I was skeptical, then hopeful, then had the WTF? moment, but it's all true. There is an anime version of Craig McCracken's Power Puff Girls series airing as I type in Japan.
Now, I read about this on the Daily Yomiuri Online website [it's way at the bottom] but worth noting either way. Yes Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z [a.k.a. And They're Off! Powerpuff Girls Z] was created by Toei and is currently running on TV Tokyo. To say that this is a version of the PPG's with "a distinctly Japanese look..." is an understatement folks.
This ain't your Cartoon Network PPG's of old, that's for sure. First of all the girls are now older, they are not sisters, but students in the same school, and their names are not Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup... those names are part of their superhero names which are Hyper Blossom, Rolling Bubbles, and Powered Buttercup. In this version of the PPG story Ken Kitazawa [son of the Professor] used Chemical Z [a derivative of the Professor's original substance Chemical X] to destroy a giant glacier, but this had some adverse effects and caused some rays of dark and white light to rain down on Tokyo City. Those hit by the white light gained powers and became good, those hit by the dark gained new abilities as well, but were influenced by evil. You with me so far? Good. Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru were hit by these white lights, and became the new PPGZ group and decided to become the defenders of Tokyo City.
Momoko Akatsutsumi is Hyper Blossom. Her weapon [yes, I said weapon] is a yo-yo and she is the self-proclaimed leader of the new trio. Gone is the brilliant, smarty-pants Blossom of old, Momoko is actually boy-crazy, is otaku, and addicted to candy. All of her yo-yo attacks are actually named after candy.
Miyako Goutokuji is Rolling Bubbles. Her weapon is a bubble wand that she either blows into or waves around to send out a barrage of bubbles at the enemy. [I swear I'm not making this up] This Bubbles is the ditziest member of group. Initially she thinks that her wand is actually to be used like a spear or javelin and Hyper Blossom has to explain to her how to use it properly. Rolling Bubbles isn't boy-crazy but the boys are crazy about her.
Then there is Kaoru Matsubara, Powered Buttercup. Her weapon [I still can't believe I'm typing about a PPG with a WEAPON, but anyways] is a Daruma Otoshi hammer. Daruma are "...hollow and round Japanese wish dolls with no arms or legs, modeled after Bodhidharma" according to Wikipedia. Kaoru dresses and acts like a boy, which for fans of the US PPG series makes a lot of sense as Buttercup was tomboyish to begin with. What is funny in this reimaging is how adverse to being girly Kaoru is. She absolutely HATES wearing skirts and dresses. She will fight people about it, and hates the "girly" girls at school. Her given name is actually a unisex name, so I'm curious as to whether or not [as in many anime series] this character will have to suffer the "male stuck in a good look female body" syndrome. I really hope not.
Here are a few other things that help make this anime version "distinctly Japanese" for ya:
How's that for "distinct" for ya. I haven't seen any episodes but TV Tokyo put in an order for 52 episodes initially, with the option of more if it gets popular. This series is flagged to be brought here to the US on Cartoon Network, just no firm date for it yet, and no word if the original voice actors will be tapped to reprise their roles. Yeah, I dunno about this one folks.
I just think that this series is a bit too far different from the PPG series that we know and love in the US for it to be as successful as the original. Most of the folks that were die-hard fans of the series liked the original makeup of the group: sisters that embodied the characteristics that make up the perfect girl. Blossom had the brains and organizational skills, Bubbles the personality, softness, and sweetness, and Buttercup had the strength. This series only has the white light to tie the girls together, and not many characteristics that girls over here can [or want to] identify with. I still wanna see it, but I hope Cartoon Network doesn't expect it to pick up with the original PPG series left off.
Check it out, if your Japanese is strong, or just read the Google translated version.
