| Bug Brawlers | |
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| Television show information | |
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Genre |
Slice-of-life |
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Created by |
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Voices of |
Colleen Clinkenbeard |
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Country of |
United States |
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Original |
English |
| Production | |
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Executive |
Lindsay Katai |
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Running time |
22 min. (approx.) |
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Production |
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Distributor |
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| Broadcast | |
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Original |
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Original release |
October 1, 2022-present |
Bug Brawlers is an American animated fantasy slice-of-life magical girl action adventure comedy television series created by Lindsay Katai and Alex Horab, being produced by Cartoon Network Studios and Williams Street and has aired on Adult Swim as part of Toonami since October 1, 2022.
Synopsis[]
Tamara “Tammy” Hudson, a brilliant scientist and university student who is also an auto racer and Harriet Ibarra, a freelance photographer, are both captured, alongside 6 other women, by Absorber, an evil secret organization that plans to take over the world. Absorber, who had noticed all of their abilities, spends a week at her hideout transforming them into cyborgs with the abilities of insects. However, just before their brains were modified, their mentor, Dr. Miller, who was cooperating with Absorber, helps the girls escape the hideout. From then on, the team of eight, who became Bug Brawlers, work together to defeat the monsters sent by Absorber one after another.
Characters[]
Main[]
- Tamara “Tammy” Hudson/Beetlette (voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard) - Tammy is one of the eight main protagonists. She’s a scientist in the biochemistry lab at Johannes Brahms University, she is also an excellent auto racer. Due to her superhuman talent with an IQ of 600 and all-around athletic ability, she is abducted by Absorber and turned into a cyborg, but she escapes with Harriet just before their brains were modified and they both decided to fight Absorber for justice. Her nationality is Caucasian.
- Harriet Ibarra/Ladybug (voiced by Wendee Lee) - Harriet is one of the eight main protagonists. She’s freelance photographer, she is also a martial arts expert who got in 6th place in a judo tournament and 5th place in a karate tournament. Absorber sees potential in her and modifies her as the second Bug Brawler, but she is rescued by Tammy before her brain can be modified, and she decides to fight Absorber with her. She comes from South America.
- Shirley King/Honeybee (voiced by Cristina Vee Valenzuela) - Shirley is a woman who was born in The Netherlands. Her family consists of her mother Tara, who runs an auto repair shop, her father Aart, and her brother Van. She is a student in Johannes Brahms University, along with Tammy Hudson, and she studies bacteria in the biochemistry lab. She is good at sports such as sailing and soccer, and is nicknamed "The Queen Bee" in gymnastics. She has also won the All Netherlands Motocross Championship, and has the riding technique to hold an international A-class motorcycle license on par with Tammy. She got in 3rd place in karate, 2nd place in judo, and 1st place in kendo. After being by rescued by Tammy and Harriet’s alter egos Beetlette and Ladybug respectively, she joined the duo and became the Bug Brawler Honeybee. At first, she fought solo to gain vengeance against Absorber who murdered her family and refused to work in groups, but after witnessing the heroic actions of the Bug Brawlers, she decided to join in and fights for peace for humanity.
- Jeraldine “Jerry” Yarbrough/Butterfly (voiced by Monica Rial) - The youngest member standing at 19 years old. She’s a young scientist of British nationality, she was taken in by the leader of the secret society Absorber when she was an orphan. Some sources say she was a ground hockey player from Kyle Middle School. In any case, she felt an unparalleled gratitude to the leader who took care of her during her difficult time, and she believed that Absorbers' goal was to "create a utopia through the power of science." She became an elite Absorber scientist, and was well-liked for her strong sense of justice and kind personality, and was considered a candidate for a future senior executive. Due to her gratitude to the leader, she initially viewed Absorbers as a peaceful group until she saw the horrific truth. Now that she’s been saved by Beetlette, Ladybug and Honeybee, she starts to have a change of view towards the Absorbers and joins the Bug Brawlers in order to become Butterfly.
