Cubix

Cubix
Genre Adventure
Action
Comic science fiction
Developed by Cinepix
Written by Neville Hunt
Story by Steve Asquith
Directed by Joonbum Heo
Starring English Dub Cast
Andrew Rannells
Megan Hollingshead
Maddie Blaustein
Greg Abbey
Veronica Taylor
Dan Green
Jimmy Zoppi
Scottie Ray
Amy Birnbaum
Eric Stuart
Rachel Lillis
Ted Lewis
Opening theme Cubix Theme
Ending theme Cubix Theme (instrumental)
Country of origin South Korea
Original language(s) Korean
No. of episodes 26
Production
Executive producer(s) Alfred R. Kahn
Norman J. Grossfeld
Tom Kenney
Kyoung-joon Hwang
Wook Jung
Producer(s) John Frascesco
Editor(s) Tim Guru
Alec Puchalski
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) Cinepix
Daewon Media
4Kids Entertainment
Distributor Saban Brands (North America)
Release
Original network SBS
KBS
Rai 2
Rai 3
Rai Gulp
Rai 4
Original release August 11, 2001 – April 28, 2003

Cubix (Korean: 큐빅스; retitled 로보짱 큐빅스 for the KBS broadcast; subtitled Robots for Everyone in the United States) is a South Korean animated television series created by Cinepix. 4Kids Entertainment acquired the rights for an English adaption dub to the series in 2001, retaining them until their transfer to Saban Brands (a subsidiary of Saban Capital Group) in June 2012. Saban Brands currently owns and manages the copyright and branding of the English adaption of the series.

Production

Cubix was created by the Korean company called Cinepix and licensed by 4Kids Entertainment in North America, and aired for two seasons during the Kids' WB! children’s block on The WB, lasting from August 11, 2001 to April 26, 2003. To help provide their affiliates a half-hour of educational and informational programming credit, the series was later re-broadcast on FoxBox (owned by 4Kids Entertainment, later renamed 4KidsTV) from August 30, 2003 to June 12, 2004. The show remained off the air until July 24, 2010, when it resurfaced on 4Kids' then-current block The CW4Kids (later renamed Toonzai) on The CW. In 2012, the license for Cubix was purchased by Saban Brands and aired on the Vortexx block, but was removed from the block after four weeks on September 22, 2012 and replaced with another episode of Rescue Heroes. Since September 2007, the show has been streaming online, being uploaded in its entire as of early 2008, first on the now-defunct 4Kids.TV website and now on Hulu.

Both seasons were broadcast in the UK on Cartoon Network UK.[1][2] As of May 2010, the series is airing in the UK on kids' TV channel Pop.

The show has been the theme of three video games: Showdown, Clash 'n' Bash,[3] and Race 'n' Robots.

Plot and setting

Cubix, set in the year 2044, is the story of a bright-eyed young boy named Connor with a deep fascination for robots. His father, Graham, who dislikes all robots, has never truly been supportive. That is, until they move to the robot capital of the world, Bubble Town, the location of RobixCorp. Here, robots outnumber people. The reason for RobixCorp's global success is its mysterious technology the EPU (Emotional Processing Unit), which allows a robot to develop their own unique personalitiy, just like a human being.

Now that Connor's dream has finally come true, he finds himself with one really big problem: everyone in Bubble Town owns a robot, except him. Shortly after his arrival, he meets his nosy neighbor Abby, who sends her flying pet robot, Dondon, to spy on him. Graham, being not so fond of robots, hits Dondon over the head, knocking him out. A worried Abby, along with Connor, hop onto her hover scooter, rushing for the one place in town that can fix her friend.

Here, Conor meets Hela, who runs a special club for kids who can fix robots called The Botties Pit. However to become a member, there's a test- he has to fix a robot in less than 24 hours. Of all the robots he could have chosen, Connor picks Cubix, a one of a kind test model. Unfortunately, they call him the 'Unfixable Robot' because they all tried to repair him, especially Hela, who could never quite throw him out. Cubix is the one memory left of her father, Prof. Nemo who invented the EPU. Sadly, he vanished after an experiment with the highly volatile substance known as Solex.

