Princess Robot Bubblegum (Japanese: プリンセス・ロボット・バブルガム/Purinsesu Robotto Baburugamu) (short: PRB/PRBG) is a Japanese/Korean anime series produced by Red Cloud Tsunami Series, featured in the HD Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series.
Description[]
In Grand Theft Auto IV, PRB is only mentioned in a radio advertisement; however in Episodes from Liberty City, the program itself appears on television, specifically on CNT. Furthermore, in The Ballad of Gay Tony, Princess Robot Bubblegum has a website, where the show is revealed to be animated by Koreans. Within the game universe, it courts controversy, with Weazel News in GTA IV reporting on a protest by Asian Americans against the airing of the anime. Also, in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, there are many advertisements of PRB throughout Liberty, mostly in Dukes and Bohan.
In Grand Theft Auto V, the anime was supposed to broadcast again, but some parents were aware of issues concerning young male students possibly raping female cosplayers at schools. Thus the anime show was banned from airing on TV (although it is already banned since the beginning of the game). In the enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V, however, a new episode of the show is available to watch, and is broadcast on CNT and available to watch on princessrobotbubblegum.com. This new episode features a new and updated artstyle.
The official sponsors for the show are Nogo Vodka and Logger Beer.
Plot and setting[]
The story follows Princess Robot Bubblegum (PRB), a hyper-sexualized anime heroine with stereotypical features (large eyes, exaggerated figure, etc.), her perverted, sensei-like Master Hentai, and an assortment of bizarre side characters, like Saki the useless sidekick and Sword Boy, a blind, angsty “samurai” with personal vendettas. The plot is a purposefully incoherent mess of exaggerated anime tropes, including family revenge backstories, absurdly powerful adversaries, and predictably sexual transformation sequences.
Set part in a neon, futuristic Tokyo, and the traditional Japanese countryside, the satire plays out, with PRB tasked with protecting humanity—not through heroic deeds, but through blatantly sexualized antics meant to satirize the “fan service” in many anime. With supposed alien invasions, nonsense monologues, and even mistranslations, the narrative pokes fun at anime's often convoluted plots and overblown dramatics.
Recurring Tropes:
- Hyper-Sexualization: PRB is depicted as a parody of an over-the-top, fanservice-driven character, always in skimpy clothes and involved in comically suggestive situations.
- Stereotypical Mentor Figure: Master Hentai embodies every lecherous trope of the “wise but inappropriate” teacher. His advice is absurdly unhelpful and often perverse, turning the mentor-student bond into a farce.
- Commercialism and Merchandising: Every opportunity is used to comment on anime's commercialization, from action figures to "personal use" oils, highlighting how many franchises exploit fan bases for profit.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Characters and narrators frequently address viewers directly, emphasizing the ridiculousness of the story. There are jokes about dubbing issues and anime clichés like looping animation to save costs, highlighting production shortcuts and fan-service pandering.
- Fan Culture Satire: A cynical fanboy critiques the show, representing fans who obsess over cultural accuracy, artistic value, and subversion in anime, only to contradict himself with his own fetishization.
Influence[]
Princess Robot Bubblegum is a general parody of shōjo (少女, young female) anime; however, it incongruously mixes this with tropes of shōnen (少年, young male), seinen (青年, mature male), and hentai (変態, pornographic) anime.
Princess Robot Bubblegum's art style in the first episode may be based on anime character designs commonly seen from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. With this in mind, her updated look in the second episode could be based on modern anime styles.
The name of the anime might be based on Bubblegum Crisis, which is also set in the future.
PRB's "Final awkward transformation montage" is likely a reference to the transformation sequences from Sailor Moon; the background music during these scenes is also the theme song from the TBS music video show "Night Tracks" that ran from 1983 until 1992.
Master Hentai’s design is somewhat reminiscent of Danbei Hayami from Cutie Honey and/or Daemon Abashiri from The Abashiri Family, both of whom are perverse old men created by Go Nagai.
It is possible that the characters Saki, Humpy, Muffy, Grindy, Smoker, and Poopie are based on the exceeds from Fairy Tail, as both "species" are cat-like creatures who have the ability to fly.
The Sword Boy character design could be a jab at the Final Fantasy series for its over the top use of belt-themed clothing and over-sized swords. His design also seems to be based on Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, most notably the use of a giant broadsword and wearing a similar arm bracelet and shoulder piece.
Shiny Wasabi Kitty's outfit is likely a reference to Ryuko Matoi's senketsu from Kill la Kill.
Master Hentai comically refers to the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry, when talking about the forces of Evil (personified as an Akuma spirit) and Darkness (personified as a Godzilla-esque monster), "One is east coast and the other is west coast! And if you listen to the way that they sound, it's completely different..."
In Grand Theft Auto Online, many vehicles have liveries depicting characters from Princess Robot Bubblegum, which are a reference to the Itasha car sub-culture, usually characterized by cars customized with decorations of anime characters. Several of the liveries also feature "Itasha" in the name of the livery.
