"Puchiko kodomo ja nai-nyu."
Known as Petit Charat before she left her home planet, five-year-old Puchiko is the co-star of popular (cult?) anime series Di Gi Charat. Puchiko came to earth with her energetic older sister Dejiko, the reason for which is left out in the sixteen-episode series but explained in Di Gi Charat Summer Special #1. Despite lacking the energy of her older sister Dejiko, Puchiko remains the favourite character of many fans by simply being so incredibly cute.
Puchiko's name, Petit Charat, might roughly be translated to "Small Character", an appropriate moniker since even counting her cat ears since according to various internet sources she's only a little over three feet high (103cm) and weighs only 40 pounds (18 kg). Not unlike the Powerpuff Girls, Puchiko's head accounts for around half of her height, while her huge eyes and a tiny mouth are a common feature of cute anime girls. She wears a schoolgirl uniform (despite only being old enough for pre-school), has a fully functional cat tail and what appears to be a set of cat ears, although nobody really knows if this is an actual part of her body or just a really really cute hat. Add in her huge brown eyes and a set of brown pigtails with yellow hair ties, and you have a some idea what Puchiko looks like.
She's quiet, curious and, despite her age, has an uncanny wisdom, often noticing things that other people don't, or take for granted. Puchiko acts older than she really is, even appearing more mature at times than her childish older sister Dejiko. In one episode where Dejiko loses her tail, Puchiko notices that it's missing before Dejiko does. Similar to many Di Gi Charat characters, Puchiko appends every sentence she speaks with "nyu".
Puchiko speaks very little in the series, since it's really Dejiko who's the star of the show. Nevertheless, she's much more than just Dejiko's sidekick. Di Gi Charat Episode #8 stars Puchiko as the main character as she struggles with her Mekara Biimu (eye beam), while in Di Gi Charat Ohanami Special #3 she spends the day at pre-school, and Di Gi Charat Summer Vacation #1 sees her trying to take a bus ride by herself with amusing results. Throughout the series, Puchiko also has a sort of running plot where Kimura Takurou seems to have something of a crush on her.
Various internet sources put Puchiko's birthday at the 21st of January. Her favourite foods include natto, chocolate and curry. In the many Di Gi Charat Specials that followed the original sixteen-episode series, Puchiko gains a pet cat, Kokke-Mirin Hokke Mirin. It's never explained where Hokke Mirin comes from, but she does come in handy in the Di Gi Charat Movie, A Trip To The Planet. (I won't spoil the movie by telling you how.)
Puchiko's voice is provided by Miyuki Sawashiro, who also voices Mint in Galaxy Angel and Higuchi Kotarou in Pita Ten. Many of the Di Gi Charat singles and album tracks feature Puchiko, and obviously also her voice actress. Baby? Lady?, Hip-Hop Vegetable, Welcome! (Puchiko version) and Spicy Girl feature her exclusively, while she also appears in Party Night, Never Give Up, D-U-P! and several others. Two mini-albums feature her exclusively, Puchiko no Uta (Puchiko's Song) and Puchiko no Uta 2.
The quote at the beginning of this writeup is said by Puchiko in the Di Gi Charat Ohanami Special #3
as she makes her way to pre-school by herself, and translates to "Puchiko is not a child-nyu".