Please remember that WiKirby contains spoilers, which you read at your own risk! See ourgeneral disclaimer for details.
A Fish Called Kine
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
A Fish Called Kine is the 16th (15th in the 4Kids broadcast) episode of theKirby: Right Back at Ya! series. In this episode,Tiff gains an admirer from the sea inKine who wants to go on a date with her, but can't due to being unable to live on the land. Seeing this,King Dedede cuts a deal with Kine to supply a mobile fish tank for him in exchange for the secret location of the rainbow coral reef, which the King plans to bulldoze to make way for a new castle. After Kine's date with Tiff turns sour due to many an unfortunate event, the group learns what Dedede was seeking and travels to the reef to stop him. With Kine's help, Kirby gains theTornado ability and uses it to destroy King Dedede's submarine and wreck his plans, saving the reef in the process.
This episode marks the first time thatKine has been in a starring role, and marks the debut of theTornadoCopy Ability in the show. It also marks the first appearance ofDoctor Yabui.
Characters[edit]
The following characters appear in this episode:
| Cast of "A Fish Called Kine" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Character | Selected quote | |
| Primary characters | ||
| "Pyyooo!" | ||
| "I never thought the land could be as amazing as the sea, but it is!" | ||
| "I know folks say that opposites attract, but I never saw a couple that was this opposite!" | ||
| "Well that's true, but we have a lot of biological similarities, and a talking fish is quite unusual." | ||
| "Whoa, Kine's acting like an aqua-marine!" | ||
| Secondary characters | ||
| "This one of them science fair projects, Tiff?" | ||
| "Sorry, Doc, but I'm fresh out of fresh fish!"(as Kine comes crashing onto the table) | ||
| "I'd like something healthy, like a nice piece of fresh fish!" | ||
| (no dialogue) | ||
| "It's the world's first surf and turf relationship!" | ||
| (no dialogue) | ||
| (Fololo)"Guys! He's gonna crash!" | ||
| (no dialogue) | ||
| "The thing I don't understand is how the King found out where the reef is." | ||
| "I was just getting in, when I heard a crash and a splash! If we don't get your friend out fast, that bath will turn into a broth!" | ||
| "The King is going to destroy the rainbow coral reef!" | ||
| "I think these two make a charming couple!" | ||
| "Yes, apparently his Majesty has decided to build himself a deep-sea palace on the rainbow coral reef!" | ||
| (no dialogue) | ||
Locations[edit]
Plot synopsis[edit]
The episode begins onDream Land's shoreline, as the scene is framed froma fish's point of view, jumping in and out of the water, then spottingTiff on the coast. She is collecting sea shells on the beach and manages to find a sparkling gold clam shell in a shallow pool. She opens it to find an engraving on the inside which she describes as "ancient Cappy-glyphics". Back home atCastle Dedede, she uses her books to decipher the text and realizes that it's a love letter addressed to her, requesting she meet up with the sender at the beach the upcoming evening. As she heads out, she is stopped briefly byTuff andKirby, who ask where she's going, but she brushes them off. Tuff and Kirby decide to covertly follow her to see what's up. Meanwhile,King Dedede andEscargoon are out surveying the sea making plans for an "underwater castle" near a reef, when they spot Tiff out on the shore.
As the interlopers watch, Tiff is greeted by her secret admirer, who turns out to be Kine the sunfish. After realizing the situation she's in, Tiff reacts in shock and Tuff blows his cover by laughing at the idea. Tiff explains to Kine that they can't have a relationship because she can't breathe underwater and leaves it at that, as Tuff and Kirby follow. From there, King Dedede and Escargoon step in and make a deal with Kine to find him a way of getting on land in exchange for directions to the rainbow coral reef. Kine hesitates at first, explaining that the reef's location is a secret, but his desire to be with Tiff overcomes this hurdle and he spills the beans. Back at the castle, Tiff reconsiders Kine's offer as Tuff gawks at her. King Dedede then strolls in bringing Kine to her in a fish tank pulled by theWaddle Dees, and then walks off after a few comments.
Kine's sudden appearance gives Tiff apprehension, but Tuff encourages the two to actually give it a shot, since Kine went to all the trouble. Tuff and Kirby agree to wheel Kine around as the date commences. Out on the road to town, a crowd ofCappies gathers around Kine in his tank, as Tuff has to explain what precisely Tiff is doing. As Kine gets a good look around, he is fascinated by what he sees out of the water. Tiff grows increasingly embarrassed at the situation, but Tuff makes her eat her own words again. Meanwhile, King Dedede and Escargoon are in a submarine plotting their way to the rainbow coral reef. Once they arrive, they set up signs claiming the site and begin construction of their new castle.
