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Pink-Collar Blues
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- This article is about the episode featuring theDomestic Servant Robot. For the episode whereKing Dedede sells hisWaddle Dees, seeWaddle While You Work.
Pink-Collar Blues is the 47th (42nd in the 4Kids broadcast) episode of theKirby: Right Back at Ya! series. In this episode,King Dedede becomes fed up with hisWaddle Dee servants and replaces them with aDomestic Servant Robot fromNight Mare Enterprises. As the Waddle Dees leave the castle, they carry a large box with them to a cave out on the beach whichKirby and his friends try to discover the importance of. Later on,Meta Knight discovers that the robot is stealing valuables from the castle in order to force Dedede to repay his debt to N.M.E., and when Dedede learns of this and tries to stop it, the robot turns on him and attacks. Seeing this, the Waddle Dees rush back to the castle to defend Dedede and destroy the robot with the help ofStone Kirby. They then reveal that the box contained King Dedede's treasury - which they safeguarded from the robot - and Dedede agrees to re-hire them all as thanks.
This episode marks the first time theWaddle Dees andCaptain Waddle Doo have had a leading role in the proceedings.
Characters[edit]
The following characters appear in this episode:
| Cast of "Pink-Collar Blues" | |
|---|---|
| Character | Selected quote |
| Primary characters | |
| "Pooyeee?" | |
| "He fired them all?!" | |
| "You brought my tea late, and now there's a whole kettle full a' trouble brewin' for you buffoons! I'm gonna make some big changes round here!" | |
| "This castle seems awful empty without those little losers around!" | |
| "Ummmm uh...well... There's lots of 'em?" | |
| (no dialogue) | |
| Secondary characters | |
| (no dialogue) | |
| "Look, Sire! Thousands of 'em!" | |
| (no dialogue) | |
| "Anyone want to try my lunch special?" | |
| "Now hold on, you guys! Don't you know it's a crime to block traffic without a permit?!" | |
| (Fololo)"All Waddle Doo did was ask the King for one day off a year!" (Falala)"And now they're all unemployed!" | |
| "You want us to help you give 'em all tickets?" | |
| "Huh? Where are they going?" | |
| "Firing the Waddle Dees was a terrible mistake!" | |
| "There's Tiff and Tuff, too!" | |
| "The Waddle Dees look homesick to me!" | |
| "Looks more like an army on the march!" | |
| "That is true! Your cash box is empty, too!" | |
| "It just so happens we have exactly what you're looking for! Stand by." | |
| "I suspect they migrated from across the sea." | |
| "Wow, those little spitballs are pretty speedy!" | |
| *sigh*"I'm washed out!" | |
| "I had no idea there were so many Waddle Dees here!" | |
| "How did all those guys ever fit in the castle?!" | |
| "What is this, some kind of parade?" | |
Locations[edit]
Plot synopsis[edit]
The episode begins atCastle Dedede, asKing Dedede is browsing his collection ofmonster catalogues fromNight Mare Enterprises. While doing so, he orders hisWaddle Dees to fetch him a refill on his tea. However, it is not until several hours later that the Waddle Dees finally bring his tea, prompting Dedede to berate his servants for their lack of expedience. Dedede decides at that moment to make some changes around the castle to fix this problem. The next day, as the Waddle Dees perform their daily operations,Escargoon takes it upon himself to take a proper census of the Waddle Dee population there, and tries to count each one in turn. While he does so, he accidentally countsKirby and then berates the pink puffball for confusing him. After complaining further, he loses count, and has to start over again. He callsCaptain Waddle Doo to give him an account of the Waddle Dee population, but Waddle Doo does not know the exact number either. Escargoon then reports to King Dedede that he cannot get an exact count, and the King makes the decision right there to replace them with a more efficient servant. He initially tries to pin the job on Escargoon, but Escargoon immediately suggests ordering something fromNight Mare Enterprises instead to get that burden off of him.
