Donkey Kong Country (television series): Difference between revisions
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===English voice actors=== | ===English voice actors=== | ||
*[[Richard Yearwood]] — [[Donkey Kong]]<ref>{{cite|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826122501/http://youchew.net/index.php?/articles/interviews/interview-with-richard-yearwood-the-voice-of-donkey-kong-r625/|title=Interview with Richard Yearwood, the Voice of Donkey Kong|publisher=YouChew|date=May 10, 2013|accessdate=April 23, 2025}}</ref> | *[[Richard Yearwood]] — [[Donkey Kong]]<ref>{{cite|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826122501/http://youchew.net/index.php?/articles/interviews/interview-with-richard-yearwood-the-voice-of-donkey-kong-r625/|title=Interview with Richard Yearwood, the Voice of Donkey Kong|publisher=YouChew|date=May 10, 2013|accessdate=April 23, 2025}}</ref> | ||
**[[Sterling Jarvis]] — [[Donkey Kong]] (singing voice) | **[[Sterling Jarvis]] — [[Donkey Kong]] (singing voice){{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Andrew Sabiston]] — [[Diddy Kong]]<ref>2024. [https://andrewsabiston.com/ Andrew Sabiston's website] (under the "Voice" section). English. Retrieved March 7, 2025.</ref> | *[[Andrew Sabiston]] — [[Diddy Kong]]<ref>2024. [https://andrewsabiston.com/ Andrew Sabiston's website] (under the "Voice" section). English. Retrieved March 7, 2025.</ref> | ||
*[[Joy Tanner]] — [[Candy Kong]], [[Candy Clone]] | *[[Joy Tanner]] — [[Candy Kong]],{{ref needed}} [[Candy Clone]]{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Aron Tager]] — [[Cranky Kong]] | *[[Aron Tager]] — [[Cranky Kong]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://mynintendonews.com/2019/03/05/aron-tager-the-voice-of-cranky-kong-in-the-donkey-kong-country-tv-show-has-passed-away-at-the-age-of-84/|title=Aron Tager, The Voice Of Cranky Kong In The Donkey Kong Country TV Show, Has Passed Away At The Age Of 84|author=ssf1991|publisher=My Nintendo News|language=en|date=March 5, 2019|accessdate=April 23, 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Louise Vallance]] — [[Dixie Kong]] | *[[Louise Vallance]] — [[Dixie Kong]]<ref>https://stevievallance.com/music/files/resume_feb9_15.pdf</ref> | ||
*[[Damon D'Oliveira]] — [[Funky Kong]], [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]] | *[[Damon D'Oliveira]] — [[Funky Kong]],{{ref needed}} [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]]{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Donald Burda]] — [[Bluster Kong]], [[Leo Luster]] | *[[Donald Burda]] — [[Bluster Kong]],{{ref needed}} [[Leo Luster]]{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Ben Campbell]] — [[King K. Rool]] | *[[Ben Campbell]] — [[King K. Rool]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/05/random-og-donkey-kong-country-tv-series-cast-reunites-for-animated-short|title=Random: OG Donkey Kong Country TV Series Cast Reunites For Animated Short|author=Ollie Reynolds|publisher=Nintendo Life|language=en|date=May 10, 2023|accessdate=April 23, 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Adrian Truss]] — [[General Klump]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://youtu.be/C7Ao9laCJcg?si=kJD5l2R7S0DHEpaP|title=An Interview with ADRIAN TRUSS {{!}} Voice Artist & Improv Actor {{!}} THE GIO SHOW S0 E01|author=GioTV1|publisher=YouTube|date=February 4, 2019|accessdate=February 23, 2025}}</ref> | *[[Adrian Truss]] — [[General Klump]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://youtu.be/C7Ao9laCJcg?si=kJD5l2R7S0DHEpaP|title=An Interview with ADRIAN TRUSS {{!}} Voice Artist & Improv Actor {{!}} THE GIO SHOW S0 E01|author=GioTV1|publisher=YouTube|date=February 4, 2019|accessdate=February 23, 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Len Carlson]] — [[Krusha]] | *[[Len Carlson]] — [[Krusha]]{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Lawrence Bayne]] — [[Inka Dinka Doo]],<ref>{{cite|url=https://youtu.be/ZH5zwrFJ4Vc?si=lrK9ebAkm1J_4Mby|title=In Conversation with ATF - Lawrence Bayne|author=Amber Jones|publisher=YouTube|date=June 20, 2024|accessdate=March 24, 2025}}</ref> [[Kritter]]s | *[[Lawrence Bayne]] — [[Inka Dinka Doo]],<ref>{{cite|url=https://youtu.be/ZH5zwrFJ4Vc?si=lrK9ebAkm1J_4Mby|title=In Conversation with ATF - Lawrence Bayne|author=Amber Jones|publisher=YouTube|date=June 20, 2024|accessdate=March 24, 2025}}</ref> [[Kritter]]s{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Ron Rubin]] — [[Kaptain Skurvy]],<ref name=RonRubin>https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3fdfac_72b9d6c25c3940f8b3244bdea8528dd5.pdf</ref> [[Jr. Klap Trap]]<ref name=RonRubin/> | *[[Ron Rubin]] — [[Kaptain Skurvy]],<ref name=RonRubin>https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3fdfac_72b9d6c25c3940f8b3244bdea8528dd5.pdf</ref> [[Jr. Klap Trap]]<ref name=RonRubin/> | ||
*[[John Stocker]] — [[Kutlass (character)|Kutlass]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://johnstocker.ca/voice-performance/voice-performing-resume/|title=Animation Performances: Regular / Recurring (Selected)|author=John Stocker|language=en|accessdate=March 6, 2025}}</ref> | *[[John Stocker]] — [[Kutlass (character)|Kutlass]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://johnstocker.ca/voice-performance/voice-performing-resume/|title=Animation Performances: Regular / Recurring (Selected)|author=John Stocker|language=en|accessdate=March 6, 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Rick Jones]] — [[Polly Roger]] | *[[Rick Jones]] — [[Polly Roger]]{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Richard Newman]] — [[Kong Fu (character)|Kong Fu]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://youtu.be/U1cDW7dkj58|title=How to Sing In Character Discussion but Dan Gilvezan Just Wants Directions to Donkey Kong Country.|author=TFcon|date=April 10, 2020 |publisher=YouTube|accessdate=February 23, 2025}}</ref> | *[[Richard Newman]] — [[Kong Fu (character)|Kong Fu]]<ref>{{cite|url=https://youtu.be/U1cDW7dkj58|title=How to Sing In Character Discussion but Dan Gilvezan Just Wants Directions to Donkey Kong Country.|author=TFcon|date=April 10, 2020 |publisher=YouTube|accessdate=February 23, 2025}}</ref> | ||
