The long running era of the Saturday morning cartoon has officially ended, but no one can stop you from fulfilling your true weekend calling. Cartoons and Saturday mornings were made for each other and no one can tell us otherwise. It is to that end that we maintain vigil, bringing you animated selections each Saturday morning until the internet dies, or until we run out, good thing there’s always reruns.
“Samurai Pizza Cats” Adapted from “Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee); Licensed by Saban Entertainment; Starring Rick Jones, Sonja Ball, Terrence Scammell, and Pauline Little; Run time 30 minutes; Originally aired February 1, 1990.
What can I say about “Samurai Pizza Cats?” That theme song is ridiculous, I hate it and I love it at the same time. I don’t ever want to hear it again but it’s stuck in my head and I’m bobbing along. Stupid catchy theme song.
“Samurai Pizza Cats” was originally produced under the title “Kyatto Ninden Teyandee” which translates to Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee. According to the official wiki of the series the word Teyandee is, “a word that doesn’t translate well into English. It’s a retort used primarily by the old Tokyo city district residence and represents the Edo spirit
as espoused by the city folk in the area. It most likely evolved from the sentence “nani itte yandee?” (“What are you saying?” with disdain).”
So put that in your pub quiz file and save it for later.
The series takes place in the fictional town of Little Tokyo which is equal parts feudal Japan and future tech society. Little Tokyo is inhabited by a variation of anthropomorphic technologically enhanced animals. Cats, rats, dogs, etc.
The shows central villain is Seymor Cheese, a bipedal rat (and bipedal asshole) who is constantly up to some scheme to take over Little Tokyo from Emporer Fred (who’s competence in leadership is also up for debate).
Luckily for Fred, and all of Little Tokyo, “Big Al” Dente, leader of the palace guard, figures out what Cheese is up to and calls the Samurai Pizza Cats, made up of Speedy Ceviche, Polly Esther, and Guido Anchovy, for help.
Each episode features the cats working in the local pizza parlor and then getting involved in defending against Cheese’s current evil plot.
Think “Power Puff Girls” but less cute and more pizza cats.
The show is super self aware and self referential. There are consistent comments from the narrator and the characters that make it clear they know they are in a TV show.
If you’re looking for epic overarching plots this isn’t the show for you. If you’re looking for content that will make you think and challenge your previous philosophical notions you might want to look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for some straight fun involving robotic enhancements, pizza, and cats (I’m looking at you internet) then look no further, you have arrived. And you’re at the right place.
Cereal recommendation: pizza. Cheese is made of milk and crust is a carbohydrate. Given the circumstances and a loose relationship with “definitions” this qualifies. Logic.