Bunny Maloney

Bunny Maloney is a French animated television series created by Studio Tanuki and directed by Stéphane Stoll. The series is produced by MoonScoop Group, in co-production with France 2 and Telegael. It was based on an animated pilot called The Attack of the Giant Red Octopus (French: Pinpin le Lapin: L'attaque de rouge geant). The series chronicles the adventures of a pink anthropomorphic rabbit named Bunny Maloney and his friends. The series was canceled after one season, due to low ratings and highly negative criticism over the show's inappropriate themes.

Bunny Maloney
Genre	Comedy Action
Created by	Pinpin le Lapin: Nicolaï "Méko" Chauvet Utku Kaplan Nicolas Flory
Developed by	MoonScoop Group
Directed by	Stéphane Stoll
Starring	French: Martial le Minoux Élisabeth Ventura Marc Duquesnoy Corinne Martin Laurent Pasquier Vincent Violette
Opening theme	Bunny Maloney theme (performed by Olivia Ruiz and Mathias Malzieu)
Ending theme	Bunny Maloney theme (instrumental)
Composers	Fabrice Aboulker Pascal Stive
Country of origin	France
Original languages	English French
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	52
Production
Executive producers	Christophe di Sabatino Benoît di Sabatino Paul Cummins
Producer	Maia Tubiana
Running time	12 minutes
Production companies	MoonScoop Group Telegael
Original release
Network	Canal+ Canal+ Family France 2 Game One Kabillion
Release	June 29 (2009-06-29) – August 19, 2009 (2009-08-19)

Synopsis

Characters

Three characters are mainly present in the show, Bunny Maloney, Candy Bunny, and Jean-François. Bunny Maloney is a rabbit with pink fur and large, black eyes. Bunny is usually mischievous and dim-witted, and also can be named petty and selfish. He has a mundane lifestyle with an affinity for junk food, regularly pizza. Even though Bunny seems lazy, he still protects his girlfriend, Candy Bunny.

The series also includes elements akin to Japanese culture - it has elements reminiscent of manga and anime in its design, followed by some manga iconography and instances of text being written with the Japanese language. Some episodes also reference popular culture, like the franchise James Bond.

Characters

Main characters

• Bunny Maloney - A rabbit, with pink fur and large, black eyes. Bunny is mischievous and dim-witted, usually goofing around without any further thought, which usually makes Candy unhappy. He also can be described as petty and selfish. Bunny indulges in a mundane, lazy lifestyle and has an affinity for junk food, mainly pizza. While he is Candy's boyfriend, he sometimes gets scared of her if she were to be angry, and won't hesitate to fight her if given the chance. He owns four pet fish, which he regularly would interact with.
• Candy Bunny - A pink rabbit, with small black eyes, a red scrunchie and prominent blush. Candy is temperamental and fussy, having a presumptuous attitude, and is only happy to receive gifts if it's what she specifically wants. She is extremely petty, even more so compared to Bunny. With a high temper, she's hostile at Bunny for a majority of episodes (sometimes to physically abusive extents), even if it is for something relatively minor or not his fault. While she is Bunny's girlfriend, she is often aggressive towards him and never seems to be happy in his presence. She owns a pet (of an unnamed species) called Potchi.
• Jean-François - A blue cabbit, Bunny and Candy's roommate, who can only speak his own name (like a Pokémon), having droopy ears, blank black eyes and a long tail. Jean-François is naïve and kind, being rather emotionally stable and optimistic throughout the series (compared to Bunny and Candy) – though he also appears to be emotionally vulnerable, as he would either cry, or (other times) cower, if he gets too uncomfortable. Jean-François's docile nature usually gets him dragged into Bunny's selfish, obtuse plans. He is skilled at playing the fictitious rhythm game, "Bust-a Para Dance".
• Professor Débilouman - A short man that wears a white lab coat, has spiky black hair and has a long, oni-like nose. Débilouman's name is derived from "débile", which means "stupid" in French, befitting his comically idiotic demeanor. He is the main antagonist of the series, though he always comes up with ridiculous schemes that work, at first – but always get foiled at the end. He hates Bunny, and is sometimes shown to crush on Candy. As a running gag, he would say "oh, poop" whenever his submarine would sink.
• Modchi - Débilouman's sidekick, who resembles Potchi in appearance but is light purple instead, with bumps, a scar and large red eyes. In spite of being on Débilouman's side, he never bothers to actively participate in his schemes or have much of a grudge (let alone, a petty one) against the opposing ProtecTeam. Even if Modchi stays on the sidelines, he mostly responds to Débilouman with snarky and condescending remarks, though he can be comical other times (e.g. if he and Débilouman were to cackle evilly together).

