I've been working on a Popee the Performer animation project that's supposed to be a continuation of the show's events, while also serving as a prologue to the real meat of what I have in store: an interpretation of Phaeton & Me! I've been waiting for years for the manga to be released, so my heart inevitably broke when I heard of its cancellation. I decided to take it upon myself and put the pieces left of it together!
The prologue will be around 10-11 minutes, and while I did initially want to share the fully finished thing on the 2nd of January, the state the project is in makes it impossible to do so. Due to its length and overall being a really ambitious piece of work, I don't know when I'll finish it, but it will be posted on my YouTube channel present on this blog
Trying to figure out some details, the items spin in my head, but I can't pinpoint who they represent since there're ****13 people trapped, and only 11 items under the tree
sorry your not feeling great, hope things get better for you 🥹
btw who was that scientist guy standing next to Popee?
It's okay, it will pass to be honest :3 as long as I can still draw, I can live with it! Thank you for the kind message however, I hope new year's eve was awesome for you 💚
ON THE TOPIC OF THE OTHER SCIENTIST, he was supposed to be a reoccurring character in Phaeton & Me, Dr. Popo!
From what I know, he's a fellow scientist at Death&Death, and he constantly reminds Popee of his eventual death. Incredibly vague information like always, although it might have been due to it being more explored with the release of the manga. Sadly, we know it will never happen.
On top of that, I have zero clue what he's saying, and Google translate isn't much of help either. 2 things are certain though: he is associated with the Death&Death company and that he really hammers in the idea that Phaeton runs on nuclear power (the last page is basically him doing just that).
My interpretation of him is definitely far from how he was supposed to be written and depicted originally, I'm sadly forced to take creative liberties with the incredibly limited information about this damn manga as a whole. He will change accordingly with the additional info I find out (and after figuring out a way to translate the page scans properly), but for now, he is tasked to supervise Popee and his progress. While his name is still Dr. Popo, Popee calls him "Mr. Imp" and insists on only calling him that. By calling him something else, Popee is taking away Dr. Popo's identity, granting him a tiny semblance of control (also the name sucks. Why is he named like that one DBZ character).
I really love his comically evil and rather over the top look tbh, it compliments how the company these characters work at is called Death&Death. It's so in people's faces,,,, so to further push the message, I see "Mr. Imp" as an actual demon. I don't know if he would have been human in canon frankly. When it comes to D&D, I also took liberties, when fleshing it out.
For short, D&D is a megacorporation run by demons that prepare for the end of the world. Its employees are humans recruiters make deals with, ending up being "hired" with the help of demons like Boron. Canonically, Popee made a deal with him so that he could "create Phaeton". If Boron reached out to him, he could have reached out to others for deals too. There could also be other demons that do the same, resulting in a conglomerate formed out of higher ups and staff.
On top of that, realistically, Popee would have never made it far in the human world. His way of acting would have never let him be accepted anywhere professionally, no matter how skilled or talented he was. It felt natural to turn the deal with Boron into an opportunity to have a "normal" life. After all, the events in P&M take place in a world where people look and dress like people from our world. Genny is a normal-looking kid. Despite that, I still think that Popee learned what he knows on his own, and that Phaeton was fully his idea and not something commissioned by D&D (of course the canon says otherwise because we can't have this guy create anything constructive, despite Phaeton originally stemming from destructive thoughts. Neither can he genuinely enjoy science and be naturally skilled at it. Of course he changes career paths drastically only for praise. Shallow and lame.)
But yeah, in the interpretation, Mr. Imp isn't a peer to Popee, he's a supervisor. Our favourite guy is trapped under someone's boot once again (it doesn't help that Mr. Imp's hair resembles the shape of a sun). At least he's doing what he loves this time. The wacky slapstick from the manga pages still happens, it's just rather pointless when it comes to his supervisor not being human. He doesn't stop Popee merely because he's ruining his own reputation by being violent and crass. The dynamic is different in private though.
