List of Drillimation references in animated TV shows

This is a complete list of Drillimation references hidden within animated television shows. Many of these references are hidden within anime and cartoon shows across the globe. Mostly-animated hybrid television shows also go on this list.

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

 * Origin: United States


 * Several episodes have plot ties to episodes of the 1986 Mr. Driller series.

The Amazing World of Gumball

 * Origin: United Kingdom


 * In the Season 2 episode The Phone, Darwin and Gumball attempt a "combo breaker" several times throughout the episode, referencing the mechanic from Killer Minecraft.
 * In the Season 3 episode The Society during Gumball's audition, one of the scenes he tries to reenact appears to be the gameplay from Super Smash Keyboards.
 * In the Season 5 episode The Test, Gumball almost kills Tobias in the style of a Super Smash Keyboards fatality.

Animals

 * Origin: Poland/United States


 * The show has used numerous Drillimation references throughout the series, mainly because Kyle Zchol (the creator of the show) is a huge fan of the Touhou Project series. As of December 2017, there have been 6,750,991 references used throughout the series (19,231,972 if you count all 5 films).

Asobi Asobase

 * Origin: Japan


 * In the ninth episode, around 18 minutes in, a pin depicting Reisen Udongein Inaba can be seen on a backpack.

Baby Alive
Notable examples and dubs ONLY, as there are over 10,000 Drillimation references in the show.
 * Origin: Island of Sally, Amedisa, Ireland


 * In the episode Harpsichordic Reactions, when Alive tries to wake up a dog, she plays four measures of the harpsichord part of Plain Asia from Touhou 8: Imperishable Night.
 * In the Miami Spanish dub, due to it being unauthorised (unofficial), the backing track has sound effects directly ripped from Drillimation games.
 * In the Puerto Changuese Spanish dub, Dead frequently references The Drillimation Series in her lines, as she is currently voiced by Núria Artiñano, the current Spanish voice of Konata Izumi.
 * The show revealed various things about Drillimation's games in European languages.

Country Ninjas

 * Origin: YinYangia


 * Minecraftia Ninja frequently references The Drillimation Series in his lines, as he is voiced by Susumu Takajima.

Creation Show

 * Origin: United States


 * The Drillimation Series is referenced numerous times throughout the series, with one episode named Drillimation Moves In.

Dexter's Laboratory

 * Origin: United States


 * In the episode Copping an Aptitude, Dexter is studying while three college students are playing Driller Engine Grand Prix 2. The girl says, "Ha! Eat my dust, Kagami!" The boy says, "Oh yeah? Well here comes the leader shell!" The second boy then says, "Here's Lightning for both of you!" As the scene ends, Dexter tells the three to shut up, and the sound that plays when a player completes a lap can be heard.

Ef - A Tale of Memories

 * Origin: Japan


 * In the first episode, at right around eight minutes in, Mizuki Hayama can be seen playing the fourth stage of Touhou 8: Imperishable Night.

Haruhi Suzumiya

 * Origin: Japan


 * Nagaru Tanigawa, the creator of the franchise, confirmed in a 2009 interview at a Dutch convention that the titular character and her reality warping powers were inspired by the Reality Attacker story arc of the 1986 Mr. Driller anime.
 * In the Drillimation danmaku shooter adaptation, Susumu Hori makes a cameo in one of her spell cards' backgrounds.

It's Jerry and Harry

 * Origin: Minecraftia


 * In the episode If Video Games Were Real, one of the games Jerry and Harry try to play is a version of Driller Engine Grand Prix.

Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai!

 * Origin: Japan


 * Around halfway around in the third episode, Yamato can be seen playing a Touhou Project-esque game. She can be seen playing it again in the ninth episode, but on a Theorysonic Titan.

Natsu no Arashi!

 * Origin: Japan


 * In the first episode, at right around seven minutes in, a Yukkuri Reimu appears on a weather vane.

New Game!

 * Origin: Japan


 * The main character, Aoba Suzukaze, was hugely inspired by Kagami Hiiragi. According to an interview with Drillimation, the manga's creator, Shoutarou Tokunou, was a former Drillimation employee and has also played the Lucky Star games as a child.
 * Hifumi's hedgehog, Soujirou, was named after Lord Soujirou.

Pop Team Epic

 * Origin: Japan


 * In the seventh episode during the Pop Team 8bit segment, the segment starts out with a Driller Engine Grand Prix parody. This is because the creator of the manga is a former Drillimation employee, who worked on some of the Touhou Project games.

Robot Chicken

 * Origin: United States


 * A parody of Dig Dug appears in the episode President Evil.
 * One segment features a Driller Engine Grand Prix parody, with Susumu Hori, Wataru Hoshi, and Leopold Slikk making an appearance.

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat

 * Origin: United States, Canada


 * The episode The Four Dragons was inspired by the Mystical Dragons arc of the 1986 Mr. Driller anime, which in turn was based on the Chinese folktale "The Four Dragons" which is covered in the Sagwa episode. This is because CinéGroupe, the show's producer, was the distributor of Drillimation anime in several countries for years.
 * In the XTek/NewKidCo open world adaptation Sagwa and the Shanghai Teahouse, Dongwa writes Susumu Takajima's name in Chinese (the kanji of his name, 高島　進) on a wall of the palace alleyway at one point. This is because XTek was formed as a joint-venture between Drillimation and Caspovian record label Siempre Música to produce games based off licensed properties with the assistance of Drillimation staff, before being bought out by Drillimation entirely.

SpongeBob SquarePants

 * Origin: United States


 * One scene in the episode Chum Caverns has Mr. Krabs and Plankton dig underground in the style of Dig Dug, where they try to make the other fall. They were able to do this since Stephen Hillenburg is a former Drillimation Studios California animator.

Umineko

 * Origin: Japan


 * In the sixth episode, Jessica, one of the protagonists, cosplays as Marisa Kirisame and sings Tsurupettan, a Touhou song that itself makes reference to the author's previous work, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Jessica herself, a young blonde girl using DAZE way of speaking, is inspired by Marisa. They were able to do this since the main creator, is a former Drillimation employee.
 * The anime changes the song but adds in background characters dressed as Reimu Hakurei on electric piano, Alice Margatroid on percussion, Sakuya Izayoi on bass and Aya Shameimaru on guitar.
 * This scene is made into a stage with Tsurupettan as a BGM and an attack in Killer Minecraft 6: Antinomy of Common Flowers, where an alternate skin for Marisa Kirisame based on Jessica was released as DLC.

Uresei Yatsura

 * Origin: Japan


 * The series' creator, Rumiko Takahashi, confirmed in an interview with Drillimation that the main character, Ataru, was named after Ataru Hori.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

 * Origin: United States


 * Several songs, including the show's theme song, sound similar to songs from the 2003 Mr. Driller anime. This is because Brad Mossman, better known as b. MOSSMAN, was a composer for both.