Ape Escape (Japanese TV series)

{{Short description|Japanese anime television series}}

{{about|the 2002 computer animated Ape Escape shorts for TV Tokyo|the 2006 Japanese anime series sometimes called Ape Escape -On Air-|Saru Get You -On Air-|the 2009 Frederator Studios shorts|Ape Escape (American TV series)}}

{{Infobox animanga/Header

| name = Ape Escape

| image = Japanese Ape Escape Shorts DVD release.jpg

| caption = The complete collection DVD box art

| ja_kanji = レッチュ　ゲッチュ　サルゲッチュ

| ja_romaji = Retchu Getchu Saru Getchu

| genre = Action, adventure, comedy

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Video

| type = tv series

| director = Yorifusa Yamaguchi

| producer =

| writer =

| music =

| studio = Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment

| runtime = 2 minutes

| network = TV Tokyo

| network_en = {{English anime network

|US = Nicktoons (3 episodes only)

}}

| first = April 2002

| last = September 2002

| episodes = 76

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Video

| type = film

| title = Ape Escape: Battle for the Golden Pipo Helmet

| director = Yorifusa Yamaguchi

| producer =

| writer =

| music =

| studio = Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment

| released = August 17, 2002

| runtime = 22 minutes

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

Ape Escape, known in Japan as {{Nihongo|Let's Get Saru Getchu|レッチュ　ゲッチュ　サルゲッチュ|Retchu Getchu Saru Getchu}}, is a series of computer-generated anime shorts produced by Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment for TV Tokyo in 2002. It is based on the Ape Escape video game series, with the characters and designs based on Ape Escape 2 in particular. The series consists of 76 45-second shorts that aired as part of the Oha Suta variety program in Japan.{{cite web|title=Sony Computer Entertainment Characters Goods |date=November 11, 2002 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment Japan |url=http://www.playstation.jp/scej/goods/saru2_a001.html |accessdate=2013-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050211134600/http://www.playstation.jp/scej/goods/saru2_a001.html |archivedate=February 11, 2005}} In 2004, three of these shorts were dubbed into English and aired in the inaugural Nicktoons Film Festival.{{cite web|title=The Nicktoons Film Festival Announcements|year= 2004|publisher=Animation Magazine|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/nicktoons_5.html|accessdate=2013-03-02}} One of the festival's founders, Frederator Studios, would later produce their own series of Ape Escape shorts in 2009.

A 22-minute movie based on the series, entitled {{Nihongo|Ape Escape The Movie: Battle for the Golden Pipo Helmet|劇場版サルゲッチュ 黄金のピポヘル・ウッキーバト}}, was released on August 17, 2002, in Japan. The film was attached to Beyblade: Fierce Battle and produced with assistance by Polygon Pictures.{{cite web|title=「ベイブレード THE MOVIE 激闘!! タカオVS大地」 同時上映「劇場版 サルゲッチュ 黄金のピポヘル・ウッキーバトル」 完成披露試写会|date=August 11, 2002|publisher=Toho|url=http://www2.toho-movie.jp/movie-topic/0208/02bb_kh.html|accessdate=2013-03-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073349/http://www2.toho-movie.jp/movie-topic/0208/02bb_kh.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Polygon Pictures Inc.|publisher=Polygon Pictures|url=http://www.ppi.co.jp/works/a-theatrical-version-of-ape-escape-the-battle-over-the-golden-helmet/|accessdate=2016-11-30}}

Sony Computer Entertainment released a DVD featuring the entire series of shorts, as well as the movie on December 19, 2002, in Japan. The DVD came with a "Yappari Saru Get Chu" dance instruction video, and an exclusive Afrosaru trading card.{{cite web|title=SCEI、全76話に劇場版、ダンス教室も収録 DVD「アニメでゲッチュ サルゲッチュ【映画＋TV!】」|date=November 11, 2002|publisher=Game Watch|url=http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20021119/saru.htm|accessdate=2013-03-02}}