English Dub Review: The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi “The Blob”; “The Potato Sect”

 

 

Overview:

“The Blob”

The professor has obtained a special extraterrestrial gelatin for his research. Unfortunately, Benjamin has taken it upon himself to eat the alien goo for a snack. The results have caused the kid to become insatiable eventually becoming a gigantic blob consuming everything in his path. Thankfully, the professor knows just how to get out of this pickle.

“The Potato Sect”

The professor and Benjamin have hit the road to investigate the Cosmic Potato Cult. But when Benjamin attempts to order poutine at a diner, they are quickly ostracized by the townspeople. However, the duo is hoping to mash things up for this cult before they end up fried.

 

Our Take:

The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi has offered many unique stories in the series thus far. From superpowered talent shows to creepy Frankenstein parodies, the show can take multiple directions. Never has that been showcased as much as within these pair of episodes. Starting with a retelling of a classic with Benjamin playing “The Blob” and ending with a dangerous cult dedicating their lives to the sanctity of potatoes.

The first story hits all of the notes, with Benjamin devouring everything in sight, including a vending machine and a tank. Though, this show never fails to disappoint, delivering an unexpectedly clever solution.

But what this segment does differently from everything else that the series has done is bring the situation closer to home for our heroes. In place of some random event occurring where Professor Zarbi is called in thanks to his qualifications, this pickle happens to his understudy, Benjamin.

We also get to see more of the main characters home lives. Which involves Zarbi helping his mom get new dentures, and Benjamin attending school with his friends.

The second segment goes off-the-rails – even for this show.

The Cosmic Potato Cult is a strange enough premise. But the cult is also lead by a diner chef that everyone hails as The Great Potatore. Then you throw in the origins, which includes a sentient extra-terrestrial potato demanding safety for its kind. And this was a strange tale, even as far as cults go.

The best part of the episode is its commentary on poutine. Finally, a Canadian show takes on hot Canadian topics. One of them being the growing craze of poutineries and the liberties that these restaurants take on the classic dish. Adding vegetables to the sloppy meal should be illegal in Canada. But there are more and more versions of poutine popping up all over the country. Kudos to this show for being brave enough to say, “enough is enough”.

It is becoming more and more evident that you can never guess what will happen on The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi. The only consistency is that things are going to get weird. And I don’t think that we have seen a better pair of stories from the show that showcases its diversity as much as these two. So, if you have not seen the show yet, this would be a great place to start for getting a taste for the range of Professor Zarbi.