Suddenly, a rogue robot inventor named Dr. K runs off with a stolen robot, leaving the Botties Pit on the verge of collapse. Connor races back inside in a final effort to save Cubix, leaving him trapped inside. This act of kindness jumpstarts Cubix's EPU bringing him back to life. With only a moment to spare, Cubix saves Connor from the collapsing building. It was never a matter of hardware but of heart, that fixed the 'Unfixable Robot'. It's safe to say that Connor passed his first test, earning him a place in the club.

That wasn't the only surprise Cubix had in store, with his amazing design he can transform into virtually anything. Along with their new friends, Connor and Cubix face up against Dr. K to take back the kidnapped bot.

This series follows the adventures and discoveries of the Botties gang, as they unravel Dr. K.'s conspiracy and the disappearance of Professor Nemo.

Solex

Solex was said to have been discovered after an alien spacecraft crashed outside of RobixCorp, shortly before Prof. Nemo's disappearance. It has two forms: the glowing electric blue liquid form prone to random energy fluctuations and the second, more stable crystallized form used in most robots. The story suggests that it has a psychic nature as it reacts to sentient thoughts and emotions, even those of robot's EPUs. Solex in both liquid and crystallized form is capable of producing immense power. Its "radioactive" glow (in crystallized form) is similar to pure isolated radium.

Solex in the 1st series

In the first season, Dr. K collects Solex from infected robots to utilize in his ultimate plan with the aid of the Alien, who uses the alter ego of Raska, the RobixCorp spokes model. It is suspected that the Solex was originally discovered by Professor Nemo but fearing the misuse of its power, separated the liquid Solex into small doses, placing them in random robots (or that the explosion in his lab the day he disappeared caused the Solex he was experimenting with to be transferred into the robots that were in his lab at the time).

The liquid Solex, however, produces unexpected effects in robots; this is referred to as Solex infection. As the EPU is placed under heavy stress or emotions, the uncontrollable energy reaction of the liquid Solex causes them to malfunction and go berserk. Besides the behavioral malfunction, the infected robot also gains extreme power far beyond its normal capabilities. However, this extreme power could overload the host and cause self-destruction unless liquid Solex is removed, the robot is deactivated or the Solex energy returns to normal.

Characters

The titular Cubix is a one of a kind robot built before Professor Nemo's disappearance, who is found deactivated with no visible damage, but no way to reactivate him either. He is introduced as part of Connor's initiation ceremony as the robot he chooses to fix. However, he cannot get Cubix to work until Dr. K appears to retrieve Solex from a robot. Connor brings Cubix back to life, just as the building they are in starts to crumble. His body is made out of a number of cubes, giving him a versatile modular function- by restructuring himself and using various gadgets within the cubes, he can transform into a hover bike, an airplane, a helicopter and plenty more. He can even fly without the need to transform into a vehicle. Hidden in each cube there is a different gadget with a solution to almost every dire situation. When it comes to fighting, Cubix is exceptionally strong, but often relies on his transformational ability and unorthodox strategies to win. He is powered by a generator that runs off crystallized Solex, which is rumored to be the ultimate power source, but nobody knows exactly how it works. Cubix's body is also constructed out of a highly resistant metal that is capable of withstanding devastating amounts of damage without breaking. He also has additional parts that when added to his structure can increase his strength.

Cubix is a friendly and helpful robot, but lacks speech capability, while speaking seems to be common place among other robots. Usually he just repeats what people around him say, and uses the LED display where his eyes usually are to communicate emotions. However, later in the series this improves greatly and he becomes capable of forming sentences and dialogues, and once he regains the crystallized Solex at the end of the season 1 finale, he regains the capacity for independent speech. Voiced by Scottie Ray.

Humans

Botties

Connor: The main human character of the series, Connor is obsessed with robots. He moved to Bubble Town, and soon after joined the 'Botties' by fixing the 'Unfixable Robot', Cubix. Perpetually optimistic, yet kind of a hard head, he resents his dad for never answering questions about his late mother. He's best friends with Abby, as they often play 'virtual battle' video games at her house. Him and the Botties hang out at his dad's doughnut shop and Hela's repair shop, the Botties' Pitt. Voiced by Andrew Rannells.

