Pucca (Korean: 짜장소녀 뿌까; RR: Jjajang Sonyeo Ppukka) is an animated comedy television series based on a series of shorts created by the South Korean company VOOZ Character System. The series revolves around Pucca, a young girl who is in love and infatuated with a ninja named Garu. The series has aired on Champ TV and MBC TV in Korea. The series has also aired on Toon Disney's Jetix block in the U.S., and on the international Jetix channels throughout Europe and Latin America.[1][2][3] In Canada, the show had aired on Family Channel.
| Pucca | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
|
| Directed by |
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| Voices of | Jetix/Canada era: Season 3 (Love Recipe):
|
| Theme music composer | Plus-Tech Squeeze Box (season 1–2) Yoon Joo-Hyeon, Kim-wook (Love Recipe) |
| Opening theme | "Pucca Funny Love" (seasons 1–2) "Love Recipe" (season 3) |
| Ending theme | "Pucca Funny Love" (Extended) (seasons 1–2) "Pucca's Sweet Love" (season 3) |
| Composer | Hal Beckett |
| Country of origin | Canada (2006–08) South Korea |
| Original languages | English Korean |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 65 (191 segments) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 21 minutes (whole) 7 minutes (separate) 2 minutes (whole) 1 minutes (separate) |
| Production companies | Studio B Productions (2006–08) Bazooka Studio (2018–19) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Toon Disney/Jetix |
| Release | 18 September 2006 – 1 August 2008 |
| Network | MBC TV |
| Release | 10 December 2018 – 31 October 2019 |
Pucca premiered in 2006, with a set of 26 episodes (78 segments). The second season of the show, consisting of 13 episodes (39 segments), began airing in 2008 after it was ordered to be created by Jetix Europe. In October 2018, a third season was announced by Planeta Junior, a company within Planeta Group.[4] The third season aired in South Korea on 10 December 2018 on MBC TV, and 19 December 2018 on Tooniverse.[5] It consists of 26 episodes (76 segments).[6] The third season of Pucca, titled "Pucca: Love Recipe" in English, released on Netflix on 31 December 2019 before being removed on 29 June 2023.
In total, not including the past online aired episodes of the show, this brought the number of created segments to 191. The main theme song is also sung in Korean.
Summary
editThe series focuses on the adventures of an 11-year-old noodle delivery girl named Pucca, who typically does not speak. She works in a local restaurant called the Goh-Rong in her town called Sooga Village, owned by her three uncles where their main dish is Jajangmyeon noodles. Her love interest is a 13-year-old ninja named Garu, who also does not speak. Garu is a committed ninja in training that has a serious demeanour, valuing his own company and silence, often seeing moments in which Pucca chases Garu and tries to kiss him. Pucca has a best friend named Ching, an 11-year-old that practices Jian swordsmanship. Ching has a pet chicken named Won who always sits on her head, and is in love with a boy named Abyo, a 14-year-old who pays no attention to her and only has interests in Kung-Fu and impressing other girls.
In the third season, there is an overarching plot surrounding the rivalry between Goh-Rong and a new local restaurant titled Dong King Restaurant (which was originally titled to be BonaSera in the trailer[7]). Ring Ring, a local 12-year-old fashion star, who appeared previously in the show and also grows a love interest to Garu, is also revealed to be the daughter of Dong King and works alongside him and his servants against Pucca and Dong King.
Episodes
editVoice cast
editPucca (TV series)
edit- Tabitha St. Germain as:
- Pucca, the titular protagonist who communicates with giggling instead of speaking.
- Ring Ring, Pucca's rival who is shown to be a good opera singer, ballerina, and contender.
- Brian Drummond as Garu, the ninja warrior of Sooga Village whom Pucca loves. The two of them interact by screaming and laughing.
- Chantal Strand as Ching, Pucca's friend who manages Turtle Training Hall with her father.
- Lee Tockar as:
- Abyo, an energetic and competitive, yet stubborn boy who is Garu's best friend.
- Dada, a clumsy dishwasher and waiter at Goh-Rong Restaurant.
- Tobe, the main antagonist who has a rivalry with Garu.
Pucca: Love Recipe
editKorean version
edit- Yang Jeong-hwa as Pucca (uncredited)
- Shin Yong-woo as Garu (uncredited)
- Hong Beom-gi as Abyo
- Park Si-yoon as Ching
- Kim Hyeon-ji as Ring Ring
- So Junghwan as Uncle Dumpling
- Lee Sang-ho as Ho
- Hong Seung-hyo as Linguini
- Park Seung-tae as Tobe
- Hyeon Gyeong-soo as Fyah
- Kim Shin-woo as Chang
- Kang Seong-woo as Bruce
English version
edit- Yang Jeong-hwa as Pucca (archived recordings; uncredited)
- Shin Yong-woo as Garu (archival recordings; uncredited)
- Doug Erholtz as Abyo
- Melissa Fahn as Ching
- Karen Strassman as Ring Ring
- Kirk Thornton as Uncle Dumpling and Bruce
- Spike Spencer as Ho, Cassano, and Santa Claus
- Steve Canden as Linguini and Fyah
- Ben Pronsky as Tobe, Ayo, and Dandy
- Stephanie Sheh as Granny and Panky
- Todd Haberkorn as Chang and Dada
- Tony Azzolino as Ssoso
- Michael Sorich as Dong King, Jin, and Siva
Telecast and home media
editPucca has aired on Champ TV and MBC TV in Korea. The series has also aired on Toon Disney's Jetix block in the U.S., and on the international Jetix channels throughout Europe and Latin America.[8][9][10] In Canada, the show had aired on Family Channel.
| DVD title | Season(s) | Episode count | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ninjas Love Noodles | 1 | 13 | 18 March 2008 | |
| Kung Fu Kisses | ||||
| Spooky Sooga Village | 11 | 16 September 2008 | ||
| Secret Samurai Santa | 10 | 28 October 2008 | ||
| Sooga Super Squad | 1, 2 | 13 | 3 March 2009 | |
Awards
editAt the 2006 Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the Pucca episode "A Force of Won" was "nominated for two awards, including the Prix Jeunesse in the Animation category." During the same year, Pucca won the Leo Awards for best screenwriting, along with "best overall in an animation program".[11][12][13]
Music tour
editA musical show for the series was held in Lima on 8 October 2009. This location was chosen because of Pucca being "one of the most beloved programs on Jetix's Latin American channel". The show repeated itself eight times from 8 to 11 October 2009.[14]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "New Episodes Trickle into CN, Adult Swim, Kids WB". Firefox. 4 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ "JCP and PUCCA ::: Jetix". 28 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ "Studio B Sees Pucca to TV". Cold Hard Flash. 22 January 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ "Planeta Junior Brings Pucca Back". 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Korea-born character Pucca reimagined as 3D animation". 9 December 2018. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Pucca Episode 26 | TVING". 14 November 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Pucca | Drupal". October 2018. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "New Episodes Trickle into CN, Adult Swim, Kids WB". Firefox. 4 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ "JCP and PUCCA ::: Jetix". 28 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ "Studio B Sees Pucca to TV". Cold Hard Flash. 22 January 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ Ryan Ball (2 October 2006). "Jetix Europe Orders More Pucca". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ^ "2006 Leo Award Nominees & Winners" (PDF). 14 November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 November 2020.
- ^ "Annecy > About > Archives > 2006 > Official Selection". annecy.org. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ "Pucca y sus amigos darán espectáculo en Lima". El Comercio. 20 August 2009. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2010.