Animanga/Anime| Information
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'' (ぱにぽにだっしゅ!) is a television
Anime series released in Japan. It is based on the
Manga series
Pani Poni by
Hekiru Hikawa . Pani Poni Dash is currently unlicensed in the USA.
Much of Pani Poni Dash!'s humour relies on numerous parodies and references to other manga or TV shows, including everything from ''
The Exorcist '', to ''
Gundam '' to ''
Super Mario Bros. '', much of which needs to be freeze-framed to catch. There are also many jokes and references about the Japanese culture and language, and the series can be quite unfriendly to foreign viewers. Japanese internet culture, such as on the infamous Japanese message board
2ch is another pillar of Pani Poni Dash!'s humour, with many references to Japanese
Emoticons . At stages in the series a character's facial features will be replaced by these emoticons.
Each episode is almost entirely standalone and only very loosely connected to the central plot (which is hardly mentioned at all). Most of the jokes in the series rely on established character behaviour, Japanese internet and anime culture, or
Non-sequitur comments or actions (especially by Ichijo). Another characteristic of Pani Poni Dash! is that the name of each episode is based on an
Adage or
Proverb that applies to the episode in some way. Unlike other 26 episode anime, Pani Poni Dash! features three entirely different opening sequences, with both new art and new music each time. The opening songs (there are many versions) are sung by the
Seiyū s of the different characters in the anime.
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Rebecca Miyamoto (宮本 レベッカ ''Miyamoto Rebecca'') is the homeroom teacher of class 1-C and mathematics teacher. She was born to an American father and a Japanese mother (she keeps her mother's last name). Rebecca enrolled at M.I.T. at the age of nine and graduated at ten with a triple major. She then entered Momotsuki Academy at age eleven as a teacher. Normally lethargic and halfhearted, she dons a cool face to keep her genius reputation. However, when confronted with a frightening or uncomfortable situation, she immediately reverts to her childish state, weeping uncontrollably (called the "hau hau" by the students in Episode 21) and often hides behind a curtain. Extremely popular and a confidant to the students.
Japanese Seiyū:
Fumiko Orikasa
Himeko Katagiri (片桐 姫子 ''Katagiri Himeko'') is a wastefully energetic girl who often shouts "maho" ("マホ", a meaningless word) while speaking. She frequently annoys the other students in her class with her antics and inability to carry a straight train of thought. Her "ahoge" (the lock of hair on her head) contains a mysterious power that gives Himeko her limitless energy. Himeko's catchphrase is saying that a particular thing is "Omega", (e.g. "Omega kawaii!"
"Omega cute!" ). Himeko possesses the ability to eat as much as she pleases without ever getting fat. Out of all of the girls, Himeko is by far Becky's biggest fan, much to Becky's chagrin.
Japanese Seiyū:
Satsuki Yukino
Rei Tachibana (橘 玲 ''Tachibana Rei'') is a girl with a heart as cold as ice. Rei is the mature one of the girls. Threatening bodily harm is Rei's way of enforcing order in the classroom, Himeko being her usual target. She's the one to put Becky in her place when she gets out of hand and also the one to lure Becky out from behind the curtain with candy after she's put the fear of God into her. Rei has the second highest GPA in the entire school, and works 4 days per week at a Chinese restaurant. Despite her apparent coldness, Rei is often the one to teach Becky important moral lessons.
Japanese Seiyū:
Ai Nonaka
Ichijo (一条 ''Ichijō'') (her first name is unknown) is class 1-C's mysterious class representative, who's frequently shown drinking
Green Tea . Her activities are normally limited to standing up, sitting down, and announcing that she's "The class representative, Ichijo". She is always calm about everything, but is prone to erratic behavior. In later episodes she often does the seemingly impossible without ever saying more than a word or two about it. She has a sister who is just as mysterious and who relies on drawing on a sketchpad to communicate (she is too young to converse).
Japanese Seiyū:
Yui Horie
Miyako Uehara (上原 都 ''Uehara Miyako'') is known as a "study-bug", a name that she detests. Miyako is nearly always studying. She also has a very large and very shiny forehead which gets more extreme with each episode. It starts off with a simple sheen in the first episode, in the 2nd episode becomes a blinding flash and by the 3rd episode others are actually able to style their hair in the reflection on her forehead. In a later episode, her forehead becomes so bright that the other characters are forced to don welding masks to be able to look at her. Possesses ESP.
Japanese Seiyū:
Kana Ueda
Kurumi Momose (桃瀬 くるみ ''Momose Kurumi'') is girl who is above average in appearance, athletics, and academics, but who nonetheless suffers from being called plain. If there's even a hint that somebody has called her plain, she goes off to sulk in the rabbit cage with Mesousa. She has been known to fade almost completely out of existence altogether when she gets called plain or ignored too much. Kurumi is a very fast sprinter, and also played varsity basketball. She is the sister of Shu Momose of class 1-A who is known for his cooking skills.
