P-chan's the class pet.
She's our friend,
so we can't eat her.
Pigs exist to be eaten.
Eating means killing her.
Don't you see?
We all need to eat to stay alive,
so why is eating P-chan heartless
but not other animals?
School Days with a Pig
April
Grade 6 Class 2
Cute, huh?
What's this pig for?
I'm thinking of raising this pig together
and then eating it in the end.
No? Why not?
Why must we eat it?
What do humans need to stay alive?
Life.
Life, right.
Yes, and water.
Air, too.
Food.
Right. Food.
Humans need to eat to stay alive.
If we don't eat, we'll die.
We eat other living things.
I want you all to get a sense of what that really means.
So how about it?
Yes.
Yes?
Let's raise it!
Are you sure?
It'll be tough.
Lots of things to take care of, like feeding it.
Can I touch it?
Sure.
Gently, now.
Gently.
It's so cute!
You want to eat a pig?
Why not use a chicken?
Yes, use a chicken.
So much easier.
I don't want it to be easy.
Bam! A life that's formidable.
A powerful life force is necessary
for this lesson.
The importance of eating. The meaning of eating other living.
Oof! I want them to really feel it.
Bam? Oof? My goodness.
What did the kids say?
They're all interested and willing.
Explaining to the parents.
Not causing trouble for our neighbors.
The safety of the children.
Have you covered these?
Yes, my plan covers all those points.
I understand your enthusiasm.
But this will be a lot harder than you think.
If you're determined to see this through, go ahead.
Thank you!
I'm more than determined!
Excuse me.
Principal Takahara,
are you sure about this?
Let's see how it goes.
This is too long.
How's this?
There's some on your nose.
This is Sunday Music Smile.
Send in your requests.
It's nice out,
so how about a song about spring?
Hey, stay in the box. Go back.
Hey, you.
Whoa! That was close. Hey, you.
Come on.
That's a good girl.
Good morning.
You're full of energy.
Good morning.
Excuse us.
Good morning.
What's up?
What?
Come with us. Why?
Good morning.
Ready, ta-da!
What do you think?
Cute, huh?
You made this in one day?
Yeah.
We gave up Sunday for it.
Wow, this is amazing.
Hey. This net looks familiar.
Look, it's the principal. Hurry.
Line up! Line up!
Don't use the gym equipment.
Oh. My apologies.
You all apologize, too.
Ms. Takahara.
Instead of the space out back,
could we keep the pig here?
I can't order you to dismantle what's already built.
Thank you.
But not the net!
Put it back where it belongs!
The net might break its leg.
Change it.
Children can be rascals.
They built this because they knew
I wouldn't say no.
But Ganjin failed to go abroad
5 times over 10 years
and lost his vision due to the hardship.
Okay, fine, Natsuki.
So you should always keep trying
like Ganjin did, you see?
That's it then.
Any questions?
Yes.
Maira.
It's not about history. Is that okay?
Sure.
We were talking about naming the piglet.
May we name her?
I don't think you should.
Why not?
Why?
Here, P-chan.
P-chan Here, P-chan.
Go, P-chan.
P-chan, come on.
P-chan, over here.
Looks like fun.
You're going to raise it and eat it
and think about life, right?
Yes.
So why did you give the pig a name?
Um, well, I did oppose the idea.
I'm worried about the future.
I hope this becomes a good lesson.
For the children
and for you.
The fried bread's good.
Bring leftovers from home
on the weekends.
May we take the leftovers?
Hello, we've come for the leftovers.
What are you doing?
You're eating it?
Hey! Stop eating that!
Bring the cleaning equipment.
Okay.
Here, P-chan. Food.
Shinya, are you all right?
Bye, P-chan. See you tomorrow, P-chan.
Jukiya, catch her!
Hana, catch her!
Hana, are you all right?
Are you okay?
You can let go now.
Hana, let go.
I'm so sorry.
What an astounding project.
You've got guts.
Well...
Tomatoes are alive too.
Please take care.
Yes. I'm sorry.
Here, have a candy.
This is punishment!
Ow! What was that for, new kid?
That's cold! Stop it!
Stop it!