- Kehlani Jackson/MothGirl (voiced by Janice Kawaye) - Kehlani’s a transfer student from Hawaii who aspires to be a sailor. She is a quiet, passionate woman, but also has a sensitive side. Her father died shortly after she was born, and she was raised by his mother, Kelsey, who taught her karate, judo, and kendo from an early age, and swimming is her best sport. When she returned home for the first time in six months to work part-time during a break from university, she and her mother were attacked by Absorber, but her dying mother performed a modification operation on her, and she was resurrected as a cyborg with modified abilities for deep sea development, which is strong enough to withstand the water pressure of 10,000 meters below the sea. By meeting Tori Taylor, who is the mother figure of Bug Brawlerz, she learned about the existence of them and became even more aware of herself as a warrior. With her sharp insight, she often sees through the enemy's schemes, and sometimes sets traps in return. In panic battles, she carries and uses a blowgun as a weapon. After meeting Tori, she began working as an auto racer, and Tori commented that "if she trains, she will be on the same level as Tammy and the others."
- Amanda Yael/Grasshopper (voiced by Cynthia Cranz) - A Jewish-American a 23-year-old woman who was lost in an airplane accident in the Amazon with her parents shortly after she was born. Although her parents died, she grew up surrounded by wild animals in the depths of the Amazon in South America. Due to Bara’s modification surgery, she was also implanted with the Bug Brawler Belt, and following Bara’s hypnotic suggestion, she visits her birthplace of America to meet the rest of the Bug Brawlers. At first, she could hardly speak because she grew up with animals in the great outdoors, but as the story progresses, she learns various words. She is a simple, honest, and active, and expresses her emotions directly, and is not used to civilization. She was homesick at one point due to misunderstandings with the people around her, and tried to abandon the battle with Absorber and return to South America. However, she is not incapable of adapting to civilization. Although she initially disliked and hesitated to drive a motorbike, she eventually mastered it to the point that even Tori acknowledged her abilities, and Amanda was expected to be a good motocross rider. Because she grew up in the jungle, she has a wealth of knowledge about medicinal herbs and is good at playing the grass flute. Unlike the other Bug Brawlers, she boasts high fighting ability even before transforming, and has even defeated monsters without transforming, and her strength is enough to lift and carry a medium-sized motorcycle. She hates her comrades being hurt and will not be afraid to punch an enemy’s tooth out if this ever happens.
- Shane Johnson/Fire Ant (voiced by Erika Harlacher) - Shane was once 22-year-old a graduate student in electrical engineering at Johannes Brahms University and captain of the American football team, but her best friend Georgia Nelson was killed in a failed modification operation by Absorber, so she infiltrated Absorbed’s hideout herself to get revenge, and volunteered as a modified human test subject, lying to herself that "if I'm alone in the world and have no future even after graduating from university, I want to become the strongest in the world and commit evil deeds." She passed the adaptation test and was modified, but she avoided brain modification by using a self-hypnosis device she had prepared beforehand, and succeeded in retaining her ego, and obtained the power of a modified electric human to oppose Absorber. It is true that her motivation for undergoing the Absorber modification surgery was largely due to her desire to avenge her best friend, but her motives go beyond simple revenge. When she declared war on the Absorber Leader, she declared that she had "decided to fight Absorber, the enemy of the whole world," and that she was "a warrior of freedom and peace who will fight Absorber." She called herself "Fire Ant" and said that she was "fighting for justice and passion". She has such a cynical personality that she appears on the battlefield whistling, and shows her roughness by speaking in a rough manner and calling Tori Taylor "old woman" when they first met, but she also shows her strategist side by using words and actions that play with the enemies and even deceiving her Bug Brawler allies. At the request of Kat Tanner, she gradually began to show a more polite side, calling senior Bug Brawlers "Brawlies" and sometimes using "please" instead of "or I’ll f***ing knock you" when talking to them.
- Yuna Mitchell/Dragonfly (voiced by Brina Palencia) - A 21-year-old Japanese-American high school student who is an all-around athlete, especially skilled in aikido and the second youngest after Jerry. She has an older sister named Maria Mitchell who’s a scientist. She was abducted by Absorber along with her sister and underwent a transformation operation (her sister Maria also underwent a transformation operation and died in the process), but then, she was found by the remaining Bug Brawlers, who was escaping, while being held captive in Absorber’s hideout, and was rescued just before her brain was modified. They escaped the hideout together, and thereafter became rebels against Absorber and fought together. She is a very competitive person, and she and Shane constantly butt heads on who deserves the credit, but then, Tori said that she always felt resentful about being a hindrance to Shane. She suffers from asthma and also has a barista side, serving coffee to her fellow Bug Brawlers and is shown to have feelings for Shane later on in the series.