One last detail in the way I draw Mr. Imp: he has voids for eyes, much like how I draw Popee's eyes. The only difference between them is that Mr. Imp's eyes don't reflect light and are pure black, like that of a shark. He takes off his glasses whenever he speaks with Popee in private since they're only for camouflage. I also made him taller. It makes Popee feel like shit while also sticking out like a sore thumb in a setting that was supposed to be similar to Japan.
Thought process behind my Phaeton & Me interpretation of Death&Death + reasoning behind some changes in regards to Popee's journey in between the show and P&M itself:
The amplification of Death&Death's antagonistic role and, in extension, Dr. Popo's role, stems from the in-your-face company name. It's so over the top, and the way it's a company.. it clicked in my head that it makes sense as a megacorporation since WHO THE FUCK would accept a company with this name to exist in the first place! It has to have a huge grip on the market and it's employees, ESPECIALLY if one of the employees is Popee The Fucking Performer. It's giving the Arasaka Corporation from Cyberpunk 2077. Hell, it makes me think of how evil corporations in OUR OWN WORLD ARE!!!!
To be honest, an instance of over the top corporation name is Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc . from Phineas and Ferb, but the company itself is in its own bubble, and whatever shenanigans Doof causes get usually solved in less than a day. Phaeton isn't a one time gag, he is tied to a personification of the outside, Genny. I just feel like treating D&D more seriously because I don't want a copy of Doof or of his company.
Aside from that, it also makes me think of the Black Mesa Research Facility. It's a gigantic conglomerate of work force and different types of scientific studies. What differentiates D&D in my interpretation from Black Mesa is that D&D embodies both the role of the facility AND the role of G-man! They deliberately calculate the end of the world, all while profiting off of the employees' hate. Meanwhile, Black Mesa never intended to cause the resonance cascade, it was a mere device. It's a perfect late-stage capitalistic workplace.
To be honest, now that I think about it, my take on Mr Popo is HEAVILY INSPIRED by G-man! G-man is a higher power in the story, all while being conducted by an EVEN HIGHER power: his "employers". On top of that, he isn't human. In this case, Mr Popo's higher up is Boron, and demons that make deals. Since our poster boy, Popee, got to make a deal with the devil quite literally, it felt natural to tie D&D to Boron, all while keeping him and Dr Popo as separate entities, one of them higher ranking. One is a shard belonging to the company, the other is the personification of the company itself and a mirror to Popee's hate.
Here's a rough drawing of Mr Imp. Took the liberty of giving him green accents due to none of the other characters having such a thing. That and it compliments his burgundy hair. OoOoOoo evil science man #36172828
I think the overdone trope of evil scientists pushed me in the direction of making him a demon. Popee is ALREADY displayed as an "evil" scientist. I want both characters to clash as people, not in the way they were written.
On top of that, in my interpretation, Popee spent TEN YEARS as a D&D employee. I just do not accept the canon fact that he switched career paths so drastically WHEN HE WAS THIRTY YEARS OLD. HE DID THAT SHORTLY BEFORE PHAETON & ME??? There's no reward if being a scientist is only a mere performance of his, I'm only seeing a cardboard cutout run around, not a person., especially when he's complex in my brain. You see the clash?
This disdain is only fueled by the fact that Phaeton exists DIRECTLY BECAUSE of the deal with Boron, and not because the deal itself was the first domino piece in Phaeton's creation. Canon P&M Popee did ZERO WORK, when show Popee would break his back over and over to reach his goals. It's so anticlimactic.. and it strengthens even more the idea that the Masudas do not take him seriously. He is a joke, an April Fool's joke and nothing else.
Also COME ONNNNN, this guy being thrown in a basic working environment is so fun! Also working ten years in the domain, or multiple domains he tackled throughout the years is so cool. He is GOOD AT SOMETHING!!! HE IS GOOD AT THIS JOB!! IT'S REWARDING, EVEN IF IT'S DIFFICULT!!! I NEED HIM TO SUCCEED OK ;;;;; but something is still off. He misses the loop
Hiii! How are you? I hope you're doing just great!
First off, I'm so glad you didn’t give up on the project, it's clear you love it lots! So keep doing what you like!!! 💝💝
Anyways, I've been meaning to ask about this for a long time, but since school decided to tie me down to a torture chair and drain the life out of me I kind of forgot for a while...
