From left to right: Rivet and Figaro.
The Adventures of Figaro Pho is an Australian CGI animated series created by Luke Jurevicius, who also voiced the titular character and composed much of the show's soundtrack.
The show stars a shy boy named Figaro Pho, who lives in a gothic mansion with his robot dog, Rivet. Figaro suffers from all sorts of different phobias. Every episode is centered on, and named after, a specific phobia, which Figaro conquers in that episode. While most shows would do this by showing that Figaro's phobias aren't things to be afraid of, this show does the opposite: It manifests the various phobias as threatening villains, which Figaro and Rivet then defeat.
The show is unique in that there is no dialogue. Instead, the characters make sounds such as groaning, laughing, screaming, etc. and the stories are told visually.
The Adventures of Figaro Pho contains examples of:
- Amusing Injuries: Used constantly, to keep the show more lighthearted.
- Artistic License: While some are definitely real, many of the phobias are made up for the sake of the show. Some of the names of existing phobias are also changed for the sake of the show (For example: In the A-Z Figaro Pho shorts, the fear of cats is called "Felinophobia", when the phobia's ACTUAL name is "Elurophobia").
- Butt-Monkey:
- The mailman is the victim of more Amusing Injuries than any other character. Also, in "Fear of Rivals", we see an Ambiguously Gay side of him.
- Figaro himself gets a lot of misfortune from his phobias.
- Canine Companion: Rivet, Figaro's mechanical mutt.
- Cowardly Lion: Figaro is afraid of everything, but that doesn't stop him from fighting back against the villains, especially when his Canine Companion Rivet is put in danger.
- Creepy Circus Music:
- Used throughout the "Fear of Clowns" episode, especially in scenes where the Monster Clown is pulling his cruel pranks.
- In the episode "Myth or Pho", Figaro, dressed up as a monster, has been captured by a nature photographer who puts Figaro on display, like a circus attraction, while creepy circus music plays in the background.
- Cute Machines: Rivet is Figaro's tiny, playful, and kindhearted Robot Dog.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Implied with Figaro's rival in the "Fear of Rivals" episode. When he first meets Figaro's mailman, the mailman giggles suggestively.
- Evil Laugh: The villains do this a lot. Even the giant fish in the "Fear of Fish" episode has an epic one!
- Fish Eyes: Rivet sometimes dons this expression, such as in the "Fear of Mad Dogs" episode when he is malfunctioning.
- Flying Saucer: One appears in the opening for both seasons so far. In both openings, it's the first supernatural threat to appear.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Figaro is implied to be one, having not only built Rivet, but also various machines around his mansion.
- The Grim Reaper: He comes to Figaro's house in his self-titled episode to take Figaro to the afterlife. When Figaro insists that he isn't dead, the Grim Reaper follows him around, trying to get Figaro killed so he can do his job.
- Gonk: Many characters are designed this way, and treated as such In-Universe. For example:
- The mailman is balding, wrinkly, and has large eyes. His appearance adds to the many ways that he is the show's Butt-Monkey.
- Those Two Guys, who are bald, middle-aged men.
- The Monster Clown from the show's opening and "Fear of Clowns" episode, due to his exaggerated, distorted features.
- The bald old lady who runs the store.
- Jerkass: There are many jerky characters in the show:
- The Monster Clown whose pranks are flat-out abusive.
- The "doctor" who keeps a penguin strapped up in his truck, and uses its spit to make "medicine", which he charges a fortune for.
- Those Two Guys in the episode "Waltergeist", where they have become ghost-hunters. After catching the ghost, they refuse to leave Figaro's house, instead eating his food and trying to kick him out.
- Kid Hero: Figaro, a young boy who constantly overcomes his fears.
- Man-Eating Plant: Figaro raises one in one episode. It's a Shout-Out to Audrey II from Little Shop Of Horrors, but unlike Audrey, this plant resembles a pitcher plant rather than a Venus flytrap.
- Mime and Music-Only Cartoon: Although the show uses some vocal sounds, like laughing or screaming, there are no actual lines of dialogue.
- Monster Clown:
- One episode focuses on coulrophobia, the fear of clowns. In it, the main antagonist is a sadistic clown who enjoys playing cruel pranks on Figaro. Most of his "lines" are laughing. Said clown is also featured in the show's opening sequence, where he towers over Figaro and laughs.
- Downplayed in the episode "Waltergeist", where Figaro meets the ghost of a clown named Walter, who is an Expy of the clown mentioned above. Walter is
Chaotic Neutral more than anything else, as he pranks everyone from Figaro to the Jerkass ghost hunters. Also, his pranks are much less sadistic than the other clown's.
- Monster of the Week: Every episode focuses on a different phobia, usually manifesting said phobia as a character who serves as the villain for the episode.
- New Job as the Plot Demands: Those Two Guys take on many jobs, such as ballet dancing and ghost hunting.
- Ominous Pipe Organ:
- Used in the "Fear of Becoming a Vampire" episode whenever Figaro acts like a vampire.
- In the "Fear of Being Ugly" episode, Figaro plays scary music on a pipe organ in a Shout-Out to The Phantom of the Opera.
- Parody Sue: Figaro's rival in the "Fear of Rivals" episode. Even the action figure based on him is indestructible!
- Perky Goth: Figaro Pho is a timid boy who wears lots of black and lives in a gothic mansion. However, he built a Robot Dog who he loves to play with, and has very childlike enthusiasm at times.
- Punny Name: Figaro Pho's last name is the prefix of "phobia", because he is afraid of so many things.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: While Rivet is hyperactive, fun-loving, and not scared as easily, Figaro is more refined and timid.
- Robot Buddy: Rivet, Figaro's Robot Dog.
- Robot Dog: Rivet. Figaro specifically built him to cope with his fear of being alone.
- Scare Chord: In Season 1, a scare chord is used in every title card, which are always displayed when the conflict for the episode is first set up.
- Sinister Tango Music: The opening sequence, which shows Figaro being frightened and chased by some of the monsters that appear in the show, is accompanied by a classy-sounding tango tune.
- That Poor Cat: Used so often you'd think Figaro's house was infested with invisible cats.
- Those Two Guys: In Season 2, two middle-aged men, one short and skinny, one tall and fat, are recurring characters. They do lots of things together, from ballet dancing to ghost hunting.
- Toilet Humor: A common occurrence. Even the villains are prone to doing things like farting.
- Weak, but Skilled: Figaro is not physically strong, but he is quite the Gadgeteer Genius.
