Mobile Era 8013...
This anime is made for the viewer to enjoy the cuteness of robots, while enjoying a hardly noticeable, inoffensive investigation.
On Earth, where humans have long been extinct,
the hordes of military robots that were left behind
continue fighting an endless war.
They're all fighting again today...
I guess that's to be expected.
They were built to fight. It can't be helped.
War not ending. Give or take 10,000 years.
For us non-combat robots, every day is so boring
since there's nothing for us to do.
As you can see, Fujii is a home version maid robot.
By the way, I was sorting through my library yesterday
and found an interesting document.
An interesting document?
Kato is a librarian robot of the National Library.
Apparently the organic life forms called
humans, that once inhabited this planet, had a unique emotion
called "laughing" that had a whole culture behind it, as well.
"Laughing"? What's that? I'm curious.
Humans?
They're the ones that built our ancestors, right?
Human (noun) The general term used for the animal in the Hominidae family and the Homininae subfamily.
Yes. Apparently, this thing called "laughing" had the
Laugh (noun) A voluntary reaction that is used when happy or having fun.
ability to relieve tension as well as stress.
Tension! Relief! War! Gone!
I see. If we can understand this "laughing,"
perhaps we can stop the war.
However, our information is limited.
Well, we can still look for clues!
The three of us. Work together.
It will work out.
Right.
I'll share the data that is categorized under "laughing" with you two.
If there is any data that interests you, let us inspect it.
What about this?
There's data that suggests that if you
"joke," it may produce this "laughing."
What does that mean?
Joke.
To say or do something that goes against
Joke (verb) To purposely do or say something illogical.
context or the setting.
What? Why would anyone do that?
If we're able to understand that,
I think we'll understand what this laughing means,
as well as the culture around it.
I see.
They have indeed picked a difficult topic to start off with.
At any rate. Let us try.
You're right.
All right, Fujii,
do something that is illogical right now.
What?! Just like that?
I wonder how I do something illogical.
A sudden tall order.
I think all you have to do
is something we would usually never say or do.
Well, then...
Ah man, am I full!
I definitely don't want to see fried eggplants for a while!
U-Um,
what I did right there was, we are robots,
so we don't eat human food,
and no one eats that many fried eggplants...
Fried Eggplant (noun) A dish that uses the fruit of the species, S. melongena, from the family, Solanaceae.
So that should have made things illogical...
It didn't make you laugh?
I understood that it was an unnatural comment.
But do not understand "laughing."
I see...
Perhaps there's a degree of being illogical?
Next, Mori, please try jok—
Are there any crybabies here?!
V-Very well prepared...
Being an industrial robot,
Mori is able to change her body parts into various units.
The legendary demon, Namahage.
Namahage (noun) A mysterious being that shows up at houses on the 15th day of the lunar calendar with a large knife and hand pail. The term could also refer to this action.
I-I see...
I'm sorry, I seemed to have missed
that information in my database...
I was impressed, not only by your sense of speed,
but the gap between what just appeared and your usual self.
Illogical things! Laughing!
I still don't get laughing, but you did surprise us.
Indeed. I think there's a possibility we're getting closer to the definition.
It's your turn next, Kato.
Kato. Joke.
Curious.
After being told to joke,
it somehow feels as though it's harder to do...
What? But we went!
Kato! Unfair!
I'll do it!
Something illogical for this setting, right?
Just watch.
The war has now ended!
Huh?
Question mark?
How was that? That was illogical, right?
What do you mean?
The war is far from over, but I said it was finished.
And if the war has ended,
that means I don't have to try so hard to joke.
What? That's not fair!
It's illogical in various ways, right?
I'm not, completely satisfied.
It's not what you say, it's how you say it.
Meaning, if we sum this all up...
Laughing is?
Something unnatural, surprising,
and leaves you not completely satisfied.
Does that work?
It appears that the ravages of war will continue to spread.
Hm... I don't think that's quite right.
Indeed.
Maybe we weren't saying
something illogical for the setting well enough?
All right. Let us add a configuration.
A configuration?
Right. This setting may be too ordinary for us,
so it may be the cause of us not being able to joke well.
Set configuration!
Easier to say something illogical!
I see. What kind of configuration?
A familiar situation would be good.
Repair shop!
Oh, that's a pretty good idea.
I'll be the shop receptionist.
I'll be the customer. Mori, try being the repairman.
Understood!
Let us all try saying something illogical!
Um, next robot, please... is a bit too normal...
The robot next, next, next in line, please!
Pardon me.
Um... If I ask about today, it'd be normal...
What brings you in three days from now?
I would like you to conceptualize my lower half.
Understood.
Oh, mentor of the mentor of the repairman...
You have a job!
Are there any crybabies here?!
I don't want my lower half to be materialized.
Please conceptualize it.
Are there any crybabies here?!
Please make it as universal as possible.
Are there any crybabies here?!
The robot that is three robots ahead, please come up.
The robots' investigation has just begun.
To be continued in the second half.
The world's largest simulation room.
Teletron Thousand.
I see. If we use this simulation room,
we can experiment to see if laughing can
actually make war disappear.
Indeed. In a file, I found an interesting thing
called "Lube Sumo."
Lube sumo?
A liquid that is high in viscosity and lubrication.
Apparently performing martial arts using lube
was very popular because it would produce laughing.
I see!
So if we use this lube thing and fight, the war may stop with laughing?
Let's try it!
Yes!
Subaru!
I think this somehow created more casualties...
I believe you are correct.
Experiment failed!
Fujii, what is this place?
It is an archive where data on humans' cultural assets is kept.
Why, are we here?
I think it may be important to understand
the humans' lifestyle habits and culture
to understand laughing.
That is a valid point.
All right, let's get started.
First...
What's this?
Um, it appears to be a store called a "hardware store."
Various things are displayed, but what are they all used for?
I don't think I have documents explaining each separate thing...
Then let us all explore every inch of the database
and figure out what everything is used for.
There might be a possibility that there's some
information left in the parts we don't recognize.
All right, let's try it.
Then I'll start.
I just can't fly well if I'm not using a broom.
How's that?
It says "danger" on your head.
How was that, Kato?
Can humans fly?
Right. This is information that was inputted into my head,
but in human fairy tales,
there seems to have been something called a "witch."
Do you know what I'm talking about?
I may or may not have heard of it.
You may have heard of it? Oh, good.
The noise that resembles human laughter
is due to the robots receiving interference from the archives,
and it is temporarily affecting their external speakers.
Next, Mori will go.
Please.
Man, having a small house sure makes shoveling snow off the roof easy!
Wait, wait, so...
the house is growing on top
of the bathroom of a creature called a cat?
Look at the shovel, too.
You're right.
It's a snow shovel.
Oh, they say that snow piles up in cold regions, don't they?
Yes.
A very mysterious situation indeed.
I'll go next.
This is the first time I've dealt with someone so tall.
How would you like your bangs?
Those...
Yes?
Are those high branch cutters...
Yes.
...used to cut humans?
Right now, I'm reenacting a place called a beauty salon.
Oh!
Y-You have similar things growing from your head, don't you, Fujii?
Oh, I do.
Why did Fujii somehow end up being the only one that's "moe"?
Not that I'm jealous or anything.
Oh, sorry. I just accidentally said what I was really thinking.
W-Well, you're an industrial robot, Mori...
So you're a little unfortunate...
Mori has some cute features, too.
You do. Totally.
Thank you. Tear, tear.
Next time on Straight Title: Robot Anime:
Episode Two: Will You Survi—
Episode Two
Next Time