Ozu (Kappa Mikey)

Ozu is a major character of Kappa Mikey.

Profile

The ill-tempered producer of "LilyMu", Ozu rules the show with an iron fist. He frequently yells at the cast and crew members whenever something goes wrong. He is a gentle, caring and supportive mentor to the cast and crew as well. He has been a driving force in the Japanese television industry for six decades, yet no one is sure how old he is. Ozu is always trying new ways to squeeze money out of the show, and is a follower of originality. Therefore, he hates cards of all kinds, including scratch-offs (His business card says "I hate cards!", but a scratch card contest is what brings Mikey to Japan in the first place), since nearly every anime aimed at kids these days has some kind of cards in them to drive the story. It's possible that he was named after legendary director Yasujiro Ozu.

Ozu is constantly canceling the "LilyMu" show when Mikey or the cast does something wrong, but is quick to hire them back once his rage has been pacified and/or their popularity has been reestablished. In "LilyMeow" he mentions that they are rehired but only until he remembers the original reason for firing them. Extremely competitive, Ozu not only fires his employees frequently, but also has a habit of betting off the show in a sporting event against his many business rivals. He is allergic to scallions.

In "The Wizard of Ozu", Ozu plays the part of the Wizard in his holographic, omnipotent form, only here, his name is preserved as the title role.

Background

Ozu had the same face, hair and head size since his birth. He grew up in a traditional Japanese lifestyle, and his family would take him to the countryside to practice karate every Sunday (surprisingly his mother looks identical to Yes Man). Since he was a child, he had a precious bonsai tree (which Mikey destroys in Mikey Impossible). He left his hometown to the city to seek his fortune, which, apparently, fell right down to him from the sky. It was around this time that he met Yes Man, and hired him as his assistant. He has since become a leading and successful producer of television shows in Tokyo for the rest of his adult life, putting aside only hours of vacation time every several years. He also owns other suspicious, cursed objects he found in haunted locations in his life's travels.

"A Christmas Mikey" reveals further information on his life. He married a woman named Kiyoko in Kutaguro, and had a son. Ozu used to hate Christmas because his family disappeared on Christmas Day. However, the Ghost of Japanese Christmas Future informed him that it would be on Christmas Day that his son would come back to him, and as a result, he grew intense love for the holiday. In "Like Ozu, Like Son", he mentions he doesn't have any grandchildren because of "a mistake I made a long time ago".

It is revealed in the episode "Big Brozu" that he has an older brother (by 1 second) named Brozu. Brozu is the polar opposite of his brother in all ways, and they never see eye to eye. He dressed like a hip-hop star, uses heavy street slang and generally has a relaxed and care-free attitude. He even has his own personal sidekick called "No Man". It is implied that while his brother made a name for himself, Brozu spent the family fortune on expensive things.

Relationships With Other Characters

Ozu yells at every one of his employees except Mikey, because he sees Mikey as the savior of "LilyMu" and can do no wrong, even though the complete opposite is true.

Despite the fact that Guano is later revealed to be his son, Ozu treats him more like an employee. While the father-son aspect of this relationship is never made entirely clear, Ozu occasionally makes references to the fact that he is Guano's father. In "Script Assassin", Ozu shouts out that his little boy is back when he is reunited with Guano. In the episode "The Clip Show", Ozu ends his conversation with Guano by saying "Daddy loves you", after a round of his intense verbal abuse.

His relationship with Yes Man is that of a best friend as well as a boss. Ozu tolerates his strange behavior, but is not hesitant to physically abuse him when he feels like it. According to "Mitsuki Vanishes", Ozu may be the only character who can actually stand Yes Man's loud voice.

Karaoke Character Song

In the hour-long special, "Kappa Karaoke", the song that epitomizes Ozu is "I Pull The Strings", performed in the style of heavy metal, which signifies his power over all of Lilymu and how all his employees are under his power.

About the Voice Actor

Stephen Moverley is an Animation Collective employee, and was one of the original animation directors and designers on "Kappa Mikey". He directed Cartoon Network's short-lived show "Ellen's Acres", as well as the pilot movie to the series "".