Xiaolin Showdown
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{{Infobox Television
| show_name = Xiaolin Showdown
| image = Image:T6mxiaolinshowdown-1-.jpg
| caption = The main characters, clockwise from bottom: Omi, Raimundo, Clay, and Kimiko.
| format = Animated television series
| runtime = 22 minutes approx.
| creator = Christy Hui
Warner Bros. Animation
| starring = Tara Strong
Grey Delisle
Tom Kenny
Jeff Bennett
Danny Cooksey
| country = United States
| network = WB TV Network (U.S. dosmetic)
Cartoon Network (worldwide) (reruns)
| first_aired = November 1, 2003
| last_aired = Present
| num_episodes = 50
| imdb_id = 0386993
}}
Xiaolin Showdown is an American animated television series about Omi, a young monk-in-training from the Xiaolin Temple (a name based on the real-life Shaolin Temple) who has been chosen by the Temple's Master Fung along with three other monks from various nations (Raimundo from Brazil, Kimiko from Japan, and Clay from Texas) to find and protect sacred artifacts called Shen Gong Wu from being taken and used by Heylin (forces of evil), predominantly represented by the spirit of the ancient witch Wuya. The use of the artifacts is shown to be usually combined with the use of the martial arts, which are portrayed as evoking internal, mystical powers linked to the classical elements that work synergistically with the Shen Gong Wu. The show makes frequent use of Chinese culture and archetypes despite the international setting — the Xiaolin Temple is in China and the origins of the Shen Gong Wu all seem to be Chinese.
Contents |
Shen Gong Wu
Template:Main The focus of the series is on collecting the Shen Gong Wu. They are mystical artifacts that have magical powers, activated by an action of will combined with saying the artifact's name aloud.
Xiaolin Showdowns
When more than one person grabs a Shen Gong Wu at the same time, a Xiaolin Showdown occurs. Each side wagers a Shen Gong Wu he/she already owns. In some cases, the competitors can initiate a "Shen Yi Bu Dare," where multiple Shen Gong Wu are wagered. The winner receives their own back, the opponent's, and the Shen Gong Wu that was grabbed to initiate the challenge. Also, in some cases you can challenge multiple enemies by initiating a "Showdown Trio, Showdown Tsunami, an 8-way Showdown, and a Cosmic Clash Showdown." During a Xiaolin Showdown, a "Shen Yi Bu All In" can be made, which wagers every Shen Gong Wu either side has. The challenge can be anything, but most commonly is some sort of race to the Shen Gong Wu. When the Showdown is called, the world around them warps, and the terrain they are on becomes an extreme extent, such as a mountain side becoming a field of rock pillars, or a snowfield becoming a large snowboarding course. Other contests have been games of tag, basketball, or combat. The challenge officially begins after the change, when both combatants yell "Gong-Yi-Tan Pai!" Then the decided contest ensues. When one is victorious, the terrain returns to normal, and the winner is in possession of all of the wagered Shen Gong Wu. "Gong-Yi-Tan Pai" is Chinese for "Ready, set, go."
Characters
Template:Main Xiaolin Showdown features an extremely large cast, many of whom do not appear for more than one episode.
Techniques Learned
- Dragon X-Kumei Formation — Learned during Xiaolin Apprentice level.
- Wudai Orion Formation — like Dragon X-Kumei, but they appear in a monochromic color with colored outlines. Learned during Wudai Warrior level.
- The Monks and The Color of their Outlines :
- Omi — White
- Kimiko — Red
- Raimundo — Blue
- Clay — Green
- In Dragon X-Kumei, Raimundo's color is white, and Omi's is blue, they switched in Wudai Orion.
- Wudai Iron Palm — A combined Wudai attack that has only been used once. The details of this attack are very vague, but it seems that this technique increases their power and strength to the point that they can break rocks with their bare hands.
- Omi's Moves: Water, Tornado Strike, Tsunami Strike and Wudai Neptune — Water, Ice,Steam (Omi has also learned the very powerful attack, "Heylin Power - Tsunami Water Blade -- Ice" while on the Heylin side)
- Kimiko's Moves: Fire, Judalette Flip, Wudai Fire Shield and Wudai Mars — Fire
- Raimundo's Moves: Wind, Typhoon Boom, Typhoon Boom Wind, Wudai Star — Wind.
- Clay's Moves:Earth, Seismic Kick and Wudai Crater — Earth.
It is also noted that during the episode Wu Got The Power, Omi temporarily learned the Wudai Crater - Earth, Wudai Star - Wind, and Wudai Mars - Fire techniques, while using the Longhorn Taurus, Crest of the Condor, and Cat's Eye Draco, respectively. Doing this caused him to have a surplus of elemental energy, which was worn down later in the episode. Omi now only retains his Water techniques.
