History Manga / PopTeamEpic

** From Episode 3 onwards of the anime, Bkub Okawa's "role" in the production changes per episode. They have been: Executive Kusomanga Advisor (Executive Crappy Manga Advisor in the Toonami version) (3), Middle-of-the-Island[[note]]At Comiket, "islands" are the rows of tables used for commercial booths. Regular attendees refer to their location in the convention as to where they are at the "end of the island" or "middle of the island". The more coveted location is at the "end".[[/note]] Writer (4), College Dropout (5), Virtual [=YouTuber=] (6), [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Warrior of Light]] (7), Miyakko[[note]]A nickname from people from various cities in Japan with "Miya" in their names, like Bkub's hometown Nishinomiya in Hyogo[[/note]] (Imperial Official in the [=HiDive=] version) (8), Let's Player (9), Manga Lover (10), Choreography (Dance Choreography in the [=HiDive=] version) (11), kuso manga boy (Crappy Manga Boy in the Toonami version; Shitty Manga Boy in the [=HiDive=] version) (12), "jumped the shark" (13), Bkubku Okawa (14).

* AC-bu (AC部; Team AC in the Creator/{{Toonami}} English version), creators and voice actors of the "Bob Epic Team" segments which are known for their...[[StylisticSuck distinct and intentionally inconsistent off-model art style]]

** From Episode 3 onwards of the anime, Bkub Okawa's "role" in the production changes per episode. They have been: Executive Kusomanga Advisor (Executive Crappy Manga Advisor in the Toonami English version) (3), Middle-of-the-Island[[note]]At Comiket, "islands" are the rows of tables used for commercial booths. Regular attendees refer to their location in the convention as to where they are at the "end of the island" or "middle of the island". The more coveted location is at the "end".[[/note]] Writer (4), College Dropout (5), Virtual [=YouTuber=] (6), [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Warrior of Light]] (7), Miyakko[[note]]A nickname from people from various cities in Japan with "Miya" in their names, like Bkub's hometown Nishinomiya in Hyogo[[/note]] (8), Let's Player (9), Manga Lover (10), Choreography (11), kuso manga boy (Crappy Manga Boy in the Toonami English version) (12), "jumped the shark" (13), Bkubku Okawa (14).

* AC-bu (AC部), creators and voice actors of the "Bob Epic Team" segments which are known for their...[[StylisticSuck distinct and intentionally inconsistent off-model art style]]

Each episode is a QuarterHourShort... sort of. Once the episode ends, an ''encore presentation'' is immediately broadcast afterwards but with a ''completely different'' voice cast for Popuko and Pipimi, with one pair generally being two women and the other pair two men.[[note]]The first episode is an exception as the 2nd half still had a man as Popuko paired with a woman for Pipimi.[[/note]] In each pair, the two have [[ThoseTwoActors some relationship between them]], generally as a pairing in a previous show or simply a well-publicized friendship. Sometimes the dialog and jokes are different between the two versions of the episode, either due to ad libbing on the actors' parts or jokes have been rewritten to fit in with a particular actor's prior roles, as well as other minor roles being recast for humorous effect. By the time the series ended in late March 2018, after 12 episodes, Popuko and Pipimi had been voiced by 24 different people ''each'', not counting the "Bob Epic Team" and "[=JAPON MiGNON=]" segments which each have different recurring voice actors and the two different sets of vocalists for the series' {{Insert Song}}s and ending theme songs.[[note]]And the nonsensical joke casting of two actors who star in a ''different'' Kamikaze Douga production.[[/note]] And that's just the original Japanese broadcast version. Creator/{{Funimation}} and Creator/SentaiFilmworks both picked up the series for English audiences, producing two different translated scripts distributed to their own simulcast services as well as Website/{{Crunchyroll}} and others. Creator/{{Toonami}} aired the anime from June 30, 2018.

** From Episode 3 onwards of the anime, Bkub Okawa's "role" in the production changes per episode. They have been: Executive Kusomanga Advisor (3), Middle-of-the-Island[[note]]At Comiket, "islands" are the rows of tables used for commercial booths. Regular attendees refer to their location in the convention as to where they are at the "end of the island" or "middle of the island". The more coveted location is at the "end".[[/note]] Writer (4), College Dropout (5), Virtual [=YouTuber=] (6), [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Warrior of Light]] (7), Miyakko[[note]]A nickname from people from various cities in Japan with "Miya" in their names, like Bkub's hometown Nishinomiya in Hyogo[[/note]] (8), Let's Player (9), Manga Lover (10), Choreography (11), kuso manga boy (12), "jumped the shark" (13), Bkubku Okawa (14).

* ArtStyleDissonance: It's a comedy 4koma manga about two SuperDeformed schoolgirls with [[PerpetualSmiler perpetual]] {{Cat Smile}}s, who often use rude language and do surreal and sometimes violent things.

** Nanachi from "Manga/MadeInAbyss" makes a couple of cameos in the series. One in Season 1, Episode 2 during a FreezeFrameBonus in one of the fortunes, and another, in Season 2 Episode 3 with their own brief segment called ''Nanachi Ranking''. Both Creator/ShioriIzawa and Creator/BrittneyKarbowski also [[RoleReprise reprised]] their role.