Take the vegetable scraps.
Yeah, thanks.
Here, P-chan. Come here.
Biscuits.
P-chan'll love them.
Look, everyone.
Hey, Rikiya.
Ta-da!
Bought these yesterday.
Hose aren't leftovers, then.
It's all right.
No, it's not.
Hey guys. Ta-da! I bought tomatoes.
What?
P-chan.
I'm home.
Hi, Mom.
I'm sorry I'm so late.
I washed the rice.
Thanks.
So how's your new school?
It's all right.
Then stop wearing that old school's uniform.
I hear your class is raising a pig.
Her name is P-chan.
P-chan?
Yes, P-chan.
She's two months old.
She feels coarse,
and stinks.
But she's so cute.
The other day she escaped and I caught her.
And her heart was beating really fast.
And she makes weird noises.
No, no.
She says that?
Yeah. And she also squeaks.
When she's mad?
Yeah.
And when she's upset.
Mr. Hoshi.
Just a moment.
The pig's squeal is disturbing the other classes.
Do something.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Hurry.
He's being scolded.
This cylinder is a circle on top.
From the side?
A rectangle.
Right.
Even a familiar shape like this
looks different from another angle.
A broad perspective's important.
Anyway, let's get back to math.
Hand ball!
Tsukasa!
What?
And Ruka. Don't fool around.
Why?
Today's your turn.
I collected leftovers.
That's not enough.
What are you doing?
Ruka, help us out.
I'll toss poo on you.
No!
Pass it to P-chan!
Concentrate, everyone. Quiet!
Let's sing once again from the chorus.
Here we go.
Go further inside.
Pee and poo both.
It stinks.
I can't. It stinks too much.
I'll die from the smell.
It stinks.
It doesn't smell that bad.
P-chan.
Wow, that stinks!
I'm home.
Hi. Oh, what a smell!
Go take a shower, now!
I'll ask your teacher
not to make girls handle that pig.
No, Mom, don't!
Mom, it's none of your business!
Nanoka, I must talk to your teacher.
Why?
What if the school gets rid of P-chan?
We're the ones raising her, so stay out of it!
My son scraped his knee
while handling the pig.
Why does he have to get hurt
for such a reason?
Oh, that happened while he was
playing soccer with P-chan.
It wasn't the pig's fault.
An injury is an injury.
The cause is irrelevant.
I'm sorry.
That's not all.
Her clothes smell so I have to wash them separately.
And she doesn't finish her meals
because she wants leftovers.
There must be various other complaints.
Do the children go to school
to study or to raise that pig?
Mr. Hoshi, my child only talks about the pig.
Besides, raising a pig and eating it is cruel.
Is eating pork cruel?
Mr. Hoshi, you're new here, and young.
You can't handle sixth graders.
Are you their homeroom teacher,
or the pig's teacher?
I understand your concerns
regarding this matter. Thank you.
I've got one question.
Since the pig came to school,
have the children complained about it
or about Mr. Hoshi?
Lessons in school depend on the trust
between the students and teacher.
Mr. Hoshi is young,
but he's set on teaching the kids a vital lesson.
I think the children sensed his earnestness,
so they agreed to take part
in his lesson about life.
As the school principal,
I'd like to trust Mr. Hoshi and the children.
I ask for your support and ask that you please
watch over your children and the teacher they trust.
Please trust us.
Thank you.
Lots of left over milk.
Really?
Thank you.
Hello.
Don't run.
Mr. Hoshi.
What?
What about summer vacation?
Summer vacation?
Leftovers just from home aren't enough.
Oh! I've taken care of that.
No problem at all.
Give away leftovers, yes.
That's right. Leftovers. Yes.
Not possible?
I see. Thank you for your time.
Any luck, Mr. Hoshi?
None at all, I'm afraid.
Such enthusiasm.
I could never do it.
No, it's not like that really.
Excuse us. Sir.
What's up? What?
Since when?
P-chan, are you okay?
P-chan, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Hana!
We were worried.
Did you bring her here alone?
What were you going to do?
What were you up to?
Yuma, don't.
Did you think you could save her?
Mr. Hoshi, look!