Supporting[]
- Dr. Hilary Miller (voiced by Erica Mendez) - The girls’ mentor, an authority on biochemistry, and a professor at the Johannes Brahms University where the three girls attends. She was abducted by Ansorber and involved in research into modified humans, but after learning the organization's true purpose, she rescued Tammy and Harriet just before their brains were modified. She felt guilty for recommending the girls as test subjects, and was hesitant to rebel against Absorber out of fear, but during that time, she became a lot more braver and invents the girls Bug Brawler Belts and Stones so they can transform into the Bug Brawlers.
- Rudy Miller (voiced by Jerry Jewell) - Rudy is the only son of Dr. Miller of European descent, and while studying at Johannes Brahms University, he worked part-time at Amiga, which is run by Tori Taylor. When Dr. Miller assigned the Bug Brawlers, he mistakenly assumed that the 8 women, who were present, were the culprits. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, he became the Bug Brawler’s ally and contributed to the fight against Absorber as their partner, but did not know that Tammy, Harriet, Shirley Jerry, Kehlani, Amanda, Shane, or Yuna were all Bug Brawlers. He has feelings for Tammy.
- Tori Taylor (voiced by Xanthe Huynh) - the girls and Katherine “Kat” Tanner affectionately call her "Mrs. Taylor." She serves as Tammy’s mentor as an auto racer. She was the first to know the girls’ secrets, and while she supports the Bug Brawlers both materially and spiritually as an ally, she also attends their combat training as a trainer, bringing out the Brawler’s true potential. She initially ran Snack Amiga, but when she started a part time job, ahe opened a motorcycle supplies store called Taylor Auto Corner and started the Taylor Racing Club. She treats the Bug Brawlers, Kat, and the male members of the racing club like a mother, and when the Junior Bug Brawlers Squad is organized, she becomes its president and puts even more effort into supporting the Bug Brawlers.
- Katherine “Kat” Tanner (voiced by Laura Bailey) - Kat’s an auto racer of American descent who is Tammy’s rival in the All Netherlands Motocross Championship, and a special agent of the FBI who pursues Absorber. Her riding technique is on par with Tammy’s. She’s currently married. After witnessing the Bug Brawlers, she begins to fight alongside the Brawlers in earnest, and while she investigates crimes committed by Absorber and acts as a liaison with public institutions, she also partners with the girls in battles and Brawler training. Although she is not a cyborg, she is an excellent investigator, and with her fighting ability that allows her to fight on equal terms with several combatants and his excellent information gathering ability. After the formation of the Junior Bug Brawlers Corps, she serves as its captain and is a good big sister to the children.
- Henry Norris (voiced by R. Bruce Elliott) - Henry is Rudy’s classmate who attends the same University as him, Tammy, Harriet and Shirley. He was involved in the incident while working part-time at Amiga, and thereafter began to cooperate with Tammy and the others in their fight. He’s also one of the members of the Taylor Racing Club.
- Shiva (voiced by Jennie Kwan) - A timid but good-natured young woman of Indian-American descent who serves as Amiga’s bartender. She gave Tammy and her friends a place to rest. She’s also responsible for helping Tori to open up the Taylor Auto Corner and the Racing Club.
- The Brawler Boyz - A group of 8 men who supports the Brawlers in their battles, consisting of:
- Yuri (voiced by Xander Mobus) - Yuri is Henry’s Russian-American friend and one of the members of the Brawler Boyz. He considers himself the Bug Brawlers’ assistant and is a first-degree (later third-degree) karate practitioner. At first, he was a light-hearted man like the other Brawler Boyz, but in the latter half of the series, he became the leader of the boys and supported the Brawlers' battles together with Kat and Tori.
- Marcus (voiced by Dameon Clarke) - Marcus is Henry’s British friend and one of the members of the Brawler Boyz. He is good at fencing and joined the gym to improve his muscular figure. He is very curious and enthusiastically appeals to Harriet, a photographer, to make him a photo model.
