Pop Team Epic

Template:Nihongo is a Japanese four-panel surreal comedy webcomic and digital manga series written and illustrated by Bkub Okawa (alternatively romanized as "Bukubu Okawa"), which started serialization on Takeshobo's Manga Life Win website in August 2014. Takeshobo has released seven volumes in Japan. The manga is licensed in North America by Vertical.

The manga chronicles the misadventures of two 14-year-old girls named Popuko and Pipimi, who encounter a variety of both mundane and bizarre situations and respond to them in equally bizarre and exaggerated ways. The manga is noted for its frequent parodies of pop culture and its combination of surrealism, absurdity, and non-sequitur, all of which have contributed to it developing a cult following among both Japanese and Western audiences. An anime television series adaptation animated by Kamikaze Douga and produced by King RecordsTemplate:Efn aired on Tokyo MX and other channels from January 7, 2018 to December 18, 2022 for two seasons. The first season concluded on March 25, 2018, and two special episodes aired on April 1, 2019. The second season was co-produced by Space Neko CompanyTemplate:Efn and premiered on October 2, 2022.

Characters

Template:Nihongo

One of two protagonists. A quick-tempered, short, blondish orange-haired school girl.

Episode	Japanese voice actor	English voice actor	Notes
1 S1–1	Masashi Ebara, Yūji Mitsuya (original) Mami Koyama, Ryūsei Nakao (Repeat)	Christopher R. Sabat, Justin Briner
2 S1–2	Aoi Yūki, Toshio Furukawa (original) Sumire Morohoshi, Tesshō Genda (Repeat)	Trina Nishimura, Sonny Strait
3 S1–3	Mikako Komatsu, Ryūsei Nakao (original) Eriko Nakamura, Sōma Saitō (Repeat)	Sarah Wiedenheft, Barry Yandell	Pop Team Epic Kinen
4 S1–4	Yōko Hikasa, Tesshō Genda (original) Sora Tokui, Showtaro Morikubo (Repeat)	Jad Saxton, Alejandro Saab
5 S1–5	Tomoko Kaneda, Yūichi Nakamura (original) Yūko Sanpei, Hiro Shimono (Repeat)	Cherami Leigh, Eric Vale
6 S1–6	Yūko Sanpei, Hiro Shimono (original) Nana Mizuki, Masaya Onosaka (Repeat)	Brittney Karbowski, Todd Haberkorn
7 S1–7	Satomi Kōrogi, Showtaro Morikubo, Shunsuke Itakura (AC-bu), Tōru Adachi (AC-bu) (Pop Team Story)	Alison Viktorin, Greg Ayres
8 S1–8	Sumire Morohoshi, Masaya Onosaka	Stephanie Sheh, Johnny Yong Bosch
9 S1–9	Eriko Nakamura, Sōma Saitō Tomoko Kaneda, Yūichi Nakamura (Repeat)	Alexis Tipton, Justin Cook
10 S1–10	Sora Tokui, Rikiya Koyama	Emily Neves, Cris George
11 S1–11	Nana Mizuki, Hozumi Gōda	Wendy Powell, Sean Schemmel
12 S1–12	Mami Koyama, Shō Hayami	Mikaela Krantz, Micah Solusod
13 SP–1	Yukari Tamura, Sōichirō Hoshi (Blue Dragon), Kana Hanazawa, Kappei Yamaguchi (White Tiger), Sakiko Tamagawa, Yūki Ono (Vermilion Bird), Yumiri Hanamori, Takahiro Sakurai (Black Tortoise)Template:Efn	Bryn Apprill, Bryce Papenbrook	Special
14 SP–2	Mariko Kouda, Nobuo Tobita (Blue Dragon), Emiri Katō, Tomokazu Seki (White Tiger), Junko Takeuchi, Toshihiko Seki (Vermilion Bird), Etsuko Kozakura, Hikaru Midorikawa (Black Tortoise)Template:Efn	Erica Mendez, Austin Tindle	Special
15 S2–1	Aya Hirano, Kazuhiko Inoue	Gwendolyn Lau, Bill Jenkins
16 S2–2	Romi Park, Nobuyuki Hiyama	Template:TBA
17 S2–3	Ikue Ōtani, Junya Enoki	Aaron Dismuke
18 S2–4	Megumi Han, Hiroya Ishimaru	Cristina Valenzuela, Ryan Colt Levy
19 S2–5	Junko Minagawa, Toshiyuki Toyonaga	Macy Anne Johnson, Derick Snow
20 S2–6	Mayumi Iizuka, Tasuku Hatanaka	Template:TBA
21 S2–7	Shunsuke Itakura (AC-bu), Koichi Yamadera	Christopher R. Sabat, Jim Foronda	Team AC special
22 S2–8	Asami Sanada, Kenyu Horiuchi	Jenny Yokobori, Christopher Wehkamp
23 S2–9	Megumi Ogata, Fumihiko Tachiki	Template:TBA
24 S2–10	Kumiko Watanabe, Nobuhiko Okamoto	Katelyn Barr, Ciaran Strange
25 S2-11	Aki Toyosaki, Takaya Kuroda	Template:TBA

