English Dub Review: Pop Team Epic “Shining Shoulder”

Pipimi, and Popuko have kind of grown on me. Well, actually, the entirety of Pop Team Epic is growing on me…kind of. There are moments of PTE that really amaze me or get me on the floor laughing, which is a far cry from the first couple of episodes. But for as funny as most of the skits have been, there are skits that make me just tilt my head over and make me think “How is this the second season?”

That said, “Shining Shoulder” starts off with a bit of a banger. “Pipimi’s English Entrance” is what I would imagine a child’s show written by me would be like. Then, the skit morphs into an anime where Pipimi is a knight dressed in shining armor. What’s the name of the song? Probably a title drop of “Shining Shoulder.” I was half hoping for a G-Gundam skit with that title, but I’ll take it. The song has a very Babymetal-like vibe, and I will take it. Wait, did I really say that?

This week’s “Bob Epic Team” was just weird. I’m not sure if I like it or not, but it sure was a thing. Backpow exercises are a thing too, and that’s what it was about. But hey, I will always endorse anything that promotes violence to creepers and potential sexual predators, so I am all for it. The actual content was on the wrong side of weird, though, and I just didn’t get it.

The next skit was a weird one to start, but it ramped up a lot. It started with Popuko going all liquid, and the animation was on point. Pipimi injected her with something. Popuko then got perfect stats (for something), that made her jack diesel, with muscles everywhere. The animation, to what I would call a card from a mobile gatcha game, was on point. The effects looked awesome, and the Popuko had a lot of detail.

“Pop Team Cooking” is another mostly weekly skit that makes me fall on the floor laughing. This week, it’s paella, and it’s being used as ammo for taking down kids. I mean, it’s what I would do. Even though paella is so good. The next notable skit is “Pop Team Urban Legends.” It was short, and there was a monster that looked oddly like the monster that chases Rick, Morty, and Summer during the opening song from Rick and Morty, so the pop culture nods keep rolling.

And then there’s the Square Enix sketch of the week, this time it’s a “game” called “Astronoka.” It’s a PS1 era looking game, with Popuko just beating the ever loving shit. The best part? This shit even comes with PS1 loading screens. This has all of the nonsense of late 90’s, early 2000’s era JRPGs were kind of known for.

“Pop Team Epic: B-Sides” has come really late this week, but that doesn’t change how great the animation is. That drives us into the ending credits. There were mini sketches this week, mainly a Thomas the Tank Engine spoof, a sketch where Pipimi keeps trying to pull the chair out from behind Popuko, Popuko feeling like she’s going to throw up, a barber skit that is literally my nightmare, and a skit where they’re trying to get a cactus and a comb to hug.

The second half’s script definitely improves “Shining Shoulder,” because the song seems to be written for a Norwegian power metal band. The rest of the second half of “Shining Shoulder” was pretty inconsequential. Nothing really changed, and nothing really stood out.

All in all, I was pretty okay with “Shining Shoulder.” There wasn’t anything that made me angry, and the main skits were really entertaining. The Square Enix sketches continue to shine, and are the main reason I keep coming back. Being able to incorporate different eras of “Squeenix” games hits me right in the nostalgia, and keeps me coming for more.