English Dub Review: Pop Team Epic “Cursed Mansion”

Posted on by

All your favorite horror movies.

Overview (Spoilers Below)
 
Cursed Mansion:
 
In a snowed-in mansion, a group of four friends are all staying together. However, it’s clear that there’s some tension between all of them. When Aya goes to the bathroom, she sees a shadow and freaks out. Reina calls her out for trying to be weak to win Shogo’s affection, but Aya mentions that she and Shogo have hooked up. , jealous that Aya likes Shogo instead, takes an axe and kills Shogo. The girls flee, with Reina running to the car. Once the car starts, she accidentally puts it in reverse and falls off a cliff. Aya faces off with X with a shotgun, and the story ends with the four of them joining Popuko and Pipimi in a picture by the fireplace. 
The second part, where a narrator randomly gives commentary, is a reference to Paranormal Activity. As the commentator points out, the entire skit is a parody of The Shining. The title card is a reference to Jyu-on though. 
 
Score

9/10

 

Eisai Haramasukoi:

Popuko asks Pipimi if her new dance will catch on. Pipimi doesn’t think so, but she doesn’t want Popuko to get upset. She lies– and throws a rave party showing off Popuko’s new dance.

True friendship. Also, this was a fun way to replace their usual opening.

Score

9/10

 

Pop Team Cooking:Pipimi and Popuko show off a rice omelet. Popuko draws a heart on the omelet with ketchup, but gets tired midway through and splatters the ketchup everywhere. The generic hostess mistakes it for blood and screams. The two girls chase after her.Very much going with the horror movie theme, the two girls are at it again. Who hasn’t pretended ketchup is blood, after all? Of course, they take it a step further.
Score

9/10

 

Kaiju:

It seems like Popuko is stomping through the city, but she’s actually being held in Pipimi’s hand. She asks Pipimi how she got so big, and Pipimi simply replies “Science”

There’s no way I could resist a kaiju sketch. Some of the monster antics are simply handwaved as ‘science’ and sure enough, the same applied here. It’s also a parody of this commercial.

Score

8/10

Japan Mignon:

Popuko marvels over a glass of wine. She marvels over the scent and richness of it- before Pipimi tells her to stop fussing over her grape juice.

The Japan Mignon sketches are always very creative, in the sense that they feel more like western animation. It’s also making fun of wine culture, where people pretend to be fancier and more knowledgeable than they really are.

Score

8/10

 

Other Skits:

Popuko attempts to suggest a jetpack swing for the new ride. Pipimi makes a pun and turns into a tree. Distraught, Popuko hugs her and is determined to follow her, and fuses into the tree. Bob Epic Team is criticized for not having enough keyframes. Popuko dreams that she’s tumbling with a shark.

 

Best Sketch: Cursed Mansion

Worst Sketch: Bob Epic Team 1