Whatever the case, I was really curious about your version of Boron, like especially comparing to the cannon version of him. I just really wanted to know your take on him since he seems so... smug idk how to explain but I LOVE it! Also, thinking about Boron reminded me of Nora, so I also wanted to know if she is a part of the story or not, and if you had your own take on her.
I love them both in cannon but I REALLY wished they had more to them, but what's new right? I'm over here wanting every Masuda character to be deep 😭
Anyways, that’s it, thxs for reading this, I hope you have a nice day!
～～～～～(m--)m
HHHHHHHH THIS RESPONSE IS VERY LATE, some personal shit seeped through and I distanced myself from the account for a hot minute because of it.
I'll still be working on the project eventually, everything has kind of been acting like shit from a butt these last few months, and I took my anger out on myself for not being able to meet the deadline. Crossing it too definitely made it feel more useless, at least for now, but I'll come back to it. I just need a break from the thing
Also man, good luck further with school,, take care and rest!! Thank you as always for reaching out and asking me about the fanlore, it means a lot 💚💚
Oh man, BORON, this guy is a genuine anomaly to me mostly because the fanlore version is entirely built on the deal he made with Popee... Bro is a big deal, despite the way he is in canon. Didn't really go out of my way to learn about him either, just saw this as a pivotal moment and mostly assumed he is a cheeky little guy from his character design.
-SO THIS IS VERY VAGUE!!! and I'm open to talking about his canon version more since the fanlore one mostly focuses on his role in the story, but not necessarily WHO he is as a character, at least for now. This honestly applies to everyone that isn't a part of the show/every single worth of note event or interaction in Chinchikurin, I'd love to talk about anything and everything because I am underinformed IN GENERAL.
In canon, Boron Marcos is a demon from the series "Oh!Jesus", whose role is to cause misfortune and suffering to humans. Nora , who belongs from the same series, is an angel that attempts to do the opposite and spread happiness to humans! However, these attempts backfire, and it gets both her and Boron into trouble. The mini comics mostly focus on their dynamic as a duo.
In the fanlore, concept-wise, Boron is the one who kick-started the idea of D&D being run by demons like him! A close friend suggested calling Dr Popo "Mr. Imp" because he reminded her of Boron, and I ran with it!! That, and as I mentioned above, the narrative REALLY focuses on the deal with the guy. Just the concept of the deals with the devil/demons is so fascinating to me + intertwining his story with Popee's story is AUGH it's so interesting. On top of that, there being an evil corporation run by these demons that conduct deals is AUGH OURGH SO COOL, like what if preying on unstable individuals was turned into a system? (WHAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE TOO) So, at least for now, Boron is a mirror to the process of getting lost in work, of falling prey to heavy working hours and not enough time to exist. Don't get me wrong, the deal opened a wide variety of doors for Mr. Paraphone, but these doors consumed him in the long-run.
Boron is a manager while also being a recruiter. He exists to cause misfortune and pain to humans, that is exactly what he will do, on top of being self aware. Boron doesn't have a human disguise, unlike Dr. Popo. Managers just don't have to hang out with their human employees, the supervisors do. Popee will inadvertently have a bit more contact with him due to his capabilities as a walking nuke with legs, although still limited. On top of that, if an employee were to finish their contract by executing the plan D&D had in mind, causing a horrible event that would make ripples globally, the recruiter will lay off the employee and let them finish what they started before the deal. OR just kill them upfront to erase evidence.
Finishing contracts, however, is rare, and only 2 characters have been able to meet the quota in the fanlore, both belonging/appearing in the show.
One thing I'll add, "Boron" is a chemical element. It's mainly used in a variety of industries, like fiberglass manufacture or ceramics used in fusion reactors. If ingested in high dosage, it's toxic to humans. Just wanted to throw this here because it drives me on the wall.
Yeah, so, for now, Boron is mostly more of a metaphorical character, he doesn't operate like a human since he is a demon, so he comes off as indifferent to whatever is going on with his employees. "You're hurt? Brush it off, it will pass!" It's just a job. I know Nora is a foil to him canonically, but I am mostly running with what goes on in the real life. Having to work is more important than being happy in our current society, and if you're on top of the food chain, you will REALLY disregard human life.
