- “Hi there! I just want to welcome you to my show starring me, Kuzco! So, no changing the channel, understand? No changing. Okay, theme music!”
- ―Kuzco's introduction line
"Rabbit Face" is the pilot for The Emperor's New School. It introduces Kuzco Academy and tells about the first Kuzco's test: a race against Kronk.
Plot[]
The episode begins with a cloudy afternoon in the place that Kuzco, narrating, explains to be Kuzco Academy. It's given a close to an yellow rabbit that is alone inside the building, and Kuzco says that he is that rabbit. Then, he introduces Yzma and states that she was trying to make him fail and caused him to become a rabbit. The scene goes to Yzma, who states that once Kuzco fails, she will become empress. Then, Kuzco introduces Kronk and the scene goes back to him. Kuzco explains that everything will make sense if they go back earlier.
It starts in the P. E. class. Coach Sweetie is angrily explaining to the class about a country race that would begin there and finish just beyond the rock bridge. Kuzco suddenly appears with a doctor's note. The coach asks "Again?". When Kuzco confirms and tries to innocently go out of the class, Sweetie goes on his way and stops him. She remembers that the doctor already made notes about Kuzco playing basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, baseball, and a series of sports, and Kuzco replies saying that his royal body needed to be protected from injuries. After questioning about the existence of this "doctor" and stating that it was made up, Sweetie tells him that if he don't win, he will fail, and the Royal Record Keeper remembers him that in this case, he will not become Emperor, and slips away. Kuzco asks the coach how would he suppose to beat Kronk, that is exercising nearby, remembers of his special surprise at his home, quickly runs home passing over giant mountains, and returns with a coffee cup to Ms. Sweetie.
While Kuzco is carried to the path by his personal guards, he complains about Kronk's habits. Then, Kuzco realizes that Malina is cheerleading (spelling Kuzco's name), and says hi to her. When Malina starts to talk about what she heard about the race, Kuzco again trips on thoughts and forgets about Malina's words, dreaming about her and calling her a "hottie hot hottie" in his head. Strangely, Malina angrily realizes it, and Kuzco tries to fix the situation saying that he also called her an A+ student. Then, he states that Malina keeps on cheering for him, and Malina says that she was just claiming K. A.'s name (Kuzco Academy). Kuzco remembers her that the name was just a tribute to him, since he was emperor, Malina states that he won't be emperor anymore if he can't beat Kronk, and dreams about him. Kuzco says that he couldn't understand what the girls saw in Kronk, by ahead his chin, his chest, his muscles and his deep voice. Malina tells him that he forgot his cute temples, and Kuzco tries to show her that he has the same moving his pants down. Scared, Malina notices that Kuzco's underpants have his face. Then, Kuzco offers Malina to go help him with the homework at Friday night and goes away while Malina keeps cheering.
The scene goes to the director's room, and Principal Amzy, who was spying, happily remembers herself that she will become empress if Kuzco don't win the race. Kuzco stops the plot to remember the watchers that Principal Amzy is actually the evil Yzma in disguise, and draws her name on the screen and inverts it (Amzy is Yzma backwards). After Kuzco drawing a mustache on Yzma's face, the show keeps on. Kronk enters Amzy's room, concerned, and asks if everything is okay with him on the school. Yzma drops her disguise and reveals herself. Surprised, Kronk hears from Yzma that he will need to beat Kuzco anyway on the race. She starts to laugh, but chokes. Kronk asks her if he can get something to her, but she states to be fine.
Meanwhile, Topo and Ipi playing checkers are talking about the race, and they agree that Kuzco has no chance against Kronk. Kuzco realizes it while being carried by his guards, and states that he is in great shape, even having bought a treadmill. Kuzco tells the guards that they can go, and Topo dares him to go upstairs. Kuzco notices that the stair is huge, but don't lets loose and goes arrogantly up. After 4 stairs, however, he gets tired and the men tease him. Kuzco tries to keep on.
