Calpis [aka Tuck]

Also known as カルピス (Karupisu)

Hello, My Name (in English) is…

Calpis is named after a popular soft-drink in Japan – an uncarbonated beverage that has a light, somewhat milky, and slightly acidic flavour, similar to plain or vanilla flavoured yogurt or Yakult.

Distinguishing Features

You can always spot Calpis by his short, fat body shape, large button eyes – usually with a somewhat dim expression.

Status: Minor Star (★)

Named after a popular soft-drink in Japan, Calpis is one half of the comedic duo Ramune & Calpis (also commonly known as Tick & Tuck) modeled after classic American comedians Abbott & Costello. Usually depicted as happy-go-lucky, but bumbling, henchmen or assistants, Ramune & Calpis often make an appearance when the story is in danger of becoming overly serious or dark.

Notable Roles

Given that Calpis is cast exclusively in comedy relief roles – usually the butt of the joke, often set up by Ramune for the punch line – he’s appeared in MANY of Tezuka’s works, but is the master of none. He’s the short, fat “Costello” to Ramune‘s tall, skinny “Abbott”, and although purposefully not designed to have much of a personality on his own, as the “funny man” in the relationship, certain character traits have emerged. Almost childlike in his demeanur, he is extremely loyal to Ramune, and is lost without him. Much like a little bother, this often leads to him being bossed around by Ramune. Although he likes to be considerate of others, his petty greed often gets the best of him. Primarily good-natured, his cheerful dispositon can disappear into a blustering (and bumbling) rage if provoked enough. A good example of this is in Crime and Punishment (1953).

It’s also interesting that when this comedy duo got it’s start in The Mysterious Underground Men (1948), it was actually a comedy TRIO. It marks one of the few appearances by Soda before he was dropped from the group. Tezuka’s own version of the “fifth Beatle.”

Manga Appearances

If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!

1948

The Mysterious Underground Men as “one of the people being chased by the lion”
The Jungle Kingdom as “a member of the film crew”
Tobi’s 20 [originally titled Masked Adventure Kid] as “a prisoner”
King Rocket as “a waiter”
The World of the Queen from a Thousand Years in the Future as “”
Secret Base on the Shari River as “Viscount Momoyama”
Lost World as “a member of the crowd”

1949

Angel Gunfighter as “Pork”
The Story of a Miracle Forest as “the Grand Duke’s servant”
Men with Tails as “a member of the expedition”
Metropolis as “sea cleaning industry”

1950

The Golden City as “a passenger on the boat”
The Wonderful Journey as “the butler”
The Tutelary God’s Fire as “”
Manga University as “a criminal”
Ashiato Hot Spring as “Tasaku”
Jungle Emperor (“The Birth of Leo“) as “a sailor”

1951

The Road to Utopian Lurue as “an editor”
Next World as “Butanov”
Queer Arabian Nights as “a bellboy”
The Cactus Kid as “a Private in the Indian Expeditionary Corps”
The Moony Men as “Prime Minister Momoyama”

1952

Mr. Horobasha as “”
Skyscraper Kid as “a night watchman”
Volcano Island Boy as “”
The Fossil Man as “a Sucharaka party member”
Jungle Emperor as “a member of the Country “B” expedition party”

1953

Astro Boy (“Red Cat”) as “A resident of the same apartment as Higeoyaji”
The 13 Secrets as “a policeman”
Crime and Punishment as “a painter”

1954

A ’32 Ford as “”
Miss Robin as “one of the Baron’s servants”
The Maiden of Tatsugafuchi as “a woodcutter”
Inochi no Mamejishaku as “a member of the rocket crew”

1955

Chief Detective Kenichi (“The Case of the Gorilla”) as “a man chased by the lion”

1956

Lion Books (“The Black Space Ray”) as “Amaguri an Shibukawa”
Lion Books (“Space Airport”) as “a clerk in the souvenir shop”
The Rainbow Fortress as “Qasim”