Over there!
P-chan?
Hey! Are you all right?
P-chan
We were taking a walk.
We took P-chan out for a walk.
Dogs walk,
and cats need to be let out, too.
So we walked her.
P-chan
Everyone, I'm glad you care about
P-chan, but no more walks, okay?
OK
But P-chan likes it.
Likes it?
Listen up.
Pigs are very sensitive animals.
So when their environment changes,
they get sick.
We don't want that.
No.
Are we really eating her?
P-chan.
Summer vacation starts tomorrow
P-chan.
Say cheese
P-chan.
What's wrong?
The vet's taking care of her.
Everything's fine.
What's wrong?
The vet's examining her.
It's all right.
The common cold is serious for pigs.
It could be fatal,
so you have to be careful.
Good girl.
How's that, P-chan?
P-chan.
You feel coarse.
I'm glad you feel better.
Yeah, I'm glad, too.
P-chan's grown bigger.
She's pretty plump now.
Yeah, really plump.
Especially her tummy.
Yeah. She eats so much.
Is that good, P-chan?
P-chan's looking really delicious now!
Nana, why aren't you eating?
Because...
You'll turn P-chan into a cannibal.
Hey!
We're eating now! You jerk.
Tsukasa, that's gross.
I'll never eat pork again.
But I want to.
149 days until graduation
Attention please.
Listen up.
Only 149 more days until you graduate.
That's a little over 4 months.
We have to decide
what to do with P-chan before then.
I want to know how you really feel now
about eating her.
There's no right or wrong answer in this discussion.
There's no one answer.
So please share your real feelings.
Let's all think about
and discuss this matter.
Raise your hand if you want to speak.
Okay, Minori.
P-chan's this class's friend now.
She's our pet,
so we can't eat her. I don't want to.
I don't want to eat her.
Maira.
When Mr. Hoshi first brought her
the premise was to eat her.
So I think we should.
Okay, Rikiya.
I'm not sure what to think at this point,
but I don't want to eat her.
It was fun spending time with her
and even the difficult times were fun.
She's a friend that we've shared experiences with,
so eating her is wrong.
Yuma.
She's our friend,
but when we started to raise her,
the promise was to eat her.
I think we should keep that promise and eat her for her sake.
Hayato.
Sure, Mr. Hoshi said
we'd raise her to eat her,
but after 6 months together
she's like family,
so we don't have to eat her.
Yui.
After spending 6 months together
our feelings have changed,
at least some of us anyway,
so I think we should let her live.
Kazuya.
If you're going to switch opinions so easily,
then you shouldn't have raised her
in the first place.
That's mean.
If you want to speak, raise your hand.
Jukiya.
What do you think, Mr. Hoshi?
Well, when we began this project,
I said that I wanted to raise a pig
and eat it in the end.
My feelings haven't changed since then.
Eat her?
Yes, that means eating her.
I'll eat other pigs but not P-chan.
Don't eat them!
You eat too much!
Hey, you're swerving off topic.
Quiet.
I feel that if I eat P-chan,
then she'll become a part of me.
At least I think she will.
But it's gonna come out.
I said in the beginning,
that there's no single
right or wrong answer.
Those of you saying to eat her,
how can you say such things?
I'd never eat her.
That's all I've got to say.
Okay, Yuma.
I think we should eat P-chan for her sake.
Why would that be for her sake?
Teacher.
Yuma.
Because pigs exist to be eaten.
That's decided by humans
and shouldn't apply to us,
so I won't eat her.
But you're human.
It's heartless, but you all eat meat.
P-chan's a pig, so it's the same thing.
Um...
If P-chan is turned into meat,
then it won't be P-chan anymore.
Those of you saying we eat her,
what were you thinking?
We all need to eat to stay alive,
so why is eating P-chan heartless
but not other animals?
It just is.
Okay, okay. Ruka.
There's no need to eat P-chan.
Eating other pigs but not P-chan
is discrimination.
Yeah, it's discrimination.
We worked hard to raise P-chan,
so she's not like other pigs at all.
But they all have lives.
Life is equal, isn't it?
Eating P-chan is cruel and heartless.