At Pacha's house, Tipo and Chaca are running after each other. When Pacha asks them to take a breath, the kids explain him that they are playing "Kronk vs. Kuzco". Pacha asks what's wrong with Kuzco, and Tipo and Chaca say that Kuzco is an idiot and that he can never beat Kronk. Behind a wood wall, Kuzco was hearing everything, and was about to cry when he decided to face them. He shows up and sits to the dinner. Pacha advises him to do his best and ignore the rumors about the race, and states that he don't want Kuzco to be worried. Worried inside, Kuzco says that he isn't worried, and Pacha asks him if he is sure about it. Kuzco again confirms not to be worried. Kronk suddenly appears on the window and starts to nervously talk with the family. Then, he slips away and wishes good luck to Kuzco. When leaving, Kronk is surprised by Yzma, who asks him if he could intimidate Kuzco and get him off the race. Kronk thinks that he got the idea. Kuzco then points out that it's late and gets up from the table. He says good night and goes upstairs to his bedroom. When getting in there, he starts to cry and asks what's he going to do about the race, calling himself as loser.
At the next morning, Pacha remembers Kuzco to do his best. In bad humor, Kuzco says that he's gotta go back to sleep. When he is walking towards the house's door, however, he realizes that he isn't going anywhere. Pacha reminds Kuzco about the treadmill he bought, where Kuzco was walking on, and explains that it will be useful to get him in shape. Pacha then speeds the treadmill up, forcing Kuzco to run. The treadmill goes so fast that Kuzco trips, going directly to a divan where Chicha makes a massage on Kuzco, which forces him into weird positions. Later, Kuzco has to pull a cart with Pacha's family on it, not being able to move it a single inch. After, he runs after a picture of Malina's that's tied to a fishing line held by Tipo. After, he plays rope-jumping with Tipo and Chaca but gets tied up. After he returns to the massage and then starts to pull the cart again, at this time with the addition of Misty on the cart. For Kuzco's happiness, he pulls the cart a few centimeters. After a series of exercises, Kuzco is finally in shape. He runs to K. A. after being remembered by Pacha to do the best he is able to. Kuzco gets to the top of the Academy's stairs and celebrates.
Meanwhile, Yzma and Kronk are watching from the Principal's room. Kronk admits that Kuzco is doing very well, but Yzma reminds him that Kuzco can't pass on that test. They go to the secret lab after Yzma smashing a statue of Kuzco's head's. After the common wrong lever-pulling and the roller coaster man advises, the coaster passes over a monster, which scares Kronk. Finally, they get on the lab and high-five. Yzma's initial plan is to turn Kuzco into a hippopotamus, then put the hippo on a diet to make it thin, and then feed it so much that he wouldn't be able to move. However, to avoid an excessive bill, she decides to turn him into a turtle. She then leaves the lab while Kronk goes get the potion.
Then, Kuzco goes to the Kuzco's Doodles and explains how Kronk went over Yzma's secret potion cabinet and grabbed a rabbit potion, putting funny hats on Kronk and drawing him as a monkey. After the doodles, the scene goes to the lunch path outside K. A. and narrator Kuzco makes comments on some disgusting meals. Later, he is ready to eat in one of the tables when Kronk brings him a "special sauce" for his nuggets. When Kuzco refuses to eat it, Kronk forces a nugget into Kuzco's mouth and he realizes that it's pretty tasty. While he comments on the food, he doesn't realize that his ears, then head and body are being turned into rabbit ones. When Kronk finds out that he took the wrong potion, he tells Kuzco that he's got to go and leaves.
