English Dub Review: Pop Team Epic “Hellshake Yanno”

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HELLSHAKE! HELLSHAKE! HELLSHAKE!

Overview (Spoilers Below)
Hellshake Yanno:
Yanno is a guitarist preparing for a big concert. Unfortunately, the trains are running late, so the rest of the band won’t get there on time. Still, Yanno is determined and decides that he’s going to perform all by himself. He succeeds at exciting the audience but midway through, one of his guitar strings snaps. He wonders if it’s over, before realizing that he still has some strings left. Pouring his all into the performance, the audience goes wild. Looking on, the producer is amazed, saying that Yanno is shaking the very foundation of hell, which gives him the name: Hellshake Yanno. The performance is a success, and the audience applauds Yanno.This is a rare long skit without any parody whatsoever but expands off a running joke from the original manga. They present it with two men performing kamishibai, but it’s more than just reading the back of the picture. The pictures have popups, they spin them around and alternate between sketchbooks to indicate movement, and generally take the medium to its full potential. Also, it looks like they’re having fun!

Score

10/10

 

Cutesy:

Popuko runs around with her hands over her eyes, acting cute while calling out how dark it is. Impressed, Pipimi applauds, complimenting Popuko’s performance as being exceptionally cute. It’s the perfect lead up to an execution, after all.

If you still doubted that Pipimi and Popuko had a thing for each other, well. Look no further.

Score

9/10

 

Pop Team Cooking

Today the girls are working with meat, 100% hamburger meat. Popuko is surprised that the hamburger isn’t a blend of meat and Pipimi assures her that it’s 100%– 100% manatee meat.

The Pop Team Cooking segments are always playing off the unexpected in the kitchen, and this is no exception. It’s hard to tell what’s in food these days, so the ‘pure’ ‘100%’ assurance always sounds good… unless it’s manatee meat.

Score

8/10

 

Blu-ray:

Popuko pulls out the bike seat from someone. She makes a cutesy face… which is then refined in the blu-ray version.

It’s a running joke in the anime industry that the production that shows on TV ends up being lesser quality than the ones that are put out later. Since the tight scheduling and work needed to produce an anime for production is so time-consuming, they usually end up doing the refining work for what really makes a profit: the DVD/blu-ray sales. Also, they’re continuing this parody with the actual blu-ray and DVD cover art.

Score

9/10

 

Racing Game

Popuko is playing a game where she bashes subculture girls with her car. A robot appears on screen, and Pipimi appears. Popuko says thanks for saving her. On the second round, something hits Popuko from behind, which transforms the stage into a Pokemon fight against Pipimi. Popuko uses minimize, but Pipimi finishes her off using Hell Southern Cross.

In the real world, Popuko throws away her game in frustration, declaring that she’s never going to play it again. She waits a little while… and then quickly picks up the game again.

The racing game itself is clearly the old Super Mario Kart. Pipimi’s transformation is straight from Undertale, with the reveal being the start of the boss fight against Mettaton. Instead of Mettaton’s legs, Popuko has to fight Pipimi’s middle fingers. The explosion that Popuko’s character makes is also the same blip that happens when the player runs out of health.

Also, we’ve all felt that feeling, Popuko.

Score

10/10

 

Other Skits:

Popuko and Pipimi are fishing, and when Pipimi complains that nothing’s biting, Popuko races underwater disguised as a fish. Pipimi ends up catching a fish that has her face. The girls in France take a photo of a scenic background, only to show that it’s actually a poster at a bus stop. Popuko and Pipimi trade headpats. Popuko is turned into a baby, and worries about the future.

Best Sketch: Hellshake Yanno

Worst Sketch: Fishing

About Noelle Ogawa

A writer, editor, and 4th generation New Yorker. An avid fan of comics and manga, particularly psychological thrillers, or featuring sports. Can't stay away from the horror genre. Long-time kaiju enthusiast.