Through theMonster Delivery System comes theDomestic Servant Robot: a large cubic automaton with tank treads and grabber arms. King Dedede tests it out by ordering it to bring him tea, and it does so immediately. Pleased with its work, Dedede then orders it to assume duties around the castle. The robot then makes the rounds, taking over all the jobs from the Waddle Dees in the middle of their work. While the robot is giving Dedede a massage, Captain Waddle Doo enters the room and asks Dedede if the Waddle Dees can have a day off every year. King Dedede responds by saying they can have them all off, and promptly fires the whole lot.Fololo & Falala then spread the news of this toTiff and her family. Tiff pleads with King Dedede to reconsider, but he brushes her off and insists the robot will do a better job than the Waddle Dees ever could. The robot then barges into the Waddle Dees' quarters on Dedede's orders and evicts them. The remaining castle court watch in concern as the Waddle Dees march en-masse in a long line out of the castle. Tiff,Tuff, and Kirby then decide to follow the Waddle Dees in their procession as they travel throughCappy Town and out to the beach, where they settle in a shoreline cave.
That night, the Waddle Dees huddle together on the beach and look out across the sea as several concerned onlookers observe. After a brief lecture fromProfessor Curio about the Waddle Dees, Tiff decides to check out the cave to determine why the Waddle Dees migrated to this spot. As they try to sneak by, Kirby spots a crab which pinches his hand, causing him to cry out in pain. The Waddle Dees then mass around them and force them away. While being carried off, Tiff asks Waddle Doo if he can relay any information, but the ex-Captain tells her he is not in perfect sync with them and can only be of limited help. After speaking with them, Waddle Doo relays that the Waddle Dees refuse to cooperate. Seeing Kirby playing with the Waddle Dees, Tiff then gets an idea to disguise Kirby as one of them and send him into the cave with a camera to get the information they need. Kirby follows a marching band of Waddle Dees into the cave and comes across a large box guarded by Waddle Dees with spears. Kirby readies the camera, but stumbles and drops it by accident. He then picks it up and accidentally snaps some photos, causing flashes that disturb the Waddle Dees. Sensing danger, Kirby runs out quickly and returns to his friends on the beach. He shows them the pictures, and through a series of blurry captures, he accidentally managed to capture the box on tape.
The next morning, at Castle Dedede, the castle residents find their daily labor much increased due to the Waddle Dees' absence, despite the effort of the Domestic Servant Robot. Meanwhile, during its cleaning routine, the robot stops and checks to see if anybody is around. With the coast seemingly clear, it mysteriously enters Escargoon's bedroom whileMeta Knight looks on. He then goes to deliver a hint to Escargoon that his cash box has been cleaned out. After escaping King Dedede's insistence on watching him play golf, Escargoon rushes back to his room to see his jewels are missing. King Dedede then realizes he may also have been robbed, and runs to his safe only to see it thoroughly cleaned out. King Dedede initially blames the Waddle Dees, but Meta Knight hints that they are not responsible for this. Dedede and Escargoon then catch the robot sending Escargoon's jewelry through the monster delivery system back to N.M.E. as theN.M.E. Sales Guy chuckles with glee. King Dedede and Escargoon then regret sending the Waddle Dees off and confront the robot about its theft, but it turns on them and attacks them by firing lasers from its eye. As this happens, Captain Waddle Doo spots the commotion at the castle from afar, and rushes off to rally the Waddle Dees to assist. Tiff and the others wake to see the Waddle Dees rushing off fast, and chase after them.
Once they arrive at the castle, the Waddle Dees follow the example fromthe sheep in a previous episode and create a ladder from their own bodies to scale the walls and get inside. They arrive just in time to catch King Dedede and Escargoon as they fall from a great height. After reconciling with his old servants, the Waddle Dees defend King Dedede from a laser blast from the robot by deflecting it with their spears. However, the robot rebounds and activates its battle form; replacing its treads and grabber arms with beefier limbs and growing much larger. In this form, it completely overpowers the Waddle Dees and tosses them aside. Once Kirby arrives, he assists by attempting toinhale the robot, but instead, he eats a large chunk of debris from the castle wall and gains theStoneCopy Ability. Stone Kirby then transforms and pounds the robot into the ground, causing it to get stuck. The Waddle Dees proceed to pull out tools and rush in to loosen the bolts on the robot, allowing Kirby to finish it off with one last stomp. The Waddle Dees then deliver the box from the cave to the castle, revealing it to be King Dedede's treasure from his vault which they had safeguarded for him. King Dedede agrees to hire the Waddle Dees back, and they celebrate witha familiar dance. The episode ends as Kirby joins in the dance with them.
Differences between versions[edit]
- In the Japanese version, Mabel and Samo have an extra scene where they comment on the Waddle Dees as they leave the castle for the beach, and referencePrediction Predicament - Part II in the process.
Music differences[edit]
- In the Japanese version, an arrangement of "Invincible Candy" plays during the scenes where the Waddle Dees are tending to the castle.
- In the Japanese version, an arrangement of the opening theme forThe Arena fromKirby Super Star plays when the Waddle Dees rush back to the castle.
- In the Japanese version, an arrangement of "Kirby Dance" plays when Kirby and the Waddle Dees dance at the end of the episode.
Dialogue differences[edit]
- In the Japanese version, Captain Waddle Doo asks King Dedede if the Waddle Dee soldiers could have a raise before they are fired, rather than asking if they could have a day off every year.
- In the Japanese version, King Dedede strangles Escargoon for having "secret savings", rather than for implying he cheats at golf.
- In the Japanese version, Kirby calls out "STONE KIRBY!" as he falls on the robot.
- In the Japanese version, the N.M.E. Sales Guy tells King Dedede "Welcome to Holy Nightmare Co," but in the English version, he says "No more monsters until you pay your bills."
Trivia[edit]
- The crab that appears in this episode vaguely resemblesPeezer, though with two eyes instead of one.
- In the pages of the N.M.E. monster catalogue that King Dedede is reading at the beginning of the episode, images ofOctacon,Tornadon, andChilly can be seen.
- During the shot whereMabel andSamo are commenting on the Waddle Dees, their lower bodies are incompletely drawn, and can be seen as such through gaps in the line of Waddle Dees passing by.
- During the episode proceedings, the Waddle Dees are forced to make a bridge with their own bodies to get over the castle walls, since the drawbridge is closed. However, in an earlier shot that same day, the castle drawbridge was shown lowered and the main gate wide open.
- The English episode title is a play on thecollar color system used to denote different types of professions, tying in with the Domestic Servant Robot's primary function as a household assistant.
Gallery[edit]
King Dedede peruses the N.M.E. monster catalogues while he waits for his tea.
King Dedede gets his tea three hours later than expected.
The Waddle Dees cannot remember which of them was originally given the order to get tea.
Escargoon accidentally counts Kirby while taking a census of the Waddle Dee population.
Captain Waddle Doo is asked how many Waddle Dees are in the castle.
King Dedede orders a new robotic servant to replace the Waddle Dees.
King Dedede promptly receives tea from the Domestic Servant Robot.
The robot quickly takes over chores from the Waddle Dees.
The robot rubs King Dedede in the bath.
King Dedede tells Waddle Doo that he and the Waddle Dees are fired while receiving a massage.
Kirby and the kids watch as the Waddle Dees leave the castle en masse.
The Waddle Dees march through Cappy Town.
The Waddle Dees head to a cave at the beach.
Tiff and her companions try to sneak into the cave.
Kirby gets snipped by a crab he took interest in, blowing the group's cover.
The Waddle Dees carry the intruders away.
Tiff hands Waddle Kirby a camera to try and find out what the Waddle Dees are hiding.
Kirby manages to capture a blurry snapshot of a large box in the cave.
The castle court are left with acres of laundry to do now the Waddle Dees are gone.
The Domestic Servant Robot checks an empty room for treasure to steal.
King Dedede discovers his treasury cleaned out.
The robot deposits the jewels it stole in theMonster Delivery System.
The robot turns on King Dedede and fires a laser at him.
Captain Waddle Doo orders the Waddle Dees back to the castle.
The elder Cappies run out of steam trying to keep up with the others.
The Waddle Dees form a bridge of their own bodies to get into the castle.
Kirby inhales a piece of debris while trying to help the Waddle Dees.
Stone Kirby pins down the Domestic Servant Robot by stomping it into the ground.
The Waddle Dees return King Dedede's treasury to him.
The final shot of the episode
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 帰れ、愛しのワドルディ Kaere, Hashi no Wadoru Di | Come Home, Dear Waddle Dee |
| German | Für immer frei | Forever free |
| Italian | Il licenziamento dei Waddle Dee | The Waddle Dees' firing |
