Bad Hair Day

"Bad Hair Day" is the first episode of the Donkey Kong Country TV series produced and the first to air in France, the show's country of origin. However, it was the third episode to air in North America.

Plot Synopsis
After singing a toe-tapping tune ("'Cause I'm Cranky"), Cranky Kong greets the audience (breaking the fourth wall) by telling the viewers about the Crystal Coconut, Donkey Kong, and King K. Rool. However, after giving the introductions, the aforementioned villain arrives, with a small group of Kritters and General Klump. Klump is ordered by K. Rool to obtain the coconut, and, after giving the Kritters the order to fire their Klaptrap weapons (and nearly firing on Klump), the Klaptraps begin to chew through the roof of Cranky's Cabin.

Meanwhile, at another nearby hut, Donkey Kong is preparing for the day by selecting which of his ties to wear. (despite the four shown all being the same) He then hears Diddy Kong at the door, and, after putting on a tie, tells him to get into the "elevator" he has set up. Diddy is nervous to get in, "after what happened last time", but DK convinces him that it was fixed. He then pounds the button to send the hollowed barrel up, and ends up destroying it. He asks Diddy if he is okay before hearing Cranky call for him. The duo then head off toward his cabin.

As the Kritters and Klump march across the bridge toward the entrance to the cabin, Donkey and Diddy Kong land and begin to leap onto the Trigger Barrels. The traps all over the bridge then activate, flinging away the Kritters and Klump. After seeing his entire army defeated, K. Rool gives up, and jumps off the platform. The two Kongs celebrate their victory, but Cranky interrupts by demanding that they fix his roof before K. Rool returns.

At K. Rool's lair, the king is discussing his recent loss with Klump. He then pushes a button, allowing the platform they are standing on to rise to another room, while discussing ways to defeat Donkey Kong. K. Rool then suggests casting a curse on him; he pushes another button, and a specific book falls off the shelf that lowers from above. He finds a curse stating that, while cutting the cursed one's hair, to chant "Snip clip power-slip; you're a wimp and that's it", and he or she will be weak until their hair grows back. When Klump asks who will be the one to cut his hair, K. Rool explains it will be the one person Donkey Kong will allow close enough to him.

Back at Donkey Kong's house, Diddy is with Donkey Kong as he is admiring himself in a mirror. He explains to Diddy that he has to look good for Candy; he is going to her house because it is her birthday. Donkey Kong then explains to him that he loves her, but he thinks it would be better if she weren't at the barrel factory. Meanwhile, at Bluster Barrelworks, Cranky Kong once again breaks the fourth wall to explain the purpose of the factory as well as giving an introduction to Bluster as he falls into the factory and is trapped in a barrel. Bluster then emerges, giving Candy a birthday cake (which he tells her is banana cream). Candy rejects the cake, though Bluster continues to flirt with her. In response, Candy pushes a button on the control panel, sending the cake down the rejected barrel conveyor belt to be destroyed by a pair of gears. However, Bluster manages to push a button, deactivating the conveyor belt at the last second. He then tries to ask her out, which only results in her stating that he made plans with Donkey Kong, who is riding on the conveyor belt carrying a bunch of bananas on a stick for her as a present; however, as soon as Donkey Kong stops moving, the cake flies into Candy's face. She then angrily sends him down the rejected conveyor belt (DK asking, "I guess this means our date's off, huh?")

K. Rool once again enters the upper chamber, asking how his latest plan is coming along. Klump and the three Kritters working on it then move to reveal a nearly completed Candy Kong robot, the head on a nearby platform. K. Rool introduces himself to the robot's head, and asks for her name; the head and body respond appropriately to his comment, despite the head not being attached to his body. The king then orders for the head to be attached to the robot, and the Kritters do so. Upon seeing the completed robot, he believes that nothing will go wrong with the plan.

