What happened...?
Pu-Re-Mi-A-Mu...
Chiyo-Ko-Re... To.
Woah! You actually read it!
That was amazing, Naru!
Mandom.
Mandom?
By mastering the katakana syllables we were supposed to learn after summer vacation,
I've become a little more adult.
Everything appears beautiful to me.
Congratulations! Congratulations!
Is this what it means to grow up?
I sense the world's blessings upon my newly-attained self.
Mandom.
Where did she pick that up?
Okay, let's try one a mite harder.
Goto Milk
Here! Can you read the arrow?
Akekuchi (Open Here)
It says, A-Ke..."Ro."
Woah, yer amazing, Naru!
You don't learn that kana 'til third term... or even second grade!
Since you read it right, this milk's yer prize.
Thank you.
Go show everyone how you can read that kana!
Children really do grow up fast.
But I never thought she was that into studying.
What suddenly motivated her?
Three guesses, first two don't count.
Oh, right...
What...
...happened to you?
Sensei, can you read this?
Mimei Market
It says, "akekuchi."
Barakamon
Hitonmochi
Translation: Mochi Thrown in Celebration
Yeah, I just mailed it off.
Submit it to the Tokyo Kasho Exhibition.
Sure. Feeling confident?
This is my current self's calligraphy...
Light-Hearted
I wouldn't send it if I wasn't confident.
Can't wait to see it.
Oh, right.
I'm all out of ink.
Hiro?
Where can I buy ink?
Kinoshita General Store?
Good t'see ya...
Thanks for helping me move in.
Take yer time lookin'!
There's just about everything here.
Cheap candy... They never let me eat any as a kid, since it was bad for me.
With Naru coming over to play, I should have some on hand.
Naru likes Kanro hard candy and Choco-Bats.
Is she psychic!?
Squid on a Stick
Maybe I'll buy some in bulk...
Good, then other kids gonna come...
What's this thing?
It's cheap, so a peek wouldn't hurt.
Oh, crap!
What are these?
Needles?!
Augh! Sorry, I'll pick them up!
That's all of them.
I'll pay for it.
Oh, no no.
You done swept the floor for me.
Can't bend over lately on account of back pain.
That was mighty helpful.
Isn't it because you're carrying that poodle?
No, I can't say that.
'Scuze me.
Oh, hello.
Mighty hot out there!
Good t'see ya!
Bad back a'mite bettah?
Translation: Is your back doing well?
Wha' you a'heah foah?
Translation: What did you come to buy?
Translation: Do you have any thread(ito)?
Translation: Yes, it hurts(ita).
Translation: Do you have any thread?
Translation: Yes, it hurts.
Translation: Doesn't it hurt?
Translation: Yes, it hurts.
Uh, by "ito" you mean this, right?
Yeah! Thassit! Thassit!
I was askin' for those.
But she kept sayin' "itaka", "itaka"!
Ol' biddy heah got right bad eah'swell.
Translation: The old hag has bad ears too.
I don't know what you're saying.
Why're you gettin' so angry?!
Oh, right, ink.
Many-Many Ink Drops
I'm sorry. You ended up letting me take it.
It's okay.
I can always grind an ink stick.
This does help, I have a deadline soon.
That's right, I remember about you drawing manga.
Oh, no!! My work is nothing that great.
It's nothing to be ashamed of.
We both know about the fun of drawing and writing.
Let's be friends.
Um!
Would you... please read my manga?
I plan to submit it to a boys' magazine,
but I would like to hear someone's frank opinion first.
I'm no expert on manga, so I couldn't give you any pointers.
I don't mind!
I asked because it's you.
I want someone who knows the fun of drawing and writing to read it!
I welcome your feedback.
Okay, if you insist.
Isn't that a striking introduction?
Is this for a horror magazine?
No, a boys' magazine!
Is there something odd about it?
Not exactly...
Splort
Shouldn't it have more of the usual boys' magazine stuff?
The one whose name is written bursts apart?
I'll call it the "Snuff Note."
Like friendship, hard work...
Are you crazy?!
If I sent in a typical "honor and justice" manga, nobody would read it!
Blood! Flesh! Entrails exploding!
The righteous getting crushed!
A protagonist on the dark side!
A complex bromance with a close friend who's actually the enemy!
A heroine who naturally fades out after just one chapter!
But, children will be—
Society demands story elements it has never seen before!
