A series of five seasonal specials based on the Di Gi Charat franchise which take place within the continuity of the original series. The specials began airing on TBS in August 2000 and finished a year later in August 2001. With the exception of the Christmas special, each special is a set of 2-4 episodes.
The specials are as follows:
- Di Gi Charat - Summer Special 2000 (August 22-23, 2000). Introduces Pyocola Analogue III a.k.a Piyoko, Dejiko’s rival and the leader of the Black Gema Gema Gang.
- Di Gi Charat - Christmas Special (December 16, 2000). Introduces Piyoko’s lackeys; Rik, Ky, and Coo
- Di Gi Charat - Ohanami Special (April 6, 2001)
- Di Gi Charat - Natsuyasumi Special (August 2-3, 2001). Introduces Rod Young, an American who is a massive fanboy of Di Gi Charat.
- Di Gi Charat - Tsuyu Special (August 25, 2001)
The specials provide examples of the following tropes nyu!:
open/close all folders
General
- A Day in the Limelight: Episode 3 of the Ohanami Special and Episode 2 of the Tsuyu Special put great focus on Murataku and Minataku respectively.
- Animation Bump: The characters are a lot more expressive in the specials compared to the original series.
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- Rik, Ky, and Coo are absent in Summer Special 2000 so Piyoko’s only minions are said to be the Gebas. As well, Piyoko is a lot more malicious, doing things like destroying a whole city block with her Upchuck Bazooka and creating a store that brainwashes its customers which nearly puts Gamers out of business. Piyoko’s schemes would later on be characterized as being Poke the Poodle at best.
- As well, the Black Gema Gema Gang were also willing to go after Dejiko’s friends, whereas their focus later on would solely be on Dejiko.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: There are a few times in these specials when Dejiko and the Black Gema Gema Gang work together or hang out without any issue.
- Christmas Special: The gang decides to give up on the scheme that they had planned to celebrate Christmas with Dejiko’s group and celebrate Christmas.
- Ohanami Special: Mr. Manager and Piyoko’s lackeys have a peaceful picnic while Dejiko, Puchiko, Rabi~en~Rose, and Piyoko are asleep under the cherry blossom tree.
- Tsuyu Special: Dejiko’s group and the Black Gema Gema Gang put on a play together
- Natsuyasumi Special: Piyoko joins and plays alongside Dejiko and her friends in a band.
- Inconsistent Spelling: Sentai Filmworks' release of the specials has some examples of this:
- Piyoko's full name is spelled "Pyocolat Analog III" instead the official "Pyocola Analogue III"
- Rik, Coo & Ky's names are spelled "Riku, Kuu and Kai" rather than their official spellings, in addition to this Ky's last name is spelled "Schwarzer" instead of "Schweitzer" like it is officially
- Rodoyan's name is rendered as "Rod Young".
- Market-Based Title: All the specials, with the exception of the Christmas Special, had their names changed on the Di Gi Charat Blu-Ray release by Sentai Filmworks.
- The Summer Special 2000 had its name changed to simply the “Summer Specials”.
- The Ohanami Special became the “Flower Viewing Special”.
- The Natsuyasumi Special became the “Summer Vacation Special”.
- The Tsuyu Special became the “Omake Special”.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Mr. Manager and Abarenbou appear in the opening credits for the specials, with both being absent from the opening for the original series.
- Theme Naming: Each of the specials is named after a season/seasonal event.
- Ohanami translates to Cherry-Blossom Viewing.
- Tsuyu translates to Rainy Season.
- Natsuyasumi translates to Summer Vacation.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Minataku gets it twice in these specials.
- Rabi~en~Rose shows him gratitude for helping her get the medicine to cure Dejiko in the fourth episode of the Ohanami Special.
- He and the rest of the cast actually manage to put on a successful play in the Tsuyu Special, although the cast quit near the end since they find it boring.
Summer Special 2000
- And That's Terrible: As Piyoko talks about her plans to kidnap Dejiko for money, Minataku, Gema, and Puchiko all tell her how evil and illegal that is.
- Annual Title: Di Gi Charat - Summer Special 2000 was unsurprisingly released in 2000.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Mr. Manager isn't too upset about the Black Gema Gema Gang opening up a store directly across the road from Gamers as he always wanted some competition. A few days later the Gema's store has stolen all of Gamers' customers.
