Pucca (TV series)

Pucca
Genre
Created by
  • Boo Kyoung Kim
  • Calvin Kim
Directed by
  • Greg Sullivan (seasons 1–2)
  • Joon Won Lee (season 3)
Voices ofSeason 1-2:
Season 3 (Love Recipe):
  • Jeonghwa Yang
  • Shin Yong-woo
  • Beom-gi Hong (Korean version)
  • Park Si-yoon (Korean version)
  • Doug Erholtz (English version)
  • Melissa Fahn (English version)
Theme music composerPlus-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)
ComposerHal Beckett
Country of originCanada (2006–08)
South Korea (2018–19)
Original languagesEnglish (entire run)
Korean (season 3)
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes65 (191 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Chris Bartleman
  • Blair Peters
  • Michael Lekes (season 1)
  • Marc Buhaj (season 2)
  • Yong Wook Kim (season 3)
Producers
  • Kirsten Newlands (season 1)
  • Lori Lozinski (season 2)
  • Byong Pil Kong (season 3)
Running time21 minutes (7 minutes per segment; seasons 1–2, season 3 English verison)
2 minutes (1 minute per segment; season 3 Korean verison)
Production companiesStudio B Productions (2006–08)
Bazooka Studio (2018–19)
Original release
NetworkToon Disney (Jetix)
ReleaseSeptember 18, 2006 (2006-09-18) –
August 11, 2008 (2008-08-11)
NetworkMBC TV
ReleaseDecember 10, 2018 (2018-12-10) –
October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)

Pucca (Korean: 짜장소녀 뿌까; RR: Jjajangsonyeo 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 South 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 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 December 10, 2018 on MBC TV, and December 19, 2018 on Tooniverse.[5] It consists of 26 episodes (76 segments).[6] The third season of Pucca, titled Pucca: Love Recipe in English, was released on Netflix on December 31, 2019, before being removed on June 29, 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

The series focuses on the adventures of a 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. Pucca is in love with a serious ninja-in-training named Garu, who values his own company and silence, often seeing moments in which Pucca chases Garu and tries to kiss him. Pucca is friends with Ching, an 11-year-old girl who practices Jian swordsmanship. She has a pet chicken named Won that always sits on her head and is in love with a boy named Abyo, who pays no attention to her and only has interests in Kung-Fu as well as 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 Jetix series 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

SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
17826September 18, 2006 (2006-09-18)May 14, 2007 (2007-05-14)Jetix
Family Channel
23713March 3, 2008 (2008-03-03)August 11, 2008 (2008-08-11)
37626December 10, 2018 (2018-12-10)October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)MBC


Voice cast

Pucca (TV series)

  • Tabitha St. Germain as:
    • Pucca, the titular protagonist who communicates with giggling instead of speaking. She's in love with Garu.
    • Ring Ring, Pucca's short-tempered rival and one of major antagonists of the series who is shown to transform in anger whenever something doesn't go her way.
  • 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 friend and sometimes rival.
    • Dada, a clumsy dishwasher and waiter at Goh-Rong Restaurant.
    • Tobe, one of major antagonists of the series who has a rivalry with Garu.

Pucca: Love Recipe

Korean version

  • 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 Jung-hwan 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

Telecast and home media

Pucca 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 has aired on Family Channel.

In July 2007, Jetix Europe signed a home video deal with Shout! Factory to release Pucca on Region 1 DVD.[11]

All five releases featured episodes from the first season. The fifth and final volume, titled Sooga Super Squad, featured four segment-episodes from the second season.

Title Episode count Release date Episodes include
Region 1 Season Ep# Title
Ninjas Love Noodles 13 March 18, 2008[12][13] 1 1b "Noodle Round the World"
2b "Chef Slump"
11c "Ninjitsu for Dummies"
12a "Misplaced Face"
13b "Noodle to the Stars"
15b "Feud Fight"
17c "The Shirtless Avenger"
18a "And the Band Played Rong"
18b "Tobe's Nighttime Troubles"
21b "Ninja License"
21c "Four-Alarm Fire"
23c "Sooga Size Me"
25b "Woolen Warrior"
Kung Fu Kisses 6c "Slam Bam Birthday Bash"
7b "Scenes from a Maul"
8a "Dream On"
11a "Rootin' Tootin' Ninjas"
15a "Matinee Mayhem"
15c "Dance, Pucca, Dance"
16 "Evil Love"
"A Better Boyfriend"
"Prince Not So Charming"
17a "A Leg Up"
22a "The Ring Ring Touch"
24a "Little Miss Sooga"
26a "Soap Opera"
Spooky Sooga Village 11 September 16, 2008[14] 1a "Funny Love Eruption"
2a "A Force of Won"
3a "The Cursed Tie"
5 "Them Bones"
"Ghost of a Kiss"
"The Usual Ching"
9a "Invisible Trouble"
9b "High Voltage Ninjas"
14a "Ninjasaurus"
14b "Unfortunate Cookies"
23a "Itsy Bitsy Enemy Within"
Secret Samurai Santa 10 October 28, 2008[15] 6b "Snow Ninjas"
10 "Tis the Season for Revenge"
"Northern Lights Out"
"Secret Santa"
12b "Swiss Kiss"
13a "No Year's Eve"
14c "On Thin Ice"
19b "Lumberjacked"
23b "Puccahontas"
25b "Woolen Warrior"
Sooga Super Squad 13 March 3, 2009[16] 1c "Ping Pong Pucca"
4b "Let's Go Fly a Ninja"
7a "The Sooga Showdown"
7c "Up from the Depths"
17b "Surf Ninjas"
18c "Datin' and Dumplins"
19c "Autograph This!"
21a "Tokyo a Go-Go"
24b "Gold Medal Garu"
2 27b "Knock It Off!"
29b "Invincible Vengeance"
35b "Striking Out"
38c "Super Sooga Squad"

Awards

At 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".[17][18][19]

Music tour

A 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.[20]

See also

  • Pucca – information about the Pucca franchise in general
  • Canimals – another animated television series created by Vooz

References

  1. ^ "New Episodes Trickle into CN, Adult Swim, Kids WB". Firefox. Microsoft. 4 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  2. ^ "JCP and PUCCA". 28 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Studio B Sees Pucca to TV". Cold Hard Flash. 22 January 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  4. ^ "Planeta Junior Brings Pucca Back". 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Korea-born character Pucca reimagined as 3D animation". 9 December 2018. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Pucca Episode 26". TVING. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Pucca | Drupal". October 2018. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "JCP and Pucca". 28 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  10. ^ "Studio B Sees Pucca to TV". Cold Hard Flash. 22 January 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  11. ^ "Shout Factory ::: Jetix".
  12. ^ "Pucca: Ninjas Love Noodles - DVD | Shout! Factory".
  13. ^ "Pucca: Kung Fu Kisses - DVD | Shout! Factory".
  14. ^ "Pucca: Spooky Sooga Village - DVD | Shout! Factory".
  15. ^ "Pucca: Secret Samurai Santa - DVD | Shout! Factory".
  16. ^ "Pucca: Sooga Super Squad - DVD | Shout! Factory".
  17. ^ Ball, Ryan (2 October 2006). "Jetix Europe Orders More Pucca". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  18. ^ "2006 Leo Award Nominees & Winners" (PDF). 14 November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 November 2020.
  19. ^ "2006 Archives: Official Selection". annecy.org. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  20. ^ "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.