Yes! Like having the heroine's best friend's grandpa as the final boss!
W-Well, considering the current trends, I guess it's a good manga—
Please read it to the very end.
Then give me your impressions!
If it's no good, tell me!
Be honest, even if you don't think I can handle the truth!
But...
You don't really want to hear it!
Read these to understand manga.
I'm not getting involved with manga artists ever again.
Many-Many Ink Drops
I'd only told Miwa-chan that I planned to be a manga artist someday.
But then I got carried away and even showed him my manuscript!
What'll I do if Sensei tells the villagers about it?
Unlike Naru...
Tama does manga!
...he'd have actual credibility!
The whole village will find out I'm a geek!
A complex bromance with a close friend who's actually the enemy!
A heroine who naturally fades out!
They might not just think I'm a geek...
Fujoshi (Rotten Girl):
Fujoshi (Rotten Girl): a woman who prefers novels and manga that depict male-male romances.
They'll think I'm a fujoshi!
Fujoshi (Rotten Girl): a woman who prefers novels and manga that depict male-male romances. Related: BL (Boys Love), Yaoi, Fudanshi(Rotten Boy)
Formula: Girl Who Likes Manga ≠ Fujoshi
That can't happen! I just love manga, is all!
My interests are purely literary!
I'm not some vulgar fujoshi!
I must make that clear...
Here. I made today's dinner too.
Oh... thanks again.
Something happen? You don't look so good.
No, just thinking about how girls these days can be really passionate.
And how I have to grind all my ink from now on.
It's got me down...
Oh! So you couldn't buy ink? Thought so.
"Thought so"?
They have penmanship homework for summer vacation, so ink sells out right away.
So...
I brought you this worn-out bottle we had at home.
If I don't clear up the misunderstanding,
and get falsely accused of being a fujoshi,
I'll no longer be able to live in this village.
I'll tell him, "When I said I wanted to be a manga artist, I really meant a novelist."
Could I have mistakenly lent him my most secret book?!
Overtime Lovers Sandro Tamura "Huh? You're still here?!"
It happened my first year of middle school...
Tama, you got some manga from one of your cousins.
Yay! All right!
Tama sure does love manga.
What is this? Two men doing that?! Ewww!
Now I'm traumatized for life!
That's filthy, stupid!
Grown-ups are all dirty!
Peek...
So that I'd never forget what occurred that day, I've secured that manga!
I keep it separate from the others,
so I couldn't have accidentally lent it out.
In any case, I must protect my reputation as a proper, literary girl!
Sensei!
Ah, thanks for that.
I didn't expect my foot to slip...
Okay, okay, just get your balance back already!
I was so happy about the ink, that I got a little dizzy.
You're gonna conk your head and die at some point!
Wait, the champon!
What?!
Huh?
You've brought champon a lot lately.
What am I doing over here?
We got noodles as a midsummer gift.
I must finish my manuscript.
Manuscript...
Manuscri...
Manu...
Man...
Stupid, stupid adolescence!
Huh?
What do you mean?
That writing was a masterpiece!
There's no way it could've failed to win!
You're kidding, right?
Sensei! Let's play!
What's with this stagnant air?
What the heck's that?
What's wrong, Sensei?
Yer makin' gloom-fumes.
What's he mutterin'?
Sensei says he got second place in the calligraphy contest.
Oh yeah... he was talkin' about bein' in a calligraphy exhibit.
Ain't second place still pretty great?
He says, first place went to an eighteen-year-old newbie.
What, yer sulkin' 'cause you lost to someone younger?
That's all?
"That's all"?!
Do you know how much time and energy I put into that writing!?
I even went without sleep to finish it!
But I've fallen behind some guy who started calligraphy only yesterday!
I thought I'd be able to write good calligraphy if I stayed on this island.
But now I'm paying for having taken it easy.
I never should've come to this stupid place!
Now wait, Sensei!
Miwa-chan!
Sorry, Sensei.
Looks like our timing was bad.
We'll come back later.
Why didn' you give him what for?
He even said we were holdin' him back!
Sensei has a lot of pride,
so using logic on him will just make him more depressed.
Let's leave it to Naru.
Sensei.
Didn' Miwa-nee and Tama leave unhappy with you?
Yes, I know!
Even middle-school kids worry about me.
I really am pathetic.
Still, it's just so vexing.
