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R1 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Thursday, 26 July 2007 17:00 |
 Popotan takes another hentai game, and converts it into one of the most moving and touching series you're likely to see - although the amount of fanservice on show is a hint to its roots. Ai, Mai and Mii are cursed to a life of travelling though time, searching for someone - although they're not even sure who they're looking for. Such a life can't be a ticket to eternal happiness...
A strange house has appeared in the fields outside town - complete with Christmas tree, in the middle of summer - and according to rumour, it's haunted. When young Daichi visits the house, camera in hand, he finds the inhabitants are definitely human - but probably not what you would call normal. Sisters Ai, Mai and Mii, along with their maid Mea turn out to be quite friendly, and when Daichi explains why he's after photos of some ghosts (to help friend & sweetheart Asuka prove to her classmates that ghosts exist), they're only too happy to put on a show to help him out. Problem is, Daichi's new-found friendship with the girls is destined to be short-lived.
And he's not the only one. For the early part of the series, each episode brings the girls into contact with another person with whom one of them creates a bond, before the house decides to move on to another time and location and tears the new friends apart. While these may all seem to be standalone episodes, what you're really getting is an introductory episode for each of the main characters - and that includes visitors-of-the-week Konami, Daichi and Miyuki, in a way. While it's not clear initially, each of these 'guest' characters will have a role to play in the lives of the girls and how the story progresses, so it really is worthwhile paying attention. For a little bit of forshadowing, look at how the characters are grouped in the OP sequence, as well - particularly who Mea's with. But enough of the spoilers. :)
It's poor Mai that gets the worst of the emotional treatment, though, as her friendship with Konami and later learning what happened to her after she moved on is the source of a lot of heartache and self-doubt for her. It's been said to me before that Popotan is really all about making poor Mai's life as unbearable as possible, and it's hard to argue against that. Ai & Mii also have their own problems, but nothing quite on the scale of what gets thrown at poor Mai.
The mid-season arrival of Keith brings the reason for their travelling more to the fore, as he obviously has some connection to what's happening. While he initially presents himself as a friend (and takes advantage of Ai in the process), it soon becomes clear that he has his own agenda in controlling what the girls experience, which will play a part in decisions they have to make later.
The final segment of the series sees the girls trying to decide between continuing to be together, at the cost of more travelling through time, or going their own separate ways and trying to live normal lives at last. The decision is one that causes Ai and Mai a lot of angst, while Mii essentially gets left behind by the other two - but the experience of living on their own is part of a learning experience they all need to go through before finally learning about their journey and reaching the end of the line.
It's not all heartache and angst, mind you - there's a lot of comedy along the way, and a lot of fun to be had watching it. It's just that when Popotan gets serious, it gets really serious quite quickly, and from light and fluffy fun you're suddenly thrown into something much darker. Normally, that would feel a little disjointed, but here it works surprisingly well. The end result is a series that is a little different from the norm, and is definitely worth watching - especially at the bargain price this collection's being sold for. Go
get.
For full episode summaries and screenshots, check our reviews of the individual releases:
» Volume 1: Vanishing House
» Volume 2: Enigma
» Volume 3: Decisions of the Heart
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