As for Nora, I did consider her being close to Marifa, although it's an underdeveloped idea for now. Marifa is overall underdeveloped too.. She will also be more of a metaphorical representation of joy rather than her own character, similar to Boron. Even if both of the Paraphone siblings obsess over work, Marifa at least has a support system that pulls her out of the routine and lets her be happy outside of the working expectations. That, and she also has the drive to be happy. Popee doesn't have either of the two, valuing work more than anything. Can you guys tell that I think about the phrase "work will be the death of you" from the ptp manga often?
But yeah that's about it. I do tend to focus on the main cast more, but I have huge plans with Boron at least, so I will rub off that energy on to Nora too with time (:
SOMEONE WHO GETS POPEE THE PERFORMER, YES, FUCKING YES.
Therefore, I gently ask [/nf] for you to give us, starving PTP fans, a lengthy essay about Popee and Kedamono, perhaps even Papi, the White Wolf and Marifa [I love Marifa so much, even though she never appeared on the show.] Popee and Keda need togetherness, but at the same time they are there for each other, it just doesn't feel like enough? I am awful at wording things, my bad. It feels like the only time Popee considers Keda as his own person, not just his assistant [although there were other moments] is in the last episode, when they finally connect only for it all to end with a whimper instead of a bang, like the episodes always go.
You've mentioned it yourself, that Keda doesn't care about Popee in the same way Popee cares about Keda, and I would love [/NF] for you to go further with it. The kid with anger issues that desires vulnerability [your take on Eepop was chef's kiss] but is unable to face it because of his environment {i dunno, i just feel he felt "tamer" when Papi wasn't around? He was still Popee, but he doesn't feel as flanderized as in the next seasons} finally seeing Kedamono in a light he hasn't before. No matter how together they are, they are lonely [as you also mentioned yourself, again-] and don't notice how similar they can be, how much they want what the other has, and how much they care about the other in a way that is both shallow and meaningful, loving what you see of a person, but not the person themselves. I wonder what Marifa would be like if she was there, too, given that an aspect of PTP is loneliness and the need to be recognized/not recognized [Popee's performances that always care more about the performance than himself, Kedamono trying to hide his identity behind a mask, and Marifa hating Kedamono probably because she associates him with what has become of her brother, probably not realizing there was a distance even before Popee stayed in the desert, and probably some resentment for Popee even if she doesn't notice.] They all intrigue me so much, because it is clear they want change, but even in the context of a desert [a place that is an inferno at day and wintery at night, no middle ground] that they can't grow in an environment like that, at least, not without thorns and pricks, or trying to be as unnoticed as imaginable.
They are all they have, and they never notice it. At least, not until the end.
I got totally side-tracked, this was meant to be a simple ask, I am sorry for rambling so much- Long story short, I adore your PTP interpretations, and thank you a lot for feeding us.
I highly appreciate the passion and the fact that you wrote this ask down, it warms my heart to read such lengthy and caring words. I always adored these types of long, meaningful paragraphs haha
I will admit, it is incredibly difficult for me to write about this show, and how much it means to me... not only because I just am not a writer, but because we would be here all day- but one thing I know that I do right is that I can bring out fans to talk about this show and what they think about it. What it means to them, and how it changed them.
In terms of the essay, I still have it in my mind, it is a reoccruing though, I'm just not confident in the slightest in writing. This is legit something that I started doing only last year, it isn't my primary calling, nor am I a reader, so my vocabulary is.... not the best (I am horrible at speaking in my native language due to not reading).
That, and I am overwhelmed whenever I interract with anything that is related to the show and/or the characters. I hate the idea of saying some bs in this hypothetical essay due to just not being able to fact check. So it keeps getting pushed back. These asks help tremendously though, not just for yapping my ass off, but to be able to provide a space where we analyze the show gives me confidence.
