I've tried not to think about it all this time.
About how Poco is really a tanuki.
Takamatsu Festival
Poco is human.
I tried to convince myself of that.
But it was always nagging at me in the back of my mind.
Why did Poco take a human form
and show himself to me?
And I was always afraid of what
would happen if everyone found out the truth about him...
Go bye-bye...
Go bye-bye!
Poco!
Poco's Udon World
Episode 12: "Kakeudon"
Poco!
Poco-chan...
Poco! Wait!
Poco!
You don't have to run!
It's okay!
I'll protect you for the rest of my life!
So don't go!
Poco!
Souta...
Ouch...
Souta!
Poco!
Souta...
Poco, let's stay together. Forever.
You're family now. My family.
Udon
Why?
What is this?
Are you showing me this?
Poco... You...
There are stories of a shapeshifting tanuki appearing in these parts.
They say that the tanuki takes on a human appearance,
and lives in the form of a child for years and years.
Do you want to eat this?
It's all yours.
Look out!
That's...
Poco... Are you that same tanuki?
Where did Souta-san go?
Where's Poco-chan?
It's a big crowd. I hope he didn't get lost.
Probably just went to the bathroom.
Maybe I'll go, too.
Me, too.
From the first time I saw that child,
I sensed something strange...
Do be careful.
If a child wanders around here alone,
a tanuki could bewitch them.
Oh...
Due to my work,
I have an interest in the supernatural, you see.
Supernatural?
What are you tryin' to say?
Please,
watch over Souta-san.
Don't gotta tell me that.
Poco... Why do you show me all these things?
Daddy, love Souta.
Huh?
Love you!
What's this all of a sudden?
The driver said you came runnin' out into the street...
What were you doin'?
I... The accident...
I don't remember anything.
Huh?!
What do you mean?! Do you remember me?!
What about me?!
No, I meant...
I can't really remember anything from the time of the accident...
We'll have them scan ya again!
Dad said he'd be here after the restaurant's closed for the day.
It's fine!
He's gotta work bright and early tomorrow, too.
I'm sure he's got prep work to do, too.
But...
You've been leavin' work early
to come to the hospital all this time, haven't you?
I don't wanna cause trouble for your work.
Don't worry about me. It's no big deal.
It is a big deal!
You could've died.
You're always thinkin' of others like that...
bein' considerate...
You could put yourself first at times like this, at least!
Dad?
Dad!
Listen...
I found somethin' I wanna do, too.
What's this about technical school in Tokyo?
I won't be an inconvenience to you.
I'll get a job an' pay the tuition myself.
That ain't what I'm sayin'!
Instead of goin' off to some strange school,
help with the restaurant!
No. I found somethin' I wanna do!
No matter what you say, I'm goin' to Tokyo!
Do what ya want.
That's right.
I hated Kagawa.
How our house smelled like soup stock.
And Dad...
How he'd just say, "Do what ya want," no matter what I told him.
But meeting Poco helped me remember all these things...
So now, I wish
I'd made the effort to really talk things over with him...
There's so much I should have told him.
It's okay.
Daddy loves Souta.
But what do you mean by...
Udon Makes a Comeback!
Dad, this is the kind of work Souta does.
I can't make heads or tails of that stuff.
I'll pour us some tea.
Amazin', ain't it?
Souta said he made that.
I don't understand it, but...
He's doin' us proud.
Dad...
really felt that way?
Uh-huh.
I wish I'd really talked to him.
I wish I'd told him that I found my calling, the same as him...
Dad made udon,
and the people who ate it loved it.
I saw how happy that made him,
and I felt like I could learn so much from that.
I decided to go to Tokyo because I wanted to follow his example,
but I couldn't get that across to him...
I left home like I couldn't get out of there fast enough, and I didn't even call...
Dad?
I knew...
That you'd found your own calling.
I'm sorry I left so much unsaid.
No... I'm the one who left things unsaid!
If I'd just talked to you more...
But I ran off to Tokyo and then got completely absorbed in my work...
I never even thought about how you felt...
That's as it should be.
I loved your udon.
The smell of the soup stock, too.
