A Thin Line Between Love & Ape

"A Thin Line Between Love & Ape" is the twenty-sixth episode of the Donkey Kong Country television series and the final episode of the first season. It was the twenty-fourth episode to air in North America.

Plot Synopsis
The episode starts out with Candy Kong and Bluster Kong flying over the White Mountains in the Barrel Copter, but they're lost because Bluster was distracted by his navigator, Candy. She is irritated by him flirting with her and reminds him that she's DK's girlfriend and Kongo Bongo's future queen. Bluster gets annoyed and wants to know why Candy is so enamored by DK. His distraction nearly causes them to crash into the mountains, but Bluster manages to steer them away and gets them back to the Barrel Factory. DK then shows up with Diddy, gloating about another victory against King K. Rool, and invites Candy out on a picnic with them, which she accepts. Bluster, annoyed once Candy leaves with the boys, knows that although the Crystal Coconut made DK the future king of the island, it never said that Candy would be the island's queen, but is frustrated knowing that his chances with her will not happen. He then decides to go ask the Crystal Coconut what he can do to make it happen. He goes over to Cranky Kong and tells him that Donkey and Candy Kong are picnicking in the Orchid Fields, which are very poisonous during that time of year. Cranky runs off to go rescue them, leaving Bluster to guard the Coconut. While he is gone, Bluster asks the Coconut how to make Candy love him. The Coconut gives him the ingredients for a love potion. Meanwhile, Cranky, while running frantically to rescue DK and Candy, notices shortly before arriving at his intended area that Donkey Kong, Candy, and Diddy are not there. They knew about it being too dangerous to go there that time of year. Figuring Bluster must be up to something, they dash back to Cranky's Cabin, only to discover Bluster is still there, guarding the Coconut.

After being interrogated by Cranky, Bluster insists he thought the Orchid Fields is where they said they were going and storms off. He then begins to make a love potion from the ingredients that were given to him by the Coconut. As this is going on, King K. Rool barges in with Krusha and Klump. After Bluster tells him his intentions, K. Rool steals the potion spray and has Krusha trap Bluster in a barrel. K. Rool initially tests the potion on Klump, who falls head over heals in love with his boss. K. Rool answers by having Krusha send him flying. Following these events, K. Rool notices Candy happening by and sprays her in the face with the potion. She falls right into his arms, madly in love with the scaly, Kremling King. He invites her to dinner at his lair.

Meanwhile, back at the Treehouse, although it superficially seems Bluster did nothing at the Treehouse, Cranky, Donkey Kong, and Diddy are still wondering what he was up to. They decide to ask the Coconut if he asked it for anything. The Coconut reveals that it gave him the ingredients for the love potion. Donkey immediately puts 2 and 2 together, and busts through the door, sprinting frantically yelling, "Blusteeer!"

At K. Rool's lair, Klump returns, with the potion's effects having worn off on him. Knowing that he only has a small period of time, the Kremling King asks Candy for a little favor, to apprehend the Crystal Coconut for him. He then asks her approximately how long said mission would take her. She tells him, "before your heart breaks for me." He then asks her to be more specific, so she tells him around 22 minutes. Knowing the potion only lasts indefinitely, he ponders how long it lasted on Klump. He then comes to the conclusion that he will have just the right amount of time.

Meanwhile, DK barges in on Bluster, who is still trapped in a barrel. DK snaps at Bluster and confronts him about stealing Candy, which he denies. When DK asks what he did to Candy that he said he's had done nothing to her but had heard K. Rool mention her. Worried that she was taken by K. Rool, DK makes haste to K. Rool's lair, leaving Bluster still trapped and Diddy appears only to pop out of the factory and follow DK. DK tells him to go to Cranky and tell him what happened while he goes to rescue Candy. Bluster, now out of the barrel, declares that he'll be the one to save her and with the help of his love potion he states "I'll finally get the girl!"

At Cranky's house, Candy enters in as Cranky is digging around in his chest. He, oblivious that she's under the love potion's spell, tells her what Bluster was up to and about the love potion. Candy giggles telling him that she's not in love with Bluster, but she's in love with K. Rool and she pushes him into the chest while he's bending over, and then locks him in. Cranky screams, "Hey! Whadda ya doing?" no sooner than he realizes what is going on than did was she off with the coconut, the second Diddy arrives.

Candy had by this time reached K. Rool and given him the Coconut. K. Rool considered it his finest hour, to finally, at long last, have the Crystal Coconut. But no sooner does Candy hand it to him than does DK barge in. He demands K. Rool hand over the Coconut, only to be sprayed in the face by the potion, and gets in love with him in the process. Now, K. Rool has the Crystal Coconut and DK as his minion. However, Cranky and Diddy are on their way to attempt to right what has been wronged. Cranky says that giving someone a second dose of the potion is a terrible idea. At that very moment at K. Rool's lair, Candy's spell wears off, so she attempts to attack K. Rool, so he responds by spraying her again. But much to his surprise, rather than making Candy fall in love with him again, her eyes get red, and she attacks him in a fit of rage. As Diddy and Cranky arrive at the lair, Cranky finishes explaining that the second dose causes a complete turnaround, causing the person who got sprayed to completely hate whoever sprayed the potion, the reason being that there was only "a thin line between love and hate". K. Rool sprays Candy a third time and she falls in love with him again, but Klump inhales the potion for the second time of the day, causing him to hate King K. Rool. Chaos ensues, with all the characters in the lair ready to kill one another or love one another. Eventually, the spray bottle becomes empty, and it winds up Klump and Krusha have hateful rage at their King, who they then chase. But the trouble is not over yet; as Bluster has a fresh batch and says to DK as he runs out of K. Rool's lair "I'll get Candy YET Donkey Kong!". DK answers he will sooner than he thinks as Candy knocks Bluster out with a barrel, and the barrel of the fresh love potion brew crashes atop his head, and Bluster, looking straight at a nearby mirror, falls in love with his reflection. The Coconut is now safe, and Bluster parades himself in front of mirrors, and DK and his friends have a good laugh about it.

Lyrics
''I've mixed up a potion, and soon Candy'll realize That all she ever wanted was to be dear Bluster's bride To finally be together is a dream that will come true Flying off into the sunset in a copter built for two!
 * "" (Sung by Bluster Kong)

''Some say I'm dishonest, but I'm really truly fondest Of a girl that I can take home to meet Mom!

''One pinch of banana root sent straight from my heart Two drops of berry juice and we will never part Three flower petals, oh, if Candy only knew! Being together forever, shooby-dooby-doo!

''I see us in a treehouse With a white-barreled fence You bringing me my slippers Oh, it all makes so much sense!

''One pinch of banana root sent straight from my heart Two drops of berry juice and we will never part Three flower petals, this potion I've made for you Being together forever! Oooo-oooh! ''I've dreamt about this moment for such a long time! Donkey Kong at my feet, and the crystal is mine! How sublime!
 * "" (Sung by King K. Rool)

''Everything I've ever wanted but been tragically denied Oh, this feeling's overwhelming, so much joy I cannot hide! Not a notion 'bout this potion or the love and the devotion I've got the coconut, and it's causing a commotion! Proclaim it from the highest peaks and shout over the ocean! I've got it all!

''I have never been so happy, oh, I feel I've been reborn Dress me up in regal colours, blow the bugles, sound the horns! Not a notion 'bout this potion or the love and the devotion I've got the coconut, and it's causing a commotion! Proclaim it from the highest peaks and shout over the ocean! I've got it all!

Trivia

 * The title is a pun on "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate".