Tamagotchi Video Adventures

Tamagotchi Video Adventures is a VHS released in the US on November 24th, 1998. It is a 7th Level production presented by Bandai Entertainment, Inc., and has a running time of 45 minutes.

Summary

Now Museum, Now You Don't

Cosmotchi, who runs the Tamagotchi Museum, notices that while the museum has plenty of exhibits from various other planets, it has yet to receive an exhibit from the planet Earth. He decides to send a party of various Tamagotchis to Earth to find a new addition to the museum's collection.

When the Tamagotchi land on Earth in a UFO, they split into parties of two, but one Masktchi is left without any partner. The wandering Tamagotchis soon collect various things from the planet, such as a flower, television, a Walkman, a set of golf clubs, a photocopier, an ear of corn, and a Cadillac. Each time they take something, they leave behind a golden egg. Masktchi eventually finds a gumball machine and takes it, leaving behind his egg. However, the gumball machine falls and smashes on the road. Masktchi is miserable until a little girl shows up to give him a Popsicle to cheer him up. Masktchi is delighted, but upset he has nothing to give back to her, but she doesn't mind.

By the time Masktchi returns to the ship, most of the Popsicle has melted, and the rest of the Tamagotchis tease him. By the time they return to Tamagotchi Planet, it has been completely reduced to the bare stick. Cosmotchi is impressed with all of the souvenirs they had brought, but insists that everything taken from the planet must be carefully examined before choosing one for display. When he examines Masktchi's Popsicle stick, he proudly exclaims Masktchi's stick to be the winner; it showed the kindness and selflessness of the people on Earth. Masktchi is given a medal and puts the stick onto its display, and even the Gotchi King appears to show his gratitude.

Music Video

Main article: What's a Tamagotchi?

Following the animated short is a music video dedicated to many Tamagotchi characters that were featured in the story, set mostly over footage from the short, mixed with new footage produced exclusively for the music video.

How to Draw Tamagotchi

"Dan and Handy Warhol" host a special at the end of the VHS showing the viewer how to draw almost every Tamagotchi, as well as mobiles and picture frames.

Characters

• Mametchi
• Ginjirotchi
• Maskutchi
• Kuchipatchi
• Nyorotchi
• Tarakotchi
• Mimitchi
• Pochitchi
• Zuccitchi
• Hashizoutchi
• Takotchi
• Kusatchi
• Bill
• Zatchi
• Cosmotchi
• Gotchi King

The Full Animation

Gallery

Mars exhibit

Velcro exhibit

Vulcan exhibit

References

• When Mimitchi and Pochitchi play with the television, they make a reference to The Ren & Stimpy Show, with Pochitchi acting as Stimpy, and Mimitchi as Ren.
• Mametchi's museum artifact is a hand making a Vulcan salute, in a container with pointy ears and described as being from the planet Vulcan. This references Star Trek.
• Bill references former US president Bill Clinton with his appearance, a part in the music video depicting him in front of an American flag and a line saying that he's running for office, and the fact that he plays the saxophone.
• Ginjirotchi has a similar voice to Elvis Presley and references him throughout the cartoon. In one scene, Ginjirotchi has an Elvis hairstyle and outfit, and sings and dances like him. Furthermore, the car he brings for the museum is similar to Elvis Presley's Cadillac except red instead of pink. In the "What's a Tamagotchi?" song, Ginjirotchi's verse mentions "blue suede shoes", which is the title of one of Elvis's most famous songs.
• The name of the character Handy Warhol is a reference to the artist Andy Warhol.

Trivia

• The video was a pilot for a Tamagotchi cartoon that wasn't able to go into full production, the pilot being the only episode that got greenlit. The pilot was apparently an attempt to keep the company 7th Level alive, the closure of the studio happened shortly after Video Adventures was made.
• The word "Tamagotchi" is pronounced differently from how it's usually and correctly pronounced. Similarly, Mametchi's name is also given a different pronunciation.
• The VHS includes an offer for a free Tamagotchi Angel, which expired May 31, 1999, long after Bandai stopped production of Tamagotchi toys.
• Several moments in the video contradict the Japanese Tamagotchi canon:
  • The Tamagotchi are shown to be able to survive and explore Earth's atmosphere. This goes against the original Tamagotchi canon; Tamagotchis cannot survive in Earth's atmosphere, which is why Professor Banzo built the electronic device they live in.
  • In the beginning of the video, Mimitchi (breaking the fourth wall) switches on a device that automatically translates Cosmotchi's alien language into English for the viewer. This does not affect the other Tamagotchi. However, in Tamagotchi Honto no Hanashi, only Oyajitchi and the Tamagotchi Planet speaks in Japanese (human language).
  • This is the first and only appearance of the Gotchi King in English media during the vintage era. In Japan, he had only appeared in the Tamagotchi Research Report: Tamagotchi Book and Hoshi de Hakken! Tamagotchi, and would not appear on a virtual pet until the Keitai Kaitsuu Tamagotchi Plus.
• During both the What's a Tamagotchi music video and the How to Draw Tamagotchi portions of the video, certain clips shown contain noticeable differences from the main cartoon.
• In the How to Draw Tamagotchi portion of the video, some shots contain what appear to be storyboards or animation cels of moments not in the main cartoon in the background. It's uncertain what these could be, they are most likely boards and backgrounds from when Video Adventures was being pitched to Bandai.