Buttercrush

"Buttercrush" is the fourth episode (part one) of The Powerpuff Girls season one. It aired on December 9, 1998 on Cartoon Network. It was written by Michael Ryan and Jason Butler Rote, and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and series creator, Craig McCracken, as well as voice directed by McCracken.

Buttercup becomes smitten with the Gangreen Gang leader, Ace, believing he is a misunderstood bad boy.

Detailed summary
The Gangreen Gang stroll through the park and pick on some kids after their ball rolls into their direction. When the Powerpuff Girls fly in to save the day, Ace makes a joke that Buttercup accidentally laughs at. Ace notices this and makes up an apology to Buttercup, which Blossom relucantly accepts.

Later at the Townsville Museum while on a school field trip, the Powerpuff Girls run into the Gangreen Gang again, where they are causing a ruckus while trying to get a can of cola from the vending machine. They try and use valuable items as currency, but are stopped by the Powerpuff Girls. Ace downplays the incident, and Buttercup causes a distraction with a rug and allows them to get away. This impresses Ace enough to invite Buttercup to hang out with him sometimes, which she does that same night, sneaking out while her sisters are asleep.

Buttercup arrives at the Gangreen Gang's hideout at the local dump, being welcomed by Ace. Buttercup's presence makes Snake nervous, but Ace convinces him to relax. Ace and the gang spend the entire night doing mischief at the dump, getting Buttercup on their side. By morning, the rest of the Gangreen Gang think they've made a new friend, but Ace clues them in. Having Buttercup on their side means they can control Townsville, they just have to get rid of Blossom and Bubbles.

Buttercup arrives at the dump the next night for some more mischief, where the Gangreen Gang are ready to enact their plan. Ace's friends leave him and Buttercup under the guise of getting pizza, but it is really to call the girls for help, with Grubber pretending to be Buttercup. Bubbles wakes up Blossom, and they rush over to the dump, where they find the back of Buttercup sitting on a conveyer belt. Only it's not Buttercup, but Grubber in full Buttercup disguise. Snake then releases a car onto both Blossom and Bubbles, activates the conveyer belt which leads thru a machine that reshapes the cars into cubes, magnetizes them, and then finally hangs them over a fiery pit.

Buttercup is distracted by listening to loud rock music inside the gang's hideout with Ace. As Buttercup moshes, she accidentally knocks down a wall and sees her sisters' near-death experience. Realizing the truth, Buttercup quickly changes her attitude towards Ace and proceeds to save Blossom and Bubbles as Snake releases them into the pool. She then turns her attention toward the entire Gangreen Gang, knocking them all out, but leaves Ace last. He pleads with her that it was the gang's idea, but she isn't falling for him this time, and viciously beats him to a pulp.

Blossom is confused by Buttercup's recent actions, with Buttercup simply apologizing for allowing it to happen, followed by a hug while the girls are still trapped in cubes!

That's okay, though, all is forgiven, as the Narrator signs off on the episode.

Memorable quotes
Narrator: The city of Townsville. A pleasant place to live... Unless you run into the Gangreen Gang. The biggest bunch of belligerent bullies this town has ever seen!

Blossom: Buttercup, what's been going on? Buttercup: I'm sorry. Narrator: Aw, we forgive you, Buttercup. And, so, once again, the day is saved, thanks to the Powerpuff Girls.

Characters

 * style="background-color:#clear"| Narrator (voice only)
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Tom Kenny
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Ace
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Jeff Glen Bennett
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Boy #1
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| E.G. Daily
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Boy #2
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Tara Charendoff
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Boy #3
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Tara Charendoff
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Ace
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jeff Glen Bennett
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Lil' Arturo
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"|
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Big Billy
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jeff Glen Bennett
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Grubber
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jeff Glen Bennett
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Snake
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Tom Kenny
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Blossom Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Catherine Cavadini
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Buttercup Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| E.G. Daily
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Bubbles Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Tara Charendoff
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Ms. Keane
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Romeo
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Tom Kenny
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Blossom Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Catherine Cavadini
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Buttercup Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| E.G. Daily
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Bubbles Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Tara Charendoff
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Ms. Keane
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Romeo
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Ms. Keane
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Romeo
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Romeo
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Romeo

Organizations

 * Gangreen Gang
 * Powerpuff Girls

Locations

 * Earth
 * United States
 * Pokey Oaks County
 * Townsville
 * Townsville Park
 * Townsville Museum of of Natural History
 * Utonium residence
 * Townsville Dump
 * Gangreen Gang's hideout
 * Pokey Oaks Kindergarten
 * The Sun
 * The Moon

Objects

 * Mummy

Vehicles

 * None

Filming
It was copyrighted in 1998.