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*[[Yves Massicotte]] — [[Cranky Kong]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | *[[Yves Massicotte]] — [[Cranky Kong]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | ||
**[[Yves Barsacq]] — [[Cranky Kong]] (season 3)<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | **[[Yves Barsacq]] — [[Cranky Kong]] (season 3)<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | ||
*[[Violette Chauveau]] — [[Dixie Kong]] | *[[Violette Chauveau]] — [[Dixie Kong]]{{ref needed}} | ||
**[[Annie Barclay]] — [[Dixie Kong]] (season 3) | **[[Annie Barclay]] — [[Dixie Kong]] (season 3){{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Emmanuel Curtil]] — [[Funky Kong]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | *[[Emmanuel Curtil]] — [[Funky Kong]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | ||
*[[Daniel Lesourd]] — [[Bluster Kong]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | *[[Daniel Lesourd]] — [[Bluster Kong]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | ||
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*[[Jean Brousseau]] — [[General Klump]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | *[[Jean Brousseau]] — [[General Klump]]<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | ||
**[[Jacques Bouanich]] — [[General Klump]] (season 3)<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | **[[Jacques Bouanich]] — [[General Klump]] (season 3)<ref name=PlanèteJeunesse/> | ||
*[[Pierre Auger]] — [[Krusha]] | *[[Pierre Auger]] — [[Krusha]]{{ref needed}} | ||
===German voice actors=== | ===German voice actors=== | ||
Line 104: | Line 104: | ||
*[[Daiki Nakamura]] — [[Bluster Kong]]<ref name=page3>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20030408102717/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/donkey/chara/page03.html|title=主な登場キャラクター集合カット|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|page=3|accessdate=April 7, 2025}}</ref> | *[[Daiki Nakamura]] — [[Bluster Kong]]<ref name=page3>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20030408102717/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/donkey/chara/page03.html|title=主な登場キャラクター集合カット|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|page=3|accessdate=April 7, 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Jūrōta Kosugi]] — [[King K. Rool]]<ref name=page3/> | *[[Jūrōta Kosugi]] — [[King K. Rool]]<ref name=page3/> | ||
*[[Keiichi Sonobe]] — [[General Klump]],<ref name=page3/> [[Inka Dinka Doo]] | *[[Keiichi Sonobe]] — [[General Klump]],<ref name=page3/> [[Inka Dinka Doo]]{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Tomohisa Aso]] — [[Krusha]] | *[[Tomohisa Aso]] — [[Krusha]]{{ref needed}} | ||
*[[Kenyu Horiuchi]] — [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]]<ref name=page3/> | *[[Kenyu Horiuchi]] — [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]]<ref name=page3/> | ||
*[[Katsuhisa Hōki]] — [[Kaptain Skurvy]] | *[[Katsuhisa Hōki]] — [[Kaptain Skurvy]]{{ref needed}} | ||
===Spanish voice actors=== | ===Spanish voice actors=== | ||
Line 118: | Line 118: | ||
*[[Javier Amilibia]] — [[General Klump]]<ref name=Spain/> | *[[Javier Amilibia]] — [[General Klump]]<ref name=Spain/> | ||
**[[Germán José]] — [[General Klump]] (substitution)<ref name=Spain/> | **[[Germán José]] — [[General Klump]] (substitution)<ref name=Spain/> | ||
*[[Francisco Colmenero]] — [[Krusha]], [[Kaptain Skurvy]] | *[[Francisco Colmenero]] — [[Krusha]],{{ref needed}} [[Kaptain Skurvy]]{{ref needed}} | ||
===Italian voice actors (unreleased dub)=== | ===Italian voice actors (unreleased dub)=== |
Revision as of 14:56, April 23, 2025
Donkey Kong Country | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General information | |||||||||||||||||
Alias | Donkey Kong Country Animated Series | ||||||||||||||||
Format | Children's television series | ||||||||||||||||
Developer(s) | Jacques Goldstein Philippe Percebois | ||||||||||||||||
Director(s) | Mike Fallows | ||||||||||||||||
Theme composer(s) | Pure West | ||||||||||||||||
Opening theme | "Donkey Kong Country Theme" "Ashita ni Nattara..." (Japanese) | ||||||||||||||||
Closing theme | "Donkey Kong Country Theme" (Instrumental) "Banana Tengoku" (Japanese) | ||||||||||||||||
Composer(s) | Tim Foy Paul Koffman | ||||||||||||||||
Country of origin | Canada France (season 1-2) China (season 3) | ||||||||||||||||
Original language | French | ||||||||||||||||
Translation(s) | English
Basque Danish Dutch German Greek Japanese Korean Norwegian Brazilian Portuguese European Portuguese Sinhala Slovak Latin American Spanish Castilian Spanish European Spanish Swedish Italian (unaired) | ||||||||||||||||
Rating(s) |
| ||||||||||||||||
Seasons | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Episodes | 40 | ||||||||||||||||
Production | |||||||||||||||||
Production company | Nelvana Medialab (season 1-2) Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) (season 3) WIC Entertainment | ||||||||||||||||
Runtime | 30 minutes | ||||||||||||||||
Broadcast | |||||||||||||||||
First aired | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||||||||||
Last aired | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||||||||||
Status | Ended | ||||||||||||||||
Chronology | |||||||||||||||||
Related programs | Donkey Kong Planet |
- “It's the wildest, hairiest, most fur-ocious adventure yet, as the popular Nintendo character swings into his own 3-D animated full-length feature!”
