Popotan
| Popotan | |
Front cover of the DVD-ROM version of Popotan | |
| ぽぽたん | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy comedy, harem |
| Novel series | |
| Written by | Sassami Yachiruda |
| Published by | Softgarage |
| Original run | June 20, 2002 – August 22, 2002 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Video game | |
| Developer |
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| Genre | Eroge, visual novel |
| Platform | Microsoft Windows |
| Released | December 13, 2002 (limited ed.) August 1, 2003 (Popotan Po! DVD-ROM) |
| Audio drama | |
| Station | Osaka Radio, TBS Radio |
| Original run | April 2003 – December 2003 |
| Video game | |
| Popotan Fan Disc: Issho ni A SO BO | |
| Developer |
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| Genre | Eroge, Visual novel |
| Platform | Microsoft Windows |
| Released | July 7, 2003 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Shinichiro Kimura |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Jukki Hanada |
| Music by | Osamu Tezuka |
| Studio | Shaft |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | BS-i |
| Original run | July 18, 2003 – October 3, 2003 |
| Episodes | 12 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yūjiro Izumi |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| Magazine | Magazine Z |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | December 12, 2003 – August 23, 2004 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Video game | |
| Oshiete! Popotan | |
| Developer |
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| Publisher |
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| Genre | Visual novel |
| Platform | PlayStation 2 |
| Released | March 11, 2004 |
Popotan (Japanese: ぽぽたん) is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Petit Ferret with character designs by Akio Watanabe under the alias Poyoyon Rock. It was originally released as a PC game for CD-ROM on December 13, 2002, and subsequently re-released on DVD-ROM and for the PlayStation 2 with certain scenes removed. The title Popotan is a nonsensical word meant to reflect the prominence of dandelions, spelled tanpopo (たんぽぽ) in Japanese; Petit Ferret also produced a fan disc shortly before the DVD-ROM re-release. Popotan has been adapted to other media, including a novel series (Popotan~ Himitsu no Jumon~ Kōhen) by Sassami Yachiruda; a manga series by Yūjiro Izumi; a twelve episode anime television series directed by Shinichiro Kimura, animated by Shaft, and licensed in North America by Geneon USA and later, Sentai Filmworks; a radio drama (Poporaji); and several art and reference books.
Gameplay in Popotan follows a semi-predetermined plot; major events remain the same, but personal storylines can diverge from the player's choices. The game focuses on protagonist Chris, a drifter who meets three girls, the youngest of whom is 11 years old, and their maid in a mansion near the ruins of Tokyo in the distant future.