''Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo'' is a 2006

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

made-for-TV A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

superhero film A superhero film (or superhero movie) is a film that focuses on the actions of superheroes. Superheroes are individuals who possess superhuman abilities and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films typically feature Action film, ac ...

adaptation of the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

team

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

. It is set in the

milieu The social environment, social context, sociocultural context or milieu refers to the immediate physical and social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develops. It includes the culture that the individual was educate ...

of the

animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...

'' that ran on

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...

from 2003 to 2006, with the film serving as the

series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...

. It premiered on Cartoon Network, Friday, September 15, 2006 and premiered on

Kids' WB Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming service and brand of The WB that aired on the network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. The block moved to The CW (a result of the merger of Time Warner's The WB ...

the following day. ''

'' head writer

David Slack David Slack is an American animation and television writer and producer. He has written and/or produced on such shows as ''Law & Order'', ''Lie to Me'', ''In Plain Sight'', ''Teen Titans'', ''Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi'', ''Jackie Chan Adventures'', ''Gen ...

wrote the movie.

Plot

The

's hometown, Jump City, is attacked by a Japanese ninja called Saico-Tek. They capture him and discover Saico-Tek was sent by a man called "

Brushogun This is a list of major and minor characters featured in the Cartoon Network and Kids' WB animated series '' Teen Titans''. Overview Primary Teen Titans Robin * Voiced by: Scott Menville Robin is the leader of the Teen Titans. Despi ...

" before he mysteriously vanishes after triggering the tower's

fire sprinkler A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. Fire sprinklers are extensively use ...

s. Subsequently, the Titans head to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan, to search for his master. Upon arriving there, after overcoming the

language barrier A language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to refer to linguistic barriers to communication, i.e. the difficulties in communication experienced by people or groups originally speaking different languages, or even dialects in some ...

and fighting a Gorgo-like giant reptile, the Titans meet Tokyo's own supernatural defense force—the Tokyo Troopers—led by Commander Uehara Daizo. When questioned on Brushogun, Daizo claims that Brushogun is nothing more than an urban legend. Left with no villains to pursue, the Titans decide to enjoy Tokyo.

Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...

and Starfire express their feelings for each other until Robin starts to focus on Brushogun again and declares they cannot be anything more than heroes, upsetting Starfire. Investigating alone, Robin is attacked by Saico-Tek and ends up pummeling the ninja into the ground. When Saico-Tek does not rise, Robin is apprehended by Daizo for killing him. Elsewhere, Starfire is approached and comforted by a little girl, which helps to overcome her depression and makes her realize that despite Robin's earlier objections, their romantic feelings for each other are indeed truly mutual. Just then, the Mayor of Tokyo announces Robin's arrest and orders that the other Teen Titans must either turn themselves in or leave Tokyo. Starfire calls the other Titans, but as they attempt to regroup, Brushogun sends out his minions to destroy the Titans. Meanwhile, as Robin is being transferred to a more secure facility, a slip of paper bearing the name "Brushogun" fits into the armored car carrying him and explodes, freeing him. Robin co-opts the identity of a

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

mugger to collect information that Brushogun is in fact real. He is eventually found by the Tokyo Troopers, which leads to a car chase. Robin is surrounded when Starfire comes to his rescue and takes him to a shrine (where they attempt to kiss again until they are suddenly interrupted by

Cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...

, and

Beast Boy Garfield Mark Logan, better known as Beast Boy, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also gone under the alias Changeling. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown, he is a shapeshifter who ...

's arrival). There, Raven relates from a book she found that Brushogun was an artist who dreamed of bringing his beloved drawings to life using dark magic. The spell ultimately turned against the young artist, and he was transformed into Brushogun, a being of paper and ink capable to bring any creation he could imagine to life, until he suddenly disappeared. Robin realizes that he did not kill Saico-Tek because he was an ink-made creature, and he was set up to make him look like a criminal. The Titans track Brushogun to a comic book publishing factory, where they discover Brushogun trap-wired into a cursed

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in wh ...

that taps into his powers to create the enemies the Titans have faced. He reveals that he had sent the first Saico-Tek to the Titans to summon them to Tokyo, in order to stop the real culprit who had enslaved him. The said culprit is revealed to be Daizo, who used Brushogun's power to create both his Tokyo Troopers and the monsters that they captured in order to gain a reputation as a hero. Daizo drops in on the Titans and forces Brushogun to create an army of animated ink minions. A mass battle ensues, culminating in Robin facing Daizo. With no options of escape left, Daizo jumps into the ink reservoir of the press, taking control of Brushogun's magic and transforming himself into a hulking mass of ink and machinery, with Brushogun at the center. As the other Titans battle the creatures Daizo hurls at them, Robin frees Brushogun, causing Daizo to lose control of his power and burst. Brushogun dies peacefully in Robin's arms, dissipating his powers and defeating Daizo. With the battle concluded, Robin and Starfire finally confess their feelings and share their first true kiss. Later on, with Robin's name cleared and Daizo sent to prison, the Titans are awarded medals of honour by the mayor and Tokyo's citizens for their heroic actions. Robin and Starfire are

holding hands Holding hands is a form of physical intimacy involving two or more people. It may or may not be romantic. Cultural aspects In Western culture, spouses and romantic couples often hold hands as a sign of affection or to express psychological ...

