Zatch Ball (Anime)

Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gash!!(Japanese: 金色のガッシュ!!, Hepburn: Konjiki no Gasshu!!, "Golden Gash!!"), is a Japanese mangaseries written and illustrated by Makoto Raiku. The series follows the title character Zatch Bell, a mystical being called a Mamodo, who is partnered with a 14-year-old schoolboy Kiyo Takamine for a once-a-millennium tournament on Earth that determines the right to rule the Mamodo world as king. During their adventure, Zatch and Kiyo encounter and battle various Mamodo and their human partners, and meet allies who aid Zatch in his quest to become a kind king. Zatch Bell! was later adapted into an animetelevision series produced by Toei Animation. The series aired for 150 episodes on Fuji TV from April 2003 to March 2006. The anime series ran in the United States on Cartoon Network's Toonami and Miguzi programming blocks from 2005 to 2007 for seventy-seven episodes, and in Canada on YTV's Bionix programming block from 2005 to 2008; in all, 104 episodes were dubbed in English.

Episodes

• 150 (total/Overall)

Movies & Specials

• Zatch Bell Unlisted Demon 101 (Movie 1)
• Zatch Bell Attack of Mechavulcan (Movie 2)
• Zatch Bell Special 1
• Zatch Bell Special 2

Theme Songs

Opening

• Zatch Bell Theme by VIZ Media (eps 1-52)
• Follow the Light by VIZ Media (eps 53-104)

Japanese Opening

• Scab (eps 001-050)
• Let this Voice Reach You (eps 051-100)
• Mienai Tsubasa (eps 101-150)

Closing

• Zatch Bell Theme Instrumental (Ep. 1 to 52)
• Follow the Light Instrumental (Ep. 53 to 104)

Japanese Closing

• Personal (eps 1-30)
• STARS-Don't Worry About Tomorrow (eps 31-58)
• Tsuyogari (eps 59-75)
• Idea (eps 76-100)
• Kyou yori Ashita wa (今日より明日は) (eps 101-125)
• Aso FEVER 2005 (eps 126-149)

Voice Cast

Japanese

• Ikue Otani as Zatch Ball (Ep. 1 to 141)
• Konami Yoshida as Zatch Bell (Ep. 142 to 150)
• Takahiro Sakurai as Kiyo Takamine
• Urara Takano as Zeno Bell

English

• Debi Derryberry as Zatch & Zeno
• Jason Spisak as Kiyo
• Richard Steven Horvitz as Kanchome (Ep. 11 to 48)
• Jeff Nimoy as Kanchome (Ep. 58 to 104) & Mr Toyama (Ep. 90 and 93)
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Coral Q

Trivia

• Zatch Bell! is one of the Japanese series produced by Toei Animation. The studio brought you Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and Digimon
• Viz Media (ShoPro Entertainment at the time) has licensed the rights to the anime, under the name Zatch Bell!. The English-dubbed version (produced at Studiopolis) was premiered on Cartoon Network's Toonami block from March 5, 2005 until January 20, 2007, after they stopped airing 77 episodes. However, the remaining episodes continued airing on YTV's Bionix until they stopped airing with 104 episodes in 2008.
• Zatch's original name in the Japanese version is "Gash Bell" instead of "Zatch Bell". Shopro changed his name for the English version because "gash" could be taken as something crude.
• Gash (Zatch)’s favorite food is “yellowtail”, a type of ocean fish (also found in rivers). Though he’ll eat just about anything whether palatable to humans or not, his appetite for yellowtail is insatiable. Mostly eating it raw or cooked.
• Gash (Zatch) wears no underwear under his "dress”. Shopro edited this in English version by adding digital boxers to certain scenes throughout the series. In the Japanese version many of the episodes do feature Gash wearing undergarments. So Gash (Zatch)'s nakedness is a random thing throughout the series.
• Richard Steven Horvitz explained to a fan at a convention. That he had to quit the role of Kanchomè, because it was stressful on his voice. He had to do so much yelling, especially during the fight scenes that it would strain his voice. So Jeff Nimoy, the dub’s director took over.
• Karen Strassman replaced Saffron Henderson as Sherry after episode 85. This was due to Henderson moving back to Vancouver Canada, due to expenses being too high in Los Angeles (where Zatch Bell was recorded).
• Although there is no English dub of this episode (105), a preview of this episode seen at the end of episode 104 features Coral Q being voiced in English.
• Had the English version of Zatch Bell continued airing on Toonami in the United States with episode 105, the show would have not ended in 2008. In reality the show would have ended in 2009 if Toonami never got cancelled in February 2009 (As Toonami was replaced with The Action Flicks Block). Here is the possibie airdates as followed: Episode 105: December 13, 2008, Episode 106: December 20, 2008, Episode 107: December 27, 2008, Episode 108: January 3, 2009, Episode 109: January 10, 2009, Episode 110: January 17, 2009, Episode 111: January 24, 2009, Episode 112: January 31, 2009, Episode 113: February 7, 2009, Episode 114: February 14, 2009, Episode 115: February 21, 2009,Episode 116: February 28, 2009, Episode 117: March 7, 2009, Episode 118: March 14, 2009, Episode 119: March 21, 2009, Episode 120: March 28, 2009, Episode 121: April 4, 2009, Episode 122: April 11, 2009, Episode 123: April 18, 2009, Episode 124: April 25, 2009, Episode 125: May 2, 2009, Episode 126: May 9, 2009, Episode 127: May 16, 2009, Episode 128: May 23, 2009, Episode 129: May 30, 2009, Episode 130: June 6, 2009, Episode 131: June 13, 2009, Episode 132: June 20, 2009, Episode 133: June 27, 2009, Episode 134: July 4, 2009, Episode 135: July 11, 2009, Episode 136: July 18, 2009, Episode 137: July 25, 2009, Episode 138: August 1, 2009, Episode 139: August 8, 2009, Episode 140: August 15, 2009, Episode 141: August 22, 2009, Episode 142: August 29, 2009, Episode 143: September 5, 2009, Episode 144: September 12, 2009, Episode 145: September 19, 2009, Episode 146: September 26, 2009, Episode 147: October 3, 2009, Episode 148: October 10, 2009, Episode 149: October 17, 2009 and Episode 150: October 24, 2009.
• Zatch Bell and Naruto are the only two animes to premiere in 2005 on Cartoon Network but shockingly get cancelled before both had there English dubs completed. Despite Naruto ending its run with all 220 episodes dub in English in late 2009 in Canada, Zatch Bell never got its English dub to be fully completed with episode 105 to 150.
• Had Toonami never got cancelled in the U.S, Zatch Bell would have ended in late 2009, despite premiering on Toonami in early 2005.
• The English cast was also planning to dub the first Zatch Bell movie Unlisted Demon 101, and release it on DVD. According to Anime News Network, they also had Richard Steven Horvitz listed to reprise his role as Kanchome. But sadly the project was cancelled.
• Like Naruto, Zatch Bell also has a spin off manga showing Zatch and Kiyo when they are older. The spin off manga is call Zatch Bell 2!. Upon the fans reading the manga, including the English voice cast. All of the original English cast members hope to come back by continuing the series as a reboot.