Cast[]
| Character | Description | Voice | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Robot Bubblegum | The eponymous protagonist. She fights the forces of evil and darkness with a robotic power suit which shoots missiles from its chest. She also owns a cell phone which transforms into a vibrator. PRB was abandoned by her dead ninja parents outside Master Hentai's house, who proceeded to raise her, instil her "with a proper sense of a woman's place" and train her in "the dark arts vital to fighting evil". Her catchphrase is "Too horny to fight crime". | Ayana Osada | 
|
| Master Hentai | PRB's foul-mouthed sensei. He trains PRB after her ninja parents leave her on his doorstep. He tells PRB that she must train in skimpy clothing for merchandising purposes. It is revealed that Master Hentai is a pedophile (after "an innocent swimming lesson" which resulted in his arrest and the addition of a blue dot being added over his house on an online predator database), his head is shaped like buttocks with an anus on his forehead and the end of his cane is shaped like the foreskin of a penis. His name refers to the aforementioned pornographic anime (hentai translates to pervert). | Lloyd Floyd | 
|
| Saki | PRB's alcoholic and drug abusing floating animal sidekick. He is seen drinking a malt beverage, then promptly vomiting in Master Hentai's dojo, peeing in the graveyard scene, and overdosing on heroin during the final fight sequence. His name is a reference to the Japanese alcoholic rice beverage of the same name. | Gail Bennington | 
|
| Sword Boy | An effeminate blind teenage samurai whom PRB encounters during her quest. As a child, his parents were burned to death in a freak onion volcano accident which left him blind. Sword Boy is seeking the Shogun of Teppanyaki for revenge. | Lloyd Floyd | 
|
| Humpy | A floating animal sidekick intended to replace Saki after his death, and was the one ultimately chosen by Master Hentai. As the name implies, he humps everyone. He is also shown to be very horny, disloyal and greedy. | 
| |
| Muffy | A floating animal sidekick intended to replace Saki after his death. He wears a beanie and briefs. | 
| |
| Grindy | A floating animal sidekick intended to replace Saki after his death. He wears sunglasses and a hoodie. | 
| |
| Smokey | A Rastafarian floating animal sidekick intended to replace Saki after his death. As the name implies, he smokes a lot. | 
| |
| Poopy | A floating animal sidekick intended to replace Saki after his death. As the name implies, he poops everywhere, which disgusts everyone. Also, he was able to stop Sword Boy from killing off him and the other Saki replacements. | 
| |
| Shiny Wasabi Kitty | A rival of Princess Robot Bubblegum who was one of Master Hentai's pupils, but she turned evil. She is a cat girl with a power suit based on a Japanese school sailor suit uniform. She is the main protagonist of Rapefest Quark Zoom. | Tina Chen | 
|
Language[]
| English | Chinese (Traditional) | Chinese (Simplified) | French | German | Italian | Japanese | Korean | Mexican | Polish | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V | Princess Robot Bubblegum | 機械泡泡糖公主 | 机械泡泡糖公主 (Jīxiè pàopaotáng gōngzhǔ) |
Princess Robot Bubblegum | Princess Robot Bubblegum | Princess Robot Bubblegum | プリンセス・ロボット・バブルガム (Purinsesu robotto baburugamu) |
프린세스 로봇 버블검 / 공주 로봇 버블검 (peulinseseu lobos beobeulgeom) 공주 로봇 버블검 (gongju lobos beobeulgeom) |
Princess Robot Bubblegum | Balonowa roboksiężniczka | Princess Robot Bubblegum | Princess Robot Bubblegum | Princess Robot Bubblegum |
| English | Chinese (Traditional) | Chinese (Simplified) | French | German | Italian | Japanese | Korean | Mexican | Polish | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V | Shiny Wasabi Kitty | 閃亮芥末小貓 | 闪亮芥末小猫 (Shǎn liàng jièmò xiǎo māo) |
Shiny Wasabi Kitty | Shiny Wasabi Kitty | Shiny Wasabi Kitty | キラキラ・ワサビ・キティ (Kirakira wasabi Kiti) |
반짝이는 와사비 키티 (banjjag-ineun wasabi kiti) |
Shiny Wasabi Kitty | Lśniącego Kociaka Wasabi | Gatinha Wasabi Reluzente | Shiny Wasabi Kitty | Shiny Wasabi Kitty |
Media[]
Season 1 Episodes (GTA IV, TLAD, TBoGT)[]
| Episode | Status | Appearances | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Princess Robot Bubblegum And The Boy Who Played With Himself Too Much |
Viewable episode | Available to watch on CNT in The Ballad of Gay Tony. | Volume 34: Episode 1 | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum And The Pajama Party Of Death | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum And Find Master's Party Collection | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum And The Karoke Lettuce | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum And The Fukky Tattoo | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum And Gang Get Stds | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Hot Pepper Scratch The Itch Downstairs Cry Time | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Minced Pigeon Lawnmower | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Swallow Penny Time | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Computer Translation Problem | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Fling Baby Poo Smoke | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Earth Magic Understands Eating | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Three Cup Chicken Fight | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | ||