• Bob Epic Team segments: Template:Voiced byTemplate:Efn
• Japon Mignon segments: Fanny BlocTemplate:Efn

Template:Nihongo

The second protagonist and Popuko's friend. A slightly less quick-tempered, tall, blue-haired school girl.

Episode	Japanese voice actor	English voice actor	Notes
1 S1–1	Hōchū Ōtsuka, Noriko Hidaka (original) Kotono Mitsuishi, Norio Wakamoto (Repeat)	Ian Sinclair, Colleen Clinkenbeard
2 S1–2	Ayana Taketatsu, Shigeru Chiba (original) Azusa Tadokoro, Akira Kamiya (Repeat)	Brina Palencia, Mike McFarland
3 S1–3	Sumire Uesaka, Norio Wakamoto (original) Asami Imai, Kaito Ishikawa (Repeat)	Jamie Marchi, Kent Williams	Pop Team Epic Kinen
4 S1–4	Satomi Satō, Akira Kamiya (original) Suzuko Mimori, Kōsuke Toriumi (Repeat)	Caitlin Glass, David Wald
5 S1–5	Yū Kobayashi, Tomokazu Sugita (original) Kaori Nazuka, Yūki Kaji (Repeat)	Monica Rial, J. Michael Tatum
6 S1–6	Kaori Nazuka, Yūki Kaji (original) Mamiko Noto, Daisuke Namikawa (Repeat)	Luci Christian, Jason Liebrecht
7 S1–7	Akiko Yajima, Kōsuke Toriumi, Tōru Adachi (AC-bu), Shunsuke Itakura (AC-bu) (Pop Team Story)	Stephanie Young, Chris Rager
8 S1–8	Azusa Tadokoro, Daisuke Namikawa	Leah Clark, Robert McCollum
9 S1–9	Asami Imai, Kaito Ishikawa Yū Kobayashi, Tomokazu Sugita (Repeat)	Kara Edwards, Jerry Jewell
10 S1–10	Suzuko Mimori, Wataru Takagi	Jessica Calvello, Christopher Bevins
11 S1–11	Mamiko Noto, Banjō Ginga	Cynthia Cranz, Michael Sinterniklaas
12 S1–12	Kotono Mitsuishi, Jouji Nakata	Kate Oxley, Matthew Mercer
13 SP–1	Yui Horie, Akira Ishida (Blue Dragon), Haruka Tomatsu, Kenichi Ogata (White Tiger), Atsuko Tanaka, Kenshō Ono (Vermilion Bird), Nao Tōyama, Jun Fukuyama (Black Tortoise)Template:Efn	Elizabeth Maxwell, Jessie James Grelle	Special
14 SP–2	Kikuko Inoue, Bin Shimada (Blue Dragon), Kaori Fukuhara, Yōsuke Akimoto (White Tiger), Rei Sakuma, Kōji Yusa (Vermilion Bird), Chisa Yokoyama, Takehito Koyasu (Black Tortoise)Template:Efn	Amanda Lee, Patrick Seitz	Special
15 S2–1	Minori Chihara, Ryō Horikawa	Lydia Mackay, Greg Dulcie
16 S2–2	Rie Kugimiya, Toshiyuki Morikawa	Aaron Roberts
17 S2–3	Inuko Inuyama, Yuma Uchida	Michele Knotz, Jarrod Greene
18 S2–4	Mariya Ise, Yū Mizushima	Reagan Murdock
19 S2–5	Yuki Kaida, Shintarō Asanuma	Megan Shipman
20 S2–6	Hekiru Shiina, Toshiki Masuda	Template:TBA
21 S2–7	Tōru Adachi (AC-bu), Koichi Yamadera	Ian Sinclair, Jim Foronda	Team AC special
22 S2–8	Kyoko Hikami, Akio Ōtsuka	Dani Chambers, Alex Organ
23 S2–9	Yūko Miyamura, Mugihito	Natalie Van Sistine, D.C. Douglas
24 S2–10	Kumiko Nishihara, Atsushi Abe	Dawn M. Bennett
25 S2-11	Minako Kotobuki, Hidenari Ugaki	Template:TBA
26 S2-12	Shuuichi Ikeda	Template:TBA