** In the dub, Creator/JohnnyYongBosch and Creator/StephanieSheh both play Popuko in Episode '''''[[ArcNumber 8]]'''''. This is the episode the Japanese broadcasters wanted to air "endlessly". This is a nod to the ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'''s "Endless Eight" arc which saw the same content repeated and broadcasted for eight episodes to reflect the multiple iterations of their summer break the characters went through, includng Bosch and Sheh's characters Koizumi and Mikuru.

** The final episode of season 2 features Yūichi Nakamura (the actor probably best known for his ''Franchise/KamenRider'' roles) AsHimself, as well as his AlternateSelf, which is also physically played by him... but voiced by the ''other'' Creator/YuuichiNakamura.

* CastingGag: In the Hero and Magician Girl segment in Episode 2A, Creator/NobuyukiHiyama and Creator/AsamiSanada play supporting characters that match their most well-known typecasts -- TheHero for Hiyama and the MagicalGirl for Sanada.

-->Popuko: ''So I instead said I wanted to be a Troper. Hey! Are you listening?!''\\
Pipimi: ''Sorry, I was thinking about Hellshake Yano.''

** A segment using the same puppets that appeared on the actual show, "The Heart Tree", starts off as a cute song about how you can't give up on your life as soon as you grow up. As soon as the melody becomes upbeat and Pipimi starts to clap her hands, [[spoiler: the song turns accusatory, claiming people that are mad at POP TEAM EPIC are just angry at tgenselves for giving up. And the Popuko sings "I...will...kill...you!" and the song turns into one glamorizing destruction rather than the motivational song it was meant to be]].

** A segment using the same puppets that appeared on the actual show, "The Heart Tree", starts off as a cute song about how you can't give up on your life as soon as you grow up. As soon as the melody becomes upbeat and Pipimi starts to clap her hands, [[spoiler:Popuko sings "I...will...kill...you!" and the song turns into one glamorizing destruction rather than the motivational song it was meant to be]].

It's best described as a WidgetSeries with negligible continuity and humor that often relies on {{Non Sequitur}}s or [[ReferenceOverdosed Japanese pop culture references]], heavily mocking and parodying other manga, anime, and video games, as well as a heaping helping of SelfDeprecation. The only recurring characters are a pair of schoolgirls named Popuko, the blond-haired shorter one with a visibly drawn nose and who is [[HairTriggerTemper quicker to anger]], and Pipimi, the dark-haired taller one who is generally [[TheStoic calmer]]. Other details tend to vary between comic strips. There's really nothing like it out there.

''Pop Team Epic'' (ポプテピピック[[note]]Some chapters (7 times total) mislabel the series' English title as ''Pop '''Teen''' Epic''. Also, some Anglophone fans like to write it ''Poptepipic''[[/note]]) is a comedy {{yonkoma}} web comic created by [[{{Creator/Bkub}} Bkub Okawa]]. (Otherwise [[HeAlsoDid known for]] his ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' doujins) and published by Takeshobo on their free [[http://mangalifewin.takeshobo.co.jp/rensai/popute Manga Life Win]] service ([[http://mangalifewin.takeshobo.co.jp/rensai/popute2 Season 2,]] [[http://mangalifewin.takeshobo.co.jp/rensai/popute3 Season 3,]] [[http://mangalifewin.takeshobo.co.jp/rensai/popute5/ Season]] [[ItMakesSenseIncontext 5]], [[http://mangalifewin.takeshobo.co.jp/rensai/popute6 Season 6,]] [[https://mangalifewin.takeshobo.co.jp/rensai/popute7 Season 7.]]) Vertical Comics had [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-10-09/vertical-licenses-pop-team-epic-the-delinquent-housewife-manga/.122501 licensed]] it for an official English translation in October 2018.

* IntentionalEngrishForFunny: The Creator/FUNimation English dub pokes fun at the mixture of R and L sounds in the Japanese language in the Skeleton skit in Episode 4 by deliberately misspelling the English word "legend" as "regend".
-->'''GT-R:''' Remember this: The R in "GT-R" stands for '''LEGEND!'''

* KansaiRegionalAccent: One comic is inexplicably written entirely in the Kansai dialect. A fan translation goes through CulturalTranslation and instead uses an exaggerated American Southern accent.

** Season 2 Episode 5 places Popuko and Pipimi into Enix’s 1998 [=PS1=] game, ''Astronoka''.
** Season 2 Episode 9 sends Popuko and Pipimi into "The Navel: Extreme" stage of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''.

* InsurmountableWaistHeightFence: Season 2 Episode 6 has a segment where Popuko decides to move on "auto mode", basing her movements on Pipimi's position, and hurting walls in a result or not being able to move because of a little flower.

* OffModel: The anime's Bob Epic Team skits [[StylisticSuck deliberately go off-model]]; the characters are always crudely drawn, and they never look quite the same in any given shot.