Japanese Seiyū:
Kayo Sakata
Sayaka Suzuki (鈴木 さやか ''Suzuki Sayaka''), also known as "Rokugou" (6号 ''Rokugō'', meaning "#6"), is a good girl who often gets taken advantage of because of her kindness. Igarashi-sensei of class 1-A gave her the nickname Rokugou because the was the sixth girl in the school to bear the name Suzuki. Sayaka's catchphrase is saying that something is "-of the year", (e.g "Teacher of the year"). In certain episodes, Becky refers to Rokugou as oversized or big ribbon due to her hairstyle.
Japanese Seiyū:
Vanilla Yamazaki
Mesousa (メソウサ) is a parody of the "cute mascot" type characters often seen in anime, with one huge difference. Mesousa has a severe case of depression. His lack of fingers makes everyday tasks almost impossible, further deepening his depression. Practically useless in every way, Mesousa serves as the
Slapstick of the series, being blown up in one episode and having his legs broken in another, all without complaint. His "tastiness" stat is a reference to the mascot character Menchi from the
Parody anime
Excel Saga . Mesousa is not Becky's pet, but rather, her companion.
Japanese Seiyū:
Sayaka Ohara
Miyuki Igarashi (五十嵐 美由紀 ''Igarashi Miyuki'') is the homeroom teacher of class 1-A, and has a reputation for being a hard drinker. She is frequently tardy or daydreaming in class, either because she is suffering from a hangover or because she is simply bored with teaching. She frequently stares out the window and says that she wishes she was a cloud.
Japanese Seiyū:
Takahiro Sakurai
Shu Momose (桃瀬 修 ''Momose Shū'') is the older brother of Kurumi Momose. Shu is a laid-back character and a skilled cook. However, even he cannot resist calling Kurumi "plain" from time to time. He helps his irresponsible (and often drunk) homeroom teacher, Miyuki Igarashi, take care of class 1-A.
Japanese Seiyū:
Sawa Ishige
Yuuma Kashiwagi (柏木 優麻 ''Kashiwagi Yūma'') and Yuuna Kashiwagi are identical twins, but Yuuma has the more outgoing personality. She and her twin are interested in fashion and dressing up, but when her twin auditions or performs for anything, Yuuma enjoys secretly using her pen to write large and clearly visible characters on Yuuna's forehead for good luck. Often Yuuna is disqualified from whatever she was auditioning for because of this. Yuuma always ties her hair on the left side of her head with a blue ribbon, and wears knee socks.
Japanese Seiyū: Sawa Ishige
Yuuna Kashiwagi (柏木 優奈 ''Kashiwagi Yūna'') is the second Kashiwagi twin, and in sharp contrast to her sister, is very introverted and soft-spoken. She is often the victim of Yuuma's pranks, and usually goes along with all of Yuuma's plans. They both get annoyed when Miyuki calls on either of them as "Kashiwagi twins" as if they are one person. Yuuna has her hair tied on the right side of her head with a red ribbon, and wears stockings.
Japanese Seiyū:
Asuka Nakase
Yuzuko Kurusu (来栖 柚子 ''Kurusu Yuzuko'') was initially seen donning costumes left and right (most notably the rooster costume that made frequent brief appearances in the earlier episodes) and is a member of the intelligence club, of which the president is a black cat. The english explanation and statistics say that she is number 002, although her costume and japanese explanation clearly say that she number 003. This confusing contradition is never cleared up because Akira and Yuzuko are always called upon by Hibiki together. She and the two other members of the Intelligence club (Hibiki and Akira) randomly follow other students and the only one who uses the club's talents seems to be Rebecca. In later episodes, Yuzuko is best known for her membership in the Movie Club and frequent encounter with Serizawa of the Drama Club.
Japanese Seiyū:
Eiji Hanawa
Saotome (早乙女 ''Saotome'') is the homeroom teacher for class 1-B, and is also the physical education teacher. He is often highly energetic and enthusiastic, but due to this he also often makes a scene in front of his students. He is almost never seen without his jersey.
Japanese Seiyū:
Ryo Hirohashi
Suzune Shiratori (白鳥 鈴音 ''Shiratori Suzune'') is a tall, athletic girl, and the best friend of Otome Akiyama. Suzune's favorite hobby is to put Otome in a hold and press on a spot on her head, saying that this will keep Otome, who is very sensitive about her short stature, from growing taller. When she is angry or annoyed her hand mysteriously becomes larger and she lets loose a devastating "chop".
Japanese Seiyū:
Tsugumi Higasayama
Otome Akiyama (秋山 乙女 ''Akiyama Otome'') is very athletic, and especially known for her track and field abilities. Her short height becomes a running joke in the series but Suzune is the one that teases her about it most of the time. She has a very foul mouth and is often disrespectful to her superiors, especially Saotome.
