| There's Always Tomorrow, Baby | |
|---|---|
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| Episode | 10 |
| Air date | March 8, 2014 (NA) March 9, 2014 (JP) |
| Written By | Kimiko Ueno |
There's Always Tomorrow, Baby is the tenth episode of the Space Dandy anime.
Synopsis
The Aloha Oe is in need of repairs and the nearest mechanic happens to be on Betelgeuse, Meow's home planet. While spending the night at the home of Meow's family, an interference in the space-time continuum causes everyone to become stuck in a time loop.
Plot
When the Jaicro Empire unleashes the A.L.E. during a space battle, Admiral Perry orders the use of the experimental C.O.R.E. despite Dr. Gel's protests. The C.O.R.E. explodes and releases a burst of pyonium energy which flies out into space. Meanwhile, a console in the cockpit of the Aloha Oe explodes, forcing the crew to seek out a mechanic. As luck would have it, the closest one is on Betelgeuse, Meow's home planet. Though Meow is quick to tell Dandy and QT that he doesn't want to go back home again, they overrule him and head for his house immediately.
The crew receives a warm welcome from Meow's family, who allow them to stay at the house while their ship is repaired. While the crew sleep during the first night, the energy released by the exploding C.O.R.E. blasts down on Betelgeuse and enters the paper calendar hanging up in the dining room of Meow's family's house.
The next day, the crew decide to visit the mechanic to see how the repairs are going. After finding out that the part the mechanic needs won't arrive until the next day, they struggle to look for something to do. While in town, QT spots Meow's dad carrying some boxes. The trio follows him to a factory called Screw Industry, where he works as a machinist. They briefly watch him at work before Meow runs off without a word.
At Lil' Mama's bar, the trio begin drinking and Meow explains that members of his family have been metalworkers for generations, that Screw Industry is his family's factory, that he (as the eldest born son) is expected to take it over, and that he ran away because he didn't want to be stuck on Betelgeuse forever, a planet he considers "a boring backwater planet." While discussing this, he's approached by Katie, his high school crush who now works as a server at the bar. He shows he still has feelings for her, shortly before she accidentally drops a glass on to the floor. Soon afterwards, his father enters the bar and starts drinking. Lil' Mama points out Meow's presence and mentions how his dad often brags about him. Meow's dad quickly changes the subject by asking Dandy about space. Dandy responds by telling him about BooBies, much to his delight and his son's disgust.
The next day, the crew decide to visit the mechanic to see how the repairs are going. After finding out that the part the mechanic needs won't arrive until the next day, they struggle to look for something to do. While in town, QT spots Meow's dad carrying some boxes. The trio follows him to a factory called Screw Industry, where he works as a machinist. They briefly watch him at work before Meow runs off without a word.
At Lil' Mama's bar, the trio begin drinking and Meow explains that members of his family have been metalworkers for generations, that Screw Industry is his family's factory, that he (as the eldest born son) is expected to take it over, and that he ran away because he didn't want to be stuck on Betelgeuse forever, a planet he considers "backwoods [and] boring." While discussing this, he's approached by Katie, his high school crush who now works as a server at the bar.
It's at this point that the Narrator steps in and explains that the strong magnetic fields generated by the pyonium energy in the calendar have twisted the space-time continuum and trapped everyone in a loop, forcing them to repeat the same day over and over. Unfortunately, no one on the crew realizes it immediately. On the 88th loop, QT points out that every day feels the same, but Dandy shrugs it off, saying that it just seems that way because of the monotony of Betelgeuse. On the 108th loop, while in Lil' Mama's bar, the trio begin getting premonitions of things that are about to happen, like Katie dropping the glass, Meow's dad arriving, and Meow's dad saying he likes boobs. Though they at first celebrate the fact that they must have developed super powers, the narrator quickly interrupts, telling them about the time loop and forcing them to follow the plot.
Dandy and QT realizing their situation, partly.
The next couple days pass and reset as the trio struggles to escape the planet. On one such day, Dandy, QT, and Meow's little brothers find and mock a school essay Meow wrote about his dream of following in his father's footsteps. Meow's mom explains that his dad kept many of Meow's childhood mementos, including a replica Meow made of the product built in the family factory. Having been reminded of his old dream, Meow begins a cycle of working alongside his dad by day and drinking at Lil' Mama's by night, steadily wondering if the life is as bad as he thought it'd be.
Following the suggestion of Meow's junior high friends, the trio submit a question about tomorrow never coming to "Wahoo Answers," which only gets troll responses. One response in particular mockingly tells them to just tear the page off their calendar. Noticing the paper calendar in the room, Dandy takes the response seriously and attempts to tear off the current date, only to find the calendar stuck. Realizing that the calendar is the source of the time loop, the trio begin trying to destroy it.
Despite exhausting themselves with their combined efforts, the calendar proves impervious to being changed by the trio and they eventually give up and go to Lil' Mama's to get drunk. While there, Meow drunkenly jokes about just staying on Betelgeuse and marrying Katie. Overhearing this, Katie reveals that she's a lesbian and in a relationship with Lil' Mama. Realizing he has no future on Betelgeuse, Meow returns home and redoubles his effort to destroy the calendar. Noticing this, Meow's dad offers to help tear off the page using his lathe. This method works and the page falls to the ground. Meow picks up the page and he and his dad watch in awe as it levitates on its own accord before disintegrating.
Meow's father seeing his son off, holding Meow's most recent work.
With the time loop broken, the Aloha Oe is repaired and the trio are free to leave Betelgeuse. As they're leaving, Meow has second thoughts about leaving his family again, but is urged by his dad to live his own life. Finally, Meow asks what the product Screw Industry makes is and what it's used for. His father admits he knows as much about it as his son. Boarding the Aloha Oe and watching his family bid him farewell one last time, Meow turns away from the window to rub his eyes.
Characters
- Dandy
- Katie
- Lil' Mama
- Meow
- Meow's Dad
- Meow's Junior High Friends
- Meow's Mom
- Meow's Siblings
- The Narrator
- QT
Trivia
- This episode is a nod to the 1993 American comedy, Groundhog Day.
- When Dandy and QT realizes the time loop, the revelation scene is akin to a Newtype Flash from the Gundam series.
- The A.L.E resembles the Ideon from Space Runaway Ideon.
- The 88th day likens to both sides of a Moebius strip.
- The 108th day is a mala bead reference. Mala beads are used in Buddhist and Hindu mantras for the symbolism of breaking the chain of rebirth.
- The fact that the day that keeps repeating is a Tuesday could possibly be a reference to the Mystery Spot episode of Supernatural.