There’s three little critters on the verge of death in front of me.
It’s a veterinarian’s justice to save them.
Relax, I’ll definitely save you!
Be you bald, or be you a cockroach,
as long as you’re being treated by me, I’ll treat all sick livestock as equally important.
This is...
I, with an absolute sense of sound, am saying this.
No doubt about it.
This is just a sunstroke.
As long as you take some rest, you’ll be fine.
That’s why we’ve been telling you it’s sunstroke from the beginning.
See ya.
Why was a vet treating us...?
There’s English bread, German bread, and French bread,
but Japan’s bread, Japan, does not exist.
In that case, there’s no choice but to create it.
This story is a serious, biographical ballad of a boy who possesses Solar Hands,
Azuma Kazuma, who will create a Japanese bread made by and for the Japanese people,
which can be presented to the world proudly.
I swore to your shining eyes
kagayaku kimi no hitomi ni chikatta
Yakitate!! Japan
Translated by: Anime-Empire
on an afternoon when the blue sky
chiisana mado kara aozora ga mieta gogo
was visible through a small window
that I no longer wanted to run away.
nigeru koto nante mou shitaku wa nai yo
senaka ni atatakai te no hira o kanjiteiru
I feel a warm hand upon my back.
kizutsuku yori mo tsurai no wa
The only thing more painful than getting hurt is...
ashita wo akiramete jibun ni uso tsukitsuzukeru koto
giving up on tomorrow and continuing to lie to yourself.
daiji na yume wo hitotsu kokoro ni itsudemo
The one precious dream always held in your heart
shinjite mamotte norikoete ikou
Let’s believe it, protect it, and overcome everything.
daiji na yume ga aru kara motto tsuyoku nareru
Because we have a precious dream, we can become stronger
omoiegaita mirai wo dakishimete
holding on to the dream that we imagined and painted
kore kara mo
forevermore.
A dive into hell!!
A new scheme!
A dive into hell!
A new scheme!
I’m glad it wasn’t more serious.
But, it’s really impressive.
After the forest was burned down...
To make a taiyaki with filling...
It’s Azuma who’s amazing.
Yeah.
We were able to make a sweet paste out of those awful potatoes because
Azuma knew that we could extract large amounts of sugar from palm sap.
Apparently, my grandfather was left behind on some southern island during the war.
He told me about 30,000 times that he somehow survived at that time
by sucking on palm tree sap.
The sap of a palm is really sweet...
I’ve heard that story 26,759 times, Grandpa.
The sap of a palm is...
I see.
So, how did you make it into taiyaki?
It was simple.
We added the concentrated palm sap to the boiled and strained potatoes to make the filling.
Then, we put it into fermented flour and baked it.
You didn’t forget an old man’s story, and used it to make your bread.
You’re truly amazing, Azuma.
By the way, Kuro-yan...
What’s happening with Pierrot?
After causing us all to get sunstrokes, he’s not even coming to visit us?
Well, he’s a clown, after all.
How mean.
Even a clown visits the sick.
Yo!
Who might you be?
Oh, that’s right.
This is the first time that you’ve seen me without makeup.
It’s me.
Me.
It’s Old... Mister Pierrot!
Uhh... You’re quite a different person without makeup on...
Hey, wait a moment!
Why is it that your real face is the cartoon-character-costume?!
It’s been a pain to do my makeup everyday lately.
So, I’ve had my real face surgically altered to Pierrot’s,
and I wear my real face later on.
Clowns also have it pretty hard, huh?
That’s not really the point that should be striking you here...
More importantly,
I want to hear the results of the final assessment.
The top four countries should have passed, right?
Five countries made bread.
Which one failed?
Well, you see...
The committee just got in touch with me.
The match on the deserted island should be declared null and void?
Due to an unexpected natural disaster, the only forest with fruit was burnt down.
So, it’s natural that not all the countries were able to make bread.
Therefore, the management committee has decided on a rematch.
But Japan, the country whose base was farthest away from the forest,
was able to make bread.
Even with the fire, it was possible to make bread.
I know that.
But, there are people betting on this match all over the world.
We’ll definitely be getting claims if people feel some country was at a disadvantage.
Right?
That may be true, but...
So... we’re going to have a rematch.
You’ve got to be kidding!
If you have a rematch, then the countries that passed this time will be filing claims against you.
That’s why we’re not going to announce it.
Huh?
We’re not going to announce which teams passed.
What was that?!
No way! That’s way too high-handed!
No matter how much you want your home team, France, to win...
this is just a low-down, dirty way of doing it!
I don’t think that’s the case.
Even if we had judged it impartially at that time...
France would have won.
Also... strangely enough,
there’s not a single team among all of the countries that have passed that’s against the rematch.
What was that?!
The American team’s representative, the owner of St. Pierre, agreed.
France also agreed.
As for Japan...
A person called Azusagawa Yukino agreed, as the representative of Pantasia’s owner.
Yukino did...!
How can this be?!
Well, that’s the way it is.
So, I really have no choice but to ask you to agree.
Damn it!
I’m sorry, Japanese representatives.
But, I think that you will definitely win, even if you have to do it once again.
Hang in there, Japanese representatives.
Rame-kun, we can’t do something like this again.
Yes, I’m aware of that.
This time, I’ll make sure that the Japanese representatives are...
You won’t have another next time, so take care.
So, let’s hear your plan.
Y-Yes.
The next match will be held in Mexico.
We’ll crush the Japanese representatives in the Huautla Cave, a pit that’s 1500m deep.
A cave, eh?
Sounds like an interesting experiment.
After the deserted island, if we have another match at such a dangerous spot now...
other countries will also protest.
Don’t worry.
