Tawara Noodles
What...
are you?
Souta!
A tanuki...
You're a tanuki...
Even for a tanuki,
I'm sure being alone for so very long
must be quite a sad thing...
No way. A shapeshifting tanuki? There's no way!
Poco's Udon World
Episode 2: "Kotoden"
Surely it's gone by now, right?
The shapeshifting tanuki!
H-Huh?!
H-Hey, what are you—
Hold it right there!
Ya varmint!
In that instant,
Granny had the eyes of a hunter.
Tsk! Got away from me, it did.
Something wrong, ma'am?
Oh, there's been a tanuki showin' up a lot these days.
In fact, I was on my way here when I caught it tearin' up the field.
Huh?
So I chased after the varmint.
Thought I'd make me some tanuki soup.
T-Tanuki soup?
Anyhow...
Here y'are. Shoyumame.
I made up a batch.
Have a little if ya like.
Udon
Thank you very much.
It's safe to come out now.
They chase you because you're damaging
their fields, you know.
Gurgle
Is that its stomach?!
All right.
If you're hungry, you can come to my place.
Souta!
Souta...
Huh?
You're a boy?!
Souta!
Bean! Bean!
That's right. Beans.
This dish is called "shoyumame."
Say "ahh."
It's salty-sweet and good.
Good.
Hey, now! Don't eat with your fingers...
Hey, now! Rinko! Souta!
Don't eat with your fingers.
Mom's shoyumame
tasted more like candy...
Souta. Souta.
Huh?
All gone.
What?!
You ate all of that?!
I went and let him in the house...
But it's not as if I'm staying here forever.
Not to mention the house itself will be...
Don't cry.
You're a boy, aren't you?
There, there. Good boy, good boy.
Look at your clothes. They're all dirty.
Here goes!
What is this stuff? It's lathering so much!
You look like a different creature!
Wow! You're all soft now.
Fluffy... Shiny...
And golden...
Fluffy...
Souta!
But from now on,
don't show your ears and tail in front of anyone but me, okay?
You don't want to be chased around like before, do you?
Good. Okay, it'll be our promise.
Pwomise?
That's right. A promise.
Promise you won't let your ears and tail show outside.
Pwomise.
Promise.
Pwomise, pwomise,
pwomise!
Pwomise, pwomise!
Oh, I know.
If you think you can keep your promise,
shall we go to town to buy you clothes?
Hayashida Dental
Now we get on the Kotoden.
Hey, that's not safe.
No one's in there.
Here comes the train.
It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of.
See? That was no problem.
Whoa!
The most fearsome life form came from the edge of space!
A Children's Show: Together with Gaogao-chan
The scar on his back is the mark of a champion! The hit show "Gaogao Exercises" broadcasts every day, too!
It has air conditioning?!
It didn't have that back when I was in school...
Hey! Don't run!
It's not just the air conditioning.
The outside of the train cars
didn't look like that.
They used to be...
Emergency Exit
orange and cream-colored.
Hot...
Nakajima 17 years old
Souta 17 years old
So hot...
It's too dang hot today.
Hey, ain't that girl in your class?
Didn't ya say...
ya thought she was cute?
Manabe-san, right—
Idiot! I never said that!
Why don't ya wave to her?
Huh?!
But we've hardly spoken...
G'wan, 'fore the train comes.
All right!
Lucky you.
And all thanks to me.
Huh?
What?
Wha...
Don't cry, man.
I'm not.
This is... sweat...
I didn't need to remember that.
After I just told someone not to cry...
I wonder if she got married
and has a child now, just like that...
Hey, take off your shoes.
I guess I'm kind of like a parent myself now.
Yeah, it goes by fast, huh?
Sky.
Rice fields.
Mountains.
Houses.
Greenery.
Relaxing scenery, isn't it?
Really? This is the one you want?
But that's a lion!
But isn't that weird, in food chain terms?
Souta's Mental Food Chain Diagram
Lions
Carnivores
Omnivores, Herbivores
Tanuki
Plants, Bugs
Seems strong
Are you sure?
Gaogao-cha'!
Well, I guess it doesn't matter...
There, there. That's a good boy.
Hey! Nozomi!
For pity's sake, what the heck are you doin'?
He's a crybaby!
What are you sayin'? Tell him you're sorry!
I'm so sorry about this. Is he okay?
He's not hurt, is he?
Ah, no. I think he's fine...
Are you okay?
I'm sorry, sweetie.
It hurt, didn't it—
Ah... Huh?
Y-Yes?
Tawara-kun?
You're Tawara-kun, right?
Huh? Huh?!
M-Manabe-san?
I got married. It's Tanaka now.
Aaaargh
This sort of thing happens too easily out here! This is why I hate the sticks!
What a surprise! What's it been, since our coming-of-age?
I went to your family's udon restaurant all the time!
Are you back here for good now?
I heard you live in Tokyo.
Oh, well...
Is that your little one?
I'm, uh... taking care of him for a while... for a friend, actually.
What's his name?
Huh?
Shoot! I never picked a name!
Ah, er...
Uh...
Souta?
Er... It's...
I can't think up a name for a kid on the spot!
Er, no, he's really a tanuki...