Mr. Hoshi, don't we have
another option besides eating her?
Well... Okay, then.
Many of you say we shouldn't eat her,
but those of you saying so,
what do you propose we do with her in the future?
Okay, Hiroki.
We should consider keeping her here.
When we first started this,
didn't we decide to take
full responsibility until the end?
I don't think we should force her
on someone else.
But taking full responsibility means
that we should take care of her
until she dies naturally.
Okay, Mizuki.
But even if she stays here,
we'll all graduate.
Then P-chan will be all alone.
What then?
But even so, eating her is heartless.
We have to decide the end.
What do you mean by that?
Okay, Rikiya.
You say the end,
but eating means killing her.
Don't you see?
I didn't say to kill her.
You implied it.
No I didn't.
Yes you did.
No I didn't.
Yes you did.
No I didn't, shut up!
Don't fight.
Stop it.
I didn't tell you to fight.
I told you to have a discussion.
I still don't like the idea
of eating her.
It's heartless.
I can't eat her. We don't have to.
What to do with P-chan before graduation
Don't eat her: 18. Eat her: 5.
Undecided: 3
It's a pig about a year old.
Good-bye.
Yes. Oh, you can't? I see.
Yes, I understand. Thank you.
Good-bye. Next.
Hello, Yanagi Farm?
Are you willing to adopt a pig?
What to do with P-chan before graduation
120 days until graduation
That pig you're eating for graduation.
Shall I cook it?
What?
Became too attached to it?
When I was a kid and saw adults
butchering their pigs,
I thought they were monsters.
But the meat those monsters cooked was so good.
The smell carefully removed
and simmered until tender.
Even the bones are used in the fields.
Nothing's wasted.
Wasting is barbaric.
Those monsters told me so.
So what's the verdict on P-chan?
Mr. Hoshi brought her,
So he should just keep caring for her from now on.
I don't think it's that easy.
Why?
It's not just your problem.
Why not?
It's only topic everyone talks about!
Stop bothering me!
How about a zoo or a farm?
They won't take her in.
She's too big now to be adopted.
What about the younger students?
Have the younger kids take over.
Sure, but it's not that easy.
What's not easy?
You've never handled P-chan so you don't get it.
Are you really eating that pig?
Dear, we're eating now.
My brother is so cruel.
We won't eat her.
Hold this in this hand
and knit it the same way.
Okay?
Okay.
Are you cold? No.
Hidenobu, dinner's ready!
I'm coming.
Mr. Hoshi!
Go home, it's dangerous!
We can do it.
We'll do it.
Go home, it's dangerous!
Let us help.
Mr. Hoshi!
He doesn't like fish.
He used to never eat them.
But now he always finishes them.
Right?
Don't tell him.
I used to tell him that fish had firm
flesh because they lived full lives.
That he shouldn't waste their efforts.
He never listened, but not anymore.
I'm sure it's thanks to you and that pig.
All right, all right.
Hello?
Oh, Nanoka? Yes.
P-chan's fine.
She's taken shelter in a safe place.
Yes, let the others know.
Yes, over the phone. Thanks.
Jukiya, hold this.
Sayuka.
Hold this down.
Okay.
Mr. Hoshi, do I hit it here?
Yes.
Which one do we use?
This?
P-chan, are you all right?
What to do with P-chan before graduation
Hana?
Did you make that?
Yeah.
That scarf will keep her warm.
Is that a Christmas present?
Yeah. It's her favorite food.
P-chan, here's a tomato.
Merry Christmas.
Ow! Don't bite.
Don't eat the ribbon.
You're eating my fingers.
Did you really make that?
Yeah.
You're good.
Thanks.
Ms. Takahara?
Oh, Mr. Hoshi.
Hey, wait.
Wait a minute.
Are you all right?
I didn't want her to get sick.
Sorry for meddling.
Oh, no, thank you very much.
Oh, Happy New Year.
Have a good year.
Yes, you too.
Time seems to pass by faster every year.
Maybe the Earth is rotating faster?
Maybe you're right.
I wish I could have raised a pig as a child.
It's not something easily experienced.
I might be making the children do something that's very cruel.