Nu, Pogodi!

Nu, Pogodi! (Ну, погоди!) is a Soviet (and now Russian) children's cartoon reminiscent of Tom and Jerry. (The creators of the show claim that they've never seen Tom and Jerry, although they did admit to being inspired by post-World War II Walt Disney films). The first film was released in 1969. The 20th (and so far last) was released in October, 2006.

In classic Road Runner vs. Coyote fashion, it follows the adventures of an anthropomorphic wolf who constantly chases after a hare in an urban environment. The Hare is an embodiment of youth, athleticism and intellectual virtues, while the Wolf is a chain-smoking, alcohol-swilling lowlife.

The series is notable for its eclectic soundtrack, from old Russian folk songs to 1980s techno. More often than not, the animation is synchronized with the music down to a frame.

"Nu, Pogodi!" translates roughly as "Just You Wait!", which is indeed what it was titled when aired on TV outside Soviet Russia. Yes, the show has been translated to English. However, apparently dubbing was done on a rather low budget. Cyrillic text was hastily blanked out and replaced with electronically generated English translations and only when the text is to be prominently visible, voice acting was just so-so, and the translators didn't even bother with translating any of the songs with vocals in them, leaving the songs unintelligible to non-Russophone viewers.

Some of the shorts are available to watch on YouTube with English subtitles. The Internet Archive also has episodes, but without subtitles.


