Panpaka Pants
| Panpaka Pants | |
 Panpaka and Punyan, the main characters of the anime Panpaka Pants | |
| パンパカパンツ (Panpaka Pantsu) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, adventure |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Benpi Neko |
| Produced by | Ryuuta Shiiki |
| Music by | Fumihiro Kojima |
| Studio | DLE |
| Network | |
| Original run | April 4, 2015 – present |
| Episodes | 26 |
Panpaka Pants (パンパカパンツ Panpakapantsu) is a Japanese anime series set in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan developed by DLE The series follows the adventures of Panpaka (a piglet boy) and his best friend cat, Punyan, as they go on various adventures in search of special pants. The series began in 2008 as a series of 1-minute shorts on local television,[1] before being picked up to series in 2015.
As of 2016, there have been two seasons, each comprising 26 episodes. The episodes last from 1- to 5-minutes. A feature-film movie was released in 2014, titled Panpaka Pants: Treasure of The Bananan Kingdom.
The series title is a pun on the Japanese phrase "panpakapan" (ぱんぱかぱん), which roughly translates to "surprise" in English.
Plot
In Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan lives the Pants family, a family of pigs who love pants. Their family lineage has been charged with securing the world's most sacred pants for generations. Now, this mission has been entrusted to the youngest son of the family, Panpaka.
Characters
Main Characters
Panpaka (パンパカくん Panpakakun)
- Voiced by: Yoshino Nanjō
- The main character of the series. Panpaka is a piglet boy who loves pants. He's known for embarking on daring adventures, and will do anything to obtain the world's most sacred pants. After he tracks down the pants, he donates them to the local museum for everyone to enjoy.
- Panpaka is usually found wearing only his signature white briefs. His character design is based upon the character of Taisuke from the original Panpaka Pants 1-minute short.
- The Japanese voice for Panpaka, Yoshino Nanjō, is also a native of Shizuoka Prefecture, the setting of the series.
Punyan (プーニャン Puunyan)
- Voiced by: Kaoru Mizuhara
- The Pants family's pet cat, and Panpaka's best friend. Although Punyan may not be able to say anything other than his name, he's the smartest one of the duo. He helps to keep Panpaka out of danger on his adventures.
Boark (ブラックパンパカ Burakku Panpaka)
- Voiced by: Shinya Takahashi
- The main antagonist of the series. Boark is a "Pants Hunter," someone who tracks down the world's most valuable pants, and keeps it for himself to enjoy.
- His eye-patch and dark hair make him stand out.
Croli (クロり Kurori)
- Voiced by: Mariko Kouda
- Boark's right-hand cat. Croli has an aristocratic air about her. Although she's far more witty than Boark, she chooses to follow him to get the opportunity to do something mischievous.
Supporting Characters
Pants Family
Grandpa
- Voiced by: Youji Ueda
Production
Panpaka Pants began as series of 1-minute long shorts within Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The shorts consisted of a song and dance segments. The main characters of these shorts were four pig characters named Taisuke, Jiro, Oshi, and Keiko. It wouldn't be until the third series of shorts when a character which resembled Taisuke named Panpaka became the main character of the series.
Panpaka Pants aired along with six other titles during a programming block on Shizuoka Broadcasting System's channel. Of the six, only Panpaka Pants was ordered to series.
Shorts
The shorts were developed by DLE, and were broadcast in collaboration with Shizuoka Broadcasting System. The shorts were aimed primarily at small children.
The shorts were syndicated to TV Tokyo in 2012, where it went on to gain mass popularity. In the third batch of shorts, the format was changed slightly with the four original characters being replaced with a single main character named Panpaka.
Panpaka Pants made its international debut in 2013 when it began broadcasting in Taiwan.
Series
In 2015, Panpaka Pants was picked up for a nationally syndicated television series under the title Oh NEW! Panpaka Pants (おNEW!パンパカパンツ o new! panpakapantsu). The series is made up of 5-minutes, and takes place in Shizuoka Prefecture. DLE purchased full rights over the license for the series, with SBS becoming a sponsor. The series aired on April 4th, 2015, and ran for 26 episodes. A second season has been green-lit for 2016.
Other Media
Film
A feature film for Panpaka Pants was released by Toho Films on May 10, 2014.[2] Titled Panpaka Pants The Movie: Treasure of the Bananan Kingdom (えいがパンパカパンツ バナナン王国の秘宝 Eiga Panpakapantsu Banananoukoku no Hihou), the movie found Panpaka and Punyan separated from their family during a family vacation, and ending up in the jungle nation of the Bananan Kingdom. There, Panpaka and Punyan are mistaken by the king as the "Legendary Pants Hero," and is entrusted in retrieving the "sacred pants." He is joined by Wanpoko The Dog, Orson The Crane, and Terry The Monkey.
Line Stamps
Panpaka Pants releases a series of LINE stamps. The stamps are reportedly the main driving vehicle for the character's popularity within Japan. As of March 2016, 7 different sets of stamps have been released. "Animated and voiced" stamps began at the 3rd set release, with Yoshino Nanjō reprising her voice as Panpaka.
The stamps are released in multiple territories outside Japan, including the United States, China, South Korea, and Brazil, amongst many others.[3]
References
- ↑ パンパカパンツ、映画デビュー 静岡発ＴＶアニメ - The Asahi Shinbum April 12, 2014
- ↑ Film adaption of locally produced 'Panpaka Pants' anime to go nationwide - The Asahi Shinbum May 1, 2014
- ↑ "PANPAKA PANTS - LINE Stickers". LINE STORE. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
External Links
- Official website (Japanese)