The Fofa Factor

The Fofa Factor Slice n' Splice creeps up on the recently split Kirbys to finish them off. Details First aired December 1, 2001 October 12, 2002 Episode # 9 Copy Ability (Abilities) featured Cutter Monster(s) featured Slice n' Splice Fofa Character(s) featured Kirby, Fololo & Falala, Escargoon, King Dedede, Slice n' Splice

Episode order ← Curio's Curious Discovery Hail to the Chief →

The Fofa Factor is the ninth episode of the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! series. In this episode, Fololo & Falala ponder where they came from after King Dedede tries to get them to split up. Frustrated over an ill fortune, King Dedede then orders a monster called Slice n' Splice to cause havoc in Dream Land by cutting its residents up and splicing them together in mismatched fashion. They then manage to slice Kirby into two smaller versions of himself and intend to keep slicing him to pieces, but Fololo & Falala step in to save Kirby. Fololo & Falala later learn from Slice n' Splice they they were born under similar circumstances from a monster named Fofa, before they manage to defeat Slice n' Splice by using its tools to put Kirby back together, then having Kirby slice the monster in half using the Cutter ability.

This episode marks the first time Fololo & Falala have been central to the plot of an episode. It also features the first speaking role of eNeMeE and the first time a monster has spoken in full sentences.

Characters

The following characters appear in this episode:

Cast of "The Fofa Factor"
Character	Selected quote	Notes
Primary characters
Kirby	"Fofa!"
Fololo & Falala	(Falala) "Fololo and I never split up!" (Fololo) "Yeah, we're a team, like peanut butter and jelly!"
Escargoon	(reading King Dedede's fortune) "It says "If you look for trouble, your trouble will double!""
King Dedede	"You're a real cut-up, Slice n' Splice!"
Slice n' Splice	"You look familiar! Yes, I remember! You're Fofa!"
Secondary characters
Cappy villagers	(unintelligible, mixed with other members of crowd)
Chef Kawasaki	"This is annoying!"
Chief Bookem	"King Dedede! Body snatching's illegal!"
Fofa	"No! Let me go, creep! I don't want to be sent to hurt anybody!"	Appears in a flashback.
Gus	(unintelligible, mixed with other members of crowd)
Hana	(no dialogue)
Honey	(unintelligible, mixed with other members of crowd)
Iro	(unintelligible, mixed with other members of crowd)
Lady Like	"You do, when I subtract your allowance!"
Mayor Len Blustergas	"We demand you return us to normal, your Highness! We're one furious flock!"
Meta Knight	"Kirby has transformed! He is now Cutter Kirby! Cutter Kirby can battle his opponents with the cutter on his cap!"
N.M.E. Sales Guy	"Today we're offering preferred customers like you a free how-to video!"
eNeMeE	"Sell him Fofa! Better yet, chop it and charge him double!" *laughs*	Appears in a flashback. This is eNeMeE's first proper line of dialogue in the series.
Professor Curio	(unintelligible, mixed with other members of crowd)
Rick	"Have a gander at me, mate! A mammal's gotta be bats to want wings!"
Samo	(unintelligible, mixed with other members of crowd)	This marks Samo's first speaking role in the 4Kids dub, though what he says cannot be clearly made out.
Sir Ebrum	"Stiff upper lip, son! Your mother's only joshing!"
Spikehead	(unintelligible, mixed with other members of crowd)
Tiff	"King Dedede sticks his beak into everybody's business, doesn't he?"
Tokkori	"Just look at me! I used to be fine and feathery, now I'm fat and furry!"
Tuff	"But mom, who needs to know subtractions?"
Waddle Dees	(no dialogue)

Locations

• Dream Land
  • Cappy Town
  • Castle Dedede

Plot synopsis

The kids try to get answers from their parents about where Fololo & Falala came from.

The episode begins at Castle Dedede, as Fololo & Falala rush into the throne room in behalf of King Dedede and Escargoon. They instruct Fololo & Falala to go to town to get Mabel's fortune, but insist that only Fololo go while Falala stays behind. The two refuse, prompting the King to threaten to toss them out of they don't obey. Later, Tiff consoles Fololo & Falala, and they decide to ask Sir Ebrum and Lady Like where the twins came from, only to be given excuses and hushed away. With the kids gone, the two parents reminisce on the night when Fololo & Falala showed up on their doorstep. They resolve not to tell the twins their origin, but Kirby overhears them and repeats the name Fofa to himself.

Later on, a Waddle Dee delivers King Dedede's fortune to him. Escargoon reads it to him, but gets clobbered for the bad news the fortune brings. King Dedede decides from there to order a new monster from Night Mare Enterprises. The Sales Guy offers Dedede a "deal" on a new monster, while Escargoon tries to warn Dedede about the fortune again, but Dedede ignores him and initiates the download. Once Slice n' Splice appears from the Night Mare Enterprises Teleporter, Dedede decides to test the monster out on Escargoon, but gets mixed up with him while he was trying to get away. The two end up getting "spliced" together, switching heads with each-others' bodies. Meanwhile, Sir Ebrum and Lady Like have taped Kirby's mouth shut to try and prevent him from saying the name Fofa.

