I recently posted about Kanaban Graphics, the company that produced Usavich Rabbits for MTV Japan. I have since received my dvd of Usavich Rabbits, which I purchased on eBay. Since the youtube videos are so poor and unreliable, I’m posting a bunch of images I like.
The Usavich Rabbits are two bunnies who start this adventure as inmates in a Soviet Prison. Each episode is exactly one and a half minutes. That’s incredibly short, yet packed with fun. With 39 episodes, it runs nearly 1 hour of constant high energy. That’s nearly a feature film, built out of really short films. The first season mostly involves their conflict with the prison guards, who take the form of steel doors.
During this first season they pick up two secondary characters, a toad and a chick.
They escape during episode 13.
They steal a car.
The second season takes place on the road, but the road is a continuous curve on a hillside. It rarely changes. It reminds me of the old 3D effect done by Fleisher Studios. It is one long chase, with prison guards, cops, and soldiers trying everything they have to kill the rabbits.
The Red rabbit gets part of his head ripped off.
The Green rabbit has super car repair powers. Here he reassembles the car while it is exploding.
I forgot what’s happening here. I just know the Red rabbit was in disguise for a roadblock.Season two ends in the evening light, and season three brings them to the city:
Season three brings the rabbits to the city, where Red wants to buy the most fantastic pair of high top sneakers. But the owner lives at the top of a 13 story building, and he doesn’t want to let the sneakers go. So the rabbits fight their way to the top.
The boss gets a rocket stuck in his back side. Henchmen discuss options.
Red dies during a boxing match. But comes back to life later.
Red gets sliced in two by a laser.
Some things I like:
No dialog. It’s entirely acting, sound effects and music. The music is a catchy little tune like what you might hear in a video game.
The two rabbits are polar opposites, one, Green, is nervous and weak. The other, Red, is relaxed and physically equal to Popeye on p.c.p. laced Spinach.
Characters die and come back to life.
Tex Avery sized action.
Each season includes 1 episode that is based on rhythmic beats of sound effects.
It’s just plain bizarre and unpredictable. I give it my highest praise. “I wish I made that.”