We went to the Robot Restaurant in Kabukicho and witnessed the robot uprising, a girl’s journey through the afterlife, and a carnival led by robots all in one neon filled night.
How to Book Robot Restaurant
We booked our seats for Robot Restaurant through Voyagin here. Voyagin is an official partner with Robot Restaurant, making the reservation process very easy. We made our reservations for the 5:15pm show, and added the option for the 2nd/3rd row center seats.
Waiting for the Show
After we picked up our tickets, we were escorted to the gaudiest lounge I have ever seen. The lounge was what would have happened to the world if Donald Trump was Japanese.
Luckily we didn’t have to wait long and were soon escorted down to the show floor. The stairway down to the show floor was decorated for Halloween with neon colored floors, skulls, and skeletons.
The Show Floor
The show floor was setup with three rows of seats on either side of a long open area. The seats were comfortable enough, but were quite the pain to get in and out of as they were tightly squeezed together. There were a couple intermissions that allowed you to get up and walk around, but once the show started you had to remain seated.
The Beginning
The first act of the show started with large robotic drumming platforms carrying the performers as they danced, drummed, and shred their guitars. It was wild, I had no idea what was going on, and I loved it.
The story seemed to be about a warrior princess being attacked by robots and her backup dancers saving her. I actually have no idea if that was the story, but honestly the story didn’t matter much.
The Fight of the Haka
The second act actually had a story, or at least the illusion of one. Apparently, in the year 20XX humans and robots coexist. But then, for no stated reason, the robots rebel against the humans and take over the Earth. Luckily for us, god-like beings, known as the Haka, fight the robots to save the humans and the Earth.
The robots and effects were much more elaborate than the first act. There were lasers guns, exploding sparks, and smoke-breathing dragons. One thing that must be said about the Robot Restaurant is the production value is surprisingly high. As kitschy and flashy as it is, the costumes and “robots” are all very detailed and well put together. It was all very impressive.
Day of the Dead
Because we went during the Halloween season, the show had a Day of the Dead themed third act. It was basically the plot of Pixar’s Coco on fast forward. A young girl wants to meet her dead grandmother, so she follows the marigold flowers to the afterlife. Once there she gets trapped and must be saved by her grandmother’s spirit animal. After she was saved, there was a Carnival led by robots and dancing birds. I didn’t remember this part in Coco, but it was fun all the same.
The Conclusion
I highly recommend the Robot Restaurant. It was just ridiculous fun, and a great introduction to Kabukicho.