Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z

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Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z
Powerpuff Girls Z characters
出ましたっ!パワパフガールズZ
(Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z)
Genre Action, Comedy, Magical girl,Teen
TV anime
Directed by Hiroyuki Kakudou
Studio Cartoon Network, Toei Animation, Aniplex
Network TV Tokyo and its affiliates, AT-X
Original run 1 July 2006
No. of episodes 52

Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z (出ましたっ!パワパフガールズZ Demashita! Pawapafu Gāruzu Zetto?, roughly "And They're Off! Powerpuff Girls Z") is the name for a Japanese anime based upon the American animated television series The Powerpuff Girls.

The anime is produced by Cartoon Network, Toei Animation, and Aniplex; with Sam Register, Hiromi Seki, and Hideo Katsumata producing; Hiroyuki Kakudou directing; and Miho Shimogasa (of Sailor Moon fame) doing character design. As production occurs in Japan, Craig McCracken, the original creator of The Powerpuff Girls, is not directly involved with this project.

The series, Toei Animation's anime reimagining of The Powerpuff Girls, debuted in Japan on July 1, 2006, on TV Tokyo as well as its affiliates, replacing Sugar Sugar Rune in its time slot, Saturday at 7:00 a.m. JST. From August 1, 2006, it is also airs on AT-X.[1] (see also ja:出ましたっ!パワパフガールズZ#放送局)

The initial order is for about 52 episodes at 30 minutes each [citation needed], with more possible depending on how successful the show turns out to be. At this time, there are no plans to release the show in the U.S.


Since the anime was first revealed around April 1 at the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2005, it was believed by many to be an April Fool's joke which started at the animation news web site Toon Zone.[citation needed]

The manga of the same name was introduced in the August 2006 issue of Ribon, published in July 3, 2006.

Contents

[edit] Story

In order to stop the sudden climate change, Ken Kitazawa used Chemical Z, a new form of his father's original substance Chemical X, to destroy a giant glacier. However, the impact of Chemical Z caused several black and white lights to appear in the Tokyo City sky. Three ordinary girls, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru, were engulfed in white lights and soon became the new defenders of Tokyo City: the Powerpuff Girls Z. However, the numerous black lights caused others to turn to the side of evil. And so, using their ultra super powers, Hyper Blossom (Momoko), Rolling Bubbles (Miyako), and Powered Buttercup (Kaoru) dedicated their lives to defending Tokyo City from the likes of those swayed by the black lights and Him's black seeds.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Powerpuff Girls Z

The main heroines of the series. The Powerpuff Girls Z were originally three different thirteen-year-old girls from three different families, unlike the original Powerpuff Girls who were sisters created by Professor Utonium and attended kindergarten. When Chemical Z exploded into multiple black and white lights, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru received white lights when they protected nearby children from it. Under the condition to keep their identity a secret as long as their needs were met, the girls transform into Hyper Blossom, Rolling Bubbles, and Powered Buttercup to protect Tokyo City. Each of the girls received a weapon, which resembles the toys that belonged to the children they protected. In addition, they all have basic abilities such as enhanced strength, enhanced speed, flight, and atmosphere resistance

Momoko Akatsutsumi (Hyper Blossom)
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Momoko Akatsutsumi (Hyper Blossom)
  • Momoko Akatsutsumi (赤堤ももこ Akatsutsumi Momoko?) / Hyper Blossom (ハイパー・ブロッサム Haipā Burossamu?): Transforms using the phrase Hyper Blossom and uses a yo-yo. Like her PPG counterpart, she assumes the leader role of the trio, or to be accurate, she's the self-proclaimed leader. However, she is no longer the intelligent bossy leader of the original as she seems to be a bit boy-crazy now and is also an otaku, since she is intimately familiar with the "magical heroine" genre, along with some typical anime/super sentai concepts (like the leader wearing red and the aura color, as she often remarks) and is regarded as a hero maniac in school, especially by Kaoru. Momoko also has a strong penchant for candy and other sweets, which is part of the reason for her initial aggression against Mojo, who stole her candy. While Blossom may lose sight of her responsibility as a super heroine on occasion, she nonetheless tries her best to lead the girls and has formulated some of her own clever plans against the villains. Momoko is a supportive friend and is always looking to encourage her friends in various circumstances. She admires Miyako and is a bit jealous of her. She also has a younger sister named Kuriko. Momoko/Blossom is represented by hearts.
    • Hyper Blossom's Yo-yo: Momoko received this weapon when she saved a girl who was playing with one from a white light. The yo-yo's string can extend and retract at will, giving Blossom full control over it's movements. Blossom can also control the spin on the yo-yo as well as have it emit pink energy when released. Blossom currently has the most attacks of any of the three girls. The names of her attacks are mainly based on sweets.


