The second season of the anime series "Pop Team Epic" is set to air in 2022, but did you watch the first season? When it first aired, it was a big hit on social media and was well received by many anime fans, but since it's been a while since the first season aired, I'm sure there are many fans who have forgotten the content of the series. There are probably also fans who never watched the first season of the anime, so this time I would like to look back on the content of the first season of "Pop Team Epic". We will also introduce the information and settings you need to enjoy watching the second season even more, so please check it out!
Episode 1: Encounter
This is the memorable first episode of this work. I'm sure many fans were surprised when it started as a mysterious anime called "Hoshiiro☆Girl Drop" from the very beginning. (I also mistakenly thought I was watching the wrong anime, and had to go back from the Amazon Prime video screen on my browser several times to check...) The first episode of the anime is full of Pop Team Epic vibes.
The voice actors that both parties wanted in the original work!
And what I want to point out most of all is that the voice actor duo in the first half of episode 1 of the anime was the same voice actor that Popuko and Pipimi wanted in the original! This is a very happy element for fans of the original work. It is clear that this is a work that is cherished not only by anime viewers but also by fans of the original work.
Episode 2: Van Vu, a Different Dimension Game
From episode 2, the title has become a completely playful mood. From the title alone, you can imagine that the content is reminiscent of a certain card battle work, but the card battle element is not that important, and there are also live-action part depictions and NHK parodies, so you can enjoy a well-rounded parody.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ?
Therefore, even if you are not familiar with the original "Yu-Gi-Oh!", you can still enjoy the second episode of the anime. As this work unfolds many parodies in a short time, I think it can be said that even if you are not interested in the anime world, you can enjoy it to the fullest as there are many parodies of works you may have seen somewhere.
Episode 3: The Document
This episode has a slightly larger amount of idol material. It is a radical story that is not usually depicted in animations that depict idols, and while it would be terrible if such an idol really existed, the dark-hearted idol Popuko as a character is interesting. This episode is irresistible with its poisonous development that is typical of Pop Team Epic.
NHK Parody
This is an episode in the style of an NHK documentary, and many fans seem to be addicted to the fast-paced development and the satirical content that nicely depicts the behind-the-scenes of the idol industry. It can be said that this episode is one of the most popular among the many episodes. The many dark remarks that Popcorn says in this episode have been used as material for many social media posts. In that sense, it is a popular episode.
Episode 4 SWGP2018
Episode 4, which aired right in the middle of the Olympic season, was packed with Olympic themes, making it even more enjoyable for fans who were watching the Olympics on the news at the time.
Covering current events
This is a parody work that uses anime industry jokes and slightly older internet memes as its weapons, but it also flexibly responds to current events, making it a work that can be enjoyed by a wide range of anime fans.
Episode 5 Imo☆Yoba
This episode, set in a fictional anime, where Popuko and Pipimi go wild, was a hot topic because it was voiced by the popular voice actors Tomokazu Sugita and Yuichi Nakayama. The pair of Tomokazu Sugita and Yuichi Nakayama is one of the most popular pairs of voice actors, so if you're a fan who's interested in the dialogue between voice actors, be sure to watch this episode!
Pay attention to the ad-lib skills of Tomokazu Sugita and Yuichi Nakayama!
In particular, Sugita Tomokazu and Nakayama Yuichi are known to be best friends, and the ad-libs that can only be done by two people who are actually close are very worth watching. This is the episode that is most highly rated by fans who love voice actors, so be sure to check it out!
Episode 6: The 30th Cyber Battle
This episode is based on "Hikaru no Go" and shogi, which was a big hit at the time. The original title was a game called "Den-O-Sen" hosted by Dwango, where humans and computers competed against each other, and was popular mainly on Nico Nico Douga at the time.
Unexpected Shogi Topic
Shogi and animation, which have been attracting attention mainly on NicoNico Douga since the early 2000s, actually go well together, and this episode became a viewing point for many anime and shogi fans. Another interesting point is the mysterious development in which the content of the match goes beyond the rules of shogi halfway through.
Episode 7 Hellshake Yano
This episode is structured in two parts: the usual "Pop Team Epic" style development, and the development in which Hellshake Yano, who has been a mob character until now, plays an active role. One of the charms of this work is that it includes a short work with unprecedentedly messy drawing, centered around "Bobunemimi".
An unexpected mob character,
Hellshake Yano is one of the few mob characters to appear in this work, which has few mob characters, and has gained a cult following among some core fans. He boasts one of the longest jaws in the anime world, and is often used as a joke on social media along with the Emperor from "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" and Jonouchi from "Yu-Gi-Oh!", who has an abnormally long jaw.
Episode 8: Iidabashi's Rising Dragon - Pipi's Resurrection
This episode is based on the Yakuza, a major genre in Japanese cinema. With depictions of prisons and extremely rough language, this episode shows off its strong quirks from the beginning.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity!!
In particular, there are many parodies of the "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" series, making this a work that can be enjoyed by fans of not only anime but also Japanese films. However, I think that people in their 40s and 50s will be happy with this content, and it's amazing how they managed to incorporate this content into an animation with this style...
Episode 9: Miracles and Dance
After a parody of a Japanese film in episode 8, the next episode features many parodies of Western films. Among Western films, the parodies are all super popular works that everyone knows, so this episode is very easy to enjoy for viewers of all ages.
Episode 10 Ginza Hostess Detective
This episode mainly parodies mystery works. It can be said that this episode carefully depicts the common scenes in mystery works, such as the criminal's confession on the cliff, which is a common scene in mystery dramas and anime. It can be said that this episode is where Pipimi's acting shines, so if you are a fan of Pipimi, please check it out.
Episode 11 - Cursed House
This episode is a parody of a horror movie. Of course, it's not a scary story, but it's an episode that reinterprets the common horror stories that unfold one after another in a Pop Team Epic way, making it fun and entertaining. Even fans who don't like scary things can enjoy this work with a smile, so please feel free to watch it.
Episode 12 THE AGE OF POP TEAM EPIC
This is the final episode of the first season of the anime. This episode depicts a rather mysterious development in which the main characters Popuko and Pipimi fight against the mysterious final boss "King Records," which has never been mentioned before. I would like to pay tribute to their attitude of pursuing the essence of Pop Team Epic without wavering even in the final episode.
A raging final episode
As such, this work can be said to be a work that has continued to pursue its own unique development without wavering once from the first episode to the last episode. Throughout the work, you can enjoy loving parodies of various works, and it is a work that can be enjoyed by a wide range of viewers, from core fans who have watched various anime and movies, to those who like voice actors, and anime fans.
Summary
What did you think? This time, we looked back on the first season of the anime "Pop Team Epic". It is a work that is drawn with raging momentum from episode 1 to episode 12, so if you just watch the first half, you can enjoy it easily. It's a work that can be enjoyed easily on VOD such as Amazon Prime, so please give it a watch. Anime Mill has many other articles about this work, "Pop Team Epic," so please enjoy them as well!
