In Japan, the sun shone on a city where a multi-headed monster attacked. In a local vacuum shop, a small robotic human-like vacuum named Vacu-San was ambitious to take on the monster himself as he believed he was an actual samurai. The shopkeeper reminded him that "Samurai" was his brand name, not his title. After embarrassing himself in attempting to fight the monster, Jenny flew in and the crowd went wild. After defeating the monster and sending it swimming, Vacu-San felt Jenny had taken his honor. He would come to the United States to confront Jenny so he can reclaim what he had lost.
Back in the U.S., Brad and Tuck attempted to break a world record by stuffing a lot of people in one car. When Vacu-San showed up, he was last in the car but the car exploded. He told Jenny that since he had lost his honor, he couldn't fight (but made a great vacuum) and would have to defeat her for what he lost. Jenny, Brad, Tuck, and Vacu-San made their way to Japan to make things right.
Jenny attempted to put in a good word for Vacu-San to the people of his home but did it in a way that saddened him. Wanting to defend his people honorably, Vacu-San took on a giant, robotic, fire-breathing bird. All was going well until he found that Jenny was operating the monster. Soon sets of multi-headed monsters arrived and Vacu-San used his vacuum features to embarrass them and make them laughing stocks. The crowd cheered for the monsters' defeat and the little vacuum's honor was restored.
Vacu-San was honored by his shopkeepers as a hero. These past events helped Jenny better understand honor and heroicness, thank to her little vacuum friend. The ceremony was accompanied by Brad and Tuck's next attempt to stuff a car. The people of Japan eagerly participated in the American-aspired goal.
Trivia
This episode features actor Keone Young as Vacu-San. He also played Kaz in Cartoon Network's "Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi" which was another show Janice Kawaye (Jenny) was in.
The "Samurai Vac" name was a play-on-words of the title "Samurai Jack" (Cartoon Network, 2001-2004; Adult Swim, 2017), another show where creator Rob Renzetti and co-director Randy Myers did directing work.
The Alex Kirwin caricature was in the stuffed car but without his glasses. He must have known it was going to be a tight squeeze.
Brad must be a stickler for cleanliness. Also see "Labor Day" (S3).
When Vacu-San and Jenny left Brad and Tuck standing on a mountain ledge with a crowd of people below them, one man yelled, "Go Free Bird!" I don't know why he yelled that as this was not at a concert. Obnoxious people would yell out "Free Bird!" at concerts when the concert is not that good. This would be referring to the 1973 song by band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Goofs
At the vacuum store where Vacu-San lived, the store was called "Vacuum's." A "Vacuum's" what? That apostrophe shouldn't be there ("Vacuums"). Maybe someone who knew very little English and got confused about where to put apostrophes named the store.
Those Japanese people know fluent English. It seemed that they spoke English among themselves and converse well with the visitors. Better Japanese was spoken in "Speak No Evil" (S1).
While Jenny and the 3-headed monster were fighting in the abandoned pie factory, what were those stray pies doing there? Why did they leave them? If they were there long enough they would be rotten as a rotting filling would gush out during battle.
After the pie filling slams on the doghead's face, in the next scene when his head was being eaten, the mess disappeared.
When Jenny was being honored as the Japanese town hero, it is really customary for the Japanese officials to include a Greek leaf crown on her head?
How did Vacu-San know where Jenny lived? How did he trace her location?
Brad doesn't know how to draw talley marks while stuffing the teenagers in one car. He drew them with 5 vertical lines before the diagonal (or horizontal line seen here) line, not 4 like is should be.
How did Brad get enough money to hire a French maid?
OK, I know this is only a cartoon on its last episode but I have a few concerns about Brad and Tuck's free trip to Japan in Jenny's drilling machine. (Again, I'm not stating this because I'm a wet blanket. These are just some observations.)
Brad and Tuck take an illegal trip to Japan. No paperwork, no passports, no ID, and they just showed up in a machine that could kill them if it was affected by molten lava in Earth's core.