- —The first few lines of The Legend of the Crystal Coconut VHS description
Donkey Kong Country (also known as the Donkey Kong Country Animated Series)[13] is a computer-animated musical television series based on the video game series of the same name. The program first debuted in France on September 4, 1996, on France 2, and then premiered in Canada on Télétoon on September 8, 1997, as a launch program. The English version made its worldwide debut in Canada on Télétoon's English counterpart Teletoon on October 17, 1997, once again as a launch program. The show then began airing in the United States on the Fox Family Channel on August 15, 1998[9] (occasionally airing on Fox Kids), and the original run finished on July 7, 2000.[9] In Japan, the series began airing with a Japanese dub on TV Tokyo on October 1, 1999, and finished its run on June 30, 2000.[citation needed]
Donkey Kong Country ran for three seasons with forty episodes in total. Like the Super Mario-based television series before it, the show generally followed an episodic format. During the run, however, there were some episodes aired out of order from the original airing, such as "Bad Hair Day" being aired as the third episode in its run in the United States despite airing first in France. While the first two seasons were produced by Medialab, the third season was instead produced by Chinese company Hong Guang and switched to a newer and sleeker style of computer animation, as well as dropping the use of title cards to introduce each episode. Also similar to the earlier Super Mario cartoons, each episode (excluding "Message in a Bottle Show") features one or two original songs based on events in the episode, performed by the cast.
Donkey Kong Country was one of the earliest television series to be entirely computer-animated, similar to the artistic style of the video games. The computer animation style of the series was met with critical acclaim in France and Japan but with mixed reception elsewhere.[citation needed] Despite this, the series has managed to gain a cult following.
Some elements of the series would go on to appear in later Donkey Kong video games such as Donkey Kong 64, which was released a year after the show had started airing on ABC Family (Fox Family). There was also a commercial for the Game Boy Color game Donkey Kong Country featuring Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Rambi fighting General Klump and Krusha over a giant Game Boy Color, in which all of the characters are depicted with retooled versions of their designs from the series' third season (besides Rambi, who does not appear in the series).
Synopsis
The show stars Donkey Kong, a gorilla-like Kong living in the jungle who happens to stumble upon a magic orb called the Crystal Coconut in the temple of Inka Dinka Doo. After finding the artifact, Donkey Kong is named the future ruler of Kongo Bongo Island. As he and his friends wait for the day when the Crystal Coconut will proclaim him the ruler of the island, they strive to keep it safe from the clutches of the villainous King K. Rool and his minions, who desire the coconut so that K. Rool may conquer the island using its power.
Voice cast
This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information. Specifics: Voice actors of Green Kroc, Baby Kong, and the Klap Traps, voice actors in other languages


The series features almost all of the Kongs from Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, the exceptions being Swanky Kong and Wrinkly Kong. However, the show also features several original characters that do not appear in the games, such as Eddie the Mean Old Yeti, Kaptain Skurvy and his crew, and Bluster Kong.
