Pinky: Show Time!

The Animate collaboration did not stop with the super sweet duo of shop assistants. It continued into new territory with a package containing not only a Pinky character complete with extras, but also a CD with Pinky dialog and song.
Thus was born the PINKY: SHOW TIME! #001 in August 2004, featuring sweet Yoshiko in high school attire; a uniform with satchel, and a set of red trainers. A limited set with green trainers was released exclusively at the Summer Wonder Festival.
The PINKY: SHOW TIME! #002 follow up became available at the 2005 Winter Wonder Festival in February, where lucky visitors could bag a set of decals that was slightly different from the general release. This time the goodies came in an enviable tin box with handle, whereas the original used a transparent plastic box. The second show girl was Moe dressed as an Animate shop steward.
The CDs contains much girly Pinky talk as well as some music performed by the band POARO. Since the language is far beyond my abilities, I will not go into the CD content in any detail.

Yoshiko in her class room standing by her school desk. Can you resist her?

Moe in her street clothes before the wonderful tin box decorated with Pinky art.

The Extras

A red bow tie for Yoshiko’s school uniform, the red (or green) trainers. For Moe, a cap and an apron, as well as a blue trainer top. The CDs, of course, and for #2 a sheet with Pinky decals.

Moe dressed for work in the Animate staff kitchen.

Both girls dressed in their trainers (although Moe had to borrow a pair of baggy pants).

The back of the trainer tops have this print that says “MOMOGAKU” which could mean Peach Academy. It is probably a school insignia.

The decals; Wonder Festival issue to the left, standard Animate to the right.

Tidbits

At the back of the Drama CD #2 are illustrations of the girls that take part in the show with their names attached. Captain Animate is here named Mitchy, a name that I have not seen used elsewhere!
Every serious Pinky collector needs the SHOW TIME! girls, even without the CDs that are of little use unless you are fluent in Japanese. Although there are many other versions of Yoshiko, this is the only one where she throws a sideways glance to the left. There is no dearth of very popular Moe either, but her yellow, white and red dress that you get here is uniquely pretty and useful.
Although they were sold for some time in the Animate stores, I believe both releases were rather limited. So today you will only see a few on eBay or Yahoo, and then mostly #1 that can be bought for about ¥1,500, which is cheap as the list price is ¥3,500. The very limited green issue of #1 is especially rare and costly, of course.
Will there be a SHOW TIME! #003? It is possible, judging from the success of the first two. Besides, a teaser entry is present at the end of the #2 booklet! Will Lisa be the next show girl? We will all have to wait for the 2006 Winter WF and see.

Links

Animate news page (Japanese) Pinky: Show Time! #1
Animate TV video promo Show Time! #1 video
Anaimate TV promo with cast list and Photo (Japanese) Show Time! #1 cast
Animate intervue with BABYsue (Japanese) C3 Hobby EXPO 2004 Event
Animate news page (Japanese) Pinky: Show Time! #2
Animate promo part 1 with full cast photo – Kokoro, Moe Show Time! #2 promo
Animate promo part 2 Sue, Youshiko, Tamae Show Time! #2 promo
Animate promo part 3 Hana, Lisa, Reina Show Time! #2 promo
Animate promo part 4 Hobikun (boy), mystery woman (Ramika) Show Time! #2 promo
Animate teaser (Japanese) Hoshi Ramica ‘Mystery woman’
Animate TV sound promo (Japanese) Show Time! #2
VANCE Animate page (Japanese) Pinky street drama CD
Pinky Show Time #1 parts list (Japanese) hajimete no Pinky:st.
Pinky Show Time #1 LE parts list (Japanese) hajimete no Pinky:st.
Pinky Show Time #2 parts list (Japanese) hajimete no Pinky:st.
Inga’s Pinky info and forum! All Your Cute Are Belong To Us
Lots of info in Clockwork Orange’s Pinky Page
Pinkys will rule the world! Turn left to Pinky St.
The Milk Tea Pinky Card Translation Project
Alice’s Pinky pages Let's Go to Pinky:St!
Kanayasan (Japanese) is BABYsue.
Pinky’s home (Japanese) VANCE PROJECT
News and links from RuiRui (Japanese) How to get to Pinky Street?
Instant*Bit Pinky Icons
Pinky mug shots with data (Japanese) Pink:st’Street

Never before seen episodes of their funny days!