Besides, I thought really deep holes lead to China, not Japan.
Quotes
Vacu-san: [upon entering the scene] "Skies with red flames, my people flee their homes. As samurai, my duty is clear. [pulls out his "sword" attachment and attempts to go after the monster]"
Vacu-san: Outsider! You dishonor me, robot girl. I demand satisfaction!
Jenny: "What's that, little vacuum cleaner? I haven't taken your honor. [Jenny is then presented with a metal from the mayor] Oh, thank you, it's quite an honor. [Jenny, mayor, and associates bow]"
When Vacu-san is used as an actual vacuum
Brad: "Wow, this place is spotless! You're much better than that French model we've been using."
French model gets offended then walks off
After Vacu-san explained why he won't stop following Jenny
Jenny: "But that's silly. You couldn't defeat that monster on your own."
Vacu-san: "Silly? To me, stuffing a bunch of smelly teenager into a car is silly."
Brad stomps toward him
Brad: "Car-cramming happens to be a tradition, [Brad does a salute in front of an American flag background] an Amerrrrrican tradition!"
Japanese vacuum shop owner: "And so, we bestow these gifts on our most honorable hometown hero, Vacu-san."
crowd cheers
Japanese vacuum shop owner: "And in honor of this occasion, we prepared this special performance."
Curtain opens to reveal Brad, Tuck, and a tall top car
Brad: "Hey, vacuum dude, this world record is for you! Everybody, into the car!"
Jenny and all the Japanese people jump in
TLDR
When a little Japanese vacuum thought Jenny took his honor, he was determined to earn it back.
"Turncoats" (Episode 326)
Directed By: Randy Myers, Rob Renzetti
Plotline
At the Invention Convention, inventors showcased their greatest inventions and demonstrated how they worked. After Mrs. Wakeman boasted how her trash-eating invention was better than her rival Phineas Mogg's, the invention malfunctioned. Mrs. Wakeman was able to pull the plug on the invention after it destroyed the entire convention, especially everyone else's hard work.
As Mrs. Wakeman was about to fall asleep, she found XJ-1 had come to see her only to find out she had completely malfunctioned like her convention entry. The other XJ prototypes did the same and Jenny protected her mother from the destructive predecessors. Who was causing this? Mrs. Wakeman and Jenny headed back to the shambled convention hall to find clues.
It turned out that Dr. Locus was controlling the XJ prototypes with his invention of a remote control that controlled all robots to where they malfunction. He was doing this for money. The remote soon controlled Jenny, giving her the order to destroy her mother. When the remote broke, Jenny was back to normal. Locus was eaten by Mrs. Wakeman's trash-eating invention.
Back at home, Mrs. Wakeman and Jenny were fixing the XJ prototypes. Now that the XJ's were recovering, they requested improvements. All was well until Mrs. Wakeman was eaten whole once again but not by her invention convention entry.
Trivia
A "turncoat" is defined as someone who betrays their own party to join an opposing one. Here, the XJ prototypes are the "turncoats." Their betrayal was caused by the evil Dr. Locus (for whom voice actor Grant Albrect reprises his role).
Here's an external reference right off the bat: a presenter says, "And as it turns it looks like Arnold. Remember Arnold...?" She says it in front of a rotating football-shaped device with yellow balls growing from it. Heck, yeah, I remember Arnold! She was referring to the football-headed Arnold from "Hey Arnold" (Nickelodeon, 1996-2004).
At the convention, a wall read "VACUSAN." Vacu-San was the character from Samurai Vac who lost then regained his honor.
The way Mogg called "WAKEMAN!" was similar to how Mr. Spacely called out George Jetson on "The Jetsons" when he's sleeping on the job.
An inventor at the convention had a hat (altered like a cowboy hat) and a beard resembling the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
Before Mrs. Wakeman pulled the plugs inside her invention, the invention spoke like HAL from "2001: A Space Odyssey." The invention even briefly sang "Bicycle Built for Two" as it was powering down.