Abby: Connor's neighbor, best human friend, and fellow robot-lover, Abby was the first person to show Connor around Bubble Town. She has orange hair with two ponytails, hazel eyes, wears a pink and violet shirt, violet pants, and white shoes. She seems to always expose her belly for a reason. She's a member of the Botties and her pet robot, Dondon, has been her best friend since she was 6 years old. She's a little impatient and a bit of a procrastinator but she has a sweet compassionate side. Abby loves robots and looks up to Hela almost like a big sister, and secretly wishes to be just like her someday. She can often be found in her room studying robot repair manuals. Voiced by Veronica Taylor.

Chip: He may be short but at only 10, he's probably the smartest of the Botties. He knows practically everything about robots. At times he can be a know-it-all who only sees things his way. He's actually very insecure about his height and can come across as awkward or nervous. His robot, Cerebrix is a specialized calculation model. He's best friends with Mong. Voiced by Amy Birnbaum.

Mong: The taller and chunkier member of the Botties, Mong loves snacks and making jokes that only he ends up laughing at. He seems dense but he's actually pretty inventive and has a big heart. Highly competitive and a bit prideful, he rushes headlong into things, sometimes ignoring the consequences. His robot is Maximix, originally a fitness trainer model. Mong converted him into a motor bike. He's best friends with Chip. Voiced by Jimmy Zoppi.

Hela Nemo: The daughter of Professor Nemo and the idol of Abby, she is the owner of the Botties Pit. Hela knows almost everything about robot repair. She's pretty even keeled, and is usually a source of advice and comfort to her young apprentices. Her robot team includes Diagnostix, Mr. Fixit, Ixpressive, and Attractix (named Kan-It). She also acts as a motherly figure to Connor and despite the arguments she has with his stubborn father it is joked about in the series that she likes him. Voiced by Rachael Lillis.

Villains

Dr. K: The main villain of the series, Dr. K used to work for RobixCorp, but lost his arm in a lab explosion and now as a rogue robot inventor who uses his smarts for evil. In Season 1 he's after a substance called Solex to build the ultimate robot and destroy Bubble Town. His main robot is Kolossal, but he has his own line of evil robots such as Katastrophe, Kannon, Krab, Klawber, the Kulminator and Kilobot. It is unclear what happened to Dr. K at the end of the series finale, though it is possible that he gave up his evil ways. Voiced by Maddie Blaustein.

Raska: Bubble Town's most famous celebrity, Raska is the spokes model for RobixCorp. Raska does not have any robots of her own besides the Cinematixes that film her. Near the end of the season it is revealed that Raska is the alien from the spaceship that crashed outside RobixCorp, and (using her human disguise) became a member of Prof. Nemo's team (most likely in order to retrieve the Solex). Raska and Dr. K are shown to be in some sort of alliance in order to acquire Solex for their own goals. For most of the season, Raska's true alien form is only seen on Dr. K's screen when communicating with him and is kept in complete silhouette. Her true from is fully shown in the final two episodes. She only appears in the first season since in the final episode of the first season she is killed when Dr.K's giant robot is destroyed by Cubix. Human: Voiced by Megan Hollingshead, Alien: Voiced by Eric Stuart.

Miscellaneous

Graham: Connor's dad, who owns and runs Bubble Town's most popular doughnut shop. He dislikes robots, especially the dysfunctional Waitrixes that work at his shop causing him continuous aggravation, yet he developed an exception for Cubix. He believes in good old manual labor and resents how robots have made people lazier over the years. He's a loving father, but has a hard time showing it. Sometimes he cannot quite express how he feels, particularly about his wife's death. This causes a bit of strain on his relationship with Connor. It is also hinted he has a crush on Hela. Voiced by Dan Green.

Taryn: Connor's late mother, who supposedly died when he was younger. Connor keeps a picture of her in his room as a memory.

Professor Nemo: The ultimate robotist, Professor Nemo was the one who built Cubix and invented the EPU. He disappeared in the aforementioned lab explosion caused by Solex, but was later found kidnapped by Dr. K. A giant sculpture of the Prof. stands in the grand hall of RobixCorp. He designed all of his robots with a yellow spiral. Also voiced by Dan Green.

