Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for King of the Hill season 14, episode 9.In an unexpected move, the King of the Hill revival brought back one of Hank’s most overlooked relatives. Almost every main character from the original show returned in the King of the Hill revival. While Luanne and Lucky aren’t in the revival, everyone from Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer to Cotton Hill (as a memory) and his third son, Good Hank, made an appearance.
That last appearance, Good Hank and his mother, Didi, actually made it possible for Hank’s most obscure relative to appear. Some King of the Hill fans may not know or remember that Hank had another half-brother besides Good Hank, but he was the subject of a fan-favorite two-part episode back in 2002, and he lasted all the way to King of the Hill season 14.
Junichiro Makes A Cameo After Being Mostly Ignored
Hank, Junichiro, and Good Hank Were All Called To Receive Cotton’s Settlement Money
Surprisingly enough, Hank’s Japanese half-brother, Junichiro, makes a cameo in King of the Hill season 14, episode 9. King of the Hill‘s creators actually teased Junichiro’s comeback in an interview with ScreenRant, but the cameo was still a surprise. Junichiro, Hank, and Hank’s other half-brother, Good Hank, all attended a meeting about Cotton, their father.
As the lawyer explained, Cotton was part of a class-action lawsuit against a company who sold lotion that promised to grow shins back. Junichiro was easily the most surprising part of the entire meeting, however, as he hasn’t appeared since Luanne’s wedding in King of the Hill season 11, and he hasn’t had a speaking line since season 6.
Cotton famously had his shins shot off in World War II by “fiddy” (50) Japanese soldiers. His feet were then sewn directly onto his knees, making him significantly shorter than Hank.
King of the Hill is filled with small but memorable characters. John Redcorn, for example, only appears in 40 episodes, yet he’s a well-known figure of the show. Still, Junichiro is an extremely niche character for the King of the Hill revival to bring back. Though he is a relatively minor character, it was nice to see him again after all these years, even if it was only briefly.
Fans May Have Forgotten About Junichiro
Junichiro Is Such A Minor KotH Character That Fans May Have Forgotten About Him After Over A Decade
The only problem with Junichiro’s cameo in King of the Hill season 14, episode 9 was that some viewers may not have recognized him. As previously mentioned, it’s been 18 years since Junichiro appeared in King of the Hill and 23 years since his beloved two-part special. Most KotH fans probably don’t remember who Junichiro is after all this time.
The King of the Hill revival also does very little to remind viewers of Junichiro’s connection to Hank. Aside from saying they’re half-brothers, KotH doesn’t say anything about how Junichiro was Cotton’s illegitimate son after he was injured in Japan, or Hank’s history with him. Junichiro basically had to be there to get Hank and GH in the same room, but it would still have been confusing for most viewers.
Even though Junichiro’s cameo may have flown over some heads, it does display that the creators of King of the Hill have just as good a memory as its viewers. Junichiro is the type of character who could have easily been forgotten, but the King of the Hill revival was too careful to leave him out.
King of the Hill
7/10
- Release Date
-
January 12, 1997
- Network
-
FOX, Hulu
- Directors
-
Tricia Garcia, Adam Kuhlman, Dominic Polcino, Gary McCarver, Anthony Lioi, Jeff Myers, Allan Jacobsen, Shaun Cashman, Klay Hall, Ken Wong, Ron Rubio, Tony Kluck, Wes Archer, Matt Engstrom, Anthony Chun, John Rice, Michael Dante DiMartino, Monte Young, Brian Sheesley, Julius Wu, Lauren MacMullan, Yvette Kaplan, Steve Robertson, Pat Shinagawa
-
Mike Judge
Hank Hill / Boomhauer (voice)
-
Kathy Najimy
Peggy Hill (voice)
