English Dub Review: Pop Team Epic – “Identity”

The only show that I can really compare Pop Team Epic to is an old Nickelodeon show named Kablam. That said, Pop Team Epic is a variety show about literally nothing. There are a bunch of skits in the show that in a vacuum are awesome. However, put together, they are complete nonsense. I came in late to the party, and wanted to go in fresh, and I don’t hate it.

Because these are nonsensical together, let’s go ahead and take a look at them individually and see what’s standing out this week.

“Identity” started with a live action skit of live action Popuko and Pipimi, and it was a really cool looking spy action set. The clincher for me? The dub of the two was absolutely terrible, but it was charming to me because I am a huge Godzilla fan. This dub is so atrocious, I couldn’t help but laugh and think of scenes like when Don Frye was talking to his subordinates in Godzilla: Final Wars. I’m sitting here, saying to myself, “Am I even watching the right show?” Give me more of this, please.

The next skit was Popuko trying to show some tricks to Pipimi, but getting upstaged on each one. The animation for Pop Team Epic shines during this skit. Even with lacking most detail, the animators put enough in to show little things, like ruffling dresses and hair. The skit itself is pretty lackluster to me, mainly because I don’t really get musical skits, especially in anime.

I would say skip the following two skits, because it’s about a minute of your life that doesn’t amount to much and won’t get back. However, it’s only a minute. So it isn’t so bad. The first skit is a press conference, and the next one is the duo standing in a Tokyo cross walk.

However, “Pop Team Epic: B-Side” is well animated, but it’s just stylized Popuko punching Pipimi, and asking if she’s upset. As I stated before, I’m getting serious Kablam! vibes with Pop Team Epic, but just sprinkle some sky blue meth into it. I’m so confused.

If I were to say I had a soft spot for fourth wall breaks, it would be an understatement. Think about it. I grew up with Saved by the Bell (Zack Morris is trash), She-Hulk, and of course Deadpool. So I will always love the wink and nod to the viewers. And when a show goes meta on itself by asking how to make the show funnier, I’m all for it. And even though the skit with Popuko asking how to make Pop Team Epic even funnier, I laughed. Hell, the next skit is a radio show with Popuko and Pipimi doing a radio show, and she even calls Pop Team Epic the shittiest show on television.

Prophecy Predictor Pipimi was just utter nonsense. I think the next skit was called “Square Enix,” but I’m not entirely sure. I’ll say this, there’s a chocobo, and I’ll call that one a win. You throw in Square Enix and a chocobo, and I’ll fanboy out to it for a second. The next skit is a rap battle, and I think it was just to show that Popuko was Pipimi’s first gatcha game card.

What I don’t get, however, is why the same exact episode was on the back end, but there were two males in place of Mikaela Krantz and Christine Bellier. There was only a couple of skits that really stood out and the change made better. Those were the rap battle skit, and the musical skit in the beginning.

Out of the gate, Pop Team Epic‘s “Identity” is all over the god damn place. There’s so much I don’t get from it, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to enjoy. the fourth wall breaking and meta callouts had me really impressed that there’s a show coming out of Japan that takes itself as seriously as I do. but a lot of “Identity” was utter nonsense to me, and I didn’t care for it.

That said, there isn’t a whole lot I hated. “Identity” did, it did well. There were a few skits that were done that I enjoyed. There were also quite a few I did not. But being a variety show, I know that not everything will be to my liking, and I get it.