Apocalypse Hotel

Episode 12

For an anime whose element of surprise has been one of its keenest assets, Apocalypse Hotel throws very few curveballs into its finale. It doesn't take wild narrative swings. It's not a slapstick-laden farce. It doesn't teach us about distillation or rocket science. It's not a somber aesthetic departure. In fact, the big “twist” of the episode—a human finally checks in at the Gingarou—is what I had been expecting from its conclusion all along. Am I disappointed? Absolutely not! The final moments of Apocalypse Hotel hone the series' exemplary collage of modes and influences into a fitting conclusion that marries comedy with poignancy. In other words, it's business as usual at the Gingarou Hotel.

Apocalypse Hotel covers a broad swathe of thematic territory, but its primary concern has always been embracing change. Therefore, it makes sense to wrap up on a small-stakes story about Yachiyo accepting that she, too, has changed a lot since the hotel's inception. The surface-level details are self-evident. Yachiyo is functionally the face of the Gingarou, and the hotel has evolved a lot over the centuries to cater to its intragalactic clientele. Their menu is different. The accommodations have expanded. They have rods from god. Yachiyo either spearheaded those developments or played an instrumental part in their implementation. She was even part tank during a good chunk of their militaristic phase. That's how intertwined she is with the heart of the Gingarou.

However, the change the finale concerns itself with is an internal change on Yachiyo's part, and moreover, it's a change that upsets her. She can only conclude that she's broken when serving a human guest elicits no sense of relief, accomplishment, or happiness beyond the ordinary. In the abstract, I think that's a feeling we can all relate to. Having a goal is invigorating; achieving said goal can be deflating. Real success rarely lives up to our imagined ideal. Case in point: Tomari recognizes the cosmic significance of the shampoo hat, yet she herself cannot partake in its delights due to her spacesuit. That's a crushing blow to Yachiyo's confidence.

When Yachiyo praised change back in the whisky episode, her admiration belied a deeper jealousy. Change, however, is a neutral activity, and we can't measure it on a simple two-dimensional scale between "good" and "bad." The wheels of evolution, adapting to their sterile spaceships, turn humans allergic to Earth's atmosphere. While that's nobody's fault, it means the roomy opulence of the Gingarou, and of Earth itself, is utterly foreign to Tomari's generation. The Gingarou, contrary to its owner's original design, is no longer for humans. Ponko, however, helps Yachiyo realize that she hasn't failed or glitched out of her programming. Yachiyo grew up.

I don't mind this more straightforward finale from Apocalypse Hotel, because it plainly platforms the progressiveness at the heart of Yachiyo's journey. The Gingarou opened with one kind of clientele in mind: humans. This wasn't intentionally exclusionary, because humans didn't know about any other spacefaring species. The real test happened when Nojyujamar showed up, and Yachiyo passed when she didn't hesitate to accommodate him to the extent of her and the hotel's abilities. Yachiyo is, and has always been, the best of us. She doesn't mince words or pull punches when it comes to problem guests, but if a weary traveler comes seeking refuge, she refuses to refuse them, no matter where they come from or what language they speak. At the risk of sounding corny, we as a society could learn a lot from Yachiyo.

The show also explicitly rewards Yachiyo for doing so. Heck, it rewards the entire planet when Nojyujamar's gift eradicates the killer virus from the air. The bustling hotel, however, is its own reward, and that's the truth Yachiyo ultimately has to accept. She cares for all of her clients equally, so no one client is going to fulfill her life's purpose. Speaking of progressive values, I like that they seem to have done away with the money charade entirely. Long live space communism. It's also heartwarming to see the whole Procione family come together to help Tomari. Mutual aid is important. And I love that the conflict resolves through a simple yet direct conversation between Yachiyo and Ponko. Throughout the crazy antics they've shared and the fierce battles they've fought, this bond between two women has been the anime's backbone, so I'm comfortable calling Apocalypse Hotel feminist on top of everything else. The Gingarou Hotel is woke, and I wish I could stay a night. Have you heard about their shampoo hats?

With all that being said, the absurd antics remain a core part of the show's identity through its final moments. Rarely does an anime have such cosmopolitan tonal/aesthetic ambitions and the gumption to pull all of them off so well. The finale, for its part, plays the hits harmoniously. Environmental Checker Robot hams it up while being surprisingly helpful. Doorman Robot's extended gag is funny largely due to how long it lasts. Ponko's silly face game is in peak condition. And we witness one last patented Yachiyo Freakout™ for the road, juxtaposed hilariously with Tomari's short-lived zeal at basking in the Earth's atmosphere. Every episode has boasted at least one scene that much fun to watch.

That final moment ties a neat and wry bow on everything. Yachiyo's secret achievements, in addition to spawning some legendary gags, have always served as evidence that her creators wanted her to be more than just a hotelier robot. And because those creators were human, they instilled that possibility within her in the most roundabout and ridiculous manner. I think that just about sums up humanity: trying to do good but constantly finding novel ways to botch it. Thus, Yachiyo could only conclude this story by rightfully calling us all dumbasses. We deserve that, and she deserves that catharsis. But that won't stop her from opening the door when we visit again.

If you haven't done so yet, please read the staff interview that was just published. Kana Shundo and Shigeru Murakoshi, together with the rest of their team, have made an incredibly special and singular anime. I think this is my favorite original series since the one-two punch of Odd Taxi and Sonny Boy back in 2021. This is up there with Akiba Maid War, Overtake!, and Bravern. It's the latest rallying cry asserting the existence of anime that can be silly, affecting, exquisitely realized, and life-affirming.

Yachiyo forever <3

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Apocalypse Hotel is currently streaming on Crunchyroll on Tuesdays.

Steve is on Bluesky for all of your posting needs. Apparently, they are ANN's subject matter expert when it comes to anime about hotels and/or girls in the post-apocalypse. You can also catch them chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.