English voice actors
- Richard Yearwood — Donkey Kong[14]
- Sterling Jarvis — Donkey Kong (singing voice)[citation needed]
- Andrew Sabiston — Diddy Kong[15]
- Joy Tanner — Candy Kong,[citation needed] Candy Clone[citation needed]
- Aron Tager — Cranky Kong[16]
- Louise Vallance — Dixie Kong[17]
- Damon D'Oliveira — Funky Kong,[citation needed] Eddie the Mean Old Yeti[citation needed]
- Donald Burda — Bluster Kong,[citation needed] Leo Luster[citation needed]
- Ben Campbell — King K. Rool[18]
- Adrian Truss — General Klump[19]
- Len Carlson — Krusha[citation needed]
- Lawrence Bayne — Inka Dinka Doo,[20] Kritters[citation needed]
- Ron Rubin — Kaptain Skurvy,[21] Jr. Klap Trap[21]
- John Stocker — Kutlass[22]
- Rick Jones — Polly Roger[citation needed]
- Richard Newman — Kong Fu[23]
French voice actors
- Franck Capillery — Donkey Kong[24][25]
- Hervé Grull — Diddy Kong[24]
- Lucile Boulanger — Diddy Kong (season 3)[24][25]
- Donald Reignoux — Diddy Kong (season 3, singing voice)[25]
- Lucile Boulanger — Diddy Kong (season 3)[24][25]
- Camille Cyr-Desmarais — Candy Kong[24]
- Odile Schmitt — Candy Kong (season 3)[24][25]
- Yves Massicotte — Cranky Kong[24]
- Yves Barsacq — Cranky Kong (season 3)[24]
- Violette Chauveau — Dixie Kong[citation needed]
- Annie Barclay — Dixie Kong (season 3)[citation needed]
- Emmanuel Curtil — Funky Kong[24]
- Daniel Lesourd — Bluster Kong[24]
- Éric Gaudry — King K. Rool[24]
- Daniel Beretta — King K. Rool (season 3),[24][25] Krusha (season 3)[24][25]
- Jean Brousseau — General Klump[24]
- Jacques Bouanich — General Klump (season 3)[24]
- Pierre Auger — Krusha[citation needed]
German voice actors
- Tobias Meister — Donkey Kong[12]
- Juana von Jascheroff — Diddy Kong[12]
- Christin Marquitan — Candy Kong[12]
- Hasso Zorn — Cranky Kong[12]
- Dorette Hugo — Dixie Kong[12]
- Joachim Kaps — Funky Kong[12]
- Mario von Jascheroff — Bluster Kong[12]
- Helmut Krauss — King K. Rool[12]
- Bernd Schramm — General Klump[12]
- Karl Schulz — Krusha[12]
- Gerhard Paul — Eddie the Mean Old Yeti[12]
- Lutz Riedel — Inka Dinka Doo[12]
- Jürgen Kluckert — Kaptain Skurvy[12]
- Michael Pan — Polly Roger[12]
Japanese voice actors
- Kōichi Yamadera — Donkey Kong[26]
- Megumi Hayashibara — Diddy Kong[26]
- Mika Kanai — Candy Kong[27]
- Ryūsei Nakao — Cranky Kong[27]
- Becky — Dixie Kong[27]
- Banana Ice — Funky Kong[27]
- Daiki Nakamura — Bluster Kong[28]
- Jūrōta Kosugi — King K. Rool[28]
- Keiichi Sonobe — General Klump,[28] Inka Dinka Doo[citation needed]
- Tomohisa Aso — Krusha[citation needed]
- Kenyu Horiuchi — Eddie the Mean Old Yeti[28]
- Katsuhisa Hōki — Kaptain Skurvy[citation needed]
Spanish voice actors
- Jordi Ribes — Donkey Kong[10]
- Ángel De Gracia — Diddy Kong[10]
- Marta Estrada — Candy Kong[10]
- Santiago Cortés — Cranky Kong[10]
- Aleix Estadella — Funky Kong[10]
- Pep Ribas — King K. Rool[10]
- Javier Amilibia — General Klump[10]
- Germán José — General Klump (substitution)[10]
- Francisco Colmenero — Krusha,[citation needed] Kaptain Skurvy[citation needed]
Italian voice actors (unreleased dub)
- Simone D'Andrea — Donkey Kong[29]
- Daniele Demma — Diddy Kong[29]
- Jasmine Laurenti — Candy Kong[29]
- Oliviero Corbetta — Cranky Kong[29]
- Federica Valenti — Dixie Kong[29]
- Luca Bottale — Funky Kong[29]
- Luca Semeraro — Bluster Kong[29]
- Pietro Ubaldi — King K. Rool[29]
- Stefano Albertini — General Klump[29]
- Antonello Governale — Krusha[29]
- Riccardo Lombardo — Eddie the Mean Old Yeti[29]
- Ciro Imparato — Inka Dinka Doo[29]
- Enrico Bertorelli — Kaptain Skurvy[29]
- Marco Pagani — Kutlass[29]
- Pino Pirovano — Green Kroc[29]
- Alberto Olivero — Polly Roger[29]
- Davide Gabbolino — Kritters, Klap Traps, Jr. Klap Trap[29]
- Enrico Maggi — Kong Fu[29]
- Patrizia Mottola — Baby Kong[29]
Episodes
Two conflicting season numbering schemes exist for the show. Nelvana considers the show to have three "cycles" (13x13x14),[30] and this is the numbering used for the show's release on services such as Pluto TV and Tubi. The show's official DVDs and release on iTunes,[31] however, identify two seasons, the first being made up of the 26 Medialab-produced episodes and the second being made up of the 14 Hong Guang-produced episodes. The list below follows the former scheme.
The episodes are listed in production order,[32] which differs from the order of the original North American air dates.[9]
- Season 1
- "Bad Hair Day"
- "Ape Foo Young"
- "Booty and the Beast"
- "Barrel, Barrel... Who's Got the Barrel"
- "Kong for a Day"
- "Raiders of the Lost Banana"
- "From Zero to Hero"
- "Buried Treasure"
- "Cranky's Tickle Tonic"
- "Get a Life, Don't Save One"
- "Orangutango"
- "Double Date Trouble"
- "The Curse of Kongo Bongo"
- Season 2
- "Speed"
- "Klump's Lumps"
- "Bluster's Sale Ape-Stravaganza"
- "Legend of the Crystal Coconut"
- "Kong Fu"
- "I Spy With My Hairy Eye"
- "Bug a Boogie"
- "Watch the Skies"
- "Baby Kong Blues"
- "Ape-Nesia"
- "The Big Chill Out"
- "To the Moon Baboon"
- "A Thin Line Between Love & Ape"
- Season 3
- "Hooray for Holly-Kongo Bongo"
- "The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights"
- "Speak No Evil, Dude"
- "The Day the Island Stood Still"
- "Monkey Seer, Monkey Do"
- "Four Weddings and a Coconut"
- "Follow That Coconut"
- "Vote of Kong-Fidence"
- "The Big Switch-a-Roo"
- "Hunka Hunka Burnin' Bluster"
- "Best of Enemies"
- "It's a Wonderful Life"
- "Just Kidding"
- "Message in a Bottle Show"
Differences from the Donkey Kong Country games
The Donkey Kong Country television series is different in comparison to its respective video game series. The series uses elements from the first Donkey Kong Country game and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, though the show differs heavily from the source material. It also introduces elements that were not seen in previous games such as the inclusion of Bluster Kong and Eddie the Mean Old Yeti.