I know I'll never be able to eat it again, but still...
I wish I could eat your udon one last time...
This is Dad's...
Uh-huh.
To Souta
You wrote this for me?
Dad...
To Souta
I'm always watchin'.
Dad!
Daddy loves Souta!
Poco...
You showed yourself to me so you could tell me that?
Really?
Uh-huh.
Poco...
I love Souta, too. Love you lots!
Me, too. I love you.
Together. Always together!
Yeah. We'll always be together.
Poco?
No, no!
What's wrong?!
Poco! Where are you going, Poco?!
Poco... Wait! Don't go!
Poco!
Please...
Let's stay together forever!
Poco!
Love Souta.
Always together!
I know. So together, let's...
Rin, Nakaji, Daddy, Mommy...
Everyone loves Souta. Loves Souta lots.
Together. Everyone, always together.
In here.
In here...
Always together. Always!
Poco...
Oh, the man from Tawara-san's place.
Hello.
What brings you here today?
I was hoping to speak to your brother.
Oh, he's upstairs. Go on in.
Thank you.
I was expecting you to come by.
Um...
Did you know the truth about Poco?
I hear it takes an extraordinary amount
of power for a tanuki to take human form.
He must have really wanted to meet you, despite that.
And to communicate to you...
that even when a family is physically separated,
they will always be together.
Yeah... We'll never be apart.
I see... Then you've made up your mind.
I'm truly sorry for being so indecisive all this time.
But I finally have a clear view of what I want.
I'm going to give it my best shot here in Kagawa after all.
Got it. I'll send some work your way now and again.
Resignation
Don't go soft!
Souta-san, please make udon again.
I'll be coming over to hang out!
Sure. I'll be waiting.
We heard from Dahama-kun.
Souta-kun, we look forward to having you on board.
It will be my pleasure to work with you.
Sanuki Udon
One large order of bukkake udon, coming right up!
It's too bad. You loved him so much.
Eitarou, you'll fall!
Don't you miss him?
Udon!
No.
I'm all right. Even if we're apart, it feels like he's still with me.
You're right. Maybe that's what it means to be family.
Okay, up you go.
Here, I'll feed you.
Nozomi will leave one day to get married,
Here, say "ahh."
but I'll have to send her off with a smile.
Is it yummy?
Udon!
Yeah.
Will I get to play with Poco-chan again?
You bet.
Yay!
'ay!
Play date with Poco-chan! Play date with Poco-chan!
Dad... I'm going to live my life here in Kagawa.
I took a roundabout way here, but...
I love Kagawa.
Souta, food's ready!
I started without ya.
You made this, Sis?
Impressed? I've been practicin'.
Hey, your cooking's gotten pretty good.
I know, right? Souta, you eat up, too.
Yeah.
Oh, I almost forgot.
Hiroshi-kun sent the photos from the festival.
He took a ton of them.
And they're all of Rinko.
They really are all of her.
He's something else.
But Poco-chan isn't in a single one.
Hiroshi-kun said, "Tell the little guy I'm sorry."
Poco wouldn't get mad over somethin' like that.
So wrong! Ya sound so wrong with an accent!
He sure does!
What're you talkin' about... Er...
That reminds me.
I got this developed today.
Poco-chan!
So ya did take a photo of him?
Look.
By chance, when I found Dad's camera.
Poco-chan really is adorable.
I know this one will be a cutie like Poco-chan, too.
Like Poco? That don't make sense.
Huh? Really?
You're really somethin'.
Tawara Noodles
To me, the smell of soup stock
To Souta
is the smell of the house at twilight.
The smell of my dad.
A smell that wafts deep into my nostrils...
Tawara Noodles
The smell of family.
It turned up again!
Huh?
Gran'ma!
Granny?
I'm sorry. I guess a baby tanuki's been making a mess of our field.
Today's the day I'll make me that tanuki soup.
Gran'ma!
It's fine. It's just a little one.
It can't do much harm.
Where'd that varmint go?!
I'm so sorry!
Yayoi, come on now!
Gran'ma!
One, two...
Thank you!
Until we meet again!
Kagawa's the best!