Movie
Description
Pupuran, also rendered as Poupelin in Japanese materials and Pupulan in some English versions, is a character from the 1995 anime film Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie. He is one of a group of fairy brothers who serve the film's antagonist, Queen Badiane, and he functions as the secondary antagonist of the story. His name is drawn from a type of French pastry.
In terms of background, Pupuran is a fairy who works directly under Queen Badiane as one of her principal agents. Among the fairies in her service, he is effectively the leader and has the most direct contact with Badiane herself. He appears as a young man with green hair and red eyes, and he carries a magical flute that is central to his role. His primary duty in the film is to gather children from around the world so that Badiane can use their dreams as energy for her Black Dream Hole, a dark void she intends to use to consume the Earth. Pupuran is shown carrying out this work in Europe early in the film, where his flute music hypnotizes children and leads them onto a mysterious ship that sails into the sky. The mass disappearances of children reported later in the story are the result of his efforts.
His personality is characterized by enthusiasm and loyalty to his queen. He performs his mission without hesitation, eagerly following Badiane's orders to hurry the collection of children. He is confident and aggressive when confronted, showing no reluctance to attack those who interfere with his task. Unlike his younger brother Perle, who grows doubtful of Badiane's promises, Pupuran remains committed to her cause throughout the film. His motivation is rooted in the belief, shared initially by his brothers, that Badiane is leading children to a happy dream world where they can remain young and carefree forever. He acts on this conviction by luring children away from the real world, though in reality the children are placed into Dream Coffins that drain their dream energy to power Badiane's scheme.
In the story, Pupuran first appears as the mysterious flautist who spirits children away in Europe. His second major appearance comes when the Sailor Guardians track Chibiusa and other hypnotized children to his flying ship in Tokyo. When the guardians try to intervene, he fights them and summons small servant creatures known as Bonbon Babies to attack. He also uses his flute to hypnotize the guardian girls into seeing a gingerbread house, a spell that is broken when Mamoru appears to snap them out of the vision. Later, when the guardians infiltrate Marzipan Castle to rescue the children, Pupuran and his fellow fairies Banane and Orangeat confront them in battle. The fight turns against the fairies when Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto arrive to reinforce the other guardians, and the three fairies' flutes are destroyed. When Pupuran's flute is shattered by Sailor Uranus, he loses his power and transforms into a small blue bird that flies away, removing him from the rest of the conflict.
His key relationships are with Queen Badiane and his brothers. He is the older brother of Perle, the fairy who befriends Chibiusa after meeting her in Tokyo. The contrast between the two brothers is central to the film: Perle comes to doubt Badiane and ultimately betrays her to help the Sailor Guardians, while Pupuran stays loyal until his defeat. Pupuran also works alongside his other brothers, Banane and Orangeat, as part of Badiane's henchmen, and the three act together in battle against the guardians.
Pupuran does not experience meaningful development over the course of the film. He begins as a dedicated servant of Badiane and remains one until he is defeated, at which point he is transformed into a bird and effectively removed from the story. His static loyalty serves as a contrast to Perle's change of heart, highlighting Perle's decision to reject Badiane's lies.
His notable abilities center on his enchanted flute. The music he plays can hypnotize children and compel them to follow him, and it can also deceive adults by creating illusions such as the gingerbread house. He commands the Bonbon Babies, which he deploys as minions in combat, and he appears to have access to the flying ship used to transport the kidnapped children, along with the ability to accompany it through the sky. His powers are tied to his flute, as demonstrated when its destruction causes him to revert to a harmless bird form.
In terms of background, Pupuran is a fairy who works directly under Queen Badiane as one of her principal agents. Among the fairies in her service, he is effectively the leader and has the most direct contact with Badiane herself. He appears as a young man with green hair and red eyes, and he carries a magical flute that is central to his role. His primary duty in the film is to gather children from around the world so that Badiane can use their dreams as energy for her Black Dream Hole, a dark void she intends to use to consume the Earth. Pupuran is shown carrying out this work in Europe early in the film, where his flute music hypnotizes children and leads them onto a mysterious ship that sails into the sky. The mass disappearances of children reported later in the story are the result of his efforts.
His personality is characterized by enthusiasm and loyalty to his queen. He performs his mission without hesitation, eagerly following Badiane's orders to hurry the collection of children. He is confident and aggressive when confronted, showing no reluctance to attack those who interfere with his task. Unlike his younger brother Perle, who grows doubtful of Badiane's promises, Pupuran remains committed to her cause throughout the film. His motivation is rooted in the belief, shared initially by his brothers, that Badiane is leading children to a happy dream world where they can remain young and carefree forever. He acts on this conviction by luring children away from the real world, though in reality the children are placed into Dream Coffins that drain their dream energy to power Badiane's scheme.
In the story, Pupuran first appears as the mysterious flautist who spirits children away in Europe. His second major appearance comes when the Sailor Guardians track Chibiusa and other hypnotized children to his flying ship in Tokyo. When the guardians try to intervene, he fights them and summons small servant creatures known as Bonbon Babies to attack. He also uses his flute to hypnotize the guardian girls into seeing a gingerbread house, a spell that is broken when Mamoru appears to snap them out of the vision. Later, when the guardians infiltrate Marzipan Castle to rescue the children, Pupuran and his fellow fairies Banane and Orangeat confront them in battle. The fight turns against the fairies when Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto arrive to reinforce the other guardians, and the three fairies' flutes are destroyed. When Pupuran's flute is shattered by Sailor Uranus, he loses his power and transforms into a small blue bird that flies away, removing him from the rest of the conflict.
His key relationships are with Queen Badiane and his brothers. He is the older brother of Perle, the fairy who befriends Chibiusa after meeting her in Tokyo. The contrast between the two brothers is central to the film: Perle comes to doubt Badiane and ultimately betrays her to help the Sailor Guardians, while Pupuran stays loyal until his defeat. Pupuran also works alongside his other brothers, Banane and Orangeat, as part of Badiane's henchmen, and the three act together in battle against the guardians.
Pupuran does not experience meaningful development over the course of the film. He begins as a dedicated servant of Badiane and remains one until he is defeated, at which point he is transformed into a bird and effectively removed from the story. His static loyalty serves as a contrast to Perle's change of heart, highlighting Perle's decision to reject Badiane's lies.
His notable abilities center on his enchanted flute. The music he plays can hypnotize children and compel them to follow him, and it can also deceive adults by creating illusions such as the gingerbread house. He commands the Bonbon Babies, which he deploys as minions in combat, and he appears to have access to the flying ship used to transport the kidnapped children, along with the ability to accompany it through the sky. His powers are tied to his flute, as demonstrated when its destruction causes him to revert to a harmless bird form.