- None of the musical themes from the games appears; the soundtrack either consists of original music or public domain tracks.
- Donkey Kong is depicted as bipedal rather than walking on fours.
- The banana hoard never appears in the series. The Crystal Coconut serves a similar MacGuffin as K. Rool and his minions attempt to steal it in a similar way.
- Cranky is never stated to be DK's grandfather, with the latter referring to Cranky by his name, rather than a family title. Likewise, the series never states him to be the original Donkey Kong. "Ape Foo Young" depicts a younger Cranky, not resembling any previous youthful appearance of him.
- Cranky does not have hair on his head and instead, has white eyebrows.
- Candy Kong looks different from her appearance in the first game, not wearing a pink bikini, but instead a tank-top with shorts, sandals (rather than being barefoot), and having a different hairstyle that is shorter with a headband and orange hair, rather than being blonde and having a bow.
- Funky Kong has blonde fur rather than brown, wears black goggles instead of sunglasses. He has no necklace.
- Dixie Kong has a different design than she does in her first appearance. Her fur is brighter to a yellow-like color rather than brown and wears a green blouse with a daisy on it. She also lacks eyelashes and her face shape appears is closer in design to Diddy's; Dixie's face in the games has a different shape from Diddy's. Her beret lacks the Rare logo.
- Swanky Kong and Wrinkly Kong do not appear.
- Kremlings are never referred to by name, being generically referred to as "lizards", "gators", and similar terms. Kritters and Klap Traps are properly referred by their names, however.
- Klap Traps are depicted as bipedal, rather than on fours like an actual crocodilian. They are also depicted as ammo, being shot from guns; Klaptraps and similar entities walk on the ground and are not shot. They also have a habit of eating, which aside from their biting attacks, is a trait that did not happen in prior games.
- Not all Kremlings are part of K. Rool's group, with Kaptain Skurvy and his two minions being separate from the group and being occasional enemies of K. Rool, rather than allies.
- No other enemies appear such as Gnawties or Neckies.
- The Animal Friends are absent.
- Donkey Kong Island is named Kongo Bongo Island or simply, Kongo Bongo.
- The series has various locations that are vaguely inspired by the ones in the first game.
- Monkey Mines and Kremkroc Industries, Inc. appears to serve as inspiration for K. Rool's base.
- The White Mountains appears to be inspired by Gorilla Glacier.
- The Gangplank Galleon never appears in the series, with K. Rool lacking a pirate motif. Kaptain Skurvy's ship appears to take inspiration from said ship.
- Cranky's Cabin takes place in a forest and does not resemble the cabin that appears in any previous game.
- King K. Rool does not wear a gold chestplate and has a regular chest, similar to his later appearances. Neither one of his eyes are bloodshot by default, although they do enlarge depending on his emotions and become bloodshot in "Ape Foo Young". He also has no tail.
Donkey Kong Planet
- Main article: Donkey Kong Planet
In addition to the animated series, Donkey Kong hosted on France 2 Donkey Kong Planet (also known as La planète de Donkey Kong, DKTV, and DKTV.cool), which was a mix of children's programming and original content featuring part of the cast of the Donkey Kong Country series. The original segments featured Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, and Candy Kong performing musical numbers, parodies of contemporary movies and television shows, and comedic sketches. It debuted on September 4, 1996, the same day the Donkey Kong Country TV series premiered, and the block continued its run on the channel until September 1, 2001.
Production
- “What could be more hip than turning the most popular 3-D game into a computer-animated series? Not only did "Donkey Kong" have a ready-made audience, but the lovable chimp lived in a cool place we'd all like to escape to- the jungle.”
- —Computer Animation: A Whole New World
Donkey Kong Country was the first full-length television series to be primarily animated using motion capture,[33] using Medialab's proprietary technology which allowed the animators to see the performance play out in real time.[34] Due to this attribute, the company prefered to use the term "Performance Animation" to refer to the animation style of the show.[35] This caused controversy when the show was rejected for an Emmy Award nomination, the reasoning being that the TV academy did not consider the then-new motion capture technique to be a form of animation.[36]
After writers finalized the characters' roles and personalities, artist Phil Mendez worked on the concept sketches, taking care to keep the characters' appearance simple and geometric to make them easy to convert into three-dimensional models.[37] The 3D modellers grouped characters with similar bodies into "families" and used the Alias/Wavefront modeling software to build the digital skeletons, using the "families" as a base to create the individual model.[38] Characters' heads were modeled in clay and then digitized.[39]
Though groundbreaking, the use of motion capture came with many challenges. As the models had to work for both live motion capture and traditional keyframe-based animation, Medialab had to optimize the models to keep the polygon count low.[40] Writer Simon Racioppa explained that due to the format's limitation, the series bible heavily discouraged new locations and characters, and characters could not be animated picking up objects (although them holding objects was possible). Animating water was also considered "next to impossible".[41] Speaking of the differences between Donkey Kong Country and ReBoot, a 3D animated series that did not employ motion capture, producer Maia Tubiana explained that making the models required "experimentation, discipline, and the ability to live with a few compromises", an example being having to shorten King K. Rool's cape to not interfere with the animation.[42]
According to a post on a fan page by Nelvana writer Erika Strobel, Medialab had originally obtained the rights to create an animated series from Nintendo. After thirteen episodes were written, Medialab asked Nelvana for assistance after firing the original writers (who, according to Strobel, had produced scripts "with racist/sexist jokes and just sooo bad for a kiddie show").[43] As storyboards had already been produced for ten of the original scripts, Nelvana decided to write new stories around these storyboards to save money.[43] The songs, however, were included at the request of Medialab; all of the show's songs, as well as the title theme, were written by Pure West Music.[43][44] Nelvana purchased the rights to the show after Medialab's license lapsed.[43]
In a YouTube short by video game channel Nintendo Life, former Rare developer Steve Mayles claimed that the development team for Donkey Kong Country games was not involved in the show's production.[45]
Songs
- Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) songs
In addition to the opening theme song, most episodes in the series feature two unique songs each, performed by one or more characters to illustrate certain points in the story. The Japanese version has two unique theme songs: "Ashita ni Nattara..." as the opening theme and "Banana Tengoku" as the ending theme.