, confirming they’ve become an official couple. Beast Boy asks Robin if they have to go home, but Robin allows the Titans to stay in Tokyo a little longer to enjoy a well-earned vacation. Beast Boy says that he wants to go to Mexico for their next vacation, causing Raven to slap him. As the end credits roll, the Titans sing a literally translated version of their Japanese theme song in celebration for the defeat of Daizo and their award ceremony.

Voice cast

Scott Menville Scott David Menville (born February 12, 1971) is an American actor who is known for his voice work in animated films, television series and video games. Life and career Menville was born on February 12, 1971, to television animator and writer C ...

as Richard "Dick" Grayson / Robin and Japanese Boy *

Hynden Walch Hynden Walch is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Starfire in the ''Teen Titans'' franchise and Princess Bubblegum in ''Adventure Time''. She also voiced Penny Sanchez in '' ChalkZone'', Amore and Lockette in the Nickelodeon ve ...

as Princess Koriand'r / Starfire and Mecha-Boi *

Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (née Charendoff; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as ''The New Batman Adventures ...

as Rachel Roth / Raven and Computer Voice *

Greg Cipes Gregory Michael Cipes (born January 4, 1980) is an American actor. He was a cast member in the reality television program '' Twentyfourseven'' and had recurring roles in ''MDs'' and ''Peacemakers''. His voice acting roles include Beast Boy in ...

as Garfield Logan / Beast Boy *

Khary Payton Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as King Ezekiel on the horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' and Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera '' General Hospital'', as well as voicing Cyborg across v ...

as Victor Stone / Cyborg *

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Japanese: 田川洋行, ''Tagawa Hiroyuki''; born September 27, 1950) is a Japanese-born American actor, film producer, and martial artist. Often cast as villains, he is known for his film roles in ''The Last Emperor'' (1 ...

Keone Young Keone Joseph Young is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Dr. Michael Kwan in ''Kay O'Brien'' (1986), Mr. Wu in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and as the dual roles of Judge Robert Chong and Mr. Wan in ''The Young and th ...

as Commander Uehara Daizo, Saico-Tek and Sushi Shop Owner *

Robert Ito Robert Ito (born July 2, 1931) is a Canadian actor of Japanese ancestry. He is known for his television and film work, including the roles of Sam Fujiyama on the 1976–83 NBC series ''Quincy, M.E.'' and Larry Mishima on the 1980s CBS primetime s ...

as Bookstore Owner and Mayor *

Janice Kawaye Janice Hiromi Kawaye (born April 4, 1970) is an American voice actress known for her roles as Jenny Wakeman in ''My Life as a Teenage Robot'', and Lysithea in the ''Fire Emblem'' series. Early life Kawaye was born in Los Angeles, California, U. ...

as Nya-Nya and Timoko *

Yuri Lowenthal Yuri Lowenthal (born March 5, 1971)Birthday references: * * * is an American voice actor, producer and screenwriter known chiefly for his work in cartoons, anime and video games. Some of his prominent roles in animations and anime include S ...

as Japanese Biker and Scarface

Reception

''Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo'' received generally positive reviews from critics. Filip Vukcevic of

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

said in his review, "Something's missing here. ''Teen Titans'' the television show is a fun, vibrant series that's a lot more entertaining than it looks. Following the show's recent cancellation, it seems like ''Trouble in Tokyo'' is the last we'll get of our intrepid heroes. Unfortunately, as a swan song or otherwise, when squeezed ''Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo'' reveals itself for what it really is: a suspiciously average direct-to-DVD movie that looks good, but doesn't do anything to conceal the fact that underneath it's fake." Rafe Telsch of ''Cinema Blend'' wrote, "''Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo'' is a decent follow up for the cancelled series that should make fans happy to see their favorite characters again, although a few of the characters seem to get the shaft on screen time."

Soundtrack release

A soundtrack to the movie was released on July 22, 2008 through La-La-Land Records. The track listing is as follows.

Home media

The DVD release date was February 6, 2007. The special features included are "The Lost Episode", featuring the villain Punk Rocket, and a game entitled ''Robin's Underworld Race Challenge''. ''Trouble in Tokyo'' was also released on Blu-ray through the

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...

on December 3, 2019.

Sequel

stand-alone sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

serving as a

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

between ''Teen Titans'' and its

successor series In media, a spin-off (or spinoff) is a radio program, television program, film, video game or any narrative work, derived from already existing works that focus on more details and different aspects from the original work (e.g. particular topics, ...

entitled ''

Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans ''Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans'' is a direct-to-video animated superhero film, and a crossover between the television series ''Teen Titans Go!'' and the original ''Teen Titans'', both of which are adapted from the DC Comics superhero team of ...

'' premiered at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 in July, followed by digital release on September 24 and physical release on October 15.

References

External links

* {{Warner Bros. animation and comics 2000s American animated films 2000s animated superhero films 2006 television films 2006 films American animated television films American children's animated adventure films American children's animated action films American children's animated fantasy films American children's animated superhero films American fantasy adventure films Animated films about extraterrestrial life Animated films based on animated series Animated films based on DC Comics American television series finales Anime-influenced Western animation Demons in film Films set in Tokyo Teen Titans films Teen Titans (TV series) Japan in non-Japanese culture 2000s English-language films