Kirby is split into two by Slice n' Splice.

After getting their proper bodies back, King Dedede and Escargoon send Slice n' Splice off to cause havoc in Cappy Town by splicing the residents together in various ways. After they've had their fun, the King decides to return everyone to normal and head after Kirby. Meanwhile, Tokkori and Rick - who have also been spliced with each-other - find Tiff, Tuff, and Fololo & Falala at the castle to show them what happened. As they mention the monster, Kirby runs out of the castle - his mouth still taped up - as King Dedede and Escargoon return with Slice n' Splice in their Armored Vehicle. Kirby attempts to dodge, but is cleaved clean in half by the monster, splitting into two smaller Kirbys who somewhat resemble Fololo & Falala.

Cutter Kirby cleaves Slice n' Splice in two.

Upon seeing this result, King Dedede and Escargoon briefly imagine each-other split up in a similar manner and shudder out of it. King Dedede then orders Slice n' Splice to keep cutting the Kirbys down until there's nothing left of him. Before the monster can proceed, Fololo & Falala grab the Kirbys and get them away. While hiding with the Kirbys, Fololo & Falala realize how much the Kirbys resemble them, which gets them wondering about their own origin again. As Slice n' Splice approaches, the two agree to split up for the first time in order to safeguard Kirby. Using this strategy, they manage to keep ahead of their chasers for a time, also briefly causing King Dedede to get split up as well. Eventually they are caught by Splice n' Splice, but as the monster is about to strike, it recognizes Fololo & Falala, and stops to give them their origin story. Slice n' Splice explains that Fofa was split in two in order to offload a useless monster to King Dedede for double price, who then dumped them into Sir Ebrum and Lady Like's hands as they were no use to him.

From here, Fololo & Falala resolve to defeat Slice n' Splice so they can reunite into Fofa. Meanwhile, Tiff and Tuff jump in to rescue the Kirbys. Fololo & Falala succeed in grabbing Slice n' Splice's Sun staff and the group gets away. Once they get to the outer walls, they use the Sun staff to restore Kirby to normal. Slice n' Splice catches up to them, but Kirby uses his inhale to eat the monster's Moon staff and gain the Cutter ability. Using this new ability, Kirby quickly dispatches the now unarmed Slice n' Splice with Final Cutter, and then uses his blade along with the Sun staff to return Tokkori and Rick to normal. Just as the group prepares to use the Sun staff to return Fololo & Falala into Fofa, Slice n' Splice's body explodes, shattering the staff's head. Despite this setback, Fololo & Falala are still happy to have found out where they came from, and the episode ends as they pose with Kirby.

Dialogue differences between versions

• In the Japanese version, Memu and Pāmu refer to two different Japanese folktales, the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and Momotaro when making up origin stories for Lololo & Lalala.
• In the Japanese version, the fortune King Dedede receives is different. It reads "You must show restraint, and not let yourself be swayed by sweet talk."

Trivia

• This episode marks the first time that a monster has had proper dialogue in the series.
  • This is also the first episode to feature two monsters, and a monster that is not hostile.
• This episode marks the first time Tiff has not been a primary character in the plot.
• The how-to video which was included with Slice n' Splice was never mentioned again after Escargoon dropped it.
• This is the first episode where the 4Kids dub does not cut any significant content from the Japanese original.
• Instead of being spliced with a sheep, Professor Curio was spliced with the large ammonite fossil that hangs from the entrance to his museum.

Gallery

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  Fololo & Falala are summoned by King Dedede

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  Tiff consoles Fololo & Falala

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  Fololo & Falala are dumped by King Dedede in a flashback

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  Escargoon reads King Dedede his fortune

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  Slice n' Splice greets King Dedede

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  Slice n' Splice shows off its skill to its purchasers

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  King Dedede takes Slice n' Splice into town

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  Dedede has a little too much fun mixing heads and bodies

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  Rick and Tokkori show their sorry state to the kids

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  King Dedede imagines Escargoon split in two

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  Fololo & Falala hide with the Kirbys

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  Slice n' Splice spots Fololo

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  King Dedede is split into two

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  Fololo & Falala are chased around the castle

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  Slice n' Splice recognizes the former Fofa

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  Slice n' Splice prepares to split Fofa in half in a flashback

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  Fololo & Falala battle Slice n' Splice

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  The kids escape up the stairwell with the Sun staff

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  The Kirbys are merged back together

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  The Sun staff is destroyed

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  The final scene of the episode

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ロロロとラララ愛のメロディ	Lololo & Lalala - Melody of Love