"The Way of the Sponge" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 8. In this episode, SpongeBob works toward getting a karate belt.
Characters[]
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Sandy Cheeks
- Gary the Snail (cameo)
- Fuzzy Acorns (single appearance)
- Squidward Tentacles (3 cameos)
- French Narrator
- Incidentals
Synopsis[]
SpongeBob walks over to Sandy's treedome to show her a new karate move. He arrives and sees her with someone else, which makes him think she is being attacked, so SpongeBob walks in to defend her, but gets stopped by the stranger's smelly feet. Sandy introduces SpongeBob to the stranger; Fuzzy Acorns, the greatest karate master ever. Sandy tells him that Fuzzy is here to see her karate skills. She is trying to earn a blacker belt, the highest belt in karate. SpongeBob wishes he had a belt, which Fuzzy overhears and tells SpongeBob that if he wants a belt, he has to earn it. He the proceeds into testing SpongeBob so that he can earn a belt. The sponge tries two tests that Fuzzy gives him, but he fails both of them. Now fed up, Fuzzy tells SpongeBob that he will face against Sandy tomorrow. If SpongeBob passes, he will receive a belt, otherwise, he gets nothing.
SpongeBob runs home to train himself overnight and then comes back, tired and unrested to spar with Sandy. He does very poorly, falls asleep, and is sad. Fuzzy said if he lasted longer, he would have rewarded SpongeBob with the clear belt, but says that SpongeBob is not even worthy enough to wear the belt that keeps his pants up, so he takes his belt and his pants fall. He also takes Sandy's black belt away for wasting his time with SpongeBob as he tells him to stick to something he's good at. He leaves as Sandy calls Fuzzy out for insulting SpongeBob like that. She tries to talk Fuzzy into giving SpongeBob another chance, but Fuzzy never gives two chances and wishes to find food. Suddenly, Sandy gets an idea. She convinces Fuzzy to come to the Krusty Krab to see SpongeBob in action, so he goes (without an air helmet) to see him.
There, Squidward tells SpongeBob to stick with what he is good at and not try anything new. SpongeBob realizes he is right. Fuzzy watches, but he is still not impressed by SpongeBob's agility. He is only amazed when SpongeBob manages to slice Sandy's burger in twelfths with his hand. Fuzzy starts to think SpongeBob is more skilled than he thought, so he tries to attack SpongeBob, but SpongeBob is so busy that he does not notice Fuzzy sneaking up on him and dodges Fuzzy and attacks him without knowing he was even there. Fuzzy decides he has had enough and tries to finish it, but SpongeBob bends over to get a dropped ketchup bottle, dodging Fuzzy's kick, sending him over to the door of the Krusty Krab. He looks terrible, but Sandy says Fuzzy just needs an air helmet. She gives him one, and he admits that SpongeBob is a worthy karate fighter, and so, he gives SpongeBob a black belt. As well, he gives Sandy his blacker belt for proving that SpongeBob does know karate. Without his belt, Fuzzy's pants fall down, revealing his underwear. The whole crowd cheers with laughter as the episode ends.
Production[]
Music[]
( ‣ ) Production music |
( • ) Original music |
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
• The Way of Karate - Nicolas Carr [title card]
• Karate Action 2 - Nicolas Carr ["Sandy's in trouble!"]
• Karate Action 1 - Nicolas Carr ["Try again, Sandy."]
• A#7 #5#9#11 fall 018 - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob gets knocked out]
• Geishas Smaller No Perc No Bass - Steve Marston ["...the smell of death."]
• Koto and Shakuhachi In and Out with reverb - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy smacks a fly with eyebrows / blacker belt]
• China Gong - Nicolas Carr [blacker belt]
• The Karate Master Lite Mix - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy explains how SpongeBob can get a belt.]
• Karate Groove - Nicolas Carr ["I'm here to separate the wheat from the chaff."]
• C7#9 brass_fall - Nicolas Carr ["I'm here to separate the wheat from the chaff."]
• Am I Worthy Sensei - Nicolas Carr [Sandy explains what Fuzzy is trying to say]
• Gong Hit - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy holds up a red belt]
• Jive Sucker Funk #1 rhythm section w synth - Nicolas Carr [first test]
• C7#9 brass_fall - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy chops the log with his hand]
• Jive Sucker Funk #1 rhythm section w synth - Nicolas Carr [first test]
• Karate Action 1 - Nicolas Carr [second test]
• Untitled Tracks - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob lands on Sandy's wheel]
• Solo Piano Roll - Nicolas Carr [piano]
• Karate Action 1 - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob collides with Sandy's tree.]
• No More Talk Only Do - Nicolas Carr ["We shall settle this on the battlefield tomorrow."]
• Fly Throught The Fire - Eban Schletter [training montage]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [early the next morning...]