Miyako Goutokuji (Rolling Bubbles)
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Miyako Goutokuji (Rolling Bubbles)
  • Miyako Goutokuji (豪徳寺みやこ Gōtokuji Miyako?) / Rolling Bubbles (ローリング・バブルス Rōringu Baburusu?): Transforms using the phrase Rolling Bubbles and uses a bubble wand as a weapon. In comparison to the original Bubbles, who was known for being the most childish of the girls, Miyako is the ditziest member of the three, often appearing a bit clueless, and doesn't seem to understand her powers completely, among a few other things. She is, however, a little more mature than some of the girls in the team and will try to calm any situation, although she too can be angered when provoked. She is more concerned with shopping, her appearance and her outfits, and perhaps because of this, she seems to be very popular among her male classmates. While she seems oblivious to the many boys that love her, she already loves Takaaki (or Taka-chan as she called him), a boy on whom she has had a crush ever since she was six. She retains her hairstyle during the reimagining, but her pigtails are slightly longer, and curl into ringlets. Miyako/Bubbles remains typified, however, by her PPG counterpart's compassion, gentleness and innocence, as well as her love of animals. Miyako lives with her grandmother. Miyako/Bubbles is represented by bubbles.
    • Rolling Bubbles' Bubble Wand: Miyako received this when she saved a girl, who was blowing bubbles at the time. Originally, Bubbles used it as a throwing weapon until Blossom later admonishes her as it is an incorrect way of using it. Instead, the wand is used to send a wave of bubbles that can either harm or immobilize the opponent or protect her friends and civilians. Usually, Bubbles sends the bubbles by waving the wand, but she can also blow into it.


Kaoru Matsubara (Powered Buttercup)
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Kaoru Matsubara (Powered Buttercup)
  • Kaoru Matsubara (松原かおる Matsubara Kaoru?) / Powered Buttercup (パワード・バターカップ Pawādo Batākappu?): Transforms using the phrase Powered Buttercup and uses a Daruma Otoshi hammer. Like the original Buttercup, Kaoru is a tomboy and is the most easily enraged of three girls. She is known in school for being the most athletic girl as she plays tennis, practices martial arts, and numerous other acivities, as well as watching the sports channel on television. She is especially good at soccer due to her strengthened determination after receiving new soccer cleats when she was younger; her reason for teaching a young boy who had trouble with soccer. This is part of the reason why she has so many fangirls in the beginning of the series, much to her dismay. She hates girls, whom she considers very girly. This includes Momoko and Miyako. This, plus the fact that she hates skirts, makes Kaoru the most reluctant of the girls, only joining due to the power it has given her. In later episodes, she begins to care about Momoko and Miyako and is no longer reluctant about joining them in whatever they do, but she often tries to act calm and indifferent. In this reimagining, Kaoru has her hair slightly spiked up, unlike her US counterpart, whose hair was straight in contrast. She has a younger brother and an older brother. Kaoru/Buttercup is represented by stars.
    • Powered Buttercup's Hammer: Kaoru received this weapon after protecting a nearby boy. Her weapon is mainly a close range weapon, although she can also send energy projectiles and extend her hammer to attack at long range. Her weapon is considered the heaviest of the three and only she can carry it with ease. Blossom and Bubbles can barely lift it together.


[edit] Supporting characters

Professor Utonium
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Professor Utonium
  • Professor Utonium (ユートニウム博士 Yūtoniumu Hakase?): This series' version of Professor Utonium. His real name is unknown, aside from his family name Kitazawa. In this incarnation, he has a son named Ken, who is responsible for all those affected by the Chemical Z lights, especially the Powerpuff Girls Z. Professor Utonium was originally experimenting with the substance Chemical X and strived to find a way to change its chemical properties. Professor Utonium has created several inventions throughout the series; the most important one being his Chemical Z Particle Ray, which allows him to transform those affected by the lights back to normal (although it doesn't prevent recurring transformations nor is it able to work on all Chemical Z victims). He seems to be aware of the effect Ken's lack of a mother has had on his son, assuming that it had caused him to be a bully to the girls. However, this does not change his behavior towards Ken. He appears to be a gentle father figure like the original Professor Utonium was in The Powerpuff Girls. He treats the girls like members of his family and is very close to the Mayor and Miss Bellum. While he is very gentle and serious, Professor Utonium may, at times, act a little less mature than he usually does; this includes crying upon hearing touching stories.


