Kassai and Luk (original title: Samba et Leuk le lièvre) is an Animated Fantasy Series by Marathon Media Group based on Dogon Mythology.
The series tells the story of Kassai, a young man from an African tribe, Luk, a hare who has been turned anthropomorphic by a magic spell, and Princess Marana, a woman who was cursed to be a gazelle by day, and a human by night.
The story primarily focuses on a quest the three are on to rebuild the goddess Koorie, who is the patron deity of Kassai's village. The quest takes the three on a journey across Africa to find the various items they will need to complete their task. Along the way, they are accosted by Toguum, a fire deity who is determined to end them in their quest, and will do whatever it takes to stop them.
The series was developed in 1996, and aired in 1997.
Kassai and Luk contains examples of:
- Bare Midriffs Are Feminine: Kassai and Luk both wear tunics that fully cover their upper bodies. Marana, meawhile, wears a midriff-baring tube top in her human form.
- Dismantled MacGuffin: The statue of Koorie was scattered across the African continent.
- Forced Transformation: Marana was cursed by Toguum to turn into a gazelle during the day. She changes back to human form at night, but will resume her gazelle form when the sun comes up.
- Happily Married: Kassai marries Marana at the end of the series.
- Interspecies Adoption: Kassai was found by lions as a baby.
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: Marana is forcibly transformed in a gazelle.
- Magic Pants: Whenever Marana turns into a gazelle, her clothes disappear. They appear back on her upon resuming human form.
- Name and Name: Kassai and Luk, naturally.
- Speak in Unison: The Nommos Kassai regularly sought information from did this. The sole exception was learning why Marana changed into a gazelle.
- Talking Animal: Marana, when she's in gazelle form.
