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Powerpuff Girls Z

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Template:Future television series

Powerpuff Girls Z
File:Ppgz2006.jpg
Powerpuff Girls Z charcters
GenreAction, Adventure
Anime
Directed byHiroyuki Kakudou
StudioCartoon Network

Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z (roughly "And away they go! Powerpuff Girls Z") is the name for a Japanese anime loosely inspired by the American animated television series The Powerpuff Girls. It is of the magical girl genre of anime.

It is being made by Cartoon Network, Toei Animation, and Aniplex; with Sam Register, Hiromi Seki, and Hideo Katsumata producing; Hiroyuki Kakudou directing; and character design by Miho Shimogasa of Sailor Moon fame.

Toei Animation's anime reimagining of Cartoon Network's Powerpuff Girls, entitled Powerpuff Girls Z, is scheduled to debut in Japan on July 1, 2006. The network will be TV Tokyo, with the show replacing Sugar Sugar Rune in its time slot. The initial order is for about 50 to 52 episodes at 30 minutes each, with more possible depending on how successful the show turns out to be. As of this writing, it is unknown when, or if there will be a U.S. release.

Since the cartoon 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.

Story

The story in this Japanese-produced series is dramatically different from the original American-produced series. Professor Utonium now has a son Ken Utonium, who is a smart boy otaku genius, who bumbles with one of their experiments - which gives three girls (Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru) super powers; whereas originally, there was an experiment to create the "perfect little girl" with "sugar, spice, and everything nice", and while it was also an "accident", this one was caused by Utonium's monkey lab partner JoJo (who would go on to become Mojo JoJo). Also different from the show, the girls (who are now 13 years of age each, as opposed to pre-schoolers in the original) now have secret identities as Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru, who are not sisters and are not related in any way - though it is believed they are friends ("Blossom", "Bubbles", and "Buttercup" are only their PPG names). In the original, they were just Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup (with no secret identities). Together, they fight the evils of Mojo JoJo, who is still somewhat the same. At first, Mojo Jojo was the only confirmed villain, but recently an image of the Gangrene Gang and the Amoeba Boys [albeit with Stretch replaced by a pink female Amoeba in a 1940's American hat] has also been shown for the series. It is also unknown if other "returning" villains will appear (such as Sedusa, Fuzzy Lumpkins, Princess, "Him" or The RowdyRuff Boys) and if so, how many, or if there will be villains created just for this series, or if it will be a combination of both. While the original series was an episodic comedy, it is unknown which direction the story of this series will take (comedy-based, drama-based, episodic, serialized or a combination of two or more). It is also unknown if any returning "supporting" characters (Ms. Keane, The Mayor, Ms. Sarah Bellum, etc) will appear, or even if so, if it will be those characters, or new characters with similar roles.

Theme Songs

  • Opening
  1. "Kibou no Kakera" by Nana Kitade
  • Ending
  1. "Mayonaka no DOOR" by Liu Yi Fei

Characters

The characters of the cartoon. Note that in this spin-off, the girls are not sisters; they all come from different families. Names here are in the Western naming order, with the family name after the given name.

  • Momoko Akatsutsumi (赤堤ももこ Akatsusumi Momoko) (Stands for Blossom). Transforms using the phrase "Hyper Blossom" and uses a yo-yo as a weapon. She, like her PPG counterpart, is the leader of the group.
  • Miyako Goutokuji (豪徳寺みやこ Gōtokuji Miyako) (Stands for Bubbles). Transforms using the phrase "Rolling Bubbles" and uses a bubble wand as a weapon. Her bubble attacks are somewhat similar to Sailor Mercury's Shabon Spray (known as Mercury Bubbles Blast in the English adaptation). Her PPG counterpart was the shy, most easily frightened, and most "childish" of the group.
  • Kaoru Matsubara (松原かおる Matsubara Kaoru) (Stands for Buttercup). Transforms using the phrase "Powered Buttercup" and uses a Daruma Otoshi hammer (similar to Amy Rose's Piko-Piko Hammer) as a weapon. Her PPG counterpart was the "tough girl" tomboy of the group.
  • Professor Utonium(ユートニウム博士 Utonium Hakase)(Stands for Professor Utonium)
  • Ken Kitazawa (北沢ケン Kitazawa Ken) A young boy genius, 8 year old son of Professor Utonium, who creates the Powerpuff Girls from regular girls using "Chemical X" (just like on the original show, except using three actual girls instead of "sugar, spice, and everything nice" as the base ingredient).
  • Peach(ピーチ Peach)
  • Mojo Jojo.(モジョ・ジョジョ Mojo Jojo) (Stands for Mojo Jojo) The only character who remains relatively unchanged, though it's unknown if his infamous speach patterns will survive the remimageing.
  • In addition, representations of the Gangrene Gang, the Mayor, Miss Bellum, and The Amoeba Boys are scheduled to make appearances.

Additionally, the character designs are dramatically different from the original show. Whereas the girls originally appeared as having heads disproportionate to their bodies (and with "finger"-like arms and legs"), in this series, the girls are more "human" and "realistic" looking. Also, as stated above, the girls can still fly but now use weapons (instead of just their bodies), while it is unknown if their "comic book" like powers (heat vision, ice breath, super strength, etc) will be retained.

In the original series, the girls' battles have also occasionally ventured into the world of the surreal; the most prime example being fights against giant monsters, and space aliens, among other "surreal" concepts. It is unknown if this element will also be incorporated in this series.

Criticism

Both the opening and ending sequences of the series focus more on Momoko than the rest of the girls, making her seem like the "main protagonist" instead of having Miyako and Kaoru being at the same importance level than her. It may be because of the fact that Momoko is the leader of the Powerpuff Girls. This has caused a debate among fans due to the fact that the original Powerpuff Girls starred all of the girls as the main characters rather than having one being the focus.

Cast

See also

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