It is assumed that anybody using one of the Elemental Shen Gong Wu is capable of using its respective Wudai Technique, though this has not been confirmed, as Omi is the only warrior to date who has worn one other than his own, the Kaijin Charm.
Other Techniques
These are fighting techniques, used mostly by Chase Young and Omi. They're fictional spoofs of real kung-fu attacks.
- Repel the Beast
- Monkey Strike
- Repulse the Monkey
- Tiger Instinct,Roaring Phoenix
- Monkey reading Shakespeare
- Spider doing Hokey-Pokey
- Sparrow eating Hotdog
- Grasshopper doing Dog Paddle
- Dogs playing roulette
- Duck eating Crackers
- Horse drinking Water
- Cat playing Fiddle
- Fox stomping Grapes
- Rooster frying Eggs
- Monkey painting House
- Viper Strike,Cougar Strike
- Mole attacking Ox
- Butterfly fools moth on cyprus tree
- Mantis Kick
- Dogs playing Poker
- Pig eating Sausages
- Goat Churning Butter
Monks and their Wudai Weapons
- Omi — Shimo Staff, a staff which changes into other weapons at will.
- Kimiko — Arrow Sparrow, a purse like object which carries metal sparrows that can be thrown and blow up in a fiery explosion.
- Raimundo — Blade of the Nebula, a blue, jagged version of the sword of the storm which turn into powerful nunchucks and can be used to throw the opponent around. Also used to make Raimundo fly.
- Clay — Big Bang Meteorang, a bronze boomerang so extremely powerful it is able to cut through anything. Also capable of multiplying for multiple attacks.
Forehead Dots
Several characters are seen with having mysterious dots on their forehead. Omi has nine white dots, in three rows of three. Master Monk Guan has six, two rows of three standing on the width; his are yellow. One of the monks in the Xiaolin Temple Omi had the same pattern as Master Monk Guan, as seen in the episode with the Sapphire Dragon. When Master Monk Guan showed Omi the scroll that showed a large shadow along with a goat-demon enslaving Chase Young to evil, the shadow had four dots as a square in his debut.
Omi also has three rows of three red dots balancing on a corner, when he turned evil after he left behind his good chi in the Yin-Yang world. When Omi turned into a cat the essence of Omi made Chase Young stronger, that's how he got his dots. But when the Xiaolin warriors defeated him in the showdown, Omi got his dots back and Chase Young lost his.
In the series, these dots that appear on the aforementioned characters have never been explained. However, they are most likely to be literal parallels to incense burn marks that Buddhist monks receive to distinguish themselves amongst other monks.
Four is considered an unlucky number in Chinese culture because the Mandarin word for four sounds like the word for death. Continuing with this numerological interpretation, the Mandarin word for three sounds like the word for life. Also, to a Buddhist monk three represents the Three Jewels.
But in the episode "The Dream Stalker" the dots seemed to be able to sense the coming of danger and a creature. And in the Showdown of the monks vs. the Fearsome Four, the dots are seen to give off light, since the showdown was in darkness the Four easily found Omi, and he needed to wear Clay's hat to hide himself.
Overall Showdown Record
Out of all showdowns fought in this show as of Ep. 310, (regular showdowns, generic Xiaolin showdowns, shen yi bu dares and all-ins, trios, tsunamis, and cosmic clashes) the Xiaolin side has the better record over the Heylin with an astonishing thirty three wins to the Heylin's nine. Dashi's challenge to Omi was not counted, nor was Raimundo's against Omi, both because they were technically fought between one side. Another showdown that is ruled out is the one where Jack Spicer fought the Chameleon-Bot. Like the aforementioned Raimundo vs. Omi match, the Xiaolin Dragons all thought that they had one person on their side; Raimundo was actually on the Xiaolin Side, and Chameleon-Bot, who was masquerading as Kimiko, but was truly on the Heylin Side
Voice actors and their roles
- Tara Strong — Omi
- Jeff Bennett — Clay, Cyclops
- Tom Kenny — Raimundo, Vlad, Dashi, Hannibal Roy Bean (Season 3)
- Grey DeLisle — Kimiko
- Wayne Knight — Dojo
- Rene Auberjonois — Master Fung (Season 1)
- Maurice LaMarche — Master Fung (Seasons 2 and 3)
- Susan Silo — Wuya
- Danny Cooksey — Jack Spicer
Home video
Warner Home Video is currently preparing a DVD for Xiaolin Showdown. Rather than a single-disc DVD best-of, the 2 disc DVD will contain the entire 13-episode first season, set for release on August 8, 2006. No bonus features have been revealed at this point. Source: TVShowsOnDVD.com