OMG Bunnies.

May 28, 2012 10:08 AM

"Usavich" (Season One video) is a series of 90-second CGI cartoons made for MTV Japan about two Russian rabbits. It begins in a Soviet-era prison where Kirenenko*, a mob boss sentenced to death is sharing a cell with Putin (yes, that's his name), a common worker imprisoned on a trumped-up charge and counting the days until his release. And then it gets weird. (contains extreme cartoon violence, scatological gags, Russian stereotypes, transvestite chickens and shoe fetishes)

Kirenenko only wants to lay back and read his magazine but shows off incredible strength when annoyed while Putin does a stereotypical Russian dance on his cot and panics very easily. We meet Leningrad, a frog living in the cell toilet and Comaneci, a transvestite chicken discovered while Putin was sorting chicks by gender (and who is frequently eaten but not digested by Leningrad). By the end of Season One, Kirenenko has survived all attempts by the prison to execute him and, upon discovering a pair of expensive tennis shoes he wants, breaks himself and Putin out of the prison.

Season Two shows the duo on the run and on the road in a klunky Russian sedan while pursuing police escalate the assault on them, interrupted only when Kirenenko mindlessly drives the car into a deep crevasse. Putin shows his worth in his ability to repair and even upgrade the car, often in motion.

In Season Three, (First Episode, the Rest of the Episodes), the rabbits work their way up a 13-story building as Kirenenko tries to buy his coveted tennis shoes and get retribution from a rival boss who tries to stop him and take his surprisingly large stash of money. When Kirenenko appears dead, Putin builds a 'Mechanenko' robot to scare the boss's minions which turns out almost as formitable as the original. Kirenenko defeats the boss, after destroying all but the top story of the building.

In Season Four (First Episode, the Rest of the Episodes), things have calmed down somewhat as Kirenenko rests comfortably in a hole in the wall while Putin tries various upgrades to the Mechanenko robot. But when Mechanenko tries on the coveted tennis shoes, a battle ensues...

The cartoons feature an electronic musical score except at the climax of each episode, when J.S.Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is heard. The fifth episode of each season is a 'musical' episode featuring rhythmical beat-boxing by the characters and props.

*note: since the toons have little understandable dialogue (except a few bits in Russian not intended to be understood by the original Japanese audience), names are from the series promotional materials as translated by Wikipedia.

posted by oneswellfoop (10 comments total)

Amaaaaazing show, finally watched Season 4 a few weeks back. It's like Telletubbies for adults. It does weird things to your brain.
posted by Theta States at 10:29 AM on May 28, 2012

Tthanks! Totally loving it. Loosely reminds me of Garakuta - Mr. Stain on Junk Alley in its absurdity, but definitely more adult in nature.
posted by mapinduzi at 10:32 AM on May 28, 2012

I love this.
posted by bicyclefish at 10:48 AM on May 28, 2012

Wow, and here I thought Cat Shit One was the only Japanese, mature-themes show starring CGI rabbits. Thanks, internet!
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 10:51 AM on May 28, 2012

This is amazing.
posted by clockworkjoe at 10:53 AM on May 28, 2012

This is really a great show. I'm working my way through season one and find myself quickly becoming engrossed.
Although I have to say it really does defy my preconception of the living conditions in Soviet-era prisons. Who knew they got fresh fish every day and were allowed to sex chickens in their spare time?
posted by Alonzo T. Calm at 2:46 PM on May 28, 2012

Previously
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 4:38 PM on May 28, 2012

Pruitt-Igoe, I'd like to publicly say "AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH". But in my defense, I included Series 3 & 4 (Episodes 27-52) and found YouTubers with entire seasons (or almost entire) and no weird subtitles. And most of the links on the previous post have been taken down by those wacky folks at Viacom. (I postponed this post a couple weeks to make sure none of the full seasons were nuked - of course, I may have just brought them to Viacom's attention)

Anyway, my apologies to Lord_Pall who I bow to for finding this weirdness FOUR YEARS earlier.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:12 PM on May 28, 2012

I may have just brought them to Viacom's attention

Thanks. It's hard to stay on top of these things.
posted by mexican at 6:20 PM on May 28, 2012

This is incredible.
posted by pmv at 6:56 PM on May 28, 2012