‣ Drama Link (D) - Hubert Clifford ["The match!"]
• Spongemonger - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Gary opens the door]
• The Soft One - Nicolas Carr ["Where is the soft one?"]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 40A - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob arrives]
• Geishas Small - Steve Marston ["Let the match begin!"]
• With Karate Comes Responsibility - Nicolas Carr [Transition to next scene]
• Jive Sucker Funk #2 - Nicolas Carr [Sandy fights SpongeBob]
• Lap Steel Lullabye - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob falls asleep]
• The Clear Belt - Nicolas Carr ["Too bad your opponent didn't put up a fight."]
• Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy removes SpongeBob's belt]
‣ Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill [Fuzzy removes Sandy's belt]
• Impress Me - Nicolas Carr ["Silence! No more chances."]
• Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr ["That's it!"]
• Sad Sailor Waltz - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [at the Krusty Krab]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr ["Stick to what I'm good at?"]
• A Kabuki Moment - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob making Krabby Patties]
• Kabuki Transition - Nicolas Carr [Sandy and Fuzzy at the Krusty Krab]
• Jive Sucker Funk #3A - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob serving patties/SpongeBob continues serving patties]
• Jive Sucker Funk #3C - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob chops Sandy's patty into twelve equal pieces.]
• Jive Sucker Funk #3A - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob chops Sandy's patty into twelve equal pieces.]
• Kabuki Surprize - Nicolas Carr ["What?!"]
• Wacky Gongs - Nicolas Carr ["...is to test him myself."]
• Karate Action 1 - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy jumps out at SpongeBob]
• Karate Action - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob sighs]
• Ahhh Luve - Nicolas Carr ["You little Krabby Patties are so cute."]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 7A - Jeremy Wakefield ["It's the onions."]
• Karate Action 1 - Nicolas Carr ["He's on the offensive."]
• Geishas Smaller No Perc No Bass - Steve Marston ["You brought me to the dance, but the universe is cutting in."]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr ["Huh?"]
• Jive Sucker Funk #4A - Nicolas Carr ["Hey, looking good!"/"Smell the vibrations!"]
‣ Dramatic Impact (6) - Ivor Slaney ["Fuzzy!"]
• Karate Master - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy gives SpongeBob his karate belt]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["You look terrible!"]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [Sandy gives Fuzzy an air helmet]
• The Blacker Belt - Nicolas Carr ["No more talk, only do!"]
• Another Kabuki Moment - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy gives Sandy the blacker belt]
• Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [Fuzzy's pants fall down]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31A - Jeremy Wakefield [everyone laughs]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31D - Jeremy Wakefield [end sting]
Release[]
- This episode is available on the Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay, Home Sweet Rubble, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 13, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, Complete Eighth Season, Next 100 Episodes, SpongeBob SquarePants Triple Pack, and Seventh & Eighth Seasons DVDs.
Trivia[]
General[]
- According to a Futon Critic listing, this episode was initially supposed to have the packaging code of 166a, but it was later switched around with its sister segment, "Bubble Troubles." The original airing however, keeps this packaging code, with this episode airing first, then "Bubble Troubles" second. All other airings, streaming services, and DVD versions uses the normal packaging code.
- This segment was also initially supposed to be called "Way of the Sponge," removing the 'The.'[1]
- This episode premiered as part of the 2011 Super Stuffed Nicksgiving Weekend event.
- The title card looks similar to that of "Good Neighbors," only that this episode's title card is more of a yellow color, and not blue.
- In Germany, this episode has two title cards.[citation needed]
- Fuzzy's belt was originally gold, not black.[citation needed]
- Fuzzy breaks the fourth wall by asking Sandy who she is talking to.
- When Fuzzy gets slung into a pickle barrel by SpongeBob, his body absorbs the kick due to being an invertebrate, which has also happened in "The Bully."
- This happens again in "Demolition Doofus."
- On the July 20, 2018 airing, this episode was paired up with "Pressure."[2]
Cultural references[]
- The episode title references the 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action-comedy film The Way of the Dragon, and the 2000 Neo-Western heist action thriller film The Way of the Gun, the former movie starring Bruce Lee.
- SpongeBob's training montage is a parody of the Rocky franchise.
- When SpongeBob practices training, there is a stuffed moose that resembles Lumpy from Happy Tree Friends.
Errors[]
- In the opening credits of the Russian dub, Doug Lawrence is credited as one of the writers instead of Derek Iversen.[3]
- After SpongeBob says "oh, Sandy" his teeth become yellow for a split second.
- When SpongeBob goes to go fry the fries, the fryer is on the left, but in the next scene, it is on the right.
- When Sandy reaches over to grab Fuzzy Acorns an air helmet, her body duplicates and overlaps for a frame.
- When SpongeBob's underwear is shown, his sleeves remains intact. This also happens in episode "Jellyfish Hunter."