Ken Kitazawa
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Ken Kitazawa
  • Ken Kitazawa (北沢ケン Kitazawa Ken?): A young boy genius, the 8 year-old son of Professor Utonium who is somewhat responsible for turning regular girls into the Powerpuff Girls and numerous other characters into villains using "Chemical Z". He used this chemical to blast a glacier in order to set the weather back to normal, but the impact resulted in the explosion of several lights, which affected all those who came in contact with it. Despite being younger than the girls, he acts a lot more mature and the education he receives from his father is considered more advanced than what the girls learn in their school, earning his PhD at an early age. In a recent episode, Ken attended school in order to gain social skills and make friends. While he considers grade school life boring, he has made several friends, including Jou (who was originally his rival) and Kuriko (Momoko's little sister). Ken sees the girls as older sisters and has to often put up with them, though he still cares for them deeply. Ken interchanges between calling Professor Utonium Papa and Professor. During a serious situation (such as a monster attack or investigative purposes) he will try to refer to Utonium as Professor, but in less serious situations (like packing a lunch) he will call him Papa. Ken often corrects himself, because he usually uses the wrong honorific (eg. "Papa, I mean, Professor").


Peach
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Peach
  • Peach (ピーチ Pīchi?): Ken's pet robot dog. Peach was also affected by Chemical Z, gaining the ability to talk, as well as a considerable boost in intelligence. Peach's shout prompts the girls to transform either in person or through a long-distance communication device, although a recent modification of the girls' compacts allows them to transform without Peach's bark. The compact won't activate, however, if the girls are underground (eg. taking the subway). Peach is also capable of sniffing out those who are affected by Chemical Z and responds kindly to those affected by the white lights but is quite unfriendly to those affected by the black light. The black light monsters/villains that are sniffed by Peach are stored in his data banks for later reference. This ability, however, is hindered if his target is wearing heavy cosmetics (as was the case with Sedusa). Peach is also capable of sniffing and identifying others more clearly than other dogs, even when someone's appearance has been completely changed. Peach's phrases always end with a bark (or wan, literally his bark). Like Sapphire, Peach can re-summon the girls' powers, even when their powers are drained.


Mayor
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Mayor
  • Mayor (メイヤー市長 Meiyā Shichō?): The Mayor of Tokyo City. Despite being the counterpart to the original Mayor of Townsville, his design is distinctly different as he has no monocle or top hat, and is of normal height. While less extreme in comparison to the Mayor of Townsville, the Mayor of Tokyo is very childish and has a very short attention span. He seems to worry quite a lot when the girls are fighting, and wishes that they could cause a little less damage when they're at it. The Mayor, like many of the characters in the anime, loves sweets. The Mayor also has a little brother, who is the principal of the school Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru attend. It was through him that Miss Bellum and the Mayor were able to get the classes rearranged, so that the girls would end up in the same class. The Mayor and the Principal, however, don't always get along, as even the most minor of things will set off an argument, which often time leads to name calling.


Miss Bellum
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Miss Bellum
  • Miss Bellum (ミス・ベラム Misu Beramu?): The running gag is kept intact in which her face doesn't appear on screen; however, she is now blonde. Usually, Miss Bellum covers her face with a tablet computer, which has lipstick imprinted on it. While the mayor is different from his original counterpart, Miss Bellum in the anime does most of the mayor's work for him in a manner similar to the original Miss Bellum, and still appears to be the brains of the operation. She also instructs the girls a bit, which she has done several times in the original. Fuzzy Lumpkins has a crush on her, however she dislikes Fuzzy.


Miss Keane
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Miss Keane
  • Miss Keane (キーン先生 Kīn-sensei?): Another "returning" supporting character, she first appears in episode 3. It is possible that she is a new teacher at the girls' school and will be a teacher for one of their classes. She is very pretty and loved by her male students, although the female students don't like her as much, especially Himeko. Miss Keane, like her original counterpart, is kind and incredibly patient. She is talented in many areas, which she used to counter Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru's excuses; this includes knowledge on medicine for non-existent medical conditions such as dislocation of the stomach and is able to speak mole and English. She is also unfazed by the destruction Mojo causes and speaks to him as if he were a normal human being.