 * Alla Pugacheva: As an Anthropomorphic Animal (a fox). Hare and Wolf run into her dressing room and then both end up singing her song, Iceberg.
 * Also in episode 14: Million Scarlet Roses plays in the background when Wolf visits Zayats. The fact that he came over wearing fancy clothing and bringing cider and red flowers just boosts the Ho Yay Up to Eleven.
 * The Alleged Car: Wolf's car in episode 14 - a total junker with mismatched wheels, a coal-powered engine (complete with a chimney), an umbrella for a brake, shoebrushes for windshield wipers, a bicycle handlebar for a steering wheel and a Mercedes-Benz hood ornament. It falls apart after Wolf gets out of it, but magically comes together as he gets in it later.
 * All Just a Dream: Episode 16, where Wolf passes out on the beach and dreams he's living in a world of Russian folk tale legends. Also Episode 9, where Wolf is Trapped in TV Land, but it's ultimately revealed as a hallucination induced by a broken TV set. Or Was It a Dream?
 * A Wolf Named Wolf: So is Hare.
 * Amusement Park: Setting for Episode 2.
 * Ass in a Lion Skin: In one short, the Wolf is thrown out of a TV studio when he tries to sneak in, and keeps re-entering in attempted disguises as other animals (e.g., wearing a black-and-white striped shirt and claiming to be a zebra, or dropping on all fours with a big bowl on his back and proclaiming to be a tortoise). None of these work.
 * Barefoot Cartoon Animals
 * Beach Episode: The very first one, as well as episode 19.
 * Call Back: In Episode 10 the Wolf has a dream that mirrors a scene in the first episode, except the roles are reversed and the Hare is pursuing him.
 * Catapult Nightmare: Episode 17, in which the Wolf dreams of the Hare turning into a werewolf.
 * Catch Phrase: Wolf's "Nu, Zayats, pogodi!" ("Well, Hare, you just wait!"). In the English dubs, it's "Just! You! Wait!".
 * Catch That Hare
 * Determinator: see Catch Phrase above.
 * Efficient Displacement: The Wolf does this in episode 2.
 * Furry Confusion: One episode had Wolf running from an anthropomorphic lion, and another episode had him locked in a cage with a real lion.
 * Hair-Trigger Avalanche: The Wolf triggers this after chasing the Hare on a ski lift in Episode 8, merely by whispering his Catch Phrase.
 * I Am Not Spock: Anatoly Papanov, an extremely talented actor who voiced Wolf, hated being associated with the role.
 * Instant Dogend
 * Licensed Game: A release as a title from the Elektronika IM series of handheld games (said handheld is pictured on said trope's page).
 * The game has since been (unofficially) adapted to other systems. And yes, there is an iPhone version.
 * Mickey Mousing: The action is often synchronized with the music, while not shoving it in your face.
 * Milestone Celebration: Epodode 17 was the 25th anniversary special. Wolf and Hare come out onstage in old-age makeup and canes before changing back to their old selves.
 * Mistaken for An Impostor: An episode has the Hare scaring away the Wolf with a lion mask... followed by the Wolf trying to beat up a real Lion...
 * New Year Has Come: Episode 8 (it looks like Christmas, but this is Soviet Russia).
 * No Cartoon Fish
 * Non-Mammal Mammaries: The series uses this. Amusingly, sows are depicted as having more than one pair of breasts.
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse: The Olympics episode has the Wolf mistake an Asian hare for the Hare. The Asian hare is wearing a robe, has quite obviously slanted eyes, bows to the Wolf as a greeting, and then proceeds to beat him up when the Wolf attacks.
 * Product Placement: To an embarrassing degree in the 1990s revival episodes (17 and 18), made after the fall of Communism.
 * Real Men Wear Pink: Wolf is almost always wearing a pink shirt. He also has pink flower-printed boxers.
 * Recurring Character: The most frequent one is a hippopotamus who the Wolf always accidentally antagonizes while chasing after the Hare, much to the Wolf's eventual regret. A cat magician also pops up from time to time.
 * Road Runner vs. Coyote
 * Robot Me: A robot Hare causes the Wolf all kinds of trouble in episode 14.
 * Shoot the Television: Wild tribesmen fling spears at the TV in episode 17 after being displeased with an episode of "Nu Pogodi".
 * Silence Is Golden: Other than the Wolf's Catch Phrase line, there is very little dialogue.
 * Smoking Is Cool: Wolf was originally portrayed as more of a law-breaking rebel with a bad smoking habit. He's quit by episode 20, though, replacing his trademark crooked cigarette with a lollipop.
 * Super-Powered Robot Meter Maids: One episode had Wolf stumbling on a robot replacement for Hare. All it did was mutter "Hare. Wolf." over and over. Wolf hits it once, and it turns into a killing machine with Eye Beams and hands that shoot electricity.
 * Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Oddly, the little hare, who, despite sporting long eyelashes, big blue eyes and pink cheeks, engaging in girly activities such as watering flowers and being voiced by a woman, is (the artist insists) a male.
 * There's no Viewer Gender Confusion in this case, because the hare in question is called/named just the Hare, and the Russian word for "hare" ("Zayats") is masculine by default, implying that the Hare is indeed a boy. Don't ask. He is also wearing shorts. The trope is played straight with a lot of other anthropomorphic animals appearing in the series, whose genders are determined mostly through the pants vs. skirt method.
 * The Teaser: Each of them ends with the Wolf's Catch Phrase.
 * Through a Face Full of Fur: The wolf attempts to karate-chop a log, and smashes his hand. It turns crimson, and he has to run a faucet over it to cool it off.
 * Title Drop
 * Trapped in TV Land: Episode 9, except it's a real TV studio rather than a fictional TV universe where Wolf is trapped.
 * Villainous Crossdresser: Wolf in the New Year episode, dressed as The Snow Maiden. Yep, you heard that right.
 * The Wolf does it again in episode 19. This time, he steals a sow's swimsuit, and actually passes off as her until he takes his hat off. Note that female pigs in this show wear three bras and are extremely fat.
 * Wafer-Thin Mint: In one episode, the Wolf had barely managed to lift a very heavy barbell, when a butterfly lands on it, with predictable results.
 * Wholesome Crossdresser: Hare does this on one occasion. Unluckily, he's dressed like a famous Russian singer and he happens to get stuck on stage in front of hundreds of fans.