1957

The Kokeshi Detective Agency as “a construction worker”
Whirlwind Z as “Hajime Takagi’s friend”
The Strange Journey as “a reporter”
The Earth War as “drug company propagandist”

1958

Astro Boy (“Mad Machine”) as “a reporter”
The Three Who Glimpse the Future as “a reporter”
Peacock Shell as “an inhabitant of the island”

1959

Zero Men as “a reporter”

1960

Astro Boy (“Uran”) as “a spectator at the Roboting event”
The Secret of Piron as “a truck driver”
Dream of the Universe as “”
Angel’s Hill

1961

The Ant and the Giant as “a reporter”
The Strange Boy as “a reporter”
The Human Ranch as “an official”

1962

Brave Dan as “one of truck drivers transporting Dan”

1963

Big X

1965

Astro Boy (“Roboids”) as “a guard”
Astro Boy (“Robio And Robiette”) as “a reporter”
Wonder 3 [Shonen Sunday] as “a worker at the scrap iron shop”

1966

Flying Ben as “a member of Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics”

1967

Astro Boy (“The Faceless Robot”) as “the G12 Producer”
Astro Boy (“Beginning of the Contradiction”) as “one of the townspeople”
Astro Boy (“Living on Earth, 101”) as “one of the townspeople”

1968

Goro of Hatchoike as “Kodomo-za member”

1970

Gachaboi’s Biography as “”

1972

Lion Books (“Muddy March”) as “a reporter”

1973

Black Jack (“A Girl who became a Bird”) as “a spectator at the man-powered flight contest”

1974

Black Jack (“Nadare”) as “a reporter”
Black Jack (“Twice Dead”) as “a bellhop”
Black Jack (“Fits”) as “staff at the piano shop”
Black Jack (“Captain Park”) as “a stowaway”
Black Jack (“What Lurks the Mountain”) as “ a villager”
Black Jack (“Human Vegetable”) as “a passenger on the ship”
Black Jack (“Two Loves”) as “police related”
Black Jack (“The Legs of an Ant”) as “a truck driver”

1975

Black Jack (“Black Queen”) as “a doctor”
Black Jack (“The Corsican Brothers”) as “a member of the circus”
Black Jack (“Con Man, Aspiring”) as “a friend of the father”
Black Jack (“On the Way”) as “a villager”

1976

Black Jack (“Dialogue With The Dead”) as “a member of the prison staff”
Black Jack (“Another J”) as “the hotel reception clerk”
Black Jack (“Stop Drawing!”) as “a reporter”
Black Jack (“Lost and Found”) as “a station attendant”
Run Chronos! as “a truck driver”

1977

Black Jack (“There Were Two Films”) as “a reporter”
Black Jack (“Lost Youth”) as “an Abraham Oil guard”
Black Jack (“High and Low”) as “an employee”
Black Jack (“Life Bond”) as
Black Jack (“Downpour – Part 2”) as “islander”
Black Jack (“A Hill for One”) as “a member of the circus”
The Three-Eyed One (“The Ancient Prince, Godal”) as “Dr. Subuda’s assistant, police”

1978

Black Jack (“Bath of the Floating World”) as “public bath customer”
Black Jack (“Helping Each Other”) as “the rental car shop employee”
Black Jack (“Grasping Duo”) as “an ambulance driver”
Black Jack (“A Woman’s Case”) as “a station attendant”
Black Jack (“Bad Stunt”) as “part of the movie production crew”
Black Jack (“The Kuroshio: A Memoir”) as “ Homura staff”
Futureman Kaos as “police related”

1979

Don Dracula (“Dracula, One More Time”) as “Security Guard No. 2”

1980

Yamataro Comes Back! as “a Japanese National Railways employee”

1981

Rainbow Parakeet (“Death of a Salesman”) as “staff at the theatre”

1982

Rainbow Parakeet (“The End”) as “a customs official”
Prime Rose as “Championship venue attendant”

1984

Kibando (“Wind Patterns”) as “the news reporter”
Kibando (“The Smell of the Amazon”) as “the news reporter”