Broken Taro and the Robotaro
Summary
Armour Time! Don! Don! Don! Donburako! Don~ Momotaro~!
Haruka: Don Momotaro is unstoppably strong; that, I can admit.
However... having a weakness or two makes someone more endearing.
Or am I the only one who thinks that?
However... having a weakness or two makes someone more endearing.
Or am I the only one who thinks that?
Taro goes to deliver a package to Donbura, only to arrive utterly haggard. When Tokumei-Ki makes his move on the city, Taro ends up collapsing before he can actually fight. Haruka and Shinichi talk to Jin about his current state, who reveals that Taro's incredible powers run out every few years, which results in extreme exhaustion. To bring him back to health, the two of them make kibi dango.
Tropes
- Bait-and-Switch: Taro seems to give Haruka a pat on the head for her help... only to shove her aside, flinging her across the battlefield.
- The Bus Came Back: Kenji Sayama, the former Keisatsu-Ki, returns as one of the passengers on a Bus Full of Innocents before everyone onboard mysteriously vanished after exiting a cave. The On the Next preview reveals him to be fine, however...
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Sonoi witnessing a bus full of people head into a tunnel, going out the other end with nobody in it. When the bus crashes, all he sees is a clear slime dripping. Sonoi comes out of it incredibly disturbed, yelling that the Juto are coming.
- Crazy-Prepared: While Shinichi and Haruka are trying to figure out the recipe Jin gave them, Kaito reveals that he already had more than enough kibi dango dough ready as part of a secret menu hidden on the other side of the cafe's signboards.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: When Haruka wonders what other hidden menu items are there, she tries flipping another one, which reveals Colorful's Colorful Sundae, only for Kaito to keep pushing it back when she attempts to expose it.
- Internal Reveal: Kaito reveals himself as Zenkaizer Black to Taro and Haruka.
- Magic A Is Magic A: Zigzagged. Jin explains to Shinichi and Haruka that the kibi dango have to be made in the full traditional process, following the exact recipe in order for it to actually work. Using Kaito's pre-made dough without putting it through the mortar-pounding step nullified the true effect - making Taro slightly better, but not enough for him to be in top form. When he does get the properly-made kibi-dango later on, he ends up falling short of one and still collapses during battle, but Haruka saving him during this moment somehow "makes up" for the last lacking kibi dango, bringing Taro back to full health.
- Mythology Gag: Zenkaizer Black uses his Geartlinger in a Bayonet Ya-fashioned attack much like how the imaginary Zenkai Red did.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Taro already obtained the Don Robotaro Gear prior to this episode.
- Not So Above It All: After learning that Taro is completely helpless, Shinichi imagines challenging him to a duel again and easily beating him. Haruka calls him out on it and he quickly abandons the idea.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- Taro being so exhausted he's not doing his work properly. Even as Don Momotaro his Summon Backup Dancers ended up summoning very unfocused sleazy dancers who just run off the moment Taro gets off and tries to head into battle.
- Sonoi's stoic exterior breaks after seeing the bus crash, yelling that the Juto are coming.
- Power at a Price: Jin reveals that in exchange for Taro's incredible abilities and power, once every few years he's left completely weakened and helpless. As such, he ends up incredibly exhausted, barely able to stand without collapsing shortly after. Even his shrine ends up looking more like a funeral service.
- Shout-Out:
- This wouldn't be the first time in an Inoue-written show where a bunch of people are massacred on a bus by one of the monsters.
- Tokumei-Ki's M.O. revolves around deadly childhood games such as Red Light, Green Light and Tag. If that doesn't bring Squid Game to mind, then The Reveal that the host is a terminally ill old man wanting to be a kid again will.
- Sick Episode: Taro becomes extremely exhausted after losing his powers. He eventually gets better after eating 300 kibi dango, but only when they are made from scratch and through a specifically full process with mortar-pounding.
- Taught by Experience: Haruka predicts with accurate timing that Jin will simply say “Visiting hours are over” and kick them out rather than giving them any useful information. He tells her she’s correct before we cut away.
- Ungrateful Bastard: After all the work Haruka and Shinichi did for Taro to help him recover, not once does he actually thank them for their efforts. The closest we got was Taro saying that Haruka helping him in battle is enough to make up for not eating one of the 300 kibi dango, but even then, he just shoves her aside afterwards.