Background music
The background music for the show was created by Pure West (Paul Koffman and Timothy Foy). The following songs appeared on albums released by Nelvana.
Tracks | Composer(s) | Albums |
---|---|---|
Guava Nectar | Paul Koffman Timothy Foy |
NLV 115 - Sunny Day Sounds Vol. 2 |
Edsel | NLV 126 - Music for Silly Moments | |
Marching Orders | NLV 131 - Clash of the Titans Vol.2 | |
Tiny Czar | NLV 141 - Just For Laughs Vol. 4 | |
Three Piece Suit | NLV 148 - Peaceful Jazzy Feeling Vol. 2 | |
House Of Frights | NLV 151 - Big Top Adventure | |
Jump In | NLV 165 - Techno Town | |
Quick Con | NLV 169 - Spy vs Spy | |
Hover Car | ||
Helicopter Heist | ||
Sneakers | ||
The Line Up | ||
Ragtag Chase |
Staff
- Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) staff
Donkey Kong Country was produced by Nelvana. It was co-produced with Medialab for the first two seasons and with Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) for the third season. The first two seasons were animated by Medialab and the third by an uncredited CGCG Inc.[46] The soundtrack of the series was composed by the music production company Pure West.
Gallery
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Country (television series).
Title card of Bad Hair Day.
Quotes
- Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) quotes
Releases and other merchandise
The Donkey Kong Country show is available on iTunes.
Four episodes were released together in North America on a VHS cassette titled Donkey Kong Country: The Legend of the Crystal Coconut. Said episodes were edited together to make them seem like one continuous storyline. However, these episodes were not put together in the proper order; for example, a flashback shown in the third episode actually happened in the fourth episode of the tape. It was released in Canada by Seville Pictures and Nelvana themselves, while in the United States, it was released by Paramount Home Entertainment. Advertisements and the videotape's packaging neglected to mention the program the episodes originated from, with it instead marketed as a standalone film (leading to some confusion among newer viewers of certain content, such as Eddie the Mean Old Yeti's brief appearance in "Ape-Nesia").
The DVDs Donkey Kong Country Vol.1 (released in Australia) and Donkey Kong Country - Bad Hair Day (released in the United Kingdom) feature several episodes of the series. Two other Australian DVDs, Donkey Kong Country: Hooray for Holly Kongo Bongo and Donkey Kong Country: The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights, each only feature one episode. Three years after the release of the previous DVDs, an additional DVD titled Donkey Kong Country: I Spy With My Hairy Eye was released in England. There have been over 30 Donkey Kong Country DVD releases. Starting in 2013, Phase 4 Films, under its Kaboom! Entertainment label, began releasing the series on DVD in North America. On May 12, 2015, the company released the first season of 26 episodes in a 3-disc set. Nelvana once had the entire series available for free streaming on its official YouTube channel until it was turned into the official Wayside channel.
The series had a large line of merchandise in Japan, including playsets, a board game, and a collectible card game by Nintendo and Ahomaro Games. A subsequent release of the card game featured characters and gimmicks based on Donkey Kong 64. The television series took over the TV Tokyo Friday 6:30 PM timeslot from Gokudo, and was later replaced by Hamtaro. As with most programs in Japan, the series has received home releases through rental tapes.
DVDs and one VHS were also released:
The television series also received a dedicated two volume manga, Uho'uho Daishizen Gag: Donkey Kong. It was serialized in the Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comics in 2000 to 2001.
Legacy
DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle
DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle is an unofficial animation based on the show that was created by Alex Henderson and released on YouTube on May 8, 2023.[47] The animation is about King K. Rool's return to his crew after a ten year absence, during which he was assumed to be dead. He makes his return in musical form by singing "Tip the Scale", which is in reference to the songs featured in the show. The short features numerous voice actors from the show itself: Benedict Campbell, Adrian Truss, Ron Rubin, and Richard Yearwood all reprise their roles as King K. Rool, General Klump, Kaptain Skurvy, and Donkey Kong, respectively. A Klinger is also voiced by Campbell. While Donkey Kong is not voiced for most of the video, he does speak in the post-credits scene. The credits also include an "In Memoriam Of" section dedicated to Len Carlson, Aron Tager, and Erika Strobel (the voice actor for Krusha, the voice actor for Cranky Kong, and a writer for the show, respectively).
References in later media
- Super Mario-kun: One volume features the plotline of the Crystal Coconut, while another one have Bluster Kong as a character, as well as the series' interpretation of Candy Kong.
