RobiHachi Episode 5 Review: The Don Opens All Doors

Welcome to yet another episode of Robihachi, where we’re probably going to visit yet another random planet. Hopefully, one without fish.

Plot

The episode starts with Mr. Yang running a marathon and heavily breathing while thinking about Robi. Ugh… Naturally, Robi’s face shows up on TV (doesn’t this guy know that it’s best NOT to appear on television when you’re being hunted down by mafia debt collectors?), and Mr. Yang regains his motivation while chewing on some strawberry candy. Um… okay?

Meanwhile, Robi and Hachi arrive at the Haccone Planet Checkpoint that looks like some sort of far east architecture rip-off with a good bit of hellish red lighting to it. It is the gateway to leaving the galaxy, and they have to go through it in order to get to Isekandar. To Robi’s very vocal disappointment, they have to pay tolls to do that, and produce a travel permit (something like a Visa?) which they don’t have. And so they get stuck at Haccone, and yes, that’s right, this is going to be the onsen episode of this anime. I do remember Mr. Yang mentioning this on Episode 1 if I’m not mistaken. While they’re at it, Hachi mentions that their trip is pretty hopeless, as they only issue travel permits to people going back home, so they can’t really get to Isekandar, anyway. While bathing, Hachi overhears a couple of aliens talking about how they acquired travel permits from the local mafia boss, and suggests to Robi that they try to do the same.

On their way to the boss’s whereabouts – which they found really easily thanks to the fact that he lives in a huge colorful mansion with guards en plain air – they meet more aliens that verify how horrifying that guy is. Hachi tries to casually talk to the guards and get in there, but Robi and Ikku freak out and stop him. While they’re savoring some local coffee, Hachi notices that the bartender has been eavesdropping them and therefore makes the connection that he’s somehow connected to the local mafia boss. Robi has gone off somewhere with some female aliens. Turns out his daughter – again, with the daughters, really – has fallen victim to the mafia boss and now works for him. As Hachi tries to find her, Robi’s aliens friends find him first and drag him to a trip on a tourist pirate ship. Robi stays sulking by the port, wondering why these young women are interested in a man of their age rather than an old slimey dingbang like him. In convenient timing, the bartender’s daughter shows up and drags him to the hot springs. Soon, Hachi joins with the tourist girls. Robi sticks his ear to the hot spring walls, eavesdropping, saliva pouring out of his mouth. Can I even say anything to make it worse?

Hachi finally catches up with the bartender’s daughter and finds out that they can kind of avoid the risk of being ‘sucked out’ if they avoid looking at the mafia boss directly. Can we just see the guy already?! They finally get to his whereabout, which look really swanky and not scary at all. He FINALLY shows up. He is basically a huge pink wombat-style care bear that showers people with love. That was all. Please take your travel permits and leave, for god’s sakes.

Episode Highlights

You travel like a girl: To which Hachi replies ‘What’s wrong with the way girls travel?’ First, thank Hachi and second what is that even supposed to mean in this context? That he checks up on his eating? That he carries a lot of clothes? Maybe the fact that he is upset that Robi seems to be relying on Hachi for everything, then when things go wrong he blames Hachi instead of blaming himself for being lazy and irresponsible? I wonder. Also, can we just take a moment here to appreciate that every woman in this show is a trickster who is trying to earn Robi’s affections to achieve something?

Why is Ikku in a hurry: I am not entirely sure why Ikku is acting so fussed when these guys are literally doing nothing with their lives at the moment. They are traveling around the galaxy trying to reach some tourist destination (which, apparently, is impossible to reach as the government only issue remote space travel to people who are traveling back to their homeland, so how are tourists going to get to Isekandar, anyway? Well OF COURSE Isekandar is an exception) with no intention of ever coming back to Earth and without having any serious plans whatsoever. So yeah, why not just chill out and go to the hot springs? Sounds like the kind of thing you’d want to do in this situation, given you had the funds.

Kappako makes me sick: A weird humanoid duck that doesn’t look duck or human enough, Kappako is just the right amount of uncanny to make me feel very uncomfortably. JUST GIVE HER A DAMN BEAK OR SOMETHING

Themes and Trivia

Konyoku: Mixed gender public hot springs in Japan. Their history goes all the way back to the 9th century. The Japanese government has been trying to eliminate those spaces post World War II, in an effort to modernize itself and weary of the fact that mixed baths looked lewd to the westerners. Also, we may have to include the fact that an abuse of these spaces is taking place nowadays; reportedly, they’ve been illegally used to produce adult films.

A Movie Star: Haccone’s Schindler, Haccone’s Godfather, Haccone’s Al Capone, Haccone’s Don Juan… what? What does Don Juan have to do with with anything?

I mean, it was expected

They did built up to that mafia boss to the point where it could only have been something ridiculous. Oh well.

How did you find this RobiHachi episode? Let us know in the comment section! And don’t forget to check the rest of the Spring 2019 anime reviews on MANGA.TOKYO!