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Robin: "I have to go alone."
Cyborg: "That guy takes himself way too seriously..."Originally aired: January 29, 2005 Written by Amy Wolfram
Directed by Ben Jones
When Robin is defeated by the malicious martial artist Katarou, our hero decides that if he wants to be the best -- he needs more training. So he embarks on a difficult quest to seek a mysterious, legendary teacher known only as ... The True Master.
Takayo Fischer as Chu-hui [True Master]
Kevin Micahel Richardson as Bear and Snake
Keone Young as Katarou
This episode was originally aired out of production order
Producer Glen Murakami on developing Robin: "I didn’t want Robin to just be the little kid who gets into trouble. I don’t want him to seem like he needs the father-figure. I don’t want him to just be the sidekick. So when we talked about him, we talked about how we could make him really cool. And I made everyone to look sort of awkward, like teenagers. They have big hands, big feet and big heads – they’re kind of gangly and scrawny. I thought that awkwardness made them look kind of anime.""I just didn’t want them super-buff like the Justice League characters. I wanted them to have a clumsy quality about them. And like all teenagers, they would really be into footwear. Big clod-hopper shoes. That’s why I gave him the metal [steel-toe] combat boots. The spiky hair. I wanted to get rid of the shorts. I just wanted him cooler. Like a Bruce Lee or something like that. I just didn’t want him to copy Batman. I wanted him to be his own person."
When Beast Boy dons the Robin costume, he breaks through a paper mache ring held by Starfire. This is an exact recreation of the cover for DETECTIVE COMICS #38 - the First appearance of Robin - declaring him the "Sensational Character Find of 1940." Beast Boy is declared the Sensational Character Find of 1965, which is the year of Beast Boy's first appearance in DOOM PATROL #99. To view the cover image and compare, click here.The inclusion of this cover homage supports the "Robin is Dick Grayson theory" if anyone is still keeping track.
Robin mentions being "trained by the best" - an obvious reference to Batman.
For more information on the comic book versions of the characters - including many images - visit titanstower.com's meeting room page.
THE QUEST is an homage to all those famous Kung Fu movies from the 1970s to the present. Robin's an obvious choice for this episode, as the animated staff has even commented about infusing some "Bruce Lee" into this incarnation of Robin.Anyone who's seen a kung fu saga will spot the old woman as the True Master from her very first scene. Thankfully, that revelation becomes secondary to Robin's quest. The resolution and lesson learned brings the episode full circle. Not much new territory explored here, but competently done.
I was a bit disappointed that the animation didn't rise to the challenge. If the episode was more atmospheric or action-packed, THE QUEST could have been stronger. It lacks the high-action scenes of X or WAVELENGTH. It doesn't have the same mysterious vibe as MASKS or FORCES OF NATURE. The animation and direction play out like a typical episode. I think this one could have benefited from a more unique look and feel.
The episode gains points with the fun subplot of "Robining" (as Starfire calls it). As silly as this plot is, it's undeniably amusing. And the homage to the cover of Robin's first appearance was an unexpected surprise. The Robining subplot definitely raises the grade of this episode by a tic or two. Grade: B