• Bob Epic Team segments: Template:Voiced byTemplate:Efn
• Japon Mignon segments: Christine Bellier (TV series), Kaycie Chase (TV special)Template:Efn

Media

Manga

Pop Team Epic is written and illustrated by Bkub Okawa, previously known for his Touhou Project dōjinshi. The series was serialized in Takeshobo's Manga Life Win website between August 29, 2014 and November 7, 2015. The first tankōbon volume was released in print on December 7, 2015. Okawa released the "second season" on the Manga Life Win website between February 18, 2016 and April 30, 2017. The second volume was released on June 7, 2017. A "third season" began on the Manga Life Win website on October 10, 2017. The manga is licensed in North America by Vertical, who began releasing the series in October 2018. A comic anthology based on the fictional Hoshiiro Girldrop manga featured in the series was released on January 9, 2018.

Anime

An anime adaptation of the series was announced on April 2, 2017. It was initially teased as an adaptation of Hoshiiro Girldrop on April Fool's Day 2017. The anime features animation by Kamikaze DougaTemplate:Efn and production by King RecordsTemplate:Efn, and is directed by Jun Aoki and Aoi Umeki. The first season aired on BS11, Tokyo MX and other networks for 12 episodes from January 7 to March 25, 2018, following a delay from October 2017 due to an "error by King Records". A television special aired on April 1, 2019 which consists of episodes 13 and 14.

Taking after its source manga, the anime takes the form of an animated parody show, featuring numerous, typically disjointed skits of varying lengths; while some of these shorts are adapted from the original comic strips, the majority of them are original creations. The various shorts collectively showcase a variety of animation styles, most often CGI, professional-looking 2D animation, and idiosyncratic animation from Template:Nihongo.Template:Efn Each half-hour episode features two near-identical 15-minute segments, each containing different voice actors and other subtle differences.

The opening theme for episodes 2-10 is "Pop Team Epic" (remixed as "Pop Team Epic (Rebroadcasting Mix)" in Pop Team Epic Repeat from the second half of Episode 4 to the first half of Episode 9) by Sumire Uesaka, while the ending theme for the first 9 episodes and episodes 11 and 12 is "Poppy Pappy Day" (remixed in Episode 5 as "Poppy Pappy Day (Route 66 Mix)" and Episode 7 as "Poppy Pappy Day (8 Bit Mix)"Template:Efn) is sung by Popuko (Yui Makino/Kenji Akabane (ep 1-6), Hiromi Igarashi/Toshiki Masuda (ep 8–9, 11)) and Pipimi (Yui Watanabe/Shunsuke Takeuchi (ep 1-6), Rei Matsuzaki/Wataru Hatano (ep 8–9, 11)), with Shouta Aoi (portrayed by Shouta Aoi) performing the theme for the male part of episode 12. The ending theme for episode 10 is Template:Nihongo also by the Igarashi/Matsuzaki and Masuda/Hatano duos as Popuko and Pipimi, respectively. The opening theme for Episode 1, which opened with a Hoshiiro Girldrop segment, is the first season's opening theme, "Twinkling Star" by Drop Stars (Sosogu Hoshifuri (Yui Ogura), Shizuku Tsukino (Inori Minase), and Korona Yuhi (Uesaka)). Episode 12 used the classical music pieces Night on Bald Mountain and Dies Irae in its storyline. The opening theme for episode 13 is "last sparkle" by Uesaka, while episode 14 uses the opening theme for the second season of Hoshiiro Girldrop, "Pretty candle star" by Drop Stars (Hiroshifuri (Ogura), Tsukino (Minase), and Yuhi (Uesaka)) in the first half and parodied by AC-bu (Shunsuke Itakura and Tōru Adachi) (voicing as Yuhi) in the second half. The insert song and ending theme for episode 13 are Template:Nihongo and Template:Nihongo, respectively; both are sung by Popuko (Yuka Ozaki/Kent Ito) and Pipimi (Aya Uchida/Ryuichi Kijima). The insert song for episode 14 is "Bansaku neender", sung by the Ozaki/Uchida and Ito/Kijima duos and the Mendez/Tindle and Lee/Seitz duos as Popuko and Pipimi in both Japanese and English, respectively with Aoi (Portrayal: Aoi) singing his version of the ending theme "Fūsen Hikō" for episode 14a, as well as his own ending theme, "AOI Traveler" for episode 14b.