Kuriki Akatsutsumi
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Kuriki Akatsutsumi
  • Kuriko Akatsusumi (赤堤里子 Akatsusumi Kuriko?): Momoko Akatsutsumi's younger sister. She was first revealed to be Momoko's sister in Episode 3 and officially appeared in episode 24. Kuriko seems to be just as hyper and addicted to the sentai/hero genre as her older sister. She is shown to be quite independent and likes to pretend she is a heroine. She seems to admire Powerpuff Girls Z and wishes to be a heroine just like them (she tried to defeat Mojo's robot with a broom, although failed to do so). She appears to be quite interested in Ken, especially when she realizes that he knows her sister. Similarly, Ken seems interested in her because of her resemblance to Momoko. Her classmates refer to her as "Kuri-chan" or "Kuriko-chan."


[edit] Villains

Like the Powerpuff Girls, most of the villains were normal everyday humans/animals/organisms/objects. The explosion of the chemical Z ray and the effect of the black light, however, transformed them into Villains. The black light is drawn onto people, animals, organisms or inanimate objects that were dominated by negative emotions and not only effects the appearance of its victims and grants them powers, but it magnifies their desires and removes their moral inhibitions. In recent episodes, Him (Kare) can also inflict darkness in the same way as the black lights, with black demon seeds, creating monsters in the process. Whenever these villains cause trouble, the Powerpuff Girls Z must apprehend them and turn them over to Professor to be restored to their normal form.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Episode list

Episode Title Translation Airdate
1 ガールズ参上! Arrival of the Girls! 1 July
ガールズ誕生! Birth of the Girls!
2 ほんわかバブルス その1 Gentle Bubbles, Part 1 8 July
ほんわかバブルス その2 Gentle Bubbles, Part 2
3 ガールズ結集!その1 Girls Assembled! Part 1 15 July
ガールズ結集!その2 Girls Assembled! Part 2
4 ガールズ、家族の絆!その1 Girls, the Bonds of the Family, Part 1 22 July
ガールズ、家族の絆!その2 Girls, the Bonds of the Family, Part 2
5 モジョの復讐だモジョ! Mojo's Revenge, Mojo! 29 July
展望タワー・クラッシュ! The Observation Tower Crash!
6 ファジー・ラムキンス! Fuzzy Lumpkins! 5 August
姫子なプリンセス! Himeko is Princess!
7 かなえ!ももこの恋 Make it come true! Momoko's Love 12 August
極悪トリオ?アメーバボーイズ The Most Heinous Trio? The Amoeba Boys!
8 魅惑の女!セデューサ その1 Charming Maiden! Sedusa, Part 1 19 August
魅惑の女!セデューサ その2 Charming Maiden! Sedusa, Part 2
9 コーチかおるの特訓サッカー! Coach Kaoru's Special Training Soccer! 26 August
恋するファジー! Fuzzy in Love!
10 カリスマ美容師モンスター!その1 Charisma Beautician Monster! Part 1 2 September
カリスマ美容師モンスター!その2 Charisma Beautician Monster! Part 2
11 宇宙までプリンセス! Princess Even in Space! 9 September
ケーキ泥棒を追え! Chase The Cake Thief!
12 初恋のシャボン玉 その1 Bubble of First Love Part 1 16 September
初恋のシャボン玉 その2 Bubble of First Love Part 2
13 モジョに弟子入り!アメーバーボーイズ Mojo Apprenticship! Amoeba Boys 23 September
カメラモンスターの逆襲! The Camera Monster Strikes Back!
14 ギャングリーンギャング! その1 Gangreen Gang! Part 1 30 September
ギャングリーンギャング! その2 Gangreen Gang! Part 2
15 狙われたファッションショー! Targeted Fashion Show! 7 October
男!ラーメンモンスター! Man! Ramen Monster!
16 哀れ!プリンセスの秘密 その1 Pitiable! Princess' Secret Part 1 14 October
哀れ!プリンセスの秘密 その2 Pitiable! Princess' Secret Part 2
17 シャッターチャンスを逃すな! Don’t Let The Shutter Chance Slip Away! 21 October
兄弟愛!電波モンスター Fraternal Love! Radio-Wave Monster
18 モンスター・タッグバトル その1 Monster Tag Battle Part 1 28 October
モンスター・タッグバトル その2 Monster Tag Battle Part 2
19 哀しきピアノレッスン! A Sorrowful Piano Lesson! 4 November
最強!キーン先生 The Strongest! Teacher Keane
20 ラウデイラフボーイズ! その1 Rowdyruff Boys Part 1 11 November
ラウデイラフボーイズ! その2 Rowdyruff Boys Part 2
21 プヨプヨアヒルのモンスター! The Waddling Rubber Duck Monster! 18 November
嫌われ野菜の大脱出! A Dislike of Vegetables!
22 最凶最悪のカレ! その1 The Evilest of Them All, 'Him' Part 1 25 November
最凶最悪のカレ! その2 The Evilest of Them All, 'Him' Part 2
23 歌舞伎モンスター、恋の道! Road of Love, Kabuki Monster! 1 December
昆虫王は誰だ! Insect King, that's Who!
24 ケンの友達探し その1 Searching for Ken's Friend Part 1 7 December
ケンの友達探し その2 Searching for Ken's Friend Part 2
25 イタズラ文房具! Mischievous Stationery! 14 December
花・はな・ハナ! Flowers Flowers Flowers! (Translator's note: The title is flower (hana) as Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana)
26 サンタさんを守れ! その1 Protect Santa! Part 1 21 December
サンタさんを守れ! その2 Protect Santa! Part 2
27 握って食べて!寿司モンスター! Grabbing and Eating! Sushi Monster! 6 January
ピーチとサファイア! Peach and Sapphire!