XJ-4 referenced the song "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen as she was hitting Jenny upside the head with a feather duster.
After Jenny took out the controlled XJ-5, XJ-5 started to play "Taps," a song usually played by a bugle during certain military events.
She also self-destructed. To us, this could have looked like a suicide attempt. Luckily, it was a failed one as a success would be inappropriate for a kids' channel.
After Mrs. Wakeman whacked XJ-5's head with a fire extinguisher, XJ-5 started playing brief instrumental versions of the heavy metal and oldies-sounding song preloaded on the stolen Musique from "Girl of Steal" (S3).
XJ-4 requested to squirt "Scrubbing Bubbles." She must have meant she wanted to be able to squirt the Scrubbing Bubbles brand bathroom cleaner. Worth a try to have her do that.
Goofs
goggle strap alert: When we first see Mrs. Wakeman in this episode standing at her invention, her goggle strap was black. After the camera panned away, the strap turned back to yellow.[Sigh] Like first episode, like last episode.
Why would Tuck, a kid, own fireworks? Hope he didn't intend to explode anything. Isn't it illegal for a minor to own such things, let alone an adult (Mrs. Wakeman) holding them for him without reporting this happening to the proper authorities?
How did Jenny and Mrs. Wakeman arrive at the convention when it was going on? Did they drive? How did they get their invention there? If they drove, they must have abandoned their car after Mrs. Wakeman flew in Jenny's arms during their escape from the angry inventors. I can't imagine that Jenny flew Mrs. Wakeman in her arms on their way there.
Why would they build a permanent structure for something that happens once a year? I might personally know of a few structures like that but what if the building could be re-purposed for something else? I guess we'll never know what those things could be.
As we see XJ-7 in full body, her wheels seemed a bit crooked, kind of curved.
When the convention was throwing tomatoes at Mrs. Wakeman, where did the tomatoes come from? Maybe someone's invention must have used tomatoes.
At the nighttime shot of the front of the Wakeman house, before the scene of Mrs. Wakeman in her bedroom, notice the line between the two porch steps flicker.
Why didn't Jenny rust or electrocute when XJ-4 sprayed her with water? Was there enough to make her do that?
Captioning error (at least on Hulu): After Jenny realized XJ-5 was missing from the basement and Mrs. Wakeman screamed, "NO!" the captioning had her name as "Wakefield."
Would the Invention Convention building be one with a basement?
Maybe not. XJ-8 must have tunneled in from underground from the home to up from under the foundation of the convention building.
Quotes
Mrs. Wakeman [sitting up on her bed]: "Oh dear, after all the excitement, I don't think I'll ever get to sleep."
Goes right to sleep
Attempting to vacuum Mrs. Wakeman
XJ-4: "I'll clean your clock, Mama."
Mrs. Wakeman gets sucked in and Jenny tries to pull her out
Jenny: "Give it up, XJ-4."
XJ-4: "Don't get in the way, XJ-9, or I'll put through the wringer."
XJ-4 rolls to Jenny and uses high-tech spray bottles to spray her with water
Jenny: [slaps a bottle away] "Just stop it."
Jenny: "Okay, I think we should leave before XJ-8 shows up."
Mrs. Wakeman: "Yes, I see your point. She's a lot stronger than you are."
Jenny: "Yeah, why is it that you made me so much weaker than XJ-8?"
Mrs. Wakeman: "Well, I had to remove some of your strength to make room for your teenage foibles and quirky sense of humor, didn't I?"
While repairing the previous XJ's
Mrs. Wakeman: "Well, everything will soon be back to normal."
Gets eaten by tiger
Mrs. Wakeman [inside the tiger, Jenny and XJ-3 look horrified]: "Jenny, did you forget to feed the tiger?"
TLDR
The XJ prototypes have turned against Jenny and Mrs. Wakeman. What or who could be causing them to do that?
