Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures


Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, known in Japan as is an animated television series produced by 41 Entertainment, Arad Productions, a partnership between Sprite Animation Studios and OLM, Inc., and Bandai Namco Entertainment for Tokyo MX, BS11 and Disney XD. Based on Bandai Namco's Pac-Man video game franchise, it is the second animated series to be based upon the game franchise, following the 1982 TV series. The show aired from June 15, 2013, to May 29, 2015, running for three seasons and 52 episodes.
Various games and merchandise were produced based on the series, including two video games and several mobile apps.

Production

A pilot trailer produced by Arad Productions was shown at E3 2010, alongside the announcement of Pac-Man Party for the Wii. The pilot explained the basic plot of the show, and visually was mostly identical to the final product. The end of the pilot features a homage to the "Coffee Break" scenes in the original arcade game. Avi Arad explained in an interview that they made Pac-Man a high-schooler in order to tell stories about being a teenager, and that they also wanted to explore Pac-Man and Pac-Land's backstory. The trailer and Pac-Man Party also debuted a new design for Pac-Man that would be used for most Pac-Man media and merchandise during the show's run.
In September 2011, 41 Entertainment was named worldwide distributor of the series except in Japan, where Namco Bandai would handle distribution. The series was titutively titled PAC-MAN 3D at the time. Avi Arad said in the press release that Pac-Man was one of his all-time favorite characters, and that the show's ghosts would come in all shapes and sizes. Following this announcement, 41 Entertainment would announce global distribution deals with various partners. The animation was done by Sprite Animation Studios in partnership with OLM, Inc., who handled the production process, from storyboard to delivery. While Arad came up with the basic plot-line for the show, the final product was directed by Motonori Sakakibara.
In some territories, the second half of season 2 was distributed as season 3.
The show ended on a cliffhanger in 2015, with 52 episodes produced in total.

Overview

The series takes place on the fictional planet known as Pac-World, and its Netherworld. The show sees Pac-Man and his best friends, Spiralton and Cylindria attend Maze High School, a boarding school located within the city of Pacopolis. They help to protect citizens from the threat of ghosts after the seal that locked up the Netherworld was accidentally opened by Pac at the time he was avoiding the school bully Skeebo. Ghosts are able to possess Pac-Worlder bodies although only for a time limit of a few minutes unless aided by Dr. Buttocks' technology. Victims of possession usually are apparent by a red-eyed glow although this too can be prevented with Buttocks' technology.
Pac-Man also has four friendly ghosts that surrendered and vowed to help him along his voyage and journey. Pac-Man vows to stop Betrayus and the ghosts from taking over Pac-World while searching for his long-lost parents. He has the unique ability to eat ghosts and destroy the ectoplasm that makes up most of their bodies. Only their eyeballs survive, which he spits out. They reform their bodies using a regeneration chamber. The ghosts continually attack the city to locate the Repository, a storage chamber for the corporeal bodies of the ghosts which would allow them to live again if they possessed them. It is kept hidden to deny them this freedom and only President Spheros and Pac-Man are aware of its location. The ghosts also attack the Tree of Life to prevent Pac-Man from gaining powers to fight them. Without the power-berries, Pac-Man is not able to fly or breathe in the Netherworld.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Pac-Man |, Real name as "Pac" is the 15-year-old title character of the series. He is the last of the Yellow Pac-Worlders, having lost his parents to ghost-related circumstances. As a yellow Pac-Worlder, he has the ability to eat ghosts while spitting out their eyes. He is brave, kind, cheerful, loyal and compassionate, but on occasion, he is impulsive, rebellious, and immature, as well as being motivated by his absurd appetite.
  • is a 14-year-old pink Pac-Girl with glasses and one of Pac's classmates and best friends who is the smartest of the main three. She is hot-tempered and sassy, but fundamentally sweet.
  • is a tall red 15-year-old friendly jock and one of Pac's classmates and best friends. He is the tallest and most athletic of the three.
  • , full name Lord Betrayus Sneakerus Spheros, is the sadistic, temperamental, and egocentric Lord of the Ghosts and the Netherworld and Spheros' brother. When alive, he tried to conquer the world, but was defeated and stripped of his corporeal form alongside his underlings. Despite his malicious personality and actions, he is also very immature and prone to childish fits when he doesn't get his way.
  • The Ghost Gang is a group of four ghosts from the original arcade game. They live in the Netherworld and are ruled by Lord Betrayus. Despite their servitude towards Betrayus, they are secretly allies of Pac-Man and friends due to not liking having to live in the Netherworld.
  • * Blinky is a red ghost. He's the default leader of the group, as well as the shortest. Hot-tempered and cunning, he's very insecure and has a softer side.
  • * Inky is a blue ghost, the thinnest and sneakiest in the gang. He has a sibling rivalry with Blinky on account of them being twins.
  • * Pinky is a sassy pink ghost and the only sister. She has a crush on Pac-Man and a rivalry with Cylindria.
  • * Clyde is an orange ghost, the largest and friendliest of the siblings.