Recurring characters

• Stan Ookie - A brown badger, who can also communicate within the form of a small, blue hologram. Stan is the easygoing, straight man of the group, and he is also quite smart in a nerdy sense (as he can still be oblivious to Débilouman's schemes), but also has a sillier side (e.g. role-playing as his two figurines, being romantic towards each other). He talks to the ProtecTeam within a holographic form as he lives in the building for the Bunnyganger (the ProtecTeam's mech). He often uses the word "dude" while he speaks. His name is a pun on the tanuki.
• Potchi - A bulbous, light blue creature. Sometimes, he's seen roaming around the ProtecTeam's apartment, acting like a stereotypical, innocuous dog. He is only capable of saying "onyo", but at times, pants like a dog.
• Bunny's fish - Bunny's pet fish, who have different colors and appearances – one red, one yellow, one teal and one purple, respectively. who reside in one tank. Bunny sometimes may drag them into his selfish plans, or they may support him and fuel his dim-witted desires (e.g. encouragement to train himself).
• The Amazing Secret Spies - Débilouman's spies, who can only say one word and all look the exact same, wearing opaque black shades. Although they are usually simply referred to as "spies", their actual name is seen in the show's pitch bible.
• Charlotte - Candy's best friend, she is a white lamb. Charlotte has a ditzy outlook, and can end up irritating others due to her behavior, and (usually obtuse) solutions to problems. She also has a lustful side that she doesn't hesitate to show off unprompted, which only ends up alienating people like Bunny. She mainly has a crush towards Bunny, even though he'll refuse to like her back.
• Louis Picollin - A fat fly who casually wears a green and orange superhero outfit. Louis idolizes Bunny, much to the latter's chagrin. He wants to join the ProtecTeam, but Bunny and Candy say otherwise. He also cleans out poop around the city.
• Noacak - A short man with a green military outfit and a large white moustache. Noacak is the general of Bunnyville's militia, standing out amongst his troops. In spite of his gruff voice and serious expression, he is incompetent at his job, sometimes leading to being at others' expense. He is similar to Major Monogram from the Disney Channel series Phineas and Ferb.
• Secretary Octopus - A purple octopus. The Secretary Octopus is the news reporter for Bunnyville, and she usually is seen on the ProtecTeam's television to discuss something that is relevant to an episode.
• Marc and Ting - A duo of tall men who wear matching suits and glasses. Marc and Ting are two quirky salesmen who don't have a distinction beyond looks and voices. They usually show up for any sort of business opportunity, and appear in Bunnyville's commercials. Their names appear to be a play on the word "marketing".
• Ben - A human who wears a yellow shirt with a red star. He is a friend of Jean-François, and the two often dance together in the rhythm game "Bust-a Para Dance".

Episodes

Source:

