Yam Roll
Encyclopedia
Yam Roll is a Canadian animated television series created by Jono Howard
and Jon Izen airing on CBC Television
in Canada
, produced by March Entertainment
. The series was first broadcast on February 6, 2006. It can be viewed on Saturday at 10:00am and 10:17am on local CBC channels as well as ABC2 (Australia) and HBO Asia. The show premiered on November 20 on Cartoon Network's online video service.
Yam Roll shows can currently be seen on the web at http://ilaugh.com/, as well as on Hulu
.
characters, and other anthropomorphic
instances of Japanese cuisine
, all living in Happy Kingdom, a prosperous city which is upset quite often by monsters.
Yam Roll is the lead character, a taxicab driver by profession who wears a cowboy hat
and boots
. He is portrayed as an orange yam
wrapped in rice, his body being circular in appearance, with stick-like arms and legs. Yam Roll is bestowed with a certain degree of super powers
thanks to his instructor Katcho and the powers of Mount Foopi. These powers allow him to fly, lift incredibly heavy objects, and change form (into a door, a table, a potato masher, etc.). But despite his powers, Yam Roll leads a mostly normal life. Well, as normal as life gets in Happy Kingdom. Voiced by Lee Tockar
.
Quoting from March Entertainment's sitehttp://www.Marchentertainment.com:
Yam Roll tells the story of an exotic land of sushi and how one of its inhabitants, a super-powered cab driver named Yam Roll, braves monsters and bad guys all in the name of unrequited love. Despite being well liked in Happy Kingdom due to his good nature and sweet, root-vegetable flavouring, Yam Roll is still a frustrated guy. Why? Because he is hopelessly in love with the town sweetheart, a spicy tuna roll named Minamiko.
With the help of his wise Zen master, Katcho Miso (an old lump of salty bean paste), his sidekick and best friend Ebi-san (a severely hyperactive shrimp), and the rest of his motley maritime crew, Yam Roll's life is always an exciting ride.
Yam Roll also hosts a large variety of other sushi characters, including Yam Roll's friends, enemies, and random passers-by. Each character is wittingly named after their sushi names (e.g., Ebi, which means "shrimp" in Japanese).
Jono Howard
Jono Howard is a Canadian-born writer who works primarily on animated children's shows.For the majority of his career, Howard worked closely with animator Danny Antonucci.He worked as a staff writer on the following shows:...
and Jon Izen airing on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, produced by March Entertainment
March Entertainment
March Entertainment is a Canadian producer of digital animated entertainment for television and the World Wide Web. The company's properties include the television series Chilly Beach, Maple Shorts, Yam Roll and Dex Hamilton....
. The series was first broadcast on February 6, 2006. It can be viewed on Saturday at 10:00am and 10:17am on local CBC channels as well as ABC2 (Australia) and HBO Asia. The show premiered on November 20 on Cartoon Network's online video service.
Yam Roll shows can currently be seen on the web at http://ilaugh.com/, as well as on Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
.
Characters and Premise
Yam Roll features a cast of animated sushiSushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
characters, and other anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
instances of Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
, all living in Happy Kingdom, a prosperous city which is upset quite often by monsters.
Yam Roll is the lead character, a taxicab driver by profession who wears a cowboy hat
Cowboy hat
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
and boots
Cowboy boot
Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a Cuban heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing...
. He is portrayed as an orange yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
wrapped in rice, his body being circular in appearance, with stick-like arms and legs. Yam Roll is bestowed with a certain degree of super powers
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
thanks to his instructor Katcho and the powers of Mount Foopi. These powers allow him to fly, lift incredibly heavy objects, and change form (into a door, a table, a potato masher, etc.). But despite his powers, Yam Roll leads a mostly normal life. Well, as normal as life gets in Happy Kingdom. Voiced by Lee Tockar
Lee Tockar
Lee William Tockar is a Canadian voice actor and visual artist who works for several studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is also a writer of children's literature, a musician, sculptor, illustrator and collected painter...
.