All my friends go "pon poko pon no pon..."
But he looks like an ordinary kid... But...
Poco... is his name.
Poco-chan?
I screwed up!
Why am I always like this?
Poco!
Poco-chan, eh?
What a cute name!
This is Eitarou, and that's his big sister, Nozomi.
Nice to meet you.
Poco-chan's weird!
Urk!
I-Is he?
He's wearin' a poncho, but it's not rainin'!
That's all?
Hey, Poco?!
Honestly, Nozomi!
I'm so sorry.
I wasn't expectin' to run into ya here.
No...
I wasn't, either.
Oh, hey!
Would you like to sit down for some tea?
I thought that a chance reunion with a first love
would be more like…
Okay, one at a time, now!
I want ice cream! Ice cream!
Souta!
And a fruit sandwich, and grapefruit juice, and...
Souta! Souta!
Nozomi, you can't eat all that.
Souta! Souta!
Yes, I can!
I see...
A lot's happened to you...
It's a pity about the restaurant,
but I guess you're workin' in Tokyo now.
What do you do up there?
Oh...
I make videos for Web ads,
and home pages, and so on.
Wow! Really? That sounds so cool!
Oh, no. It's not as great as it sounds.
It's a life of going back and forth between home and work...
Thank you for waiting.
Here's the fruit jello.
Jiggle, jiggle!
Okay, ready? Here you go.
How is it?
You took to that fast…
Do you like fruit?
Here. "Ahh."
Poco-chan is just precious.
Mommy! Feed me, too!
What? You're a big girl now.
You can feed yourself, can't you?
No fair! No fair!
Nozomi! Stop that!
No fair! No fair!
What on earth is wrong with you today?
You need to settle down!
It's okay.
It's a poncho, so it's fine if it gets wet.
Nozomi-chan, do you want some jello, too?
Ahh... Ahh...
Good, good.
Poco-chan. Tawara-kun.
Thanks.
Oh, uh, sorry if I overstepped there.
No, ya didn't.
Ya know, I would never have guessed that Poco-chan isn't yours.
You look like a real family.
Y-You think so?
Actually, I'm not even married yet, so I have mixed feelings about that...
I don't even have a girlfriend.
There's no need to rush.
You've got plenty of time.
You could do anything.
Me... I've always lived in Kagawa,
and I already have kids, too.
But...
If I'd gone away to Tokyo,
I might've taken a different path in life.
I can't help thinking how nice that would be...
But you know, when I'm cooking and such,
Nozomi'll say...
"Wow! That smells yummy!
I love your cooking, Mommy!"
And when I hear that, well,
it lifts me up.
It reminds me that, at the end of the day, I'm happy.
Souta. Souta.
What is that? It's pretty!
Isn't that Nozomi-chan's?
I'll...
give it to Poco-chan.
Are you sure? Isn't it important to you?
Poco-chan's cute.
So he's special.
Nozomi.
Aren't you glad you made friends with Poco-chan?
Poco, when someone gives you a present, you say, "Thank you."
Tank 'oo.
Come on! You can make it!
Look! The house is in sight.
Pwo...mise...
And we were almost there...
Talk about ugly!
Of course...
You've been through a lot today.
That'd make anyone fall asleep with a weird face.
And look at me. I ended up becoming "mom friends" with Manabe-san.
If you ever need parenting advice, you just text me, ya hear?
Ya hear?
It's so strange, Poco.
When I'm with you,
so many things happen...
And I remember a lot, too.
Well, ready to get home?
Up you go...
You're heavy!
Have you always been this heavy?
Gaogao-chan and
The Blue Sky
Episode 2
"Gaogao-chan and the Kind Mechanics"
The Tale of Gaogao-chan
and the Kind Mechanics!
Before the kind mechanics, Mimi and Momo,
appeared the most fearsome alien
in the universe, Ipalnemoani Gaogao.
Wh-Wh-What do we do?
He's gonna invade Earth!
Maybe he'll leave if we give him rice balls?
O-Ow, ow, ow, o-ow…
Ow, ow, o-ow…
I-I-I'm... I-I'm...
b-b-bro...ken...
Gao...
Now I can't go back to my planet after I invade Earth.
Momo, did you hear that?
I sure did. He needs help!
Gao...
A friend in need...
...is a friend, indeed!
All fixed, Gaogao-chan!
Gaogao-chan?
Uh-huh! Gaogao-chan!
You made a new friend. How nice!
Eek!
It's much better that way!
Gao...
What is this feeling?
Voices Gaogao-chan: Kuroda Takaya Mimi: Makino Yui Momo: Kokido Shiho Spaceship-kun: Tachibana Shinnosuke Timid Flower-san: Nakahara Mai Narration: Tachibana Shinnosuke
Staff Story: Ikeda Rintarou Storyboards/Production: Yamashita Hidemi Art/Backgrounds: Itou Eriko Coloring: Onodera Emiko Camera: Gotou Haruka Camera: Shiradou Katsunori Production Assistant: Ishibashi Shingo
Narration: Kaname Jun
Udon Prefecture Vice Governor
Its vivid red is a spectacular sight on Takamatsu Port.
Also called "the Seto Guidepost."
Next time: "The Red Lighthouse."