In my previous post I started my review of the Robot Restaurant Tokyo.
What is it, what is it not, and what to expect.
I showed you a psychedelic reception area, a silver robot band, drumming go-go-girls and Kung Fu Panda riding a gigantic cow.
CRA-ZYYYYY!!!!
Fembots and robotic dinosaurs
At that point in the show, a battle starts between good and evil. Female warriors riding mythic robots fight each other.
A girl riding a dinosaur.
After each battle, two new female opponents arrive on the scene, riding even bigger mythic robot animals.
Spider girl on mythic animal.
There is an enormous shark devouring a princess.
Shark, ridden by a mermaid.
“Hehe, I win this battle!”
Gigantic snakes eating warriors.
Robotic snake.
“Help! ‘m being eaten by a snake!”
Laser beam wars.
Horned female warrior sends out laser beams.
“Auch, stop, I’m being struck by laser beams!”
The sky is the limit. Actually, no, it goes beyond the sky;-).
Judge for yourself:
Audience participation with glowsticks.
Girl singing Ave Maria, driven around by a robot clown.
The girls (singers, dancers, performers) dressed in teeny tiny parade uniforms.
The variety in robots during the show is enormous. This one looks very cute!
I like how you can see the ‘heart’ of this robot.
The show is cut into short blocks. Thus creating breaks in which the scenery can be changed and drinks and snacks can be sold. “You can go to the restroom quickly now, folks!”
The girls present themselves here as ‘everybody’s dream girls”.
And we jump and we dance and we sing and we scream…a lot…
At the end of the show, you are all led through that same stairs and out the door. Back on the streets of Shinjuku. Overwhelmed by what you just experienced.
The end of the show; directed to leave.
Robot Restaurant; yay or nay?
Strange, but once outside, it felt like sobering up after a wild night. Thinking back and asking yourself: what did I just see/do? Was it worth it? Would I recommend it? Or do I feel hung over?
The honest truth is: I don’t know. Six weeks later, I still don’t know.
I’m a huge fan of tacky, kitsch, over-the-top, quirky, silly and sensory overloads. So that’s not where the doubt comes from. They got that part covered!
Go-go girls on giant fembots.
I think my doubt comes from the machine-like approach. Feeling part of a herd of tourists, forced into a script that directs your every move every second while throughout the show being squeezed for some more money.
Girls on fembot.
Does that make sense? Do you understand my objections? Maybe I missed a soul in all of this….
Besides that, I think the size of the theater bothered me. It felt like something too large was squeezed into a space that was too small for it.
Real girl riding a gigantic female robot.
So you’ll have to decide for yourself what to make of it and wether you want to experience it for yourself or not. I cannot give a thumbs up or down; I’m undecided.
I hope that at least you enjoyed my pictures and videos!
Have you been to the Robot restaurant? What’s your opinion?
I understand what you mean. I think I also miss a story, tying everything together, a red thread which connects the different performances. Now I have the feeling it was mostly meant for guys (sexy girls, scarsely dressed and machinery, robots, dragons… all boys toys).
Greetje
I didn’t look at or think about it that way, but it sounds like a plausibel perception, now that you mention it, Greetje!
Well, I think I would have enjoyed the spectacle but I would tire of the sexy anime-style girls. I probably wouldn’t pay that much just for the rush of lights and weirdness. The audience seems to have been expected to behave in unison too and that would bother me after a while. I see what you mean as well about feeling the show was too big for that space.
Having said all that, thanks so much for this coverage! I do appreciate the show just for proving that anything goes. I’d have a hangover too.
Yeah, I think we’re sharing similar thoughts and feelings, Mel.
I went along with it all during the show and enjoyed myself, but ‘sobering up’ afterwards I felt more objections.
I love Japan but I think this would have given me a headache!
Hahaha…I understand where you’re coming from. I did not get a headache, but it sure was noisy and chaotic.
It is funny that Greetje mentioned it is sexist because that is exactly what I thought. Where are the tight young men prancing around half naked for the women to enjoy?
I love that you shared your experience here but honestly that was more than enough for me. It reminds me of a parade in a very small room.
bisous
Suzanne
Hahaha…a parade in a very small room! That describes it rather well, I must say.