// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did The Copycats say? Copy that.
| "The Copycats" | |
|---|---|
| The Amazing World of Gumball episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 11 |
| Directed by | Mic Graves |
| Written by |
|
| Story by | Ben Bocquelet |
| Production code | GB517 |
| Original air date | February 6, 2017 |
"The Copycats" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the British-American animated sitcom The Amazing World of Gumball. Directed by Mic Graves and written by series creator Ben Bocquelet alongside Tobi Wilson, James Hamilton, James Huntrods, and Joe Markham, the episode premiered on Cartoon Network in the United States on February 6, 2017.[1]
In the episode, the Wattersons discover a family of knock-off counterparts—the Chi Chi family—who mimic their every move. To force the imitators to stop, the Wattersons escalate a series of increasingly dangerous stunts, eventually pushing both families to their breaking points.[2]
Plot
[edit]| External videos | |
|---|---|
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 "The Copycats" (Official Clip) on YouTube |
While grocery shopping, Gumball and Darwin encounter Chi Chi and Ribbit, two children who mimic their every word and action. The situation escalates when the rest of the Watterson family discovers their own doppelgängers. Gumball realizes that the copycats are the stars of a Chinese animated series, The Incredible World of Chi Chi, which is profiting by imitating the Wattersons' lives.
After a confrontation results in a stalemate, the Wattersons attempt to encourage the copycats to be original through a musical number, "Copycats", but the imitators simply perform a mirrored version of the song. Anais concludes that the copycats are physically and narratively bound to follow their lead. To force them to stop, the Wattersons engage in increasingly life-threatening stunts, betting that the copycats' lack of "plot armor" will eventually catch up to them.
The conflict culminates in a high-speed truck chase toward an unfinished bridge. While the Wattersons narrowly escape the resulting explosion thanks to Anais' quick thinking, the copycats—who lack an Anais counterpart—plunge into the gorge. The following day, all traces of the Chinese series have vanished. The episode ends on a meta-note: while celebrating their uniqueness, the Wattersons "glitch" and suddenly speak with new voices, a reference to the real-life transition of the show's voice actors.[3]
Production
[edit]The episode marked the final performance of Jacob Hopkins and Terrell Ransom Jr., who were replaced by Nicolas Cantu and Donielle T. Hansley Jr. due to the original actors' voices changing as they aged.[4][5]
Satire of Miracle Star
[edit]The episode was produced as a satirical response to Miracle Star, a Chinese animated series that was criticized by media outlets and fans for plagiarizing The Amazing World of Gumball. Prior to the episode's release, media outlets reported that the show would explicitly feature these "bootleg" characters to address the plagiarism controversy.[6]
Reception
[edit]"The Copycats" received praise from television critics and fans for its meta-commentary on intellectual property theft and its direct response to the Miracle Star plagiarism controversy.
Reviewing the episode for Matt A La Mode, Matt Edwards noted that the premise was "brilliant" and exceeded high expectations, particularly praising the "Copycats" musical number for its clever mirrored animation. The episode's climax—a high-stakes truck chase—was highlighted as one of the darkest and most effective action sequences in the series.[3]
At the 2018 British Animation Awards, "The Copycats" won the Children's Choice Award.[7]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Shows A-Z - amazing world of gumball, the on cartoon". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ↑ "The Amazing World of Gumball: The Copycats". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- 1 2 Edwards, Matt (February 6, 2017). "The Amazing World of Gumball Review: The Copycats". Matt A La Mode. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ↑ Bocquelet, Ben [@benbocquelet] (February 6, 2017). "Huge thanks to @HopkinsJacob5 and @TerrellRansomJr for their amazing work. Welcome @NicolasCantu and @DonielleHansley!" (Tweet). Retrieved March 11, 2026 – via Twitter.
Series creator Ben Bocquelet welcoming the new voice actors for Gumball and Darwin.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Cartoon Network's "The Amazing World of Gumball" Returns with All-New Episodes Starting Monday, February 6" (Press release). Cartoon Network. January 30, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2026 – via The Futon Critic.
- ↑ Atkinson, Jacob (February 4, 2017). "'Gumball' will meet 'Miracle Star' bootleg characters in new episode". Blasting News. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (March 15, 2018). "'Revolting Rhymes', 'Gumball' & More Score 2018 British Animation Awards". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 20, 2026.