- Donkey Kong 64: Cranky Kong's chemistry hobby is retained in this game. Crystal Coconuts are used to power the Kong Barrel powers and the Klump in the intro is stated by the manual to be General Klump.
- Donkey Konga 3 JP: The Japanese opening and ending themes of the series are featured as songs that can be played.
- Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: For the game's marketing campaign, Nintendo UK's Facebook page posted an image titled "What is your Donkey Kong name?". Two of the names listed are "Bluster" and "Eddie", referencing Bluster Kong and Eddie the Mean Old Yeti.
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: In the Nintendo Switch version of the game, Tawks will sometimes tell Funky Kong to "give 'em the old banana slamma, dude",[48] which is a reference to Donkey Kong's catchphrase in the series.
Translations
This section is about a work that used to be available to the public, but is now partially or entirely inaccessible. Details: Some translations only have a few clips available online.
Our documentation of the subject is inadequate. Only remove this notice if the complete work is recovered and made available publicly.
Though the scripts were written in English and storyboards show that the animation was synched to the English dialogue,[49] the show was originally broadcasted in French. It received 16 other translations in Basque, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, Sinhala, Slovak, Latin American Spanish, European Spanish, Castilian Spanish, and Swedish. An Italian translation was created by Studio P.V. to be aired by Mediaset, however, it was never broadcasted.[29] In 2024, DeepDub released Italian and Castilian Spanish dubs of the series on Samsung TV Plus, dubbed entirely in artificially generated voices identical to the English cast.[50] There are minor differences between the translations.
- Various dubs omit/shorten many songs.
- As well as the aforementioned changes of the opening and ending theme songs, the Japanese translation has a completely different opening and credits sequence.[51][52]
Names in other languages
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | ドンキーコング[51] Donkī Kongu |
Donkey Kong | |
Basque | Donkey Kong eta bere herrialdea[53] | Donkey Kong and his country | |
Danish | Donkey Kong Country[54] | - | |
Dutch | Donkey Kong Country[55] | - | |
French | Donkey Kong[56] | - | |
German | Donkey Kongs Abenteuer[57] | Donkey Kong's Adventure | |
Greek | Ντόνκυ Κονγκ[58] Dónki Konng |
Donkey Kong | |
Italian | Donkey Kong Country[29] | - | |
Korean | 동키콩[59] Dongki Kong |
Donkey Kong | |
Norwegian | Donkey Kong Country[60] | - | |
Portuguese (NOA) | Donkey Kong Country[61] | - | |
Portuguese (NOE) | Donkey Kong Country[62] | - | |
Sinhala | Donkey Kong[63] | - | |
Slovak | Gorila v červenej kravate[64] | Gorilla in a red tie | |
Spanish (NOA) | El país de Donkey Kong[65] | Donkey Kong's Country | |
Spanish (NOE) | Donkey Kong[66] | - | Castilian Spanish |
Swedish | Donkey Kongs Värld[67] | Donkey Kong's World |
Notes
- Only three characters never sing in the series: Polly Roger, Baby Kong, and the Klap Traps.
- Additionally, the only character to neither be a Kong nor a Kremling to have a model in the series is Polly Roger, while Inka Dinka Doo is part of the scenery.
- Though the series is based on the first three Donkey Kong Country games, its Apple TV listing background is artwork from Donkey Kong Country Returns, which released a decade after the series ended. As such, the background shows Rambi and members of the Tiki Tak Tribe, despite them not appearing in the series.[31]
- In the Japanese dub, the voice actors for Donkey Kong and Candy Kong, Kōichi Yamadera and Mika Kanai, were married to each other during the series' run.
- In the Sinhalese dub, the opening includes the artwork of DK and Diddy from Donkey Kong Country Returns.[63]
References
- ^ NEW & Sealed DONKEY KONG COUNTRY Animated Cartoon DVD Collectable - In Australia
- ^ Donkey Kong Country: Raiders of the Lost Bananas (1997)
- ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/donkeykong/comments/1fntoll/am_i_the_only_one_who_had_this_dvd/?rdt=57965
- ^ https://repertoire.cinema.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/film/donkey-kong-country-378706/
- ^ Donkey Kong - Gaat Door Het Lint
- ^ Donkey Kongs Abenteuer
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149447/
- ^ Donkey Kong Country: The Legend Of The Crystal Coconut
- ^ a b c d e http://epguides.com/DonkeyKongCountry/
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j https://www.eldoblaje.com/datos/FichaPelicula.asp?id=12058
- ^ ドンキーコング. Nintendo (Japanese). Archived December 14, 2002, 23:29:10 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q https://www.synchronkartei.de/serie/22707
- ^ "Donkey Kong Country Animated Series ©️1999
Nelvana Limited/Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) Co.Ltd.