Without calligraphy, I have nothing of value to offer.
But since I didn't win, I'm worthless.
Sensei, are you havin' fun right now?
If you ain't, then let's go play!
Everyone's carrying grocery bags.
What's going on here?
Mochi-picking!
You don't know 'bout it?
Yup, yer a stranger.
Hmph!
That's the thing where you toss mochi after building a house, right?
I've never done it, but I still know that much.
A house?
Big Catch
Today's mochi-picking's for a boat!
I'm gonna pick a bunch!
Yer mighty late, Sensei.
Get ready, they're throwin' soon.
Uh, what's this for?
Kenta-folks' new boat.
"Kenta-folks"?
Hey! Naru!
Kenmaru
Kenta! That's a mighty fine boat!
'Course it is! It's called "Kenmaru"!
"Kenmaru"?
It's actually good luck to name a boat after the eldest daughter.
But we ain't got no daughters.
I'm gonna toss a ton yer way, Naru!
Sensei! Over here!
Darn it!
Naru, look! I got mochi!
Fisherman
What're you doin', Kenta?!
I just... I just...
That's enough, just get scoopin'!
Oh! Sensei came too!
Feelin' a mite better?
You came too, Hiroshi?
Yeah. I was studying, but these guys dragged me here.
After he shrewdly grabbed a glove.
If I'm doing anything, I'm doing it seriously.
Ain't gonna lose, huh?
Hey.
About before... uh...
What? That still got ya down?
Don't worry none 'bout us.
Let's just focus on pickin' mochi.
In order to get a lot, you must keep away from the two professionals.
"Professionals"?
The first one is Yasuba!
She has long years of mochi-picking experience.
She always picks the most.
The other one is Panchi!
She'll snatch mochi you've already picked, so stay 'way from her.
Beyond that, we just have to show our stuff.
Sensei!
I'm doing it too?
We're throwin'!
We're pickin'!
Yeaaaah!
Yeah.
Get set!
I got a late start.
I'll go up front to make a catch...
What just happened?
Damn! I'll try again!
Yes! Now's my chance!
Sorry, Sensei.
You... took my mochi...
Grr! Is God testing me?
Tama?
Don't take it easy.
Go at it with your usual guts, Sensei.
What do you mean, "my usual"...?
So in the end, it's the same here too, huh?
Some can get them, and some can't.
Rather than struggle, wouldn't it be more gracious to stop trying altogether?
Maybe I'll just quit...
...calligraphy...
Damn you, Panchi!
Get anythin', Sensei?
Uh, no.
Maybe yer just bad at it.
I really am no good.
At anything.
It's no good if yer always lookin' up.
Wait patiently...
And take it once it hits the ground.
You find a mess of opportunities fallen below.
Below...
Ain't many left now, but keep tryin'.
Yasuba!
What should I do if I still can't get any?
There's some guy better than me,
so what if I can't pick mochi at all?
Uh, well...
At such times...
Say, "Go on ahead."
Let 'er go, and try for a plumper mochi.
Never quit yieldin' and pickin'.
And see what y'get!
Sensei!
Hurry 'fore they're all gone!
All right!
You ready?
Let's do it!
G-Go ahead.
Was that really for the best...?
Sensei, how many did you pick?
Don't ask, Naru.
He didn't pick a single one.
I picked a whole twenty-eight!
Meanwhile, the grown man got zero...
No! I really did pick one!
It's just that Panchi—
Liar.
What's this?
Sweet-bean soup?
Yeah, that'd be Panchi.
She goes berserk during mochi-pickings,
but afterwards, she drops off food like this.
She gets a lot to distribute them to people who couldn't make it to the picking.
Even so, don' lose next time.
This mochi's all wet!
That's one Kenta dropped...
So's one of mine!
Even with failure...
today was kinda fun for me.
Thanks, guys.
Told ya!
Yer catchin' crayfish too?
Oh! Schoolmaster!
You don't look at all like an educator.
Schoolmaster, you observin' crayfish too?
Nah, why would I?
I use 'em as bait for rock snapper.
No!
What're you doin', Naru?!
Usin' crayfish as bait's mean!
Naru, if you allow it, you can eat snapper.
You'd like some, right?
Then, let's catch crayfish.
Yeah! Let's fish!
Schoolmaster, how d'you use them as bait?
Well, first...
You pull off their claws, like this.
No!
Hey! Naru!