2014-04-23

PuPiPo

PuPiPo is a 15 episode super natural slice of life series based on the manga of the same name by Rensuke Oshikiri.  The 4 minute per episode series aired starting in December of 2013 in Japan.

    Wakaba Himeji is a troubled young girl.  She can see and interact with the spirits of the dead, causing her to shun contact with other people for fear of their safety as well as her peers shunning her for her gloomy disposition.  Her occult obsessed classmate Reiko Azuma decides to befriend her in order to experience paranormal events.  At the same type a mysterious pink creature named Po enters her life and defends her from all manner of pushy spirits.  Her world is still disturbed by the dead but when she meets a boy named Naoya Yuki who can see the dead as well they decide to try and cure their affliction together.

    This is an off beat series, particularly Azuma's character.  Lets be honest too; Po is Kirby...from the long running video game franchise.  That said the series seemed to list about, even though its roughly an hour in length.  The last third of the series turns into a sort of world hoping fantasy story too...  In the end it was a decent series, the final episode made up for everything that was lack luster.  I would say the real intent of the story is Wakaba being able to establish normal relationships with peers and figuring out what/who Po is.  Really though, the final episode turned it from a series not worth mentioning to something that I am happy I decided to watch.  The manga was done a number of years ago and compiled into a few tankoubon so I may have to check that out too.

    Even with the increase in short run anime series being streamed in North America I doubt this show will see the light of day.  If it was going to be picked up, someone would have started simulcasting it.  The manga is not licensed in North America either.  I scratch my head and wonder why Crunchyroll would pick up a series like Pupa and skip on PuPiPo...but whatever.



   

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