Later, Kuzco bounces through the path while saying hi to everyone, still don't realizing about his transformation. When he calls Malina, she notes his problem and gets a bit concerned. Not getting it, Kuzco goes to the fountain and looks at his reflection in the water. Then he gets desperate and starts to cry over his bad luck, calling himself a 'rabbit-face', feeling even worse when people start to laugh at him. Then the scene returns to the same stormy morning where it started, where Kuzco explains once again narrating that Kronk will beat him, he will fail in P. E. class, and Yzma will become empress, giving the story a sad end. However, Malina appears and Kuzco asks her if she is going to laugh like everyone else. Malina tells him that his human face is already funny enough and explains that she only wanted to know if he was fine, but couldn't reach him earlier because he was running very fast. Then Kuzco realizes that he has rabbit feet and for that reason he can run fast and beat Kronk. The storm is gone and Kuzco is hopeful again with new rays of sun on him.
At the track, Yzma is confident about Kuzco not even being fearless enough to show up, and Kronk gets nervous when Yzma talks about how Kuzco was supposedly turned into a turtle. Yzma gets angry and asks Kronk if he actually turned Kuzco into a turtle, but Kronk has no time to answer because the race will start. He goes to the starting line and Coach Sweetie whistles the beginning of the race. Kronk gets advantage over the other competitors but Rabbit Kuzco passes him and the others. Then Yzma gets shocked to see that Kuzco is a bunny.
And the race keeps on. While Kuzco is leading, Yzma makes some attempts to block him. First, she throws a trunk on him, but misses and hits Guaca. Then she throws a giant rock, hitting two other racers. Kronk and Kuzco are left while Yzma digs a hole and throws an crocodile into it. Kuzco skips the hole, but Kronk falls in it and gets bit by the crocodiles, only to have the hole blocked by the giant rock. Yzma goes to the unstable bridge that links two cliff bottoms and cuts it off. Kuzco realizes it in time, and makes a fantastic jump over all the space between the cliffs. But he bumps into the finish line ribbon and is shot back to the K. A., ending up in the fountain, that throws him back to the finish line, much to Yzma's dismay. The watchers cheer while Kuzco wins, and the Royal Record Keeper officiates Kuzco's victory. Yzma is mad. Pacha congratulates Kuzco and Malina comes next. Kuzco asks her if they are going to hang out on Friday night, and Kronk, who has mysteriously shown up, tells them that he would like to hang out with them, as long as they accepted the crocodile, who is following Kronk, with them.
Later, Yzma and Kronk are in the principal's room, and Yzma is blaming Kronk for Kuzco's victory. Kuzco pops out for the audio commentary and tells the watchers that he is back to normal, and then goes back to the scene and narrates about Kronk's apologizes with his famous spinach puffs. Then, Kuzco says that he actually switched the spinach puffs to "rabbit puffs", and when Yzma eats it, she is disgusted with the taste as her hair stick up and shouts Kuzco's name loud. And then the episode ends.
Kuzco's Test[]
- To beat Kronk in a Race
Yzma's Plan[]
- Turn Kuzco in a turtle so he won't be able to beat Kronk.
Ending credits[]
In the ending credits, Kuzco shows a tape with a blooper from behind the scenes. When he goes towards Malina as a rabbit and calls her, she turns back holding Bucky the Squirrel. Noticing this, Kuzco angrily explains her that it supposed to be scroll, not squirrel, and then calls the props.
Cast[]
- Shane Baumel as Tipo
- Jeff Bennett as Topo & Ipi
- Corey Burton
- Jessica DiCicco as Malina
- Jessie Flower as Chaca
- Eartha Kitt as Yzma/Amzy
- Wendie Malick as Chicha
- J.P. Manoux as Kuzco
- Candi Milo as Coach Sweetie
- Fred Tatasciore as Pacha
- Rip Taylor as Royal Recordkeeper
- Patrick Warburton as Kronk
Trivia[]
- This is the first time in the series Kronk rides Yzma's Secret Lab coaster.
- When Kuzco is working out, among the things he does is lift the kids by tugging ropes. The shot itself is practically reminiscent to a scene in The Incredibles where Bob Parr is lifting the train cars for exercise.
- The music used in Kuzco's training montage is the House of Mouse background music piece "Stay Tuned".
Gallery[]