It means a lot. Thank you. I will keep going if it means that it gets peoples' gears turning, even if I'm just rambling or sharing doodles. Drop in anytime if you have more thoughts about the show, or just make posts about it, keep talking about it if you want to do so. Own your love for it
Vague fanlore timeline. This is mostly speculative for now, some details aren't concrete, but this is a part of the narrative minus events that happen around the climax and end:
For context, the camp in the show isn't the circus' camp. It isn't a camp at all actually. It's the bubble in which the time loop manifests. The desert acts like the room 1408 if anyone is familiar with the movie (it's SO GOOD SO YUMMY, I LOVE 1408, I RECCOMEND IT WITH ALL MY HEART).
December 1999 - 16 yo Popee runs away yet again, dragging Kedamono with him and leaving 12yo Marifa alone with the circus crew. They end up in the desert, where a seemingly untouched circus camp is present. They glance over the weird nature of it and make it their own.
January 2000 (show debut) - the loop starts. Every 3 days, they wake up in the same place: in the camp. New miscellaneous wounds suddenly don't exist anymore once the loop resets. Popee starts experimenting and practicing with the newfound information. They do the whole dying thing, they come back to life unscathed, yet their memories are retained.
They age, and time moves forward, yet the space is off. They are stuck in the desert indefinitely. Whatever. The good news is the lack of consequences!
In 2001, Papi finds them. He plays along with the shenanigans that have been occurring in the desert, turning the environment into a huge life lesson.
Each season is represented by a year:
S1 - 2000
S2 - 2001
S3 -2002. Marifa finds out from Papi via a phone call about her brother being alive, previously having zero knowledge of his whereabouts.
For continuity's sake, the 2003 new year promo happens before the show finale, so in the fanlore, "Face" occurs in 2003. After the finale occurs, the duo is back to being alone. Papi's life lesson is over.
Summer 2003 - prologue occurs. 20yo Popee pulls his tooth out, ending the loop. Big bad split up happens.
The deal with Boron happens the same night.
BIGGGGG 10 YEAR TIMESKIP (this was mainly thought out, but it's being kept vague for now. Since Phaeton & Me was supposed to be set when Popee is in his 30s, this gap in time would be treated as flashback episodes in the fanlore that slowly seep in as time progresses.)
3rd of November 2013 - Reunion between Kedamono and Popee happens during a showcase with Phaeton. This is also Jr's introduction. Dumb shit similar to the show events occurs. Genny is there to witness the commotion.
Popee blows Keda and Jr's cover in public, so he kindly takes them in for the night as an apology. Kedamono is wary of the circumstances. More bs happens the next morning, Genny gets introduced to the family.
Next week, Popee meets up with Marifa and breaks the news about Keda staying at his place, she is not happy about the information.
Marifa brings up an event that happened in her ballet group and tries talking about it with her brother
During all of this, Kedamono and Jr end up staying at Popee more than Keda initially wanted. Being the last wolves in the area turned them into a target, especially for a big company that's close by. Meanwhile, Popee goes to work 👍 Dr Popo/Mr Imp is introduced. He picks up on a slight change in his coworker's mood.
Phaeton and Jr start bonding! Genny comes from school to their place to hang out. Usual antics occur.
Old habits rear their ugly head and Kedamono acts accordingly instead of being a coward.
Oh you bet a theoretical new year's eve "episode" happens. It is surprisingly sweet, but also unhinged as is custom in Popee the Performer. Would be focused on the kids, mainly on Jr. Happy 2014!!
December - Genny, Jr and Phaeton decide to see a meteor shower, despite Jr not being allowed to go outside. They come up with a ploy. The adults realise that they're dealing with some smart little shits, so they attempt to sit down and talk about it (key word: attempt).
Genny goes to school thinking about his friends and how lucky he is to have them.
Phaeton starts hanging out more and more at Popee's house, Mr Imp is tasked to bring it up. Meanwhile, there is radio silence on both Keda and Popee's ends in terms of anything really. Stupid shit
Jr starts sniffing out on his dad's background with Dr Popee, and is met with silence when he questions it. He turns to his friends for help. Genny raises an eyebrow at this.
Marifa tries having a heart to heart conversation with Popee about his constant rants on Kedamono.
And that's all for now, this post is already long as FUCK
