English Dub Review: Pop Team Epic “The Dragon of Iidabashi ~Pipi’s Revenge~”

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The way of the yakuza.

Overview (Spoilers Below)
 
The Dragon of Iidabashi ~Pipi’s Revenge~:
Popu is in prison, when she gets into a fight. In isolation, she meets a yakuza, Pipi, who offers to become brothers with her as soon as they both serve their time. Once Popu is released, Pipi comes to pick her up. Under Pipi’s guidance, Popu becomes the gang’s top assassin, and strikes fear into Hiroshima. However, the two of them discover a Youtubing operation that goes against Pipi’s principles. As a result, they defect from the gang, and Popu is murdered by assassins sent by the boss.
At Popu’s funeral, Pipi brings her back to life with a critic insulting her. Pipi blows up the funeral home, and the two of them drive away from the explosion. 
This skit, down to the music, is a parody of Battle Without Honor or Humanity. The yakuza boss and all his subordinates have bamboo stalks for heads, indicating of course, Takeshobo. The girls driving away both alive is a lot happier than the original movie, and considering how they get to blow up Takeshobo, that’s a happy point for them too.
Score

10/10

 

Eisai Haramasukoi:

Popuko has a new dance, which she calls ‘Eisai Haramasukoi’. She hopes it’ll catch on, but Pipimi doubts it. Popuko runs away in tears, all over the globe, and only calms down once Pipimi changes her mind.

This dance sure looks familiar… like something out of Street Fighter, maybe? Either way, I expect cosplayers to start doing this at cons soon.

Score

7/10

 

Cursed Item:

Pipimi gifts Popuko a pendant. Popuko is disappointed that it’s a simple edgelord charm, but when it begins speaking to her, she realizes that it’s real.

Who wouldn’t want a cursed item as a gift? Pipimi knows exactly what Popuko wants.

Score

8/10

 

Bangs:

The girls accidentally cut their bangs too short. When two other men try to chime in, the girls quickly reject them. Then Francis Xavier appears, and after some deliberation, the girls let him pass.

It starts out with the two of them being cute together, but they quickly get rowdy. There’s not much they can do against a man like Xavier, but they do try. They definitely are intimidating enough to freak him out.

Score

8/10

 

Pop Team Epic: Tales From Long Ago:

Popuko is a villager, with a basket full of ash. When she scatters it on the tree, it blossoms. She then tells the tree she instead scattered flour on top of it, tricking it into blooming early. Furious, the tree chases after her.

This is based off an old fairy tale, Hanasaka Jiisan, where an old man throws ashes on a tree to make it bloom. Instead of a happy ending, Popuko takes the chance to well, be herself.

While the joke itself isn’t too funny, the fact that this is hand-done using sand is incredible. This would have taken a ton of time to create, so this is truly impressive.

Score

8/10

 

Other Skits:

A piece of bacon decides to cook bacon. Popuko and Pipimi star in a fighting game reminiscent of G Gundam. Popuko shows her latest wild video.

Best Sketch: The Dragon of Iidabashi ~Pipi’s Revenge~

Worst Sketch: Video

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.