TOBIGERA SPOILER!
TO
Tobigera is an Anten Seven assassin with the spectacular misfortune of being assigned to kill Gene during the Hot Springs Planet Tenrei stop. He is introduced with Hazanko's elite killers much earlier, but Tenrei is where his supposed mastery of disguise and assassination becomes a running gag. Tobigera keeps appearing in increasingly obvious costumes, lining up what should be easy attacks only for Gene to survive through accidents, bad timing and complete ignorance that anyone is trying to murder him. The joke works because Tobigera is not actually harmless. He carries bladed gauntlets, survives long enough to accompany Hazanko to the Galactic Leyline and remains part of the final Kei Pirate force. He is one of Outlaw Star's best examples of the series letting a legitimate threat be ridiculous without pretending the threat was never real.
TOBIGERA THROUGH THE ARCHIVE //
KEI PIRATES, MACDOUGALLS & ANTEN SEVEN //
Open page →The Anten Seven are introduced as one elite group, but the memorable members are built around different kinds of encounters.
Leilong turns assassination into a conversation about surviving too many duels. Iraga hides inside a tournament. Hanmyo is a grappler pilot Jim likes before either knows who the other is. Hitoriga belongs to Suzuka's past. Tobigera can be threatening and ridiculous in the same episode.
Leilong turns assassination into a conversation about surviving too many duels. Iraga hides inside a tournament. Hanmyo is a grappler pilot Jim likes before either knows who the other is. Hitoriga belongs to Suzuka's past. Tobigera can be threatening and ridiculous in the same episode.
Why it worked
The group gives Hazanko reach without forcing the series into seven identical boss fights.
The crew keeps meeting the Kei Pirates through different genres of episode, which makes the organization feel embedded in the world rather than parked at the end of a dungeon.
The crew keeps meeting the Kei Pirates through different genres of episode, which makes the organization feel embedded in the world rather than parked at the end of a dungeon.
