Janice Kawaye Movies
- 2004
This American-made cartoon series was inspired by a real-life Japanese singing group, Puffy AmiYumi, comprised of Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. In animated form, Ami and Yumi traveled along the concert circuit (and the universe!) in their multi-purpose Puffy bus, which boasted all the comforts of home and constantly "morphing" interiors. The lively, fun-loving Ami and the laid-back but hard-working Yumi were staunch advocates of "cool," which was more than could be said for their mercenary, penny-pinching, and terminally un-cool manager Kaz (likewise based on a real person). When they weren't singing, the girls could be seen defending themselves against space aliens, computer-generated monsters, and crazy fans. Although professional voice actors were heard as Ami and Yumi, the actual girls appeared in the series' live-action wraparounds. Boasting three short segments per half-hour episode, the flash-animated Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi was unveiled by the Cartoon Network on November 18, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ami Onuki, Yumi Yoshimura, (more)
- 2003
The title character in this weekly, half-hour Nickelodeon cable network cartoon series was Jenny (Janice Kawaye), a six-foot-tall female android created by a mom-and-dad team of mad scientists. Jenny wanted to be a regular teen and fit in with her high school crowd, but could never stray too far from her avowed mission of protecting Earth from various villains -- foreign, domestic, and intergallactic. Aided and abetted Jenny from time to time was her next-door neighbor and erstwhile boyfriend, Brad (Chad Doreck). My Life as a Teenage Robot premiered on August 1, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Janice Kawaye, Chad Doreck, (more)
In this satirical sci-fi comedy, Samantha (Kelli Maroney) and Regina (Catherine Mary Stewart) are two sisters whose father was a hard-bitten Green Beret, but who've grown into typical Valley Girls. They end up spending the night in a steel-lined room just as a comet passes close to the earth, vaporizing the people in its wake. When Samantha and Regina emerge, they discover that they have the city to themselves, and they begin the shopping spree to end all shopping sprees. En route to the mall, they discover Hector (Robert Beltran), the only survivor they've found so far, and they argue over who gets the last boyfriend on Earth. However, the mall holds an unpleasant surprise -- a small army of zombified stockboys who the gals must battle using an arsenal they shoplifted along the way (while lamenting that "Daddy would have gotten us Uzis!" after a MAC-10 fails to fire). Meanwhile, a cadre of soldiers from a special military experiment have come out of hiding, but it seems that they need fresh blood to survive, and Samantha and Regina look like just the refreshment they need. Cult figure Mary Woronov also appears in a supporting role as a scientist. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Catherine Stewart, Kelli Maroney, (more)