Japanese Seiyū:
Chieko Higuchi
Hibiki Watanuki (綿貫 響 ''Watanuki Hibiki'') is the manager of the school council intelligence club. She is constantly assuming undercover activities. She always carries a camcorder to record school events, especially those concerning Becky. She considers Rei to be her rival.
Japanese Seiyū: Eiji Hanawa
Yankee (ヤンキー ''Yankī'') usually makes very brief appearances, portrayed as a nerdy, fat character. He hates physical education class and frequently skips that class. He also frequently adds "dot com" to everything he says. (e.g. "He's totally lost it, dot com.") "Yankee" means "two-bit gangster" in japanese.
Japanese Seiyū:
Hiroshi Otake
Jijii (ジジイ ''Jijī'') is the homeroom teacher of class 1-D. He always has an armband on his left arm that has different text every time it's shown, the text being anything from the title of the episode to an adage. He is surprisingly lively for his old age, and is seen as strange by his students, but the feeling is actually mutual. "Jijii" (爺 in kanji) is used to address a grandfather or an old man in japanese.
Japanese Seiyū:
Hitomi Nabatame
Misao Nanjo (南条 操 ''Nanjō Misao'') is an animal-loving, energetic girl who frequently loses her exotic pets. Her pet collection is extensive and contains strange animals such as snakes and alligators. Her idiosyncrasy is giving her pet bland names, frequently simple wordplays on the pet's natural name. She frequently enlists Tsurugi Inugami's help in finding her pets when she loses any of them.
Japanese Seiyū:
Hiroshi Kamiya
Tsurugi Inugami (犬神 つるぎ ''Inugami Tsurugi'') often helps Misao find her lost pets. He has a serious, conservative demeanor, and gets top grades in his class. His "caring for lost children" stat in the image refers to episode 7, in which he returns Ichijo's missing little sister. Has a German grandfather.
Japanese Seiyū:
Miyuki Sawashiro
Akane Serizawa (芹沢 茜 ''Serizawa Akane'') is an enthused student who likes to over-dramatize things. She is a member of the drama club and enjoys donning costumes and tricking her more slow-witted classmates (such as Himeko). The sharper characters (usually Rei or Miyako) see through her schemes easily but usually let her continue for a while for entertainment. Notable for her nekomimi hair (cat ear hair).
Japanese Seiyū:
Ryoko Shintani
Akira Miyata (宮田 晶 ''Miyata Akira'') has a reputation for being clumsy because she frequently trips and falls. She is very sensitive about her clumsiness, but she is, ironically, also a member of the intelligence club. Her only redeeming characteristic is her razor buzz haircut. Her english explanation and statistics state that she is number 003, and her costume and japanese explanation state that she is 002. This confusing contradition is never cleared up because Akira and Yuzuko are always called upon by Hibiki together. Due to her clumsiness, Akira is frequently referred to by Inugami as Dojiko (usually translates to a stereotypical clumsy girl). Akira is also seen and talks about her membership in the Falling Club (an obvious joke about her clumsiness).
Japanese Seiyū:
Mai Kadowaki
Behoimi (ベホイミ) describes herself as a "healing type magical girl" and wears an eye-grabbing pink costume to prove it. Her character is a reference to
Dragon Quest , but she never actually shows any magic powers. She claims that she can only use her powers when no one is watching, because if she was observed using them, she would have to return to the land of magic. After episode 8 she completely changes her appearance by donning glasses, dying her hair black, and dressing normally. Behoimi has an extensive knowledge of medicine, toxicology, and explosives.
Japanese Seiyū:
Miyu Matsuki
Media (メディア) enrolls in class 1-D after her first appearance in episode 9 as an archaeologist's assistant. She possesses superhuman strength and is always cheerful. She resembles Ichijo in that she does the seemingly impossible, but she does this much less frequently than Ichijo. She and Behoimi have a past together that they vaguely allude to but never explain fully. Media is nearly always smiling and never "opens" her eyes, except for one instance in episode 9.
Japanese Seiyū:
Hiroshi Kamiya
Neko Kami-sama (ネコ神様) is a cat-like creature that often stays inside a vending machine to warm the drinks to "body temperature"; he often uses mysterious powers to play tricks on Mesousa, such as dropping him into a hole appearing out of nowhere.
Japanese Seiyū:
Mugihito (as the captain),
Tomokazu Sugita (as followers)
A group of Aliens who observe Becky. They are often involved in numerous silly antics and occasionally break the
4th Wall , but seem to be adhere to a code of non-interference with the humans. Ichijo and her sister are the only ones who know about them. Their ship looks almost exactly like an upside down
Musai from Mobile Suit Gundam. For a time, Ichijo was involved romantically with the captain, but eventually their code of non-interference forced them to end their relationship. The aliens seem to be modeled slightly after
Zeon 's
Mobile Suits , a trait that is further shown by the command antenna on the captain's head.