Charles: A spoiled brat and the richest kid in town. Charles is the son of the Mayor and his family has important connections, so he gets all the latest models from RobixCorp. His favorite robot, Quixtreme 5000, is a rare pre-release model given to him as a special birthday gift, that will not be on the market for 10 years! Called Cheetah for short, he can transform into a cherry red Rolls Royce hover car, a cheetah, and an armored battling robot. This makes Charles think he can gain entry into the Botties. It is implied that he has a bit of a crush on Abby and is jealous of Connor. He often follows them around, showing off. Voiced by Ted Lewis.

Robots

Botties Robots

Maximix: Maximix is Mong's robot. Maximix has a unicycle propulsion instead of legs and is also capable of transforming into a Go-kart like vehicle to provide Mong with transportation. Although not as strong as Cubix or Kolossal, Maximix has proven himself to be a formidable opponent on several occasions. He can hold his own against Kolossal or any of Dr. K's robots. Thanks to his unicycle propulsion he can reach high speeds and is quite agile. His personality is similar to his master: hot headed, competitive and a little conceited, but always reliable. Maximix's voice is similar to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Voiced by Frank Frankson.

Dondon: Dondon is Abby's pet robot.[4] Dondon is a personal interaction and entertainment robot, outfitted with hovering capabilities allowing him to flutter about for indefinite periods of time. So, although he has wings they are more decorative. Being small and defenseless, Dondon is not a fighter, although there are times when he has shown great courage in order to protect his friends. His features include a video telephone inside his chest cavity, secret recording devices, a camera, and a storage pouch. His yellow face also glows in the dark. His personality is very playful and imaginative- he sometimes pretends to be a secret agent for Abby, disguising himself with her jewelry and hair accessories. Though creative, Dondon is needy of Abby and can be quite bashful with strangers. Voiced by Eric Stuart.

Cerebrix: Cerebrix is Chip's robot. Like his master, Cerebrix is more of a thought focused character rather than feeling. Bipedal, with no arms, he is equipped with advanced memory, sensory, computing and processing systems stored in his "large head". He can also fly by means of a retractable propeller stored in an upper compartment of his head. His main functions include a huge sensory array and he is also equipped with two antennae through which he can tap into almost any communication wavelength and cause disturbances, creating confusion in his foes. Also his advanced probability computing system is capable of determining the outcomes of events before they occur. His personality and speech are much more machine-like but what he has to say is usually very important. Voiced by Jimmy Zoppi.

Kan-it: Kan-It is a Attractix model, and the only bot not to be own by a Bottie. Kan-It has a passion for singing, and as such was nicknamed Kan-It because Dr. K, his original master, did not like it. Kan-It speaks in a stereotypical British accent, saying cockney phrases like "Governor" and "Blimey". Kan-It control's his magnetic power by saying Magnet On(Positive Charge), Magnet Off!(Neutral Charge), Reverse Polarity(Negative Charge). Kan-It currently resides at the Botties Pit, voiced by Terri Irwin's husband Steve Irwin.

Villainous Robots

Kilobot: First appearing in the second season, Kilobot is a vampiric robot that is far smarter than any of his cohorts. Dr. K describes him as his finest creation, developed to absorb data from other robots. Kilobot's name comes from the fact that he has the potential to copy the powers of up to 1000 other robots. As such, his power is potentially unlimited. Kilobot originally appeared in a bat-like form, but later upgraded to a bulkier body designed after Cubix's cubes. Kilobot is Cubix's new arch-enemy. In the series finale, he took control of Dr. K's robots and planned an ultimate takeover. However, he was permanently deactivated by his own Zombot.

Klank: Klank was one of Dr. K's first robots from when he was a child. Klank originally had no EPU, so when the botties found Klank in a disposal room at RobixCorp, they install one to help him adjust to the modern world. Klank's new emotions drive him to seek out Dr. K at an old abandoned house. Unlike Dr. K's other robots, Klank only appears in one episode.

Kolossal: A Frankenstein's monster-esque robot, Kolossal is the brute of Dr. K's forces. Not too intelligent and continuously relies on his master for orders but almost equal to Cubix in fighting ability, Kolossal serves as Cubix's nemesis in the early part of the show. Kolossal's equipped with various weapons but most importantly a detachable floating platform on his left shoulder where Dr. K. takes seat. Kolossal is big and strong, although bulky he is capable of limited flight and agile high jumps, his left hand is a sort of claw that can be launched to grab things from afar. Most of the time he uses only brute force to win. Without his master's continuous coordination however he can only complete basic tasks.