- Buy or Get Lost: Dejiko blasts a group of browsers, who flat out admit to only being in the store for the air conditioning.
- Call-Back:
- Murataku grumbles about Piyoko adding "pyo" to the end of her sentences.
- The end of Episode 1 has the group freak out over a pack of cursed trading cards.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Paya-paya is a very rude Jerkass who has little care for the well-meaning of others. The last episode sees him attempt to blow up Gamers in order to rebuild it into something new.
- Gilligan Cut: Mr. Manager assures his employees that the new store will not be much of a threat and they will still have the support of their loyal customers. Cut to a few days later and Gamers is empty with everyone lining up to go into the new store.
- Hypocritical Humor: Dejiko agrees with Piyoko that everyone at Gamers is an idiot. Unsurprisingly, Rabi~en~Rose angrily calls Dejiko the biggest idiot there.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Dejiko seeing Takeshi and Yoshimi, two of her most loyal fans, shopping at the Black Gema Gema Gang's store helps to clue her into something being fishy about that store.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Paya-paya the slug-man regularly does things under the pretense of being rich.
- Taking the Bullet:
- Murataku takes the hit from an upchuck bazooka that was heading for Puchiko.
- Minataku attempts to do the same for Rabi~en~Rose, but she accidentally knocks the blast into him with her rabbit ears.
- Trash the Set: The last episode of the special features Gamers getting blown up, again.
Christmas Special
- Behemoth Battle: The special ends with a giant Broccoli battling a giant Abarenbou.
- Call-Back: Dejiko promises that the cake she bakes won't explode this time.
- Christmas Special: Unsurprisingly the special takes place during Christmas.
- Hypocritical Humor: Dejiko chastises everyone for believing they won a cruise from some weird bug-covered ticket, only for Gema to point out that she is also there because of that same ticket.
- Limited Wardrobe: Averted at first, with most of the cast dressing, or at least trying to dress, fancy for the cruise they are going to embark on. However, Dejiko chooses to ditch the outfit she's wearing for her regular attire due to finding it hard to move in. After doing so, she demands that everyone else also switch to their usual attire, all of whom do.
- Mythology Gag: The present that Dejiko's mother sends her is a piece of Broccoli.Di Gi Charat is owned by a company called Broccoli.
- Naked People Are Funny: When Dejiko is chastising everyone for failing to dress fancy, she sees that Mr. Manager is wearing nothing but a tuxedo over his blue body, she quickly points out that this means he was always naked. Mr. Manager does not deny it.
- Taking the Bullet: Once again Minataku and Murataku try to do this for Puchiko and Usada.
- Minataku attempts to push Usada out of the way of being crushed by a giant finger, but she flies away leading to him getting smushed.
- Murataku comes up with a plan to save Puchiko from the monster but spends too much time thinking leading to him getting crushed.
Ohanami Special
- Call-Back: One of the cursed items that Piyoko and her gang drop off are some cursed trading cards.
- Chased Off into the Sunset: The first episode ends with Dejiko and co. chasing after Piyoko and her gang.
- Closet Sublet: The first episode features Piyoko and the Black Gema Gang invading and living in Dejiko's closet.
- First Day of School Episode: Episode 3 has Puchiko going to preschool for the first time due to Murataku mistakenly believing that she wanted to. Puchiko ends up becoming rather popular, however, she returns the outfit Murataku gave her due to not being interested in going to school.
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: One of the symptoms of Dejiko's sickness is that she transforms into random objects.
- Shockingly Expensive Bill: After destroying her room, Dejiko and Gema begin calculating the total cost of repairs. It comes out to a very high price, so high that it doesn't fit on the calculator the trio are using, which causes the Black Gemas to run away.
- Sick Episode: Episode 4 is a downplayed example as while Dejiko is sick, the focus is placed on Usada.
- This Is My Side: In Episode 2, Dejiko and Piyoko draw a line between their picnic blankets.
- We Want Our Jerk Back!: Downplayed example in the fourth episode. Dejiko gets an illness that causes her to become much nicer, and Rabi~en~Rose is the only one who wants her to return to normal as she feels things are now boring.
Natsuyasumi Special
- Accidental Passenger: Puchiko ends up stranded in America due to getting stuck in a bus seat and being unable to get off.
