KARATE ISLAND

Episode Title: "Karate Island"
Episode Airing Number: 71
Episode Production Number: 71 (?)
Original Airdate: May 12, 2006
Season: 4
On DVD: "Karate Island"
On VHS: "Karate Island"
Aired With Episode: "Whale of a Birthday"
Running Time: 10:57

Storyboard Directors: Casey Alexander and Chris Mitchell
Writers: Casey Alexander, Chris Mitchell and Steven Banks
Special Guest Voice: Pat Morita
Technical Director: Vincent Waller
Animation Director: Tom Yasumi
Supervising Producer: Paul Tibbitt

In Brief: SpongeBob and Sandy go to Karate Island, where SpongeBob believes he's been crowned King of Karate.

Story: SpongeBob gives Gary his yearly shell waxing and then is checking out the 'snail sty' inside it when the mailman shows up. He has a package for SpongeBob, which turns out to be a videotape that says "You're a winner!" on it. SpongeBob puts it in, and it says he's won an all expenses paid trip to Karate Island, where he'll be crowned King of Karate. He is very excited and tells Sandy the news when she shows up. She is suspicious because she's never heard of the island and her karate is way better than SpongeBob's, yet she wasn't invited. She tags along with SpongeBob on his trip there.
The two arrive at Karate Island, a place with a Japanese martial arts feel, by boat. Master Udon greets SpongeBob and wants to see his moves, so he brings on his best fighters and they get knocked out in seconds without being touched. SpongeBob takes his place in his throne and acts highly about himself. Sandy tells him he's acting all different and gets mad and leaves. SpongeBob thinks he's going to get coronated, but he gets clamped to the chair and Master Udon pulls out a pen.
Sandy is leaving the island when she hears SpongeBob screaming. She runs in to the building to save him, but he's clamped to the chair in the top floor and she has to get through four floors of fighters. The first fighter has iron finger files used for tickling, but she beats him by forcing him to eat jelly-filled doughnuts. The next fighter is Lipp, who uses her lips instead of arms and legs to fight. Sandy chaps them up with a hair dryer, defeating her. The next fighter, Filthy Phil, ends up defeating himself by smelling his fatal body odor.
Now on the top floor, Sandy demands Udon to release SpongeBob, but he traps her in a cage. He won't let SpongeBob leave until he signs a real estate contact. It turns out this whole Karate Island thing was a real estate scam and Udon is forcing them into buying a timeshare. Sandy won't give in and they fight. She defeats Udon and she and SpongeBob leave Condo Island. Squidward then shows up by boat, expecting to be crowned King of Clarinets.

Song: (none)

Quotes:

SpongeBob: Geez, Gary, this place is a real snail sty.
Gary: Meow.
SpongeBob: Still? From New Year's Eve? *Gary appears with a party hat and blows into a horn*

Mailman: Special delivery for SpongeBob SquarePants.
SpongeBob: *touched* Special delivery? Just for me? *sniffs, eyes water* You think I'm...special? *hugs mailman and sobs*
Mailman: Alright, do we have to go through this every time I give you your mail, sheesh!

SpongeBob: *reading videotape* "You're a winner, SpongeBob SquarePants." *realizes* I'M SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!

SpongeBob: Are we there yet?
Sandy: Yup. That's it over there.
SpongeBob: What makes you think that's Karate Island? *cuts to island with huge flashing sign saying "Welcome to Karate Island"*
Sandy: I don't know. Lucky guess?

Sandy: That dang SpongeBob. Who's he think he is? I taught that yellow ego-maniac everything he knows about fighting, and that ain't much.

Fighter: Prepare for the tickling of your life.
Sandy: Taste these! *pulls out tray of pastries*
Fighter: Oh, no! Jelly-filled doughnuts? How did you know they were my weakness?

SpongeBob: You mean I'm not King of Karate?
Master Udon: No, but you could be King of Condos.

Observations:

#1 Favorite This episode was voted by Nick.com visitors as the Number 1 favorite SpongeBob episode of all-time during Nick's "Best Day Ever" 24-hour marathon November 9-10. Of course, it's been revealed that during the U-Pick Live show on Nick a few years back where viewers vote which show they want to see, Nick.com actually rigged the votes, so it's not 100% sure that votes were counted for the Best Day Ever picks.

Sound/Motion Title Card Like "SB-129", this episode's title card features motions and sound effects. For this one, karate chops are heard when "Karate Island" zooms onscreen. Also, the same "Karate Island" title card for this episode is used in the informational video when the announcer says the name of the island.

Inside Gary's Messy Shell:
-A sailboat painting
-Spider webs
-Slime
-Piles of muck
-A clothes hanger
-A sock
-Party hat and horn from New Year's Eve
-SpongeBob's favorite novelty t-shirt: "I (Heart) (Krabby Patty)"

Breaking In The mailman rings the doorbell and then comes into the living room without SpongeBob answering the door.

Clouds In the Karate Island informational video, there are actual white clouds seen on the island along with the normal floral clouds.

Finally Appears This is the first season four appearance of Realistic Fish Head.

Familiar Face Faraway The fish on Karate Island in a gown and sandals that beats the gong is Fred, a Bikini Bottom regular.

Relocated SpongeBob's throne is located on the bottom floor when he first sits in it, but then it's on the top floor when Sandy has to rescue him.

Movie Reference Sandy's jumpsuit she fights everyone in is one worn in "Kill Bill: Volume 1" (2003).

Forgotten Helmet Sandy leaves Karate Island without her wetsuit.

Dedication to Guest Star This episode is dedicated to Pat Morita (1932-2005), an Asian-American actor who was well known for playing Mr. Miyagi in the "Karate Kid" movies.