Quoting from March Entertainment's sitehttp://www.Marchentertainment.com:
Yam Roll tells the story of an exotic land of sushi and how one of its inhabitants, a super-powered cab driver named Yam Roll, braves monsters and bad guys all in the name of unrequited love. Despite being well liked in Happy Kingdom due to his good nature and sweet, root-vegetable flavouring, Yam Roll is still a frustrated guy. Why? Because he is hopelessly in love with the town sweetheart, a spicy tuna roll named Minamiko.
With the help of his wise Zen master, Katcho Miso (an old lump of salty bean paste), his sidekick and best friend Ebi-san (a severely hyperactive shrimp), and the rest of his motley maritime crew, Yam Roll's life is always an exciting ride.
Other Main Characters
- Ebi: Ebi-San is Yam Roll's best friend and confidant. He is a boiled shrimpShrimpShrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, who wears a band around his "head" and sandals. Ebi is extremely enthusiastic and excitable, and always tries to force Yam Roll into some escapade or other, often with dangerous and embarrassing results. Ebi is never happy to sit still and is constantly bouncing off the walls with energy. Voiced by Carlos DíazCarlos DiazCarlos Diaz may refer to:*Carlos Diaz , pitcher in Major League Baseball*Carlos Díaz , member of the Senate of Puerto Rico*Carlos Díaz , Chilean-born Canadian film and television actor...
.
- Edamame: EdamameEdamameor Edamame bean is a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod commonly found in Japan, China, and Hawaii. The pods are boiled in water together with condiments such as salt, and served whole....
Legume is another one of Yam Roll's best friends, a soybeanSoybeanThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
lightly dusted with sea salt. Unlike most of the characters in Yam Roll, Edamame has no arms. Instead, he uses his two legs as arms instead. Also Voiced by Carlos DíazCarlos DiazCarlos Diaz may refer to:*Carlos Diaz , pitcher in Major League Baseball*Carlos Díaz , member of the Senate of Puerto Rico*Carlos Díaz , Chilean-born Canadian film and television actor...
.
- Tamago: Poor Tamago is forced to wear a very heavy and rare omelette on his back all the time. This unfortunate impedement leaves him bitter and emotional, and he constantly complains about the strain on his back (and any other issues that happen to be plaguing him). He tags along with Yam Roll, Ebi and Edamame on their adventures, but never without his fair share of complaints. Voiced by Joe PingueJoe PingueJoe Pingue is a Canadian actor.His film credits include The Boondock Saints, Pushing Tin, Repo Men, The Book of Eli and Knockaround Guys....
.
- Minamiko: Minamiko is Yam Roll's main love interest, a spicy tuna roll who draws the eye of almost every man in Happy Kingdom. Unfortunately for Yam Roll, Minamiko is practically unaware he exists, even though he consistently saves her from the clutches of evil monsters. Her popularity nets her many dates around the city, and Yam Roll is often low on her list. Yam Roll's rival, Milk Man — a carton of milk — is usually Minamiko's main boyfriend. Voiced by Sunday MuseSunday Muse-Biography:Muse launched "Sunday Muse Cartoon Voices for Kids", a workshop in Toronto, New York, California, and Vancouver, as a way to share everything she gained during her years as a lead voice actress. Her clients had roles on Family Guy, Super Why!, Will and Dewitt, Miss Spider, Rolie Polie...
.
- Katcho: Katcho Miso is "an old lump of salty misoMisois a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...
bean paste" and Yam Roll's ZenZenZen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
master, who lives atop Mount Foopi. He often has wise teachings for his only pupil, and occasionally a good whack or two from his magic staff. But most of the time Katcho watches from a distance as Yam Roll faces his daily tribulations, preferring to observe instead of interfering.
- Spicy Tuna Cone: Another boyfriend of Minamiko, Spicy Tuna Cone appears to be mayor of the Happy Kingdom, and sometimes EmCees at Hakamaryoke's Karaoke's bar. He also seems to be a minor friend of Yam Roll.
- Genki: A girl who would be happy to date Yam Roll. She is kindhearted and loves stuffed animals.
Yam Roll also hosts a large variety of other sushi characters, including Yam Roll's friends, enemies, and random passers-by. Each character is wittingly named after their sushi names (e.g., Ebi, which means "shrimp" in Japanese).