Kontraption: Dr. K's largest automaton, Kontraption serves as his blimp headquarters after his original base is destroyed. However, Kontraption can also turn into a large robot with great destructive capability.

Krab: Squat and crustacean-like, Krab has powerful claws and shoulders that contain a variety of weapons.

Katastrophe: A robot capable of splitting into two halves. Katastrophe's top half can fly, while the bottom rolls around on a wheel.

Kannon: An artillery robot developed by Dr. K, his body is an assembly of cannons.

Klawber: Menace of the skies, Klawber is a super-fast plane that flies through the air. Voiced by Frank Welker.

Kulminator: Dr. K's second most powerful robot (behind Kilobot). It was once Dr. K's HQ as a giant advertisement tower in an abandoned area of Bubble Town. After Dr. K had gathered enough Solex, he used it to create a humongous EPU which transformed his HQ into a giant four-legged robot. Dr. K piloted it on a course for Bubble Town with intentions to destroy it. The Botties (piloting Krab, Katastrophe, Klawber, and Kannon) attempted to stop it, but it was too big. The Alien then used the Kulminator's ultimate weapon, the Solex Blaster, to destroy Cubix, but he absorbed the energy and then fired a Solex blast of his own, knocking out the Kulminator's shields. Dr. K wanted to retreat, but the Alien was determined to continue, firing the Solex Blaster at everything while Dr. K abandoned ship. Cubix then flung himself into Kulminator, striking its EPU, destroying it and the Alien. It appeared in 'Cubix the Movie: The Search For Solex' and in season 1 Episode 13 'The Unbeatable Robot'.

Zombots: Dr. K's army of duplicating machines. When defeated, their parts can regenerate into new Zombots. In addition, they can evolve into larger, stronger versions of themselves, and transform other robots into Zombots with their attacks.

English cast

List of episodes

(US Version)

Season 1

1) The Unfixable Robot (aired August 11, 2001)

2) Electrix (aired August 18, 2001)

3) The Underground of Bubble Town (aired August 25, 2001)

4) The Iron Chef (aired September 1, 2001)

5) Dondon for Dinner (aired September 22, 2001)

6) Heat Wave (aired November 17, 2001)

7) Hurricane Havoc (aired November 24, 2001)

8) Magnetix Personality (aired October 6, 2001)

9) K's Kages (aired November 3, 2001)

10) Fixed Competition (aired December 1, 2001)

11) Office Politix (aired January 26, 2002)

12) Kubix!!! (aired February 2, 2002)

13) Kulminator (aired February 9, 2002)

Season 2

14) Roller Koaster (aired March 15, 2003)

15) The Chipinator (aired March 18, 2003)

16) The Incredible Shrinking Robot (aired March 19, 2003)

17) Crash Test Pest (aired March 17, 2003)

18) Tyrannix (aired March 20, 2003)

19) Tomorrow's Robots Today (aired March 22, 2003)

20) Media Storm (aired March 21, 2003)

21) Bubble Town Wishes and EPU Dreams (aired January 24, 2004)

22) CirKus (aired March 29, 2003)

23) Klank (aired April 5, 2003)

24) The Importance of Being Maximix (aired April 12, 2003)

25-26) War Triangle/Final Showdown (aired April 19-26, 2003)

DVD releases

North American DVD releases of Cubix - Robots For Everyone were licensed by Funimation Entertainment.

References

  1. ↑ "Kids' WB! Renews 4Kids Entertainments'S 3d-CGI Animated Series Cubix Robots For Everyone! For Second Season" (PDF). 4kidsentertainment.com. March 4, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Tv Viewers And Toy Sales Show Cubix Hits Top Form 4Kids' show rated number one on Cartoon Network UK, and is currently the highest-rated children's animated series on UK television,on BBC 1" (PDF). 4kidsentertainment.com. July 17, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2006. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Get ready for Cubix Clash 'N Bash for Game Boy Advance". cubixrobotsforeveryone.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2002. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Robot Name Dondon by RobixCorp". cubixrobotsforeveryone.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2002. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  5. ↑ "4Kids Entertainment Home Video Announces The Home Video Debut Of Cubix Robots For Everyone Available On February 4, 2003" (PDF). 4kidsentertainment.com. December 16, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2006. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
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