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Pop Team Epic Goes Hardboiled With New Liquor Collaboration Ads

One of the most innovative comedy anime series in the last decade is certainly Pop Team Epic — not necessarily in the humor, but rather in taking the two main characters Popuko and Pipimi and having roughly 48 voice actors combined portraying them over the course of the series. This unique concept propelled the series into the zeitgeist, and it has still maintained its popularity. Now, Popuko and Pipimi have gone hardboiled with their collaboration with German liquor producer Kleiner Feigling.

The collaboration seemingly came out of nowhere as Pop Team Epic's creator Bkub Okawa, the Pop Team Epic anime, and Kleiner Feigling made no announcements beforehand. However, four commercials for Klein Feigling featuring Popuko and Pipimi debuted on Klein Feigling Japan's YouTube channel on August 1. (They are really two sets of two commercials: one taking place in a bar and a second in a back alleyway, voiced by two sets of voice actors.)

In the first set of commercials, we see Popuko seated at a counter in a bar drinking. Like a good hardboiled story, the bartender tells Popuko her next drink is from a customer at the other end of the counter, in this case Pipimi. After asking what the drink is, Pipimi slides over on the counter and gives a short explanation of Klein Feigling. The two characters then party as if they are in a club before Pipimi returns to her seat, and Popuko and Pipimi offer each other a silent raising of their glasses.

The second commercial begins with Popuko who has been shot in a back alleyway. After trying to smoke a cigarette, Popuko says she hoped she wouldn't be seen like this as Pipimi appears and offers Popuko a cigarette. Popuko then asks Pipimi for some alcohol, to which Pipimi offers Popuko a mini-bottle of Kleiner Feigling. And like the first commercial, the two characters then party as if they are in a club.

Both sets of commercials have the absurd humor seen in Pop Team Epic as well as two different sets of voice actors voicing the same commercials. Unfortunately, the staff has not revealed who is voicng Popuko and Pipimi in the ads. However, the press release by Ctraum, the Japanese distributor of Kleiner Feigling, said (roughly translated), “Try to guess who the voice actors are!”

Kleiner Feigling is also releasing a special Pop Team Epic Kleiner Feigling box set. Each box comes with two sets of five flavors for a total of 10 mini-bottles. The flavors are Original, Coco Biscuit, Blueberry, Wild Berry Tonic, and Red Berry Sour. Along with this, each box will randomly come with one of three Pop Team Epic rubber keyholders. The box set went on sale on August 1 at most Don Quijote stores and Amazon Japan. While Amazon Japan ships internationally, they verify you are 20 years old (the legal drinking age in Japan) or older before a purchase. Buyers are also responsible for all import fees, and shipments “may be subject to taxes, customs duties, and fees levied by the destination country.” Please refer to your local laws regarding the legal age to consume alcohol. We at Anime News Network also ask you drink responsibly.

Sources: Kleiner Feigling Japan's YouTube channel (link 2, link 3, link 4), PR Times, Amazon Japan Kleiner Feigling Store, Comic Natalie