Ape-Nesia

"Ape-Nesia" is the twenty-third episode of the first season of Donkey Kong Country.

Plot Synopsis
One day, Donkey Kong is relaxing while eating bananas in his treehouse when Diddy pops in for a visit to ask if he wants to see something and accidentally slips on one of the peels. He turns out okay and jokes about bruising his posterior, which DK takes as a hint that he should clean the place up before something really bad happens. But he speaks too soon as he accidentally slips on a banana peel himself and falls into his elevator, causing it to crash down. Diddy jumps down and asks DK if he's okay, but DK replies "Who are you?" At first, Diddy thinks DK is only joking, but he soon realizes that DK really has amnesia and runs off to find Cranky.

Elsewhere, Candy is impatiently waiting for DK in the jungle. She becomes furious and declares that "the big ape doesn't know it, but he's in big trouble!" She doesn't notice DK wandering around in the background, nor does he overhear her complaining.

On the beach, Kaptain Skurvy's crew is digging for treasure that Skurvy believes they've buried around here, but he's not entirely sure where exactly it is. Green Kroc then asks Skurvy why exactly they bury treasure, prompting Skurvy to have Kutlass quote The Pirate Handbook for the answer. Green Kroc still doesn't see the point, since they're just going to dig the treasure up again. Before Skurvy can say anything more, DK comes up to them, asking if they know who he is. Green Kroc attempts to answer for him, but Skurvy interrupts and declares that DK is in fact his first mate, Donkey Croc. (He then promptly demotes Kutlass to second mate.)

Meanwhile, Diddy and Cranky are at the spot where DK accidentally fell. Diddy has explained the situation to Cranky, and the old Kong advises using Funky's plane for aerial surveillance. As Diddy wanders off, Cranky then states to himself that he hopes it isn't a trick so he doesn't have to owe him twenty bananas or else he'll give DK something he'll never forget.

Donkey Kong is confused as to his being a croc, as he vaguely recalls swinging through trees and still has an appetite for bananas, believing himself to be an ape, but Skurvy convinces him (through song) that he's a croc by putting a large frame between them and mimicking Donkey's actions (to give the impression of a mirror). Shortly following, Donkey Croc is given his own pirate hat and eye patch, and eagerly awaits his first task as a member of Skurvy's crew. Skurvy orders him to go steal the Crystal Coconut, but since DC no longer knows where that is, Skurvy has to draw him a map first.

Diddy and Funky, meanwhile, have been searching for DK by air in Funky's plane. They don't find him, but they catch sight of Skurvy's ship below and head back to Cranky's Cabin to alert him of this news.

Donkey Croc sets off in his task, along the way stealing Candy's necklace, Eddie the Yeti's club, and King K. Rool's "throne", leaving banana peels in their place. However, at the moment Donkey Croc leaves with K. Rool's throne, Klump, Krusha, and King K. Rool emerge from behind a pile of crates, confused at the event that just occurred.

At Cranky's Cabin, Funky and Diddy are reporting that the pirates are on the island, as well as that Donkey Kong is still missing. However, at that moment, Donkey Croc breaks into the cabin, steals the Crystal Coconut, and leaves with Funky's plane. It is at this moment that the three realize that DK believes himself to be a pirate.

Back on the ship, Skurvy is congratulating Donkey Croc for his impressive amount of loot, and then tells the crew that they're now going to bury all the treasure (except the Coconut). Unbeknownst to them, however, K. Rool, Klump, and Krusha are spying on them; upon finding out that DK think he's a pirate, K. Rool begins to think of ways to use this turn of events to his advantage.

In the cabin, Cranky researches a cure for Donkey Kong's amnesia and finds it in one of his books, but then dashes off before telling it to Diddy and Funky.

Donkey Croc starts eating a bunch of bananas, so the pirates debate what to do with him. After the brief discussion, Skurvy orders Donkey Croc to "go ashore and capture a scurvy sea-dog [who] goes by the name of... Donkey Kong!" Donkey Croc then heads off while Skurvy and his boys laugh at the fact that "the landlubber's going to hunt heself!"

Cranky meets up with Candy and explains the situation to her, as well as that they cannot find Donkey Kong. Cranky states that his book tells him there is only one thing they can do. Candy suggests hitting him on the head to restore his memory, but Cranky states that isn't that easy.

Soon, in the jungle, Donkey Croc loses his way and crosses paths with K. Rool, who acts like he's been looking for him. Through song, K. Rool convinces the ape that he isn't Donkey Croc, but rather a relative of his named Donkey Rool. After the song, the convinced Donkey Rool tosses away his pirate gear and, after K. Rool asks him if he knows the location of the Crystal Coconut, volunteers to go fetch it for him.