The series was renewed for a second season on December 26, 2021, following the finale of Pop Team Epic Repeat. Jun Aoki returned as director and scriptwriter, while Space Neko CompanyTemplate:Efn is animating the season alongside Kamikaze Douga, and aired from October 2 to December 18, 2022. The opening theme for episodes 16-25 is "Psycho:logy" by Aoi (Portrayal: Aoi) and the ending theme for episodes 15-25 is Template:Nihongo (Remixed in Episode 2 as Template:Nihongo, Episode 5 as Template:Nihongo, Episode 8 as Template:Nihongo, Episode 10 as Template:Nihongo and Episode 11 as "Template:Nihongo) by Popuko (Manaka Iwami/Jun Osuka) and Pipimi (Ikumi Hasegawa/Hiroki Takahashi). The opening theme of episodes 15 and 26 is "Endless Love" by Aoi (Portrayal: Aoi), while the ending theme for the episode 26 is "Shota Aoi Gymnastics" by Aoi (Portrayal: Aoi).

Sentai Filmworks simulcast the series on Hidive. Crunchyroll simulcast the series worldwide outside of Asia. Funimation simulcast the English-dubbed version in English-speaking territories as it aired; Funimation also acquired the rights to release the anime on home video in North America. Funimation also arranged the series to air on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block starting on July 1, 2018. In Australia and New Zealand, the series simulcast on AnimeLab. Aniplus Asia simulcast the series in Southeast Asia. The series became available on Netflix in February 2020 in what was originally 11-minute episodes. It was replaced by the original half-hour format due to complaints from users. A remixed rerun titled Pop Team Epic Repeat, which mixes up the voice actors from the original run, began airing from October 9, 2021 and is being simulcast by Crunchyroll. It also features re-recorded versions of the Team AC segments and Japanese dubs of the Japon Mignon segments. There are also visual differences in the Repeat version.

Specials (2019)

Both episodes for the main segments are by Space Neko Company. Template:Episode table

Marketing

The Nendoroid figures of Popuko and Pipimi, dressed as Batman NinjaTemplate:'s Batman (voiced by Kōichi Yamadera) and Joker (voiced by Wataru Takagi) respectively, were displayed at the Warner Bros. booth at AnimeJapan 2018. It was suggested by Junpei Mizusaki at Kamikaze Douga; the studio animated both Pop Team Epic television series and Batman Ninja film. The crossover figures were accompanied by a 15-second television commercial, where Popuko and Pipimi (in the aforementioned costumes and being voiced by the film's respective voice actors) re-enact a sketch from Pop Team Epic comics before it jumps to a Batman Ninja scene.

On April 26, 2018, Japan Racing Association's Umabi.jp website launched the Template:Nihongo campaign, where users can create a customised avatar of either Popuko or Pipimi as a virtual spectator. It also hinted a surprise to be revealed when a number of avatars reaches one million. As the number reached one million in late May 2018, the JRA released a branded webisode on 14 June 2018. Produced by Space Neko Company (which animated Pop Team Story segments and some of short sketches in the TV series), Mikako Komatsu and Ryusei Nakao reprised their role as Popuko in the first and second halves respectively, and so did Sumire Uesaka and Norio Wakamoto as Pipimi. The JRA also held promotional events at Tokyo Racecourse.

External links

• Official website Template:In lang
• Template:Ann