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Burns Pigs Drinks A Car | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. |
Season 2 Episodes (GTA V and Online)[]
| Episode | Status | Appearances | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Princess Robot Bubblegum And Sexy Time Japanese Horseradish |
Viewable episode | Available to watch on CNT and princessrobotbubblegum.com in the enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. | Volume 36: Episode 1 |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Egg Cakes Burning Downstairs Hair Nest | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Dwarf Fist Tiny Sausage | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum American History Turbo liv | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum And Swordboy's Ivory Poaching Celebration Of Life Music Dentist | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum And Singing Plant Resurrect Die Again | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Spinny Spinny Woo Woo Woo | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Somebody Answer The Door Waffle Magic | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. |
Episodes banned in the USA[]
| Episode | Status | Appearances | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Robot Bubblegum German Man Chicken Party Time | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum mech Battlesuit Hot Yeast Problem | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Gumball Laser Ping Pong Ninja Swinger Party | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. | |
| Princess Robot Bubblegum Trucky Truck Lick Toad Trip Time (Features The Gang Experimenting With Recreational Drugs) | Unavailable | Mentioned in the episode list on princessrobotbubblegum.com. |
Movies[]
| Episode | Status | Appearances | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Princess Robot Bubblegum and the Kitty Lover Shiny Bikini Ninja Super Party Time Dimensional Dragon Hole |
Unavailable | Mentioned at the end of Volume 34: Episode 1. | Straight to DVD movie. According to the website, DVD copy inludes: -Commentary track from the Korean animators. -Scenes cut from the movie. -Used PRB lacy undergarments. |
 Princess Robot Bubblegum and the Radioactive Plant |
Unavailable | Mentioned in radio advertisement in Grand Theft Auto IV. | Poster art for the movie was displayed on Steven Walsh portfolio website, and it seems to show an earlier design for PRB. |
Video Games[]
| Game | Genre | Gameplay | Parody of |
|---|---|---|---|
 Princess Robot Bubblegum LXVII: Repressed Destiny Sparkle |
Action Role-playing game | 
|
Final Fantasy |
The princessrobotbubblegum.com website in The Ballad of Gay Tony mentions that PRB LXVII is "So great that it's pirated 4 to 1!" The website further gives tips about the game which are listed under "Game Cheats", which are:
- When you bang on the door to the temple, remove PRB's clothes before the Count answers.
- Stop PRB from cutting herself when she cries or her health will go down.
- The game is in real time! When it's PRB's time of the month she will act erratically and lash out at friends, causing them damage and making them not want to join quests with you. Hide in the Cavern until her time passes.
- If you do not collect every amulet, you will have to start the game over and replay every mission. Aren't Japanese games awesome fun?
- On the boss mission, stick the sword in his nutsack, flash him by pressing Down, Down, Up, Left, Left, Down, Down, Up, Left and Right within three seconds. If you perform this incorrectly it will break your handheld and you will have to buy a new one.
Website[]
The show maintains a website on the in-game internet at princessrobotbubblegum.com where the player can watch an episode and browse a list of all previous episodes in Seasons 1 and 2.
Master Hentai's Merch Emporium[]
A non-interactive official merchandise store is available on the website listing 4 episodes banned in the USA and a number of items "Coming soon".
Shiny Wasabi Kitty Claw[]
Main article: Shiny Wasabi Kitty Claw
Shiny Wasabi Kitty Claw is a claw machine minigame featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of The Diamond Casino Heist content update, available in the Arcade.
Gallery[]
Vehicle Sponsors[]
Trivia[]
- The title character's voice in Grand Theft Auto IVs PRB commercial is a mock-Asian caricature; in The Ballad of Gay Tony, she has the American accent more typical of dubbed characters in English-dubbed anime.
- In a scene of Master Hentai's dojo, a banner can be seen hanging on a wall, which is written in Japanese, saying "忍者は毎日オナニー", which translates to "ninjas masturbate every day". In the second season, however, it says "タレント不要 失敗は許されない", which translates to "No talent needed, No failure allowed".
Princess Robot Bubblegum in the GTA V credits
- The show is mentioned in the credits of Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 despite only being available for the enhanced version of the game.
- In The Diamond Casino & Resort update for Grand Theft Auto Online, a PRB-themed livery is included for the new Übermacht Zion Classic which also adds a dakimakura or body pillow to the rear seat of the vehicle. The body pillow features Princess Robot Bubblegum and possibly semen stains on it.
See Also[]
- Full Robo Hickey Hurry Mech Battlesuit - An anime film also appearing in the GTA IV.
- Rapefest Quark Zoom - Another anime where Shiny Wasabi Kitty stars in.