Petit iDOLM@STER (shortened Puchim@s!) is a manga spinoff of the The iDOLM@STER franchise, published by Ascii Media Works. It is written and drawn by Akane and began serialization in Dengeki Maoh in 2008, where it is still ongoing.
It received an 64-episode anime adaptation by Gathering and Asahi Production, in the format of anime shorts, in the Winter 2013 Anime season, with a second season airing in Spring 2014. Both seasons are simulcast by Funimation.
The comic revolves around the daily lives of the Idolmaster cast...and mysterious creatures that look like Super-Deformed versions of said cast.
For character tropes, please refer to the character sheet.
Even Puchis can trope!
- Adobe Flash: The series is animated with this.
- Aside Glance: The glances tend to be directly facing the (4-koma) 'camera', but this occurs frequently with some characters, namely Makoto and Ritsuko — with the same exasperated expression.Haruka: Where are you looking?
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: When the Producer sends Ritsuko on a Haruka-san scavenger hunt, some of the clones are huge.
- Bland-Name Product: Amazoon (Amazon) was mentioned in Season 2 Episode 1, and V@IO (Sony Vaio) computers are used in the 765 Pro offices in Season 2 Episode 8
- Bottle Episode:
- Season 2 Episode 20 consists entirely of Yayoi and Yayo standing in front of a makeshift curtain wall and playing Rock–Paper–Scissors - it lacks even the opening.
- S2 Episode 65 is similar, except this time it's Miki and Afu.
- Butt-Monkey: The Producer.
- The Cameo: Believe it or not, Heihachi Mishima is one of 765's backers. He's also Makocchi's teacher in fighting moves.
- Censored for Comedy: You know how Takane likes to keep her background secret? In s2 episode 48, while she's in her kitchen, the background is replaced by a picture of a purple swirl and the message "Shijou Takane-san has requested that we not show the contents of her residence to the public".
- Character Exaggeration/Flanderization: Mainly due to Rule of Funny.
- Cuteness Proximity: Takane moreso than everyone in the cast.
- Does Not Like Shoes: The puchi are usually barefoot.
- Everything's Better with Rainbows: The title changes color usually depending on which Puchidol is the focus. In the season 1 finale, it's a rainbow of all the idols' image colors.
- Fingerless Hands: The puchis - lampshaded in Season 2 Episode 20, where nobody knows what Yayo played in Rock–Paper–Scissors except Yayoi.
- Fractured Fairytale: The first episode of s2 is a retelling of Momotarō, puchi-style.
- S2 episode 47 is a mashup of Princess Kaguya and Snow White - but then again, it is being told by Takane.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: Season 2 Episode 19 shows that "Live?! On Sundays" exists in this continuity.
- Hilarity Ensues: The basic formula.
- Medium Blending: S2 episode 50 is a fusion of animation and live-action hand puppets.
- Non-Human Head: The Producer is depicted with having a yellow letter P for a head.
- Nosebleed: Usually seen on Takane and Kotori. Interestingly, Kotori tends to get it due to Cuteness Proximity rather than the Yuri Fan tendencies of her mainstream portrayal.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: In chapter 61, Hibiki runs into a classic Japanese yūrei who's trying to get some sleep.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: In s2 episode 69, the Producer's off ill, so Koami and Komami take it on themselves to impersonate him for a meeting about organising a mini-concert by wearing a coat and a cardboard P for a head. Ritsuko sees right through it, but the mini-concert organiser is completely oblivious.
- Pokémon Speak: The petit idols.
- Pretty Freeloaders: More 'cute' than 'pretty' though.
- Puni Plush: The anime shorts use this style for the main idols, in comparison to their more standard looks in the manga. The puchidols are Fun Size regardless of the adaptation.
- Running Gag: In addition to the 'standard' Idolm@ster gags, there are several restricted to this manga, e.g. Chihaya's tendency to give weird names to the petit idols or Haruka's tendency to pour water on Haruka-san to make it multiply.
- Ship Tease: Mostly between The Producer and Ritsuko. However, like most comedy manga...
- Slice of Life
- Super-Deformed: The puchidols are treated and referred to as "mysterious lifeforms", but appearance-wise they're really just chibi versions of the main cast.
- Surprise Party: Ritsuko, Miki, and the twins throw one for Haruka, but their way of doing it involved a robotic duplicate of her. They apologize when they realize the buildup went too far.
- Happy Birthday to You!: A recorder version is the background music at the end of the episode.
- Tears of Joy: In the last episode of s1, Ritsuko when the Puchi hold a cherry blossom viewing party to thank everyone for taking care of them.
- In season 2 episode 3, Haruka when she's wished a happy birthday.
