Petit iDOLM@STER (shortened Puchim@s!) is a manga spinoff of the The iDOLM@STER franchise, published by Ascii Media Works. It is written and drawn by Akane and began serialization in Dengeki Maoh in 2008, where it is still ongoing.
It received a 64-episode anime adaptation by Gathering and Asahi Production, in the format of anime shorts, in January 2013, with a second season airing in April 2014. Both seasons are simulcast by Funimation.
The comic revolves around the daily lives of the Idolmaster cast...and mysterious creatures that look like Super-Deformed versions of said cast.
For character tropes, please refer to the character sheet.
Even Puchis can trope!
- Adobe Flash: The series is animated with this.
- Aside Glance: The glances tend to be directly facing the (4-koma) 'camera', but this occurs frequently with some characters, namely Makoto and Ritsuko — with the same exasperated expression.Haruka: Where are you looking?
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: When the Producer sends Ritsuko on a Haruka-san scavenger hunt, some of the clones are huge.
- Bland-Name Product: Amazoon (Amazon) was mentioned in Season 2 Episode 1, and V@IO (Sony Vaio) computers are used in the 765 Pro offices in Season 2 Episode 8
- Bottle Episode:
- Season 2 Episode 20 consists entirely of Yayoi and Yayo standing in front of a makeshift curtain wall and playing Rock–Paper–Scissors - it lacks even the opening.
- S2 Episode 65 is similar, except this time it's Miki and Afu.
- Butt-Monkey: The Producer.
- The Cameo: Believe it or not, Heihachi Mishima is one of 765's backers. He's also Makocchi's teacher in fighting moves.
- Censored for Comedy: You know how Takane likes to keep her background secret? In s2 episode 48, while she's in her kitchen, the background is replaced by a picture of a purple swirl and the message "Shijou Takane-san has requested that we not show the contents of her residence to the public".
- Character Exaggeration/Flanderization: Mainly due to Rule of Funny.
- Cuteness Proximity: Takane moreso than everyone in the cast.
- Everything's Better with Rainbows: The title changes color usually depending on which Puchidol is the focus. In the season 1 finale, it's a rainbow of all the idols' image colors.
- Fingerless Hands: The puchis - lampshaded in Season 2 Episode 20, where nobody knows what Yayo played in Rock–Paper–Scissors except Yayoi.
- Fractured Fairytale: The first episode of s2 is a retelling of Momotarō, puchi-style.
- S2 episode 47 is a mashup of Princess Kaguya and Snow White - but then again, it is being told by Takane.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: Season 2 Episode 19 shows that "Live?! On Sundays" exists in this continuity.
- Hilarity Ensues: The basic formula.
- Medium Blending: S2 episode 50 is a fusion of animation and live-action hand puppets.
- Non-Human Head: The Producer is depicted with having a yellow letter P for a head.
- Nosebleed: Usually seen on Takane and Kotori. Interestingly, Kotori tends to get it due to Cuteness Proximity rather than the Yuri Fan tendencies of her mainstream portrayal.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: In chapter 61, Hibiki runs into a classic Japanese yūrei who's trying to get some sleep.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: In s2 episode 69, the Producer's off ill, so Koami and Komami take it on themselves to impersonate him for a meeting about organising a mini-concert by wearing a coat and a cardboard P for a head. Ritsuko sees right through it, but the mini-concert organiser is completely oblivious.
- Pokémon Speak: The petit idols.
- Pretty Freeloaders: More 'cute' than 'pretty' though.
- Puni Plush: The anime shorts use this style for the main idols, in comparison to their more standard looks in the manga. The puchidols are Fun Size regardless of the adaptation.
- Running Gag: In addition to the 'standard' Idolm@ster gags, there are several restricted to this manga, e.g. Chihaya's tendency to give weird names to the petit idols or Haruka's tendency to pour water on Haruka-san to make it multiply.
- Ship Tease: Mostly between The Producer and Ritsuko. However, like most comedy manga...
- Slice of Life
- Super-Deformed: The puchidols are treated and referred to as "mysterious lifeforms", but appearance-wise they're really just chibi versions of the main cast.
- Surprise Party: Ritsuko, Miki, and the twins throw one for Haruka, but their way of doing it involved a robotic duplicate of her. They apologize when they realize the buildup went too far.
- Happy Birthday to You!: A recorder version is the background music at the end of the episode.
- Tears of Joy:
- In the last episode of s1, Ritsuko when the Puchi hold a cherry blossom viewing party to thank everyone for taking care of them.
- In season 2 episode 3, Haruka when she's wished a happy birthday.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: No one ever seems to notice that the Puchidols look incredibly similar to the main cast themselves, and everyone just views them as "mysterious lifeforms".
