Review: Neon Konbini “Come In, We’re Open”

Overview

What does a bean trying to make it in the world, a state-of-the-art spaceship, RWBY Chibi, and Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak all have in common?


Our Take

Upon research,  “Konbini” is a Japanese term that is derived from how the English words “convenience store” are pronounced in Japanese (konbiniensu sutoru). This is shortened to Konbini. So in other words a 7-eleven would be an example of a Konbini. Konbini’s are very popular in Japan and do a lot more than our standard American convenience stores as they also serve as 24/7 places to get food, pay bills, print documents, pick up packages (almost like a PO Box), buy tickets to events, etc.

So in a nutshell the title itself is basically a brightly colored convenient “one-stop-shop” for several animated skits along the lines of other shows that also had similar animated anthology concept shows such as Triptank, Liquid Television, Cartoon Sushi, with a touch of bizarre absurdist humor from shows like the more recent “Hell Den”. The show itself is an animated short-form series with the fantastic selling point of having new RWBY Chibi episodes into the mix with the introduction of a character who hasn’t been on RWBY since Season 3, Coco Adel which is a big deal since the show kinda disappeared for a while…

Most of the other sketches are voiceovers inter-spliced with random footage of old anime, cartoons, Gameboy Advance videogame footage of the child-friendly Hamtaro with many of the voice cast consisting of Rooster Teeth regulars including Barbara Dunkelman who most people know as the voice of “Yang” from RWBY but a good portion of it feels like it is relying heavily on nonsensical adult humor which can be funny if properly executed like in Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.

 Understandably this show is going to stumble a bit as this is the first time RT is dipping its toes with this experimental show that could possibly spawn new spin-off shows in the process if any of them are successful much in the same way Aeon Flux and Beavis and Butt-Head spawned from MTV’s Liquid Television. And while the RWBY Chibi Sketch is currently free to watch on RWBY’s Twitter page, the rest of the show you’d have to watch yourself to see if the humor appeals to you.