"Sky"
Haven't you ever desired to shine?
Don't you wish you could just laugh and smile?
That green plant in the room corner's vibrant and spry
But your most optimistic and dreamer friend seems to have given up and said goodbye
Does it not let you feel some sort of perverse relief
Deep within your emboldened heart?
The bus that's leaving to the beach I still have time enough to catch up to it
I just felt this time, that it is something that I should not miss out on.
Under the clear cerulean sky, on this bright morning
I can spread out my wings again
The life you live but only once
It's much too short, oh isn't that just a shame?
The flame-red sky pulsates and captivates I have embraced it
And chase the wind forevermore
I think this time I'll try a simpler and lesser traveled path to run down instead.
After I completed my training in Canton, I decided to travel.
I know that in this vast country of China, there are many varieties of food I haven't tried yet.
This feels so good. You should do this too, Mao.
Yeah.
Hey Mao, what are you doing?
If people see this emblem, they'll immediately know that I'm a Super Chef.
Don't you want them to know?
I want to become a beginner again, and learn to cook from the basics.
Genius Boy Chef!? Shilou?
It's so hot.
Maybe we should have gone to Peking or Shanghai instead of heading south...
Hey!
Mao, come here.
What is it?
Is he sleeping?
I don't think so.
Hey, are you all right? Hey!
Get up! Hey, are you okay?
Wake up.
Hey, he's conscious.
Are you okay?
Hungry...
Wow, look at the big meat buns! I shall partake!
What are you doing?!
I'm sooo hungry...
I added a mix of walnuts and spices to the meat. I guess it worked.
You should have just let him chew on some jerky.
Oh, I'm stuffed.
You're pretty good at this. All right, I'll allow you to be my apprentice.
If you cook, you should know this.
Every four years, a Super Chef Examination is held.
A young genius managed to overcome this very difficult obstacle.
Oh, you knew?
Of course! Don't tell anyone, but...
What?
That young genius I'm talking about.
Yeah, yeah!
Is none other than...
The person standing before you... Me!
I don't blame you for being surprised.
Who would have thought you'd meet a Super Chef here.
And you get to be my lucky first apprentice!
What are you talking about?
My name is Mao! What's yours?
I'm Shilou.
If you study under my tutelage for three years, you should be able to hold your own!
Shilou. That's an unusual name.
Oh, I have to get going.
My adoring public will be worried.
Come! Follow me! And bring Meat Bun Girl with you!
Who are you calling "Meat Bun Girl"?!
Oh, and don't forget to put out that fire!
I have a name you know! I'm Mei Li!
W-what's up with this town?
Something's wrong. They knew the Super Chef was coming home...
You're still saying that?!
I wrote them a letter.
I told them I'm coming home after gaining the Super Chef title.
But no one's here to welcome me!
- No, please! Don't do it.
My wife and daughter didn't do anything! Help me, please!
'scuse me.
Hey, don't cut in.
Wha?
He's humongous!
Next is Sanshu House!
Bou, your Excellency! Here's some Bird's Nest Soup.
Soup...
It's awful!
Every single one of you suck!
Ah! Sir B-Bou!
Sanshu House must be shut down! Put all their cooks in prison!
No, f-forgive us please!
What a guy!
It's all your fault. Since you people can't cook anything decent, I've become so skinny!
P-please excuse them... Hey everybody!
Make something suitable for his Excellency by tomorrow!
Next in line is... Cai Gen Restaurant. It's your turn!
Cai Gen Restaurant!?
Mom...
That guy's the new governor sent from Peking?
Yes. He's unhappy about being posted so far south.
That's why he's forcing us to cook for him, and then criticizing the results.
He's shutting down the restaurants and is imprisoning the chefs and even their families.
That's why the town was so dead.
What an evil man.
Yeah. I can't forgive him for using cooking as a pretext to harm others.
But since our boy has come back as Super Chef, we have nothing to worry about!
We're all very proud of you. It must have been very difficult.
Uhm, it wasn't so bad.
We're counting on you, little guy!
There's no place for an old cook like me anymore.
Make a dish that will blow away that damned Bou, and save our town!
Not to worry! With my cooking, I'll save Mom and the town!
The fire is too weak. Mao, bring more firewood!
Yes!
There isn't enough oil!
Got it!
Where are the onions? Hurry up!
In a minute!
Why am I even doing this?
After he lost his father at an early age, Shilou was bullied because his mother is from Japan.
That's why he decided to become a Super Chef and show them all.
Finally! All we have to do now is wait till it steams.
Good work. I made a little something.
Hey, what's this?
It's called "onigiri". It's Shilou's favorite.
Onigiri? It has an interesting shape.
It's a ball of rice, widely used in Japan.
It's pretty handy when traveling. You cook rice and compact it into balls.
I see. Let's eat!
This taste...
What is it, Mao?
It's done!
Meat buns?
Yup. This is my specialty. Come on, eat it.
Ladies first.
Thank you, I'll have one.
Be careful, it's hot.
Let's eat!
How is it? Is it good?
This won't do. This taste isn't good enough.
Hey, this taste is --
- I'm sorry, Master Shilou! I forgot about it!
I neglected to add in the spices!
No wonder. I knew something was missing...
We have to put vinegar and salt into the sauce.
Master, the ratio of vinegar to salt is three-to-one, right?
Um, yeah!
Here we go!
It's ready, Master. Just like you taught me. Please have some.
Delicious! Delicious!
It really is! I've never had such a good meat bun.
How is it, Master?
Well, you finally understand what tastes good.
Of course! Mao is the real S--
Ouch!!!
All right! I'm going to make that fatso surrender with these meat buns!
Good luck, Shilou.
I chose a good apprentice.
It's so hot.
Cai Gen Restaurant, step forward.
Y-yes!