1. Casanova Clone ("Candy voit double")
2. Text Message Madness ("Sos SMS")
3. Atomic Flea ("La puce atomique")
4. Rabid Rabbit ("Bunny-sitter")
5. Hasta La Vista, Bunny ("Hasta la vista, Bunny !")
6. Candy's Birthday Surprise ("Joyeux anniversaire, Candy !")
7. Noacak Wants You ("En avant, marche !")
8. A Wrinkle in the ProtecTeam ("Ô ride, ô désespoir")
9. Polterabbitgeist ("Nos ancêtres les lapins")
10. Bunny's Fish Go Off ("Mes chers poissons")
11. Bunny's Big Hit ("Bunny rebondit")
12. Carrots Are a Girl's Best Friend ("Les carottes sont éternelles")
13. Germ-Free ("Ménage de printemps")
14. Spouse or Louse ("Moitié ou minable")
15. The Dispense Sense 9000 ("L'interprétator 9000")
16. Dawn of the Shrimp ("La Nuit des Crevettes Zombies")
17. Jean-François: Top Model ("Jean François top modèle")
18. Bunnies Are From Mars ("Les lapins viennent de Mars")
19. Community Service ("Travaux d'intérêt général")
20. Stuck With You (“Sauve qui peut”)
21. Free Potchi ("Libérez Potchi")
22. S.T.U.P.I.D ("Stupide Machine")
23. Oh, Bust-a-Para Dance! ("Le marathon de Java-Danse")
24. Fishing For Trouble ("En queue de poisson")
25. Raucus Caucus ("Votez Bunny!")
26. OnYooo
27. A Bunny Story ("De mémoire de Bunny")
28. Stan's Perfect Match ("Stan, cœur à prendre")
29. The Wrong Diagnosis ("Docteur Ookie")
30. Charity ("Charité bien ordonnée")
31. Sick Bunny ("Bunny est malade")
32. Lost and Found ("Candy tombe des nues")
33. It's On The Cards ("Mystique en toc")
34. Heaven Scent ("Bunny au parfum")
35. Hypochondriac ("Alerte à l'haleine verte")
36. The Good, The Bad and the Cookie ("Cookie folies")
37. Nanny State ("Les carottes, c'est la santé")
38. Business as Usual ("Sauvetage en promo")
39. Passport to Bunnyvania ("Viva Bunnyvania")
40. Cold Turkey ("Pas de burgers pour Bunny")
41. Think Extinct ("Un problème de taille")
42. Rabbit vs. Rabbit ("Lapin contre lapin")
43. The D-Fixitup ("D-Répare-Tout")
44. We Come in Peace ("Nous arrivons en paix")
45. Dead Bunny ("Feu Bunny")
46. Full House ("Gros comme une maison")
47. Doomsday ("Jugement dernier")
48. Computers Have Feelings Too ("Mon ordi a du cœur")
49. Trading Places ("Vis ma vie")
50. Funny Bunny ("Bunny brûle les planches")
51. Made For TV ("Echec et audimat")
52. The Legend of the Bag Man ("La légende de Sac Man")

Production

Pinpin le Lapin: L'attaque de rogue geant, an animated pilot originally published on Studio Tanuki's website, was published in the early 2000s. Aimed at an older audience, the pilot parodies anime tropes, has gags based on fighting games, and references specific anime, like Sailor Moon and Doraemon. It was greenlit by MoonScoop for a kids' show, and production started in 2007.

A Microsoft PowerPoint presentation can be found on MoonScoop's official website. The presentation was likely intended to be a pitch bible, as it has several differences compared to the show itself.

Awards

Award	Year	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref
Anime & Manga Grand Prix	2010	Best Non-Japanese Anime	Bunny Maloney	Won

Voice cast

French

• Martial le Minoux - Bunny Maloney
• Élisabeth Ventura - Candy Bunny
• Marc Duquesnoy - Professor Débilouman, Louis Picollin
• Corinne Martin - Charlotte
• Laurent Pasquier - Stan Ookie
• Vincent Violette - Modchi
• François Jérosme - Noacak

English

• Matt Wilkinson - Bunny Maloney
• Jules de Jongh - Candy Bunny
• Tom Clarke-Hill - Jean-François, Ting
• Walter Lewis - Professor Débilouman, ROBOT
• Keith Wickham - Stan Ookie, Modchi
• Phillipa Alexander - Charlotte, Secretary Octopus
• Dan Russell - Additional voices

Broadcast

In France, Bunny Maloney was officially premiered on June 29, 2009, on the TV channels Canal+ and Canal+ Family during the Canaille+ programming block.

The show was originally intended to air on March 29, 2009, but was cancelled at the last minute, due to the leaders of Canal+ Family finding the show unsuitable to air on Cartoon+ – a block aiming for young audiences. The show was later delayed to a new premiere date at June. Prior to official release, the first three episodes were broadcast on Canal+ throughout April and May as sneak previews. The show also planned to air on France 2, but never did; later airing on sister channel France Ô (via their youth-oriented ôôôôÔ ! block) in 2011, until 2013. The show was also aired on regional France Télévisions channels (e.g. Via Stella and the La 1ère channels) until March 2016.

An English dub aired on Kabillion in the United States, and Kix in the United Kingdom. However, any trace of the show had been removed later on, likely due to the series' themes, as it is more explicit compared to adult humor in other kids' shows.

Country	Network
France	Canal+ Canal+ Family Game One France Ô
United States	Kabillion
Portugal	Canal Panda
United Kingdom	Kix!