Paniponi Dash...
I took the opportunity to watch Paniponi Dash...
The one thing that attracted me to Paniponi Dash was Becky's defiant pose in sunglasses, black leather jacket and gun (Terminator-style). Sometimes a really cool cover will speak to me and say "Buy Me". So I did. Even though I could hear this title speaking sweet nothings to me, I was still a bit leery about actually watching it. I have a low tolerance for hyper-cute anime.
My first viewing of Paniponi Dash confirmed my suspicions. Bunnies, chibi characters, and super-deformed characters abound. There's so much sugar, I can feel my teeth aching, just looking at the box. But, beyond its sugary outer shell, Paniponi Dash is surprisingly fun to watch.
Becky is, of course, the center of attention, but, often the secondary characters and their side-stories are just as interesting as Becky and the main story. The cast is very, very large and the interaction between and among the characters is reminiscent of some of Rumiko Takahasi's works involving humorous interactions and large casts, like Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura. The style of humor in Paniponi Dash is fast-paced and energetic -- very similar to Excel Saga.
My favorite episode is the third episode in the series, "It's always harder on the ones who have to watch." This episode centers around Himeko, a hyper-energetic student who has an affinity for the word, "maho", and after effects of the loss of her cowlick. Another amusing side-story centers around Otome and Suzume, students in a different class, who discover a pressure point that controls growth.
In the second volume, Otome and Suzume make another appearance in the infamous "REDRUM" dodge ball incident.
One of the most interesting features of the series, is the black board. Every time the black board appears in the series, it shows different messages. Similar to the opening montage in the Simpsons, where Bart writes a different message on the black board at the start of each Simpsons episode, but, in Paniponi Dash, the black board changes with every scene.
There are three different levels of subtitles that can be selected. The first level is the dialogue translation, the second level adds sign and black board translations and the third level adds popup balloons that explain the in-jokes and sight gags. The latter two levels of subtitling can be so overwhelming that it's hard to enjoy the show. With the full compliment of subtitles selected, it's not unusual to see the entire screen covered with subtitles and popup boxes. I found that I had to pause the feature from time to time to read the text.
I've played the series with various combinations of subtitles and language options and the English dub is actually not half bad. Even so, I still prefer the Japanese dialogue.
Overall, the series is very funny, but, there's a lot going on in the background and it took me a few passes to absorb the content. There are no naughty bits to speak of and very limited fan service. There is limited violence, but, no gore or bloodshed. The animation quality exhibits some limitations, but, is acceptable given the content. There are a lot of pieces of eye-candy scattered throughout the series that give the viewer the impression of a video game. I gave Paniponi Dash a 3 out of 5.
Volume 1
Lethal Lesson
The good news? She's an MIT grad. The bad news? She's an 11-year-old MIT grad. So while Becky Miyamoto may be intellectually able, this MIT prodigy is painfully ill-equipped to deal with a group of temperamental teens - especially THIS group.
There's the bitchy heather, the spazz, the angry nerd, the identical twins, the invisible girl, the freaky class president, the drama geek, the Nancy Drew, the gamer, the princess... Whew! Add to that her pathetically abused stuffed bunny buddy and idiotic aliens watching her every move and it's no wonder that Becky's prone to crying fits, tirades, and flipping the class the bird.
Volume 2
Girls N Roses
While most classes take excursions to museums or zoos, if your teacher is an 11-year-old genius with a penchant for trouble - and your class is filled with high-wired teenage girls - your field trips are definitely trippier. You do things like investigate a haunted schoolhouse, crash on a strange island, shake it like Shakira at Brazil's carnivale, or maybe even practice your bomb detonating skills. (Uh-oh.)
Volume 3
Class of Death
When the girls discover No. 6 seems to have a secret crush, they'll stop at nothing to discover who he - or she - is. But how to find her beloved's identity? Coerce Becky into helping them! Little does the 11-year-old teacher know how dangerous that job is... But it's nothing compared to the danger of a strange red bull-monster in lust with another one of the girls - or a giant evil robot attacking their school!
Volume 4
Iron Teacher
Whether it's a trip to a picnic gone terribly awry or aliens deciding to at last make contact with the girls they've been observing, this volume of Paniponi Dash is even crazier than the last! See the class balance on a cliff in a school bus, possibly teetering to their death! Marvel at a close encounter of the strangest kind! Run to the wildest school carnival ever! With giant cakes! Cute little painted chicks! (And hot chicks in cute outfits!)
Volume 5
Delinquent Genius
What's worse than having a sick teacher? Having your sick teacher be a really cranky 11-year old, that's what. When the sick bug quarantines the whole school, both temperatures and tempers are rising to dangerously hilarious health levels. Things get even weirder when Ichijo electrocutes Himeko, turning her into a world-conquering maniac, while the Drama Club and the Film Club finally come to blows in their longstanding war against each other.
Later, when Becky doesn't show up for school, the girls decide to draft an imposter to replace her so she doesn't get in trouble with the most terrifying presence at the school: the dreaded PTA!
The one thing that attracted me to Paniponi Dash was Becky's defiant pose in sunglasses, black leather jacket and gun (Terminator-style). Sometimes a really cool cover will speak to me and say "Buy Me". So I did. Even though I could hear this title speaking sweet nothings to me, I was still a bit leery about actually watching it. I have a low tolerance for hyper-cute anime.My first viewing of Paniponi Dash confirmed my suspicions. Bunnies, chibi characters, and super-deformed characters abound. There's so much sugar, I can feel my teeth aching, just looking at the box. But, beyond its sugary outer shell, Paniponi Dash is surprisingly fun to watch.
Becky is, of course, the center of attention, but, often the secondary characters and their side-stories are just as interesting as Becky and the main story. The cast is very, very large and the interaction between and among the characters is reminiscent of some of Rumiko Takahasi's works involving humorous interactions and large casts, like Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura. The style of humor in Paniponi Dash is fast-paced and energetic -- very similar to Excel Saga.
My favorite episode is the third episode in the series, "It's always harder on the ones who have to watch." This episode centers around Himeko, a hyper-energetic student who has an affinity for the word, "maho", and after effects of the loss of her cowlick. Another amusing side-story centers around Otome and Suzume, students in a different class, who discover a pressure point that controls growth.
In the second volume, Otome and Suzume make another appearance in the infamous "REDRUM" dodge ball incident.
One of the most interesting features of the series, is the black board. Every time the black board appears in the series, it shows different messages. Similar to the opening montage in the Simpsons, where Bart writes a different message on the black board at the start of each Simpsons episode, but, in Paniponi Dash, the black board changes with every scene.
There are three different levels of subtitles that can be selected. The first level is the dialogue translation, the second level adds sign and black board translations and the third level adds popup balloons that explain the in-jokes and sight gags. The latter two levels of subtitling can be so overwhelming that it's hard to enjoy the show. With the full compliment of subtitles selected, it's not unusual to see the entire screen covered with subtitles and popup boxes. I found that I had to pause the feature from time to time to read the text.
I've played the series with various combinations of subtitles and language options and the English dub is actually not half bad. Even so, I still prefer the Japanese dialogue.
Overall, the series is very funny, but, there's a lot going on in the background and it took me a few passes to absorb the content. There are no naughty bits to speak of and very limited fan service. There is limited violence, but, no gore or bloodshed. The animation quality exhibits some limitations, but, is acceptable given the content. There are a lot of pieces of eye-candy scattered throughout the series that give the viewer the impression of a video game. I gave Paniponi Dash a 3 out of 5.