- Artistic License – Geography: Played for Laughs. According to the map, America consists of Hollywood, Las Vegas, and New York, all of which are a short jaunt away from each other.
- Bedsheet Ghost: Piyoko and the rest of the Black Gema Gema Gang disguise themselves to look like ghosts using white bedsheets in order to scare Dejiko and her friends.
- Comically Small Bribe: Dejiko tries to convince Puchiko and Usada to join her band by offering them both a week's worth of the ten-year supply of natto if they win.
- Dwindling Party: The fourth episode has Dejiko and friends go to a rest house in the woods, where everyone begins disappearing one by one.
- Epic Fail: Piyoko manages to fail at hitting her drum kit several times during the performance.
- Gainax Ending: The third episode has the characters get covered in live-action natto and mixed together.
- Group Picture Ending: Episode 2 ends with everyone taking a group picture together before Dejiko and company head back to Japan.
- Identical Stranger: Mr. Violence looks exactly like Abarenbou, assuming it’s not just him in a Paper-Thin Disguise. Dejiko asks about this, but both Rod Young and Mr. Violence brush her question off.
- Losing a Shoe in the Struggle: Every time someone disappears in the fourth episode they leave behind an item or object of clothing.
- Medium Blending: The guitars that Dejiko and her band play are real pictures of guitars imposed over the characters. As well, they get covered in real natto and mixed together with real chopsticks at the end of the episode
- Mistaken Identity: Abarenbou mistakes Piyoko for his niece.
- Roadsign Reversal: Dejiko accidentally flips the sign pointing towards America while flying away in her spaceship, which causes the Black Gema Gema Gang to fly in the wrong direction and get lost.
- Running Gag: Rik getting attacked by giant animals while declaring them his friends whenever the Black Gema Gema Gang lands in the wrong continent.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Rabi~en~Rose, Piyoko, and to a lesser extent, Dejiko's trips to America are ultimately this.
- Rabi~en~Rose's parents gave her the wrong address on purpose, meaning her whole reason for heading there was pointless.
- Piyoko and the Black Gemas were heading to America to kidnap Dejiko. By the time they arrive, Dejiko is already leaving.
- Dejiko came to America for two reasons, to save Puchiko and star in a movie. While she does end up finding Puchiko, she finds out too late that the movie was canceled.
- Stylistic Suck: DePuRaPyoGeBou's music not only sounds horrible but is animated horribly as well.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Everyone in DePuRaPyoGeBou were given their instruments only a short while before the show and thus had little time to actually practice. Unsurprisingly they end up sounding absolutely terrible and only end up being saved by Dejiko's singing abilities.
- Take That!: There's an extended take that against the Occidental Otaku stereotype, portraying Rod Young as a most annoying type of fan for Dejiko and the rest of the cast.
Tsuyu Special
- Accidental Hero: Mr. Manager saves the girls from Gema's wrath when he opens up the ice cream cone.
- Bigger on the Inside: The ice cream cone that Gema lives in hosts an entire world and giant house.
- The Dog Bites Back: "Gema's Abode" has Gema get back at Dejiko, Puchiko, and Rabi~en~Rose by tormenting them with his Mind Screw world.
- Later-Installment Weirdness: Unlike past specials, there is nothing to indicate that this special takes place within the rainy season. As well, the special is made up of only two episodes whereas all others, with the exception of the Christmas special, had four.
- Not So Above It All: Gema gleefully joins Dejiko and Puchiko in mocking Rabi~en~Rose's moment with Minataku.
- Oh Wait, This Is My Grocery List: The flyers that Minataku is passing out for his acting club are printed on the back of an advertisement for a supermarket.
- Playing a Tree: Murataku and Bukumi end up being cast as a tree and grass respectively in Minataku's play.
- Poke the Poodle: One of the things Gema does to torment the trio of Dejiko, Puchiko, and Rabi~en~Rose is use two layers of toothpaste.
- Say It: Gema demands that the main trio call him "Gema-sama" and that they say "Please forgive me Gema-sama".
- Strong Family Resemblance: Gema's parents look exactly like him, except wearing some accessories.
- Too Dumb to Live: Despite no longer being in his world, Gema still tries to force Dejiko, Puchiko, and Usada to apologize and bend to his will. The trio quickly ties him to his ice cream cone and tosses him away into a river.