Music
The main title theme and music were composed by Thomas Chase, Steve Rucker, and James L. Venable. The end title song was performed by Bis.

Crew credits

 * Storyboard artist: David Smith
 * Art director: Craig Kellman
 * Supervising producer: Genndy Tartakovsky
 * Associate producer: Donna Castricone
 * Production manager: Charlie Desrochers
 * Production coordinators: Vincent Aniceto, Amy Rogers
 * Animation directors: Robert Alvarez, James T. Walker
 * Model artist: Chris Battle
 * Clean-up artists: Barbara Krueger, Robert Lacko
 * Layout key artist: Jim Worthy
 * Background colorists: Martin Ansolabehere, Sue Mondt
 * Casting director: Collette Sunderman
 * Supervising recording engineer: Ed Collins
 * Recording engineer: Jeffrey Collins
 * Color stylist: Karen Greslie, Roger Webb
 * Final checker: Nelda Ridley
 * Xeographists: Star Wirth, Martin Crossley
 * Animation checker: Sandra Benenati
 * Manager of post production: Tim Iverson
 * Unit post production supervisor: Gayle Mnookin
 * Track readers: Carol Iverson, Fred Salinas, Joe Trueba, Mike Trueba
 * Overseas production facility: Rough Draft Studios
 * Supervising film editor: Paul Douglas
 * Dialogue editors: James Hearn, Kerry Iverson
 * Negative cutter: William DeBoer, Jr.
 * Telecine/Online operators: Modern Videofilm, Rick Taylor, David Crosthwait
 * Sound editor: Twenty-First Century Entertainment
 * Sound re-recorder: Horta Editorial & Sound
 * Re-recording mixers: Timothy J. Borquez, Timothy J. Garrity
 * Post production coordinator: Julie Humbert
 * Production assistants: Sharra Gage, Linda Moore
 * Production accountant: Joanne Halcon
 * Production liaison: Amy E. Wagner
 * Executive in charge of production: Brian A. Miller
 * Production administrators: Athena Christianakis, Maria Womack
 * Production supervision: Haven Alexander, Ken Duer, Clive Nakayashiki, Joe Sandusky, Howard Schwartz, Liza-Ann Warren
 * Production management: Andy Lewis
 * Overseas production facility: Rough Draft Studios
 * Executives in charge of production for Cartoon Network: Mike Lazzo, Linda Simensky
 * Executive producer: Craig McCracken

Release
Dates are in order of release:


 * United States: December 9, 1998 on Cartoon Network

Behind the scenes

 * Aside from laughing, Buttercup's one line in the episode is "I'm sorry."

Errors

 * In this episode, the Townsville Museum is called the Townsville Museum of Natural History, although there is another building called that in "Seed No Evil."
 * The girls sleep in their day clothes.
 * Grubber does some impression of Buttercup, when later in "Telephonies," he's able to do perfect impressions of the citizens of Townsville.

Home availability

 * In the United States:
 * October 23, 2001: Warner Home Video releases The Powerpuff Girls: Meet the Beat-Alls on DVD.
 * June 19, 2007: Warner Home Video releases The Powerpuff Girls: The Complete First Season on DVD.
 * January 20, 2009: Warner Home Video releases The Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series: 10th Anniversary Collection on DVD.
 * May 6, 2014: Warner Home Video releases The Powerpuff Girls and Friends on DVD.
 * In Japan:
 * December 29, 2001: ??? releases The Powerpuff Girls: Volume 1 on DVD.
 * In Australia:
 * April 16, 2007: Madman Entertainment releases The Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Season 1 on DVD.
 * December 2, 2015: Madman Entertainment releases The Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series on DVD.
 * October 17, 2018: Madman Entertainment releases The Powerpuff Girls: 20th Anniversary Edition on DVD.