involve a pun on the Japanese word for "beautiful," namely bi for v, and the story begins with all heroes captured and taken to the enemy stronghold, and the three statues taken.