Ho Yay / Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

Yes, this is an actual moment from the show. (The original Japanese version, that is.)

For a kid's show starring the adorable and kid-friendly Kirby, there are quite a few moments where certain characters seem to be interested in the same sex in more than a friendly way, sometimes bordering on Ship Tease. King Dedede and Escargoon are notorious for this, but there are a few other examples as well.

The 4Kids dub removed a lot of gay subtext, but hints of it still tend to linger.

King Dedede and Escargoon

• One that was actually added in the English dub; King Dedede occasionally calls Escargoon "Escargoonie-goo", which is hard to be seen as anything other than a pet name.
• The king of Dreamland and his assistant seem to have a textbook case of Belligerent Sexual Tension in the anime, especially in the original Japanese version. Not only do they always seem to be together, they have a tendency to cling together in the face of danger and when times couldn't get worse, often show that they really do care for each other.
• When Escargoon is driving Dedede along the beach at night in episode 15, the former comments how "romantic" it is in the original version. The 4Kids dub isn't much better, as the line is replaced with something about skinny dipping.
• In "A Princess In Dis-dress", King Dedede practices his marriage proposal for Princess Rona. With the princess being played by Escargoon in a pink dress.
• In "Escar-Gone," Escargoon is quite literally moved to tears when Dedede recognizes him again. And this isn't because he's the first person to remember him; Tiff, Tuff, Meta Knight, and Sword and Blade are the first to do so.
• When Escargoon decides to leave Cappy Town in "Prediction Predicament - Part 2" to spend his remaining hours with his mother upon learning that the asteroid is drawing close, Dedede straight up refuses to let him leave and forces him to stay, wanting to stay with him "until the end of the world".
  • Then Dedede spends some time rollerskating to try to have fun before he dies, with Escargoon standing nearby. Here's the conversation that happens in the original:
  Escargoon: (holding onto the wall, strapped to a skateboard) Your Majesty, are you satisfied?
  Dedede: (coming up to him) Not yet! Without you, it's boring! (takes Escargoon's arm and pulls him along while skating, as if they're doing a figure skating routine)
  Escargoon: (while holding onto Dedede's hands and spinning in a circle, terrified) This will shorten my lifespan!
  Dedede: The world's ending anyway! It doesn't matter if your life gets shorter, so go ahead!
  • Later, as the surroundings are starting to glow red from the asteroid approaching and people are gathering around the castle to see it, King Dedede whacks Escargoon on the head for calling him a "blubbermouth". Escargoon starts crying, saying that it's going to be the last time he gets hit by Dedede. Dedede seems saddened by this, and says that he's never going to be able to hit Escargoon with his hammer again. ^note In the original Japanese version, he instead thanks Escargoon for taking all that abuse from him up until now. Then they hug as they cry together.
• In "Scare Tactics - Part 2" Dedede and Escargoon are stuck investigating a spooky house at night together. They grab hold of each other a lot and even invoke Sleep Cute when they sleep together in a bed in the house.
  • After King Dedede beats Escargoon up in the shower after mistaking him for a ghost, he's shocked to discover who he actually beat up, and angrily tells Escargoon that he was looking all over for him, and was almost worried about him. Escargoon is moved to tears that Dedede cared about him enough to go out looking for him.
  Escargoon: You mean you were afraid for me? (hugs Dedede and starts sobbing into his shoulder) Thanks for caring!
  • In the original, he instead says this:
  Escargoon: I'm so happy you didn't forget about me... (embraces him) I missed you so much!
  • And then they cling together again for quite a few seconds when a ghost (actually a disguised Kirby) comes down the hallway towards them.
• The original beginning of episode 55, oh boy. It opens with Escargoon singing about King Dedede in the castle hallways while dancing and holding sparkling roses. Then he enters a room and puts the flowers in a vase on a table, still singing. Then he takes a rose from the vase and kisses it while singing "I love His Majesty." ^note The form of "love" used here could also refer to the "respect/admire" kind of love, though. And then Dedede comes up behind him and he turns to look, with an expression on Escargoon's face benefiting someone who accidentally confessed their love to someone who was listening. (Un)fortunately, the song was changed in the dub to Escargoon merely saying that he only sticks around the king for the hopes of becoming king himself one day.
  • Here's Escargoon's whole song in the original:
  He's always a thorn in my side,
  That demon Dedede
  But it's really hard for Escargon
  Laughing off failed schemes,
  And blaming it all on me
  He's truly very selfish,
  But I love His Majesty.
  • The ensuing conversation with Dedede makes it even more blatant:
  Dedede: Did you just say you loved me?
  Escargoon: (Blushes and drops the rose, covering his face in embarrassment) Er, no, I didn't mean anything by it...
• They actually confess their love for each other in the Japanese episode 69 when they believe they're going to die in the woods, as seen above. When Escargoon tells Dedede that "this forest is going to be our graves", Dedede tells him that he wants to live longer, and that he loved him. Escargoon replies that he loves him as well. It's got a lot of qualities of the Now or Never Kiss, except without an actual kiss.
  • Also, it’s episode 69.
• This wonderful line from the original Japanese version of "Fossil Fools":
  Escargoon: Your Majesty! Don't abandon me! Did you forget the night we vowed to never be apart?
• In the Japanese version of episode 49, the Art Shift scene has the pair complimenting each other. While Escargon calls Dedede cool, Dedede tells Escargon “You are just beautiful”.

Other

• In "A Princess in Dis-dress", Tiff develops a crush on Commander Vee, who is actually the real Princess Rona in disguise. Tiff had a crush on "him" thinking she was a boy. When she discovers the truth, she stops being interested in "him", but she doesn't take much importance to it. Instead, she ''encourages'' Rona to continue the charade and continue her plan to stop king Dedede.
• Remember the hilarious moment in "Cooking Up Trouble", where Sword and Blade insulted Meta Knight's cooking? In the Japanese version "Transforming Robot! Cookinger-Z!", Sword and Blade wistfully watch Sir Ebrum and his family enjoy the meal, and quietly wish that they could "be at peace" like them. Bonus points for this moment taking place seconds after Lady Like shows up, and they run off when Meta Knight asks them what's wrong.