[edit] Theme Songs

  • Opening
  1. "Kibō no Kakera" (希望のカケラ "Pieces of Hope") by Nana Kitade (eps. 1-current)
  • Ending
  1. "Mayonaka no Doa" (真夜中のドア "Door of Midnight") by Liu Yi Fei (eps. 1-13)
  2. "LOOK" by HALCALI (eps. 14-current)

[edit] Trivia

  • Until the premiere, voice actor Nakao Ryusei was thought to be the narrator, but he was just narrating the promo. However, he would later receive his role as "Him" (Kare).
  • Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru gained super powers from an accident involving Ken. Originally in The Powerpuff Girls, there was an experiment to create the "perfect little girl" with "sugar, spice, and everything nice". Chemical X was accidentally added to the mix, which is what gave the girls their superpowers. It could be argued that the daifuku that fell into the Chemical X and caused the change to Chemical Z is the "sugar and spice and everything nice" that created the Powerpuff Girls Z.
  • The series has yet to include any of the more "surreal" concepts from the original, including, but not limited to, giant monsters and space aliens. However, aliens do exist in the PPGZ universe, as Princess' meteor shower was only possible through bribing several space aliens. Also, many of the black light villains have to ability to grow in size.
  • In the solo transformations scenes in episodes 1 through 13, Miyako gets her gloves before she was supposed to get them, loses them, and gets them back again when she was supposed to. Momoko loses her belt and gets it back but it was never supposed to be gone. This happened because the animators mixed scenes made especially for the solo transformation with the group transformation scenes without editing them. There are some other mistakes with Blossom and Buttercup too as in missing the buttons on their transformation belt, the "P" on their vest and their ring appearing and disappearing, and other minor mistakes. Episode 14 was the first episode to have an updated group transformation sequence with most errors fixed and newer backgrounds. In episode 15, only Blossom and Bubbles's solo transformation sequences were shown with almost no errors while in episode 16 had Buttercup's solo transformation with updated fixes on some errors though some are still noticeble like buttons on the belt not shown.
  • When the Chemical Z ray exploded into black and white lights in episode 1, there are a total of 21 lights: fifteen black lights and five white lights. Currently, all fifteen black lights have taken effect, and only one white light remains. Those affected by the white lights are Momoko, Miyako, Kaoru, and Peach. There are currently fifteen known incidents in which the black lights took affect and one incident that remains unknown at this time (The Gangreen Gang); see villains section for more details. From episode 22 onward, Him's black spores replace the black lights.
  • In the original promo for Powerpuff Girls Z, the girls appeared to be older with slightly different outfits. Also, Ken Kitazawa was supposedly the Professor for the series; he is about the same height as his current incarnation, but wore glasses and had a completely different appearance (maybe making reference to other Cartoon Network character, Dexter). In the current incarnation, the girls became younger and Ken Kitazawa became Professor Utonium's son instead. It should be noted that Peach was visibly absent in the first incarnation and that the girls used their weapons to initiate the transformation instead. There were also smaller versions of the girls, who looked similar to both the PPGZ and the original PPGs. It is unknown whether or not they'll be in the current incarnation, but they still appear in the episode titles.
  • Effective as of Episode 22, the girls start wearing new clothes, matching those shown in the second ending sequence. These new clothes are also implemented into the transformation sequence. No changes to the opening sequence in terms of clothing have been made yet. This is most likely to reflect the change in seasons.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Official

[edit] Unofficial

The Powerpuff Girls series
Series: The Powerpuff Girls (USA) • Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z Anime version (Japan)
Episodes: List of The Powerpuff Girls episodes • Meet the Beat-Alls
Films: The Powerpuff Girls Movie
Creators: Craig McCracken