Now, I read about this on the Daily Yomiuri Online website [it's way at the bottom] but worth noting either way. Yes Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z [a.k.a. And They're Off! Powerpuff Girls Z] was created by Toei and is currently running on TV Tokyo. To say that this is a version of the PPG's with "a distinctly Japanese look..." is an understatement folks.This ain't your Cartoon Network PPG's of old, that's for sure. First of all the girls are now older, they are not sisters, but students in the same school, and their names are not Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup... those names are part of their superhero names which are Hyper Blossom, Rolling Bubbles, and Powered Buttercup. In this version of the PPG story Ken Kitazawa [son of the Professor] used Chemical Z [a derivative of the Professor's original substance Chemical X] to destroy a giant glacier, but this had some adverse effects and caused some rays of dark and white light to rain down on Tokyo City. Those hit by the white light gained powers and became good, those hit by the dark gained new abilities as well, but were influenced by evil. You with me so far? Good. Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru were hit by these white lights, and became the new PPGZ group and decided to become the defenders of Tokyo City.Momoko Akatsutsumi is Hyper Blossom. Her weapon [yes, I said weapon] is a yo-yo and she is the self-proclaimed leader of the new trio. Gone is the brilliant, smarty-pants Blossom of old, Momoko is actually boy-crazy, is otaku, and addicted to candy. All of her yo-yo attacks are actually named after candy.
Miyako Goutokuji is Rolling Bubbles. Her weapon is a bubble wand that she either blows into or waves around to send out a barrage of bubbles at the enemy. [I swear I'm not making this up] This Bubbles is the ditziest member of group. Initially she thinks that her wand is actually to be used like a spear or javelin and Hyper Blossom has to explain to her how to use it properly. Rolling Bubbles isn't boy-crazy but the boys are crazy about her.
Then there is Kaoru Matsubara, Powered Buttercup. Her weapon [I still can't believe I'm typing about a PPG with a WEAPON, but anyways] is a Daruma Otoshi hammer. Daruma are "...hollow and round Japanese wish dolls with no arms or legs, modeled after Bodhidharma" according to Wikipedia. Kaoru dresses and acts like a boy, which for fans of the US PPG series makes a lot of sense as Buttercup was tomboyish to begin with. What is funny in this reimaging is how adverse to being girly Kaoru is. She absolutely HATES wearing skirts and dresses. She will fight people about it, and hates the "girly" girls at school. Her given name is actually a unisex name, so I'm curious as to whether or not [as in many anime series] this character will have to suffer the "male stuck in a good look female body" syndrome. I really hope not.
Here are a few other things that help make this anime version "distinctly Japanese" for ya:
- Mojo Jojo no longer repeatedly repeats himself in his speech which he is saying right now. No, now Mojo just endst every sentence with the word "Mojo." Fun, huh?
- The Mayor is still named Mayor, but he's average height, no monocle, no top hat, not fascinated with pickles.
- Miss Bellum is still here, and you still don't see her face, but she's blonde.
- Princess is here as well, and snobby as ever, but she's been hit by black light and can transform like the PPGZ girls. Oh yeah, she's jealous of anyone that gets attention including her sister, and can only transform when her cat screams out after she hurts it's tail. [someone tell PETA about this!]
- Great Michael is an effeminate beautician who believes he is a genius beautician and is very stuck on himself. He gets depressed and pulls out a stuff animal that compliments him when he pulls it's string. Well the bear got hit by the black light, so now Michael becomes a hypnotizing, conceited monster. Fun.
How's that for "distinct" for ya. I haven't seen any episodes but TV Tokyo put in an order for 52 episodes initially, with the option of more if it gets popular. This series is flagged to be brought here to the US on Cartoon Network, just no firm date for it yet, and no word if the original voice actors will be tapped to reprise their roles. Yeah, I dunno about this one folks.I just think that this series is a bit too far different from the PPG series that we know and love in the US for it to be as successful as the original. Most of the folks that were die-hard fans of the series liked the original makeup of the group: sisters that embodied the characteristics that make up the perfect girl. Blossom had the brains and organizational skills, Bubbles the personality, softness, and sweetness, and Buttercup had the strength. This series only has the white light to tie the girls together, and not many characteristics that girls over here can [or want to] identify with. I still wanna see it, but I hope Cartoon Network doesn't expect it to pick up with the original PPG series left off.
Check it out, if your Japanese is strong, or just read the Google translated version.
Labels: Anime, Ninjasistah
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