kaia33 - 2014-03-30 06:39:53

Pupipo! (Don't ignore the exclamation mark. Yell the title in your head.) is a serial comprised of 5 minute episodes. With a run time of just over an hour it isn't much more than an afternoon's watch but Pupipo! is a lot more memorable than that description leads on.

The story of Pupipo! revolves around Wakaba, a little girl who is antagonized by spirits that only she can see. She finds a puffy pink creature (Po) on the sidewalk while coming home from school and takes him in. Po begins to protect Wakaba from the hostile spirits and it's at this point that the story becomes about finding out what exactly Po is.

The first third of the show mostly introduces characters. New characters don't just pop in randomly though. Everyone has a reason to be involved in the story even if it can be a bit trivial sometimes. The short episode format fits Pupipo! well for the most part. A few episodes seem like they're overflowing with story progression. The fast pacing makes a few events underwhelming when it'd be nicer to just soak them in. Drama is built and diffused throughout episodes well and doesn't feel forced. The climax is intensely satisfying. Po's origins and motives for helping Wakaba are unexpected but logical because of how well the story is built around them.

There's nothing impressive about Pupipo!'s production values. The animation is pretty middle of the road but also very consistent. The character models don't lose a lot of definition even from far away. The art style is simple and honestly, I find it really cute.

The show is so short that I only noticed the score a few times but when I did it was because of how nicely it went with the scene. The opening theme is just a nice jingle and the closing theme is some slightly catchy J-rock. The audio and visual components of Pupipo! are both done competently. Neither of them hinder the experience.

The protagonist Wakaba is intelligent, well spoken, and admirable for her poise in the face of undeserved ridicule from her classmates. She doesn't have any glaring character flaws but her lonely childhood is what makes her easy to empathize with.

Reiko is Wakaba's self proclaimed best friend. She has a spastic personality which totally contrasts Wakaba's. Her straight forwardness is endearing and she's loud in that rare way that isn't annoying.

Po can only say "Po" so he must communicate through body language and actions. His antics range anywhere from amusing responses to a sweet gestures. He's a loyal friend with a touching backstory.

Side characters are only seen briefly. They all have motives or desires that are usually the most apparent thing about them making them easy to distinguish from one another. Pupipo! is so short and story focused that there's little time to learn about the characters. The show gives a nice outline of who everyone is but never gets to their marrow.

Pupipo! is my favorite show from the Winter season. I looked forward to watching every single week. I was thoroughly engaged the whole time and I am so glad I found it.

If you have an hour to kill then I recommend this show whole heartedly. The story is good not just for a short but for any anime and the cast is very solid. I'm writing this review in the hopes that it will give someone the motivation to watch Pupipo! as I think it's a shame that barely anyone will see it.