Back in Cappy Town, Kine soon realizes that without the ability to physically embrace Tiff, he might have trouble making this relationship work. He tries to get Tiff to "hold hands", but accidentally causes his tank to roll down the hillside. He rolls through Cappy Town, then gets flung out of his tank and sent flying intoChef Kawasaki'srestaurant, where the chef tries to make him into a meal forDoctor Yabui, but the kids stop him from doing this. Just as they secure Kine, however,Dyna Blade swoops in and grabs him. Kine jumps out of his bucket and lands inMayor Len's bathtub, where the kids collect him again. After recounting his experience, Kine reveals to the kids that King Dedede asked him for directions to the coral reef, causing them to immediately suspect foul play. As King Dedede commences his bulldozing of the reef, the kids learn fromSir Ebrum of Dedede's plans, and make haste to the reef.
Kine rushes in to stop King Dedede from destroying the reef, but is knocked away by the submarine's robotic arms. Tiff, Tuff, andMeta Knight close in using a makeshift wooden submarine and release Kirby from a hatch to engage King Dedede. After knocking Kirby away, King Dedede fires a torpedo which destroys the wooden submarine, prompting Kine to blow an air bubble for Tiff and Tuff to breathe in as Meta Knight gets away. Kirby then gets captured by the submarine's arms and is pummeled repeatedly. After being freed by Kine, Kirby uses his inhale and swallows the submarine's rotor, transforming intoTornado Kirby. As the others watch from the shore, Tornado Kirby creates a massive vortex in the sea which draws the submarine in and wrecks it. Helpless in the water, King Dedede and Escargoon are then set upon byJoe the shark, who wants vengeance for the damage done to the reef. As Tiff and Kine give their farewells, Kirby pops out of the water with King Dedede's lost snorkel, giving Kine the idea that Tiff could use it to live underwater with him. Tiff yells at Kirby for giving him this idea as the episode ends.
Dialogue differences between versions[edit]
- In the Japanese version, Tuff does not sniff perfume on Tiff, but instead notices that she is not carrying any tools to collect shells.
- In the English version,Professor Curio identifies Kine as a member of the speciesAcanthurus gorallus, which is not a real species name, but may be a butchered pronunciation of an actual speciesAcanthurus coeruleus, a type of surgeonfish. This is incorrect on the part of the dub, as in the Japanese version, Curio correctly identifies Kine as an ocean sunfish, which has the species name ofMola mola.
Trivia[edit]
- In this episode, as in most of the video games, Kirby is able to breathe underwater without issue. This contradicts the earlier episodeKirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure, where he was not able to breathe underwater.
- Kirby is also shown to be able to inhale underwater. In the video games, this is only possible inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards or with the help of Kine.
- Two aquatic enemies from the video games cameo in this episode. They areFlotzo andJoe.
- This episode marks the first time Kirby uses a Copy Ability to directly battle King Dedede, rather than a monster sent by him.
Gallery[edit]
Tiff receives Kine's monogrammed shell.
King Dedede and Escargoon survey the location of the reef.
Tiff reflects on the idea of dating Kine.
The Cappies come to gawk at the strange couple.
Tiff tries to dissuade Kine from the idea of living on land.
King Dedede and Escargoon travel in their submarine.
Dedede claims the rainbow coral reef as his own.
Kine is sent rolling out of control into town.
Tiff and Tuff secure Kine in a bucket.
Kine escapes Dyna Blade's clutches.
The group reflects on the troubles of the day.
King Dedede gets to work destroying the reef.
Tiff, Tuff, and Meta Knight approach in a makeshift submarine.
Kirby confronts King Dedede underwater.
Tiff is rescued from drowning by Kine.
Kirby is in a pinch.
Kirby inhales the submarine's rotor.
Tornado Kirby creates a vortex of water.
King Dedede and Escargoon are left for Joe to deal with.
The final shot of the episode
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 私を愛したサカナ Watashi o Aishita Sakana | The Fish Who LovedMe May be derived from the title of 1977 spy filmThe Spy Who Loved Me, based on the 1962 novel of the same name |
| English | A Fish Called Kine | May be derived from the title of 1988 heist comedy filmA Fish Called Wanda |
| Chinese | 愛上我的魚 Àishàng Wǒ de Yú | The Fish That Loved Me |
| French | Un poisson nommé Kiné | A fish called Kine Although the name "Kiné" is in the title, his name is still pronounced "Kine" without the "é" in the French dub |
| German | Ein Fisch namens Kine | A Fish called Kine |
| Italian | Un pesce di nome Kine | A Fish called Kine |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Um Peixe Chamado Kine | A Fish Called Kine |