    Pac-Worlders

  • is the benevolent president of Pac-World, old friends of Pac's parents, and Betrayus' brother. He serves as a mentor to Pac-Man, Spiral, and Cylindria.
  • "Sir C" is a goofy scientist who has met Pac's father and mother. Despite his advanced age, he is very energetic and athletic, and is a brilliant, yet scatterbrained, inventor.
  • is a mean-spirited, vain, and buffoonish blue jock and school bully who torments Pac. He openly despises the color yellow despite having blonde hair. He is also Cylindria's ex-boyfriend, and the two broke up for his cowardice when she was held captive by a giant ghost.
  • Spheria Suprema is a scrappy orange Pac-Person who is Pac-Man's aunt.
  • is one of Pac-Man's teachers.
  • Mr. Strictler is a light-blue driver's ed teacher with a stubborn personality.
  • Mr. Dome is the gym teacher.
  • O'Drool is the arrogant and abrasive Secretary of Security who first appeared in "Betrayus Turns Up the Heat".
  • Kingpin Obtuse is a dark-green crime lord of Pac-World's criminal underworld.
  • Rotunda is an Elder who is the mother of Stratos and Betrayus.
  • Zac is Pac's father.
  • Sunny is Pac's mother.
  • The Pacinator is a villainous Pac-Person. It's implied that he is responsible for the demise of Pac's parents.
  • Do-Ug is a Neander-Pac kid who first appeared in "Cave Pac-Man".
  • Danny Vaincori is a movie director who first appears in "Pac-Mania".
  • Elliptika "Elli" is a light pink Pac-Worlder who visits Pacopolis from PacTokyo.
  • Moondog is a black-haired lavender Pac-Worlder who is Cylindria's father.
  • Starchild is a blonde Pac-Worlder who is Cylindria's mother.
  • Santa Pac is Pac-World's version of Santa Claus.
  • Floofers is Elliptika's green pet dog.

    Ghosts

  • Butt-ler is Betrayus' long-suffering servant and butler whose forehead resembles pair of buttocks.
  • Dr. A.H. Buttocks is the Netherworld's greatest mad scientist and Butt-ler's older twin brother who takes every opportunity to bully Butt-ler.
  • Glooky is a green Ghost with a squint in his left eye. He is a friend of Blinky.
  • Mavis is an orange female Ghost.
  • Specter is a ghost spy who works for Betrayus.
  • Fred is a white ghost that was used as a flag due to the lack of white clothes.
  • Master Goo is a Ninja Ghost.
  • Captain Banshee is a ghost pirate who first appears in "Cap'n Banshee and his Interstellar Buccaneers".
  • Cyclops Ghosts are heavyset Ghosts with one eye and three horns.
  • Ogle is a Cyclops Ghost who works as a chef.
  • Fire Ghosts are orange Ghosts who can emit fire from their body.
  • Ice Ghosts are blue Ghosts who can emit ice from their body.
  • Tentacle Ghosts are 4-eyed purple-black Ghosts who look similar to an octopus.
  • Guardian Ghosts are large Ghosts who guard the Netherworld.
  • Aqua Ghosts are light blue Ghosts with fins on their head.
  • Drill-Bit Ghosts are Ghosts that have drill bits on their heads.
  • Alien Ghosts are Ghosts that live on the Ghosteroid.
  • Ghosteroid is an asteroid ghost that Dr. Buttocks once brought near Pac-World.
  • Ghost Sharks are ghostly sharks that reside in the waters of PacLantis and guard the Berry of Youth.
  • Virus Ghosts are normal ghosts that have been digitised by a Dr. Buttocks invention.

    Pointy Heads

  • Apex is an evil strange mysterious overlord.
  • Professor Pointybrains is a scientist who assists Apex.
  • Tip is a strong minion who first appears in "Cosmic Contest".

    Robots

  • Grinder is a lab assistant Sir Cumference made for himself.
  • Grindette is Grinder's wife who first appeared in "The Bride of Grinder".
  • Grinder-Tron is a giant robot made by Dr. Buttocks that resembles an evil version of Grinder.
  • Mega-Grinder is a giant robot build by Pac-Man.
  • Computer Bug is a small antivirus bug that helps Pac-Man rid the computer systems of the evil virus ghosts.
  • Pac-Topus is a giant mechanical octopus that only appears in "Ride the Wild Pac-Topus".

    Others

  • Madame Ghoulasha is a warty Nether-witch from the Netherworld.
  • Count Pacula is a villainous vam-pac from the Netherworld.
  • Jean is a vile genie who first appeared in "Meanie Genie".
  • Overlords of the Outer Regions are a group of strange and unknown celestial beings that take the form of a burst of light.
  • Mooby is an ancient giant flying Pac-Cow that lives up in the sky in Pac-World.
  • The Easter Pac-Peep is a humanoid marshmallow chicken made of marshmallow and the owner of Easter Egg Island.
  • Dentures of Doom are a set of living dentures originally owned by an ancient mummy wizard.
  • Mummy Wizard is a strange humanoid wizard with a mummy-like appearance.
  • Round Deer are flying reindeer that pull Santa Pac's sled and have special fighting abilities.
  • Dr. Pacenstein is the talking brain in the glass and lives in Transylpacia Castle.