This time, it should be okay.
Yeah, after all it's the work of Shilou the Super Chef.
Mao...
It'll be fine.
Bring the dish forward to his Excellency, Bou.
Y-Yes.
Your Excellency. Today's first dish is meat buns from Cai Gen Restaurant.
Meat buns...
Here you go.
This will not do!!!
What?!
No way!
All of you suck!
Shilou!
Shilou, get up.
Are you okay, Shilou?
Yeah, I'll live.
This isn't the cooking I want!
This can't be! Even the food of Shilou the Super Chef isn't good enough...
What? Super Chef? Who's the Super Chef?
It's Shilou!
Shilou went away to train for three years, and came back as a Super Chef!
Hey Shilou, show him the proof!
What?
That's your proof of being a Super Chef?
Do you think someone in my position doesn't know what the emblem of a Super Chef looks like?
That does not even come close! It's a fake!
Is it true, Shilou?
Did you lie about becoming a Super Chef?
Shilou...
I'm sorry, Mom.
I just wanted everyone to think that I could become a Super Chef.
But...
Shilou...
Hey, kid!
Not only did you make a bad dish for his excellency Bou,
you also impersonated a Super Chef! Do you know what the consequences are?!
Jailing you isn't enough. You'll do hard labor forever.
What?!
Please forgive him. He's only a child.
No, once I decide on something, I never change my mind.
But...
Mao...
Something's wrong... I had confidence in the taste.
It's hot... Fan me properly!
What was wrong with the taste?
Please forgive him, I beg you!
What are you doing?
Hey Mao, what should we do?
Peking is so much better. I hate these rural towns.
Leggo, leggo of me I say!
You dare? You little brat!
W-who did that?
Please give us one more chance. I'll make it this time.
Who are you?
I'm the new chef of Cai Gen Restaurant, Liu Mao Xing. I promise to fill your stomach with my cooking!
This kid... What is he talking abo--
Interesting!
If you are that confident, then give it a try!
But if you fail, be ready for the punishment, kid!
I shall!
It's ready. Please, come over here.
Are you trying to trick me with this fancy bowl?
Please, try this.
What is this fried rice? It will only feed birds.
Eggs and onions. There's nothing special here.
Do you think you can satisfy me with this!?
What is this red stuff?
Well, I'll try it.
T-this is...
Are you satisfied?
Shut up! I have to eat more to properly evaluate it. Bring out more now! Let me eat more of this fried rice!
Yes, Shilou!
Okay!
Mei Li!
I got it!
What?
Here you go!
What is this?
More fried rice was concealed under the table!
Y-your Excellency!
Forget about this!
Is he going to do it?
It's been a while since Master Bou tried that move!
What is he going to do?
What a guy...
But why?
His Excellency won't even touch the fancy food. What makes this fried rice so special?
Your Excellency, here's some tea.
He ate up all that rice...
It's the first time Master Bo has been so happy after leaving Peking.
Kid, what was in that fried rice?
It had sourness.
Sourness?
That's right. It's not that his Excellency did not like all the other dishes.
He just didn't have an appetite because of the heat.
But the sourness brought back his appetite.
His appetite... because of the heat?
I guess you knew all along. Since I grew up in Peking, I wasn't used to all this heat.
So I ordered all the chefs to make gourmet meals for me. But I couldn't eat any of them. It was frustrating.
So your Excellency. What was the sourness?
It stimulated the tongue to produce saliva. This cleared my throat and my stomach.
My appetite was restored with a vengeance.
And then, the sourness and spiciness of the eggs melded to imbue an unbelievable fullness to the taste.
The rice brought back my diminished vitality.
What was the source of the sourness?
Did it come from...
Yes.
It's this.
What's this?
It's a pickled plum used in Chinese medicine.
People in Japan roll them up with rice to make onigiri.
I tasted it for the first time yesterday.
Pickled plums?
Yes, this is it!
I took out the pits and chopped them up.
I mixed it with the rice and fried it.
So the red bits were pickled plum pits...
However, it's not easy to understand a foreign food you recently ate and use it well in a dish.
And what's more, to understand what the diner is thinking...
You're no ordinary cook, are you?
I told you, he's my first apprentice!
That's enough out of you!
You didn't have to hit me. I was just kidding.
Huh? M-Mao!
That emblem!
Super Chef! Super Chef!
Super Chef?!
Really?
Without a doubt.
No wonder he's so good.
So you're the one who passed the Super Chef Exam in Canton. The youngest ever to pass the difficult exam...
... Liu Mao Xing!
My stomach and my soul are finally fulfilled.
Release all the cooks. All the restaurants can now reopen!
Thank you for everything. Please be careful on your journey.
Thank you very much.
Good luck, everyone.
Hey, big brother! What are you doing?!
Shilou...
Let's go already! The sun is going to set soon!
What? Is he coming with us?
He won't listen to me. He's a handful, but please take care of him.
What? What?
I'll carry your luggage and stuff!
Oh, and for Meat Bun Girl as well!
Stop saying that!
Hey you!!!
Hey, wait up Mei Li!
Next time, I'll really come back as a Super Chef!
Shilou, please don't cause too much trouble.
Hey, come back here!
"In the Bluest Sky, I Can Meet With You"
I felt a signal pass through me today
As I went out to meet up with you
In this crowded cityscape, an enlightening wind
Is blowing hard into my face
Up in the clouds, above the Earth, where the Angels' ladders reach with grace
I stretched out my arms, and climbed right on. Now I can go...
Everywhere, gently riding a white wispy cloud
In the bluest sky, I can meet with you
No matter what the time, where the place The path to take, I want to see it through
I will never give up until the end
I want to gather up all pieces of the dreams that shine with seven rainbow colors
Ahh… perhaps the answers that I want
Are there all along in front of me