Donkey Kong is then at his cabin once more, sulking over loosing his date with Candy. Diddy attempts to cheer him up, stating that he has already messed up "a million kajillion times!", before he hears the Candy robot, whom he believes to be the real Candy, at the door. He then excitedly lets her in, once again pounding the door to the elevator. The impact of the elevator causes Candy to tell him that he "doesn't know his own strength," and recites the curse. Donkey Kong is confused by this, but Candy rewords what she just said, convincing Donkey Kong to allow her to cut his hair. By the time she is done, Candy has cut all the hair on top of Donkey Kong's head off. DK is concerned with this at first, but Candy tells her that he will get used to it before leaving. Donkey Kong tries to push the elevator button, but cannot, and both Donkey and Diddy are surprised by this. Candy then tries, and successfully pushes the button. She then tells him to "take it easy" while the elevator is going down. DK tells Diddy she is right, that he feels tired. Diddy questions this, but Donkey Kong doesn't know what happened either.

At Cranky's cabin, K. Rool has returned, and calls Cranky outside. Cranky sarcastically asks if he ever gives up, and King K. Rool has his minion Krusha go to steal the coconut. Cranky, however, calls for Donkey Kong. The ape aptly arrives, and the two confront each other. He delivers several punches to Krusha, though it is not working, and he becomes tired. Krusha then punches the Kong, knocking him into the case containing the Crystal Coconut and releasing the artifact. Cranky tells Donkey Kong to wake up, but K. Rool and Krusha simply walk in and take the coconut. A confused Cranky asks what happened as a still somewhat dazed Donkey Kong exits the cabin and explains what happened during Candy's visit. Cranky instantly figures it out, and tells Donkey Kong that she has cursed him. Funky Kong then flies in and lands on the bridge, and asks if K. Rool really gained the coconut. DK confirms this, and Funky tells him that he can fly him to the Mellow Yellow Plantation, the banana plantation. Donkey Kong believes that the bananas will help him, and decides to go. Cranky, believing that the bananas breaking the curse is ridiculous, enters his cabin and begins to work on a potion.

At the plantation, Donkey Kong eats banana after banana, though he is not strong again. Back at Cranky's cabin, Cranky presents his potion, which he called the "voodoo undo", to Candy and Bluster. He then tells Candy to get Donkey Kong to drink the potion, stating that only the person who cast the spell can undo it. It is only when Candy tells them that she didn't cast the spell and Bluster confirming that she was at the barrel factory the whole day that Cranky figures out the one who cast the spell was a Candy doppelganger, but he tells them that the potion will still work and sends them off.

King K. Rool is now addressing his troops back at his cave, telling them that, with the Crystal Coconut in his hands, Kongo Bongo Island is now his to rule. However, Klump then tells him that Cranky Kong has created an antidote that will reverse the curse placed on Donkey Kong. At that moment, Bluster is flying with Candy in his barrelcopter. Candy asks where Donkey Kong could be when the copter's propeller suddenly stops; Klaptraps had eaten most of it, and what was left cannot support the helicopter's weight. As the vehicle falls, Bluster and Candy leap out of it and into the jungle. After a while of walking, Bluster begins complaining, and demands that Candy hand him the potion so he can drink it. However, Bluster does not care if the island is doomed at the hands of K. Rool as long as Donkey Kong is out of his life. He then takes the potion and pours it onto the ground, only for a giant banana tree to suddenly sprout out of the ground.

Donkey Kong wakes up from a nap to see an excited Diddy exclaim that more bananas have grown at the plantation. Donkey Kong feels like he cannot eat another, though Diddy forcefully feeds it to him. The banana causes his hair to grow back, as well as his strength to return. Just as Krusha is given the order by K. Rool to put the coconut into his vault, Donkey Kong falls in, landing in front of Krusha. The large lizard is confident that he can defeat Donkey Kong, but both he and K. Rool are surprised when DK kicks the coconut out of Krusha's hand, through the hole in the lair, and very high into the sky. The coconut falls into Cranky's cabin and ricochets off the walls, support beams, and floor before finally landing back in it's proper position, with Cranky exited that his potion worked and that the coconut has returned. In the meantime, Donkey Kong has left Krusha in a dazed state and leaves K. Rool to go to Candy's birthday party, the Kremling king disappointed that his plan had ultimately failed.

At the docks, Candy Kong walks up to Donkey Kong carrying a present, stating that she is giving it to him "for being such a big hero." However, a second Candy then walks up to him, carrying a present looking the exact same and saying the exact same thing as the other Candy. The two try to convince Donkey Kong that they are the real Candy until he interrupts, stating that he can tell them apart easily. He then instantly selects one of the two, leaving the other to scorn him and throw her present at him. The Candy DK stated to be false leaves, and just as the other Candy attempts to kiss him, she starts to short circuit, and eventually she explodes, the robot's head flying off and landing a short distance away.