- Miles (voiced by Mike McFarland) - Miles is Henry’s Italian-American friend. He’s a tomgirl man who is good at Aikido. He can ride a 90cc bike.
- Emmet (voiced by Michael Sorich) - Emmet is a man who worked as Tammy’s assistant in Switzerland. He came to America to follow Dr. Shaw and stayed there. He specializes in code breaking and aikido.
- Micah (voiced by Kevin M. Connolly) - Micah is a man who, Like Emmet, worked as Tammy’s assistant in Switzerland. He came to America with Emmet and stayed there. He is good at fortune telling with cards and throwing knives.
- Tobias (voiced by Lucien Dodge) - Nicknamed “Toby” by his fellow Brawler Boyz. He meets Tammy and the others when he is attacked by Jaguara at The Talia Zoo, and after the incident is resolved, he begins helping out at Taylot Racing. He has a sharp intuition. He’s respected as the cook of the Racing Club.
- Yosef (voiced by Troy Baker) - Yosef is an Arabic-American man who Yuri introduces to the Bug Brawlerz. After the Junior Bug Brawlers Squad is formed, he is in charge of communications and administration. He has a quiet personality and doesn't say much.
- Charlie (voiced by D. C. Douglas) - Charlie is an Irish-American man who Yuri introduces to the Bug Brawlers. He’s a carefree person who likes chocolate and is always eating something, much to the amazement of those around him. After the Junior Bug Brawlerz Squad was formed, he was in charge of communications and administration.
- Gwyn Iverson (voiced by Gwendolyn Lau) Gwyn is a girl who started frequenting the Taylor Racing Club when it was first established. Her parents are already deceased. She is often involved in incidents with other adults, but often contributes to solving them by providing information. She is a mischievous girl, but a brilliant student who competes for the top spot in her class. She is like a big sister to the 8 girls and the Brawler Boyz. She also admires Tammy, Harriet, Shirley Jerry, Kehlani, Shane, Amanda, and Yuna, not knowing that they are Bug Brawlerz.
- Naomi and Michelle (voiced by Kayli Mills and Laura Post respectively) - Naomi and Michelle are two women that are introduced by Gwyn, who started frequenting the racing club together. They often act together, and their characters were not as distinct as Gwyn. Michelle has an older brother, who is much younger than her.
Antagonists[]
- Absorber Absorber is a mysterious international secret organization plotting world domination. Its members are mainly made up of brainwashed monsters who have been surgically modified to become intelligent and physically superior, and an unknown leader manipulates these monsters to commit various crimes and acts of sabotage. The members consist of:
- Sage Lee/Absorber Leader (voiced by Tamara Ryan) - The high ruler of the organization and main antagonist of the series. She appears mostly hidden by shadows. She talks with her followers through speakers on Absorber’s emblems in the multiple outposts. The Absorber Leader is a cruel being who does not have qualms in sacrificing her minions during moments of crisis or failure. Her full appearance is a cyclopean gorgon in crimson robes.
- Colonel Zola/Jaguara (voiced by Clarine Harp) - From Absorbee’s Near and Middle East Branch, her true form was a jaguar-like monster. She was also a disguise specialist, able to mimic any appearance almost perfectly using only makeup. Her personal mark, worn by the Combatants of her own Absorber outpost and used in her official correspondence, was the Absorber emblem, but with the leopard’s head replaced by a jaguar’s.
- Dr. Danger/Spidevil (voiced by AmaLee) - Dr. Danger is a woman from Absorber’s branch in Switzerland. She has cold and calculating behavior. Her true form is a spider devil mutant.
- Ambassador Helen/Batmageddon (voiced by Elise Baughman) - Ambassador Helen is a woman from Absorber’s branch in Southeast Asia, she took command of the organisation in America. Her full name is “Helen Damon”. She uses an electromagnetic whip and an iron claw as her weapons. Her true form is a bat humanoid mutant.
- Absorber Combatants (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - Black uniformed soldiers, some of the later versions having skeleton markings on their torsos. They are normally easily defeated by the Bug Brawlerz, often without even needing to transform. Their trademark is a high-pitched battle-cry.
Episodes[]
See List of Bug Brawlers episodes.