All Rights Reserved." – Donkey Kong Country season 3 end credits. - ^ May 10, 2013. Interview with Richard Yearwood, the Voice of Donkey Kong. YouChew. Retrieved April 23, 2025. (Archived August 26, 2018, 12:25:01 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ 2024. Andrew Sabiston's website (under the "Voice" section). English. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ^ ssf1991 (March 5, 2019). Aron Tager, The Voice Of Cranky Kong In The Donkey Kong Country TV Show, Has Passed Away At The Age Of 84. My Nintendo News (English). Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ^ https://stevievallance.com/music/files/resume_feb9_15.pdf
- ^ Ollie Reynolds (May 10, 2023). Random: OG Donkey Kong Country TV Series Cast Reunites For Animated Short. Nintendo Life (English). Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ^ GioTV1 (February 4, 2019). An Interview with ADRIAN TRUSS | Voice Artist & Improv Actor | THE GIO SHOW S0 E01. YouTube. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
- ^ Amber Jones (June 20, 2024). In Conversation with ATF - Lawrence Bayne. YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ a b https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3fdfac_72b9d6c25c3940f8b3244bdea8528dd5.pdf
- ^ John Stocker. Animation Performances: Regular / Recurring (Selected). English. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ TFcon (April 10, 2020). How to Sing In Character Discussion but Dan Gilvezan Just Wants Directions to Donkey Kong Country.. YouTube. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Kahlone (July 26, 2010). Donkey Kong. Planète Jeunesse (French). Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h [1]
- ^ a b 主な登場キャラクター集合カット. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 1. Archived April 8, 2003, 08:01:28 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d 主な登場キャラクター集合カット. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 2. Archived April 8, 2003, 10:27:17 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d 主な登場キャラクター集合カット. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 3. Archived April 8, 2003, 10:27:17 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Ζona Αnimazione (2004). "Donkey Kong Country". Antonio Genna. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ "Episodes : Donkey Kong Country". Nelvana (English). Archived March 28, 2006, 01:33:20 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Donkey Kong Country. iTunes. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country on Amazon Video
- ^ Ron Fischer, The History and Current State of motion capture. Motion Capture Society. Retrieved October 8, 2015
- ^ Legrand, Fabienne (November 11, 2011). L'aventure Donkey Kong chez Medialab. YouTube. Retrieved January 25, 2016
- ^ Computer Animation: A Whole New World (1998, Rockport Publishers). "Medialab Donkey Kong Country". p. 88
- ^ Solomon, Charles (June 1, 1999). An Emmy Awards Debate: What Makes 'Donkey Kong' Run?. L.A. Times. Retrieved January 25, 2015
- ^ Computer Animation: A Whole New World (1998, Rockport Publishers). "Medialab Donkey Kong Country". p. 89
- ^ Computer Animation: A Whole New World (1998, Rockport Publishers). "Medialab Donkey Kong Country". p. 91
- ^ Computer Animation: A Whole New World (1998, Rockport Publishers). "Medialab Donkey Kong Country". p. 92
- ^ Computer Animation: A Whole New World (1998, Rockport Publishers). "Medialab Donkey Kong Country". p. 93`
- ^ Matt Paprocki (June 5, 2020) Inside Nintendo’s weird attempts at making movies and TV shows. Polygon. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ Computer Animation: A Whole New World (1998, Rockport Publishers). "Medialab Donkey Kong Country". p. 89
- ^ a b c d Retrojunk page for Donkey Kong Country (August 5, 2008). Erika Strobel's comment is under the username "canuckgirl1966" (Retrieved April 24, 2016)
- ^ Pure West Music's website (information is under the "Credits" tab). Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ Nintendo Life (November 26, 2023). Showing Donkey Kong Country’s Creator the 90’s TV Show. YouTube. Retrieved January 19, 2025
- ^ CGCG Production History. CGCG Inc. Retrieved July 01, 2016.
- ^ Alex Henderson Animation (May 8, 2023). DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle - Animated Short. YouTube. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo Life (April 25, 2018). Weird Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Switch TV Show Easter Egg. YouTube. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Super Mario Wiki Twitter. Various storyboards for the Donkey Kong Country animated series (originally from ebay auctions). Twitter (English). Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ DeepDub. Watch our latest project with Kartoon Studios (TOON), where we dubbed 34 episodes of #DonkeyKong into Spanish Castilian and Italian—in just 14 days.. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Japancommercials4U2 (March 6, 2009). Donkey Kong Country TV Show Japanese Opening. YouTube. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ^ Japancommercials4U2 (March 6, 2009). Donkey Kong Country TV Show Japanese Credits. YouTube. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ^ EUSKAL BIKOZKETA (November 15, 2015). DONKEY KONG ETA BERE HERRIALDEA Opening EUSKARAZ. YouTube. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ VHS Vulture (September 1, 2021). Donkey Kong Country intro på dansk. YouTube. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country Dutch Dub - Bad Hair Day, Kong for a Day, Barrel, Barrel... Who's Got the Barrel
- ^ Japancommercials4U2 (March 6, 2009). Donkey Kong Country TV Show French Intro. YouTube.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country Forever (September 3, 2020). Donkey Kong Country Deutsch S2E1 - Der Große Film [HD-Breitbild]. YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ Ντόνκυ Κονγκ - Η εξαφάνιση της κρυστάλλινης καρύδας
- ^ 레오. (January 1, 2020). [고화질] 동키콩 OP. YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ NorskTegnefilmSang (April 17, 2020). Donkey Kong Country intro (Norsk/Norwegian). YouTube. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country - Um Dia Ruim
- ^ Tanukid's Stash (May 10, 2023). Donkey Kong Country - Opening (European Portuguese). YouTube. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
- ^ a b ABTube27 (October 7, 2019). Donkey Kong Country - Intro (සිංහල/Sinhalese, Undubbed). YouTube. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country - Season 2 Episode 8 (SLOVAK)
- ^ Donkey Kong Country Forever (June 20, 2020). El país de Donkey Kong S1E1 - Dia Nocivo Para El Pelo [HD de pantalla panorámica]. YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ Sonic Hates Hacked Accounts (March 14, 2025). Donkey Kong Country Theme Song (Castilian Spanish, V2). YouTube. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
- ^ AlexBerntsson (June 6, 2010). Donkey Kong Country - Swedish Intro. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
External link
- All full episodes of the show in English officially uploaded on YouTube, courtesy of Nelvana's Retro Rerun channel