Characters

 * Donkey Kong
 * Diddy Kong
 * Cranky Kong
 * Candy Kong
 * King K. Rool
 * Candy Clone
 * General Klump
 * Bluster Kong

Quotes

 * Cranky: *about Donkey Kong* Our protector, and future king!  Got a lot of muscle mass, but uh... not so much brain mass.
 * Klap Traps: *as they're accidentally aimed at Klump* Oh boy, nice fat target!  How could we miss?
 * Donkey Kong: *looking at identical ties* Hmm... why do I always have to start the day with a tough decision?
 * King K. Rool: *reading from a book* "Curse Your Way To The Top:  Success Through VooDoo."
 * King K. Rool: You wouldn't know a good plan if it hit you in the head! Klump:  I would too!  ....If it hit me in the head.
 * Bluster: Hey, Candy. Surprise! Candy:  A birthday cake.  How original, Bluster. Bluster:  Yes, I am a thoughtful son-of-a-gun. Happy birthday! Banana cream, your favorite! Candy: Rejected; I'm watching my figure. Bluster:  Don't bother, I'm watching it for you.
 * K.Rool: *about the Candy robot* Bravo! She lives, she lives! She could fool any idiot! Klump: Fooled me!
 * Donkey Kong: I blew it. She's never gonna talk to me again! Diddy: Ah don't sweat it. You've blown it a hundred times, a thousand times, a million kajillion times!
 * Candy Robot: *after riding Donkey Kong's strength-powered elevator* You don't know your own strength.  We'll have to fix that...
 * Candy Robot: *after the haircut* There, all done!  That wasn't so bad was it?  Do you like it? Donkey Kong:  *feeling his bald head* Smooth... too smooth... Diddy:  Oh no, geek alert!
 * Donkey Kong: Step back!  I'm gonna give ya one last chance to make a run for it!  OK, here it comes! *starts punching Krusha* Krusha:  Ooh, you're tickling me...
 * Diddy: *as they're about to take off in Funky's plane* Y-You know, maybe I should sit this one out- Funky:  Too late!
 * Diddy: It's a miracle, an omen, a sign from a sign-place!  Look!  More bananas! Donkey Kong:  *with a belly full of bananas* No!  Not another bite!
 * Diddy: Look, it's your head!  Your hair's growing back! Donkey Kong:  So are my muscles!

Lyrics
Some people call me negative They don't like my frown They all try to cheer me up But I'm down with being down!
 * "" (Sung by Cranky Kong)

''I know what you're thinking He's a genius... 'Cause I am!''

'Cause I'm Cranky I got my finger on the beat Yeah, I'm Cranky The oldest, wisest ape you'll ever meet! I'm Candy Kong's clone We look like we're one and the same I know what you're thinking But, honey, I'm no ordinary dame
 * "" (Sung by the Candy Clone)

''I'm sugary sweet Ooh! Just like candy cane My charm and good looks Drive all the apes insane''

Every monkey's dream For your evil scheme It's so cool To work for King K. Rool

Trivia

 * This episode was produced first, making it the pilot episode. As such there are a few inconsistencies with the rest of the show:
 * Krusha is less simple-minded in this episode, and the lighting in King K. Rool's lair is much darker.
 * King K. Rool's name was pronounced two different ways during this episode. First, he was referred to as "King Kay-Rool", and then "King Kuh-Rool" shortly afterwards. However, after this episode, he was never referred to as "Kay-Rool" again.
 * Cranky breaks the fourth wall much like in the games, something he almost never does in the animated series.
 * The concept of a hero losing his strength because of a trusted loved one cutting his hair is based on the biblical belief of Samson and Delilah.
 * The book that K. Rool read didn't have any actual words in it, just random groups of letters.
 * In this episode, Donkey Kong performs a move similar to his Giant Punch move in the Super Smash Bros. series.
 * If one considers Donkey Kong to be part of the Mario series, then this is the first episode of a Mario-related cartoon to not feature Luigi.