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Apr 2, 2013
If you are reading this review, you are likely doing it for the purpose of answering the question of "should I watch this show or not?" Let's answer that question quickly, if you do not enjoy or have not experienced iDOLM@STER, then this spin-off will not appeal to you, go watch something else. If you do enjoy iDOLM@STER, then this may be able to satisfy your craving for more adventures with 765PRO.
The premise behind Puchimasu revolves around the existence of creatures called "puchidols", small, stylized caricatures of those working at 765. These creatures have traits that are greatly exaggerated fandom interpretations of the characters and
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they only communicate through vocal tics that are reminiscent of their respective idol. For example, Afuu, Hoshii Miki's Puchidoru, has a love for sleep and onigiri and speaks only using "Nano" and "Hanii". Some of the Puchidols even have special powers that affect the flow of the episode. While they all possess some degree of human intelligence, they all act very much like pets.
One after another, antics revolving around these strange creatures and the idols occur before they are brought back to their new home with their respective 765PRO idol. These antics can happen in simple treks to and from work, to a global scale, in the tropics, jungle, and desert. The situations they get into range from simple everyday work, to the nonsensical, such as a worldwide hide and seek. This flow of events presents a contrast to those of the main series which focused mainly on idol work and live insert song numbers.
The strength of this spin-off, much like the main series, lies in the character interactions among the idols and with the puchidols. However, the interactions are all light-hearted comedic and comedic in nature, and the characters do not carry emotional baggage or doubts as they had in the main series. In fact, many of the characters have their "fandom" traits emphasized as well, akin to the Puchidols. The biggest change in character is seen in the the Producer, who has been relegated to a much more comedic relief role, becoming more of an unreliable pervert and his head replaced with the ubiquitous yellow producer P. As Producer now has less of a central role, this allows for the idols to interact with each other more independently of him.
In the aesthetics department, the style and sounds are simplistic and vibrant, an appropriate match with the light-hearted atmosphere of Puchimas. The animation is also very simple and limited, so there won't be any song and dance routines like in the anime adaptation. The end credits do offer a few new songs sung by different members of the iDOLM@STER cast, with similar light-heartedness.
With all of these factors considered, it can be concluded that this spin-off places great emphasis on the happy and fun parts of the iDOLM@STER series. If you're looking for more fun antics with the 765PRO idols, then this spin-off is recommended for you. This show might not be for every iDOLM@STER fan though. If you would enjoy more of the character development or song and dance aspects of the iDOLM@STER series, then this spin-off might not be the one for you. Puchimas is a series that offers character interactions that are essentially fanservice and not much more, but that's a perfect match for a fan looking for more iDOLM@STER.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 1, 2011
This review is being written under the assumption that there are only going to be these 4 episodes as it concluded pretty well.
Afterschool Pleiades is a very simple mahou shoujo. There's no metaphors for today's society, blatant fanservice, over the top humor, nor any overlying themes. It just has magical girls and the power of friendship. For whatever length it had, Afterschool Pleiades didn't try to be anything more than your basic mahou shoujo.
Story 6/10.
The story is simple mahou shoujo stuff. A girl one day unexpectedly receives magical powers and uses them to collect fragments of a magical device. In this case, remembering the Subaru
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sponsorship, these fragments are called "Engine Fragments". There's also a rival character who wants to collect these fragments too for what seems to be a desire for power. No edgy plot twists or anything of the sort here. Just plain, old "power of friendship".
Art 8/10.
Compared to most other mahou shoujo series, the magical girl outfit designs are relatively simple. White clothing with no excessive frills or ribbons. Their transformation sequence is quite tame as well. Despite its simplicity, their clothing has quite the magical girl feel to it. The cutesy artstyle fits the mood of the show perfectly. As this show's main points take place in the night sky, the outer space visuals filled with stars can be somewhat stunning. The character sheets and fan art end cards during the end credits helped to flesh out the show even a little more. Overall, the art of this show was done quite well as to be expected of something of short length.
Sound 6/10.
The overall tone of this show is very mellow and healing. As such, the sounds used in this show for the most part were quite mellow as well. The sound did its job and set the mood when needed. It's not anything noteworthy though.
Character 5/10.
Obviously due to its short length, none of the characters' personalities were able to be fleshed out at all. That even includes the central main character who we know nothing more than "she is slow". There are some semblances of character archetypes, but that's it.
Enjoyment 6/10.
It's always nice to watch cute girls doing cute things or something like that. It's not particularly long or anything, spanning the length of an average episode of anime, so it's not really wise to complain about it being a waste of time. It was entertaining and was able to hold my attention until completion.
Overall 6/10.
As stated previously, Afterschool Pleiades didn't try to be anything more than your basic mahou shoujo. Most of its faults can be attributed only to its short length. Had this been a fully fleshed out series, it would've been much easier to find faults with this series as there would've been more time to develop the characters, story and everything else. As it stands however, Afterschool Pleiades is nothing more than a short healing story and should be enjoyed as such instead of trying to find faults with its fundamental structure.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 2, 2011
One of things that bothered me about Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase was the mood. When a show opens with Neko Mimi Mode, an incredibly silly and lighthearted song with such silly animation, along with all the falling basins added for comedy effect, you wouldn't expect the dark atmosphere the show had. What makes this special enjoyable is that from the outright, it lets the viewer know that it's not meant to be taken seriously. For me, it was a pleasant way to end the series after the awkwardly dark tone of the main series.
Story 9/10.
You want a story? The Tsukuyomi cast is lost at sea in
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their house, the Marumi, which somehow became able to float. Why? Because. That's why. It's obvious that this show has thrown out the plot and is just being plain silly. Aside from Hazuki and Art solidifying their sisterly relationship even further, this special doesn't really provide much for the Tsukuyomi universe.
Art 7/10. Sound 6/10.
Having seen a few SHAFT works already, I already knew what kind of things to expect artwise. It's nice to see that Shinbo and SHAFT still had their surrealism even in their early days. Other than that, I didn't particularly care for the art and sound one way or the other.
Character 9/10.
It's nice to see the cast of Tsukuyomi when they aren't fighting THE FORCES OF EVIL as they're quite funny and likable. The best characterization in this special is the breakdown of Seiij: He is the sole voice of reason when everyone is carrying on their daily lives as if being stuck on a floating house in the middle of the sea is nothing. Other than that, it's nice to see what I thought was the best part of Tsukuyomi remain mostly unchanged where as some other comedy specials throw out the main personalities of the characters in an attempt for comedic effect.
Enjoyment 9/10.
Mileage will vary on this one. Those who found the dark and brooding mood of Tsukuyomi to be one of its best part will be disappointed. Those who enjoy a good laugh, such as I, will find this special to be quite enjoyable. It doesn't take itself seriously for the most part and will keep on finding ways for the viewer to wonder what the hell just happened. From Grandpa's experience with Octopus, to Anzai's surprise appearance, to the battleship full of Vigos, this special will keep you cracking up.
Overall 8/10.
At the end of the day, all this special will be is just a silly thing to laugh at. It provides nothing new or substantial in relation to the main plot of Tsukuyomi. Those who found the end of the series to be unsatisfying won't find what they're looking for in this special. Those looking for just a little more Tsukuyomi or just a good, lighthearted laugh will satisfy their desire in this special.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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