On his way back to Skurvy's ship, Donkey Rool is stopped by Diddy and Funky (who still think he's Donkey Croc), who try to restore his memory through flashbacks to scenes from "Booty and the Beast" and "Orangutango", respectively. This doesn't work, but Donkey Rool lets them know that he's working for K. Rool now, the news of which the two find even worse. Donkey Rool doesn't get much further, though, before he runs into Cranky (whom he addresses as "Old Timer"), who tries to help him by way of a flashback to "The Curse of Kongo Bongo", which doesn't work either.

Cranky then has Candy come in, talking sweetly to Donkey Rool in an attempt to jog his memory. Donkey Rool, however, insults her by not recognizing her as "his old sweetie-pie" and hitting on her. Furiously, she knocks him into a nearby tree, causing some coconuts to drop on his head. After shaking his head, he asks "What did you hit me with, Cranky?" Cranky is angry at him, but Candy realizes that he called him by his name, and Candy asks for proof. He then states that he did (stating that he couldn't "call Cranky something else" in her presence). This sends the message that DK's regained his memory and no longer has amnesia, but Cranky says they have to get the Coconut back, and he has a perfect way to do so and get revenge on Skurvy and K. Rool.

A few minutes later, DK rushes up to the pirates, pretending to be Donkey Croc again, and tells them that K. Rool is on the loose with a band of killer crocs, and the pirates aren't safe. DK then takes the Coconut and says he'll hide it for them, giving Skurvy a map that he, naturally, follows to an X. Then, as Donkey Rool, DK tells K. Rool that he's hidden the Coconut from the pirates, and gives him a map leading him to it.

After returning the Coconut to the Cabin, Diddy reminds DK that the entire situation began all because Donkey Kong was careless with his banana peels. Donkey Kong then states he has learned his lesson and that he has put them where they belong, and Diddy asks where that is. At that moment, K. Rool and Skurvy cross paths while looking for the Coconut, and they insult each other before noticing a barrel at the end of the mine. Believing it to contain the Crystal Coconut, they both dash for it, but slip on some laid-out banana peels and fall onto the ground below by accident, taking the barrel with them, with the barrel revealing that there is nothing but bananas inside. When they come to, they have both lost their memories and, thanks to the bananas all around them, now think they are both monkeys.

Lyrics
The Mirror Never Lies sung by Kaptain Skurvy and Donkey Kong

Kaptain Skurvy: ''Arrh! Feast your eyes. Look into the mirror, it never lies! You're a pirate! Can't you see that this is no disguise? You live to loot and pillage, maim and terrorize! Your reflection tells the story of a pirate's life of glory, Trust your eyes! Arrh! The mirror never lies! Arrh!''

Donkey Kong: ''How can this be? I faintly recall swinging tree to tree! Now I see a pirate that's in front of me! With slimy skin and beady eyes, what a surprise! My reflection tells the story of a pirate's life of glory, trust my eyes! The mirror never lies.''

Kaptain Skurvy and Donkey Kong: ''The reflection tells the story of a pirate's life of glory, trust your eyes! Arrh! The mirror never lies! The mirror never lies...''

One of Us sung by King K. Rool and Donkey Kong

King K. Rool: ''Well! Listen here, while I make it clear! I can't believe you can't see what we see here! A crocodile is the superior species, You're Donkey Croc, initials D.C! Looking at your claws, you could be one of my in-laws!

''Because you're one of us! One of us! You're mean and green, scaly 'ciane. Can't you see you're one of us? You walk the line, my brother Croc. Arm to arm, together we rock!''

Donkey Kong: ''Well, if what you're saying is true... I guess we're brothers, same color and a similar view. With these fangs and this scaly skin... There's no question that we're family, I'm next to kin!

''Cause I'm one of you! One of you! Same crew, nothing I can do. I can see I'm one of you. One of you, one of you! The same crew, I'm really one of you!''

Animation and Continuity errors

 * Right when Skurvy convinces DK that he's a member of his crew, Kutlass and Green Kroc have switched voices.
 * While Donkey Kong is lying on the ground after falling out of his treehouse, most of his left arm is missing. Additionally, when the camera is zooming in on Donkey Kong when he opens his eyes, his left elbow is not connected to his arm.

Trivia

 * The title of this episode is a pun on "Amnesia".
 * DK breaks the fourth wall right after Diddy leaves by directly addressing the viewers and saying "I'd say he's the one with the problems."
 * This episode is included in the direct-to-video compilation film "Legend of the Crystal Coconut", but is placed before "Booty and the Beast" in the film, which causes a continuity error with the flashback to that episode.