On the surface, the match is going to be held near a river.
A river?
A river.
All right.
Just as instructed, we are flying to the San Agustin River in Mexico.
There were a tad too many dangers at the deserted island.
That river has many varieties of freshwater fish.
This time, we’d like for everyone to enjoy the match as they would a fun camp.
The time limit is about five days,
and let’s make the topic fish-bread, made from fish caught in the San Agustin River.
Or, bread that goes well with fish.
That’s fine, but...
Who are these guys?
Well...
Since the match at the deserted island was nullified,
we have to rush the next match.
But, there’s no landing strip near the San Agustin River.
Therefore...
Y-Y-Y-You want us to parachute down to the river from a height of 5000m?!
Yep.
Why do bakers have to do something like that?
Well, I explained it to you, right?
Apparently, we don’t have time.
But, it’s strange.
I understand the need to hurry,
but I don’t think it would take more than half a day even if we were to travel by car.
Cut the crap!
Those are your circumstances.
That is unsightly, Japanese representative.
No matter what, the decision of the committee is absolute.
If you’re afraid of jumping out, then just forfeit.
I’m not particularly scared.
I just can’t stand your unreasonable methods.
Right, Suwabara?
Suwabara...?
You’ve turned completely pale...
You’re imagining things.
It seems that we have someone afraid of heights as well.
Th-That’s not it!
But, relax.
You’ll be going down with a professional parachuting instructor, so it’s all right.
Don’t worry.
We’ll be sure to help the Japanese representatives down safely.
Yeah, down to hell.
And, just in case, we’ve also attached an extra parachute to your body.
So, in case of emergencies, if you open that, you won’t crash info the ground.
This time, I shall be judging at the same place that you will be at,
and will be following you down later.
So, you can completely relax.
I wonder...
Don’t do anything to make it worse.
We didn’t calculate that they’d be given an extra parachute.
But, either way, they’re going to be dropped into the depths of hell.
They can’t leave from there alive, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Yep.
Well, the American team’s going on ahead.
Please do.
Later, Azuma!
Well, let’s go, shall we?
Okay!
Kawachi.
Please go on ahead.
Did you say something?
All right, now that everyone has jumped, I should also...
That’s strange...
Only Japan is floating down in a direction away from the river.
Hey Azuma, take a look at Suwabara.
It looks like he’s unconscious.
Don’t laugh at the poor thing.
Let’s wake him up.
No, it’s better not to wake him now.
Let’s wake him up after we’ve landed.
That way, he doesn’t have to be scared.
Sure, you can do that if you’re still alive when you land.
Huh?
Hey, Mr. Instructor.
I don’t see a river anywhere down below.
I do see a big hole though...
And we’ve separated quite a bit from the rest of the countries.
Yeah, due to a slight fluctuation in air currents, we’ve been blown quite a bit to the left.
Oh, no!
It’s hard to maintain control if we both stay together.
So, do the remainder by yourselves.
What was that?!
Kawachi!
Azuma!
Open up the spare parachute!
Suwabara’s still unconscious!
What was that?!
Suwabara!
What are you doing, Kawachi?!
If you release the parachute, you’ll fall, too!
Come off!
Why won’t it come off?!
You stupid parachute!
Hey Suwabara, you dumbass!
Open your eyes!
We’re always fighting, but...
Hey, you retard! Moron!
I...
Getting mad at me yet?
The truth is that... I...
Suwabara!
I really like you!
So, please don’t die!
This is the afterlife, so please open your eyes!
Pierrot!
Like I said...
Since you’re with me, you can relax completely.
N-Nice catch!
...is what I’d like to say, but...
He’s not wearing a parachute!
Are you sur~prised?
Once you’re a world-level clown,
in order to please an audience of 10,000, it’s common sense to
jump out of a plane without a parachute.
What kind of common sense is that?!
...is what I want to say, but...
Thanks to that uncommon common sense, Suwabara was saved.
I have to be grateful this time.
Either way, thank goodness that everyone’s alive.
But, where in the world are we?
Good question.
So I, Pierrot, will tell you.
This place...
is one of the deepest caves in the world, Huautla.
A hellhole that you can never get out of once you enter without proper equipment.
What was that?!
Oh, you’re awake, Suwabara.
Yeah, it looks like I fell asleep for a bit.
That’s called fainting. You fainted.
This is...?
Through some karma, it’s a cave.
It seems to be a super deep one, at that.
Wasn’t our destination a river?
O-Oh well.
Let’s leave these caves immediately and head to the river.
How?
“How?”
Shouldn’t you be telling us that, Mr. Clown?
Not possible.
Not even a clown would know that.
We’re not letting you off with a “I don’t know” this time.
I don’t want to die in such a place.
I have a family that I must protect.
A family?
I’m sorry.
Even then, I don’t know.
Because...
even I might die here.
Hey.
Hey!
I think this hole continues this way.
We may be able to get out.
But...
it’s dark, and we can’t see much.
Hey, it got brighter.
You’re... Where did you have something like that hidden?
The flashlight is not the only thing I have!
I have flour...
seasoning...
cookware...
a bat, a ball, a cutting board, and kitchen knives.
Though this may be an anime... this is too much.
In this match by the river,
everything aside from the fish that is necessary to make bread is
to be provided by me, or the other officials.
There’s no point in unpacking over there, right?
Put it all back together quickly, and come on.
We’re going on ahead.
It’s getting really cramped.
It’s getting a little hard to breathe.
This sound is...
Sound?
A waterfall.
There’s a waterfall up ahead.
A waterfall, this deep under the ground?
This is a really wide space.
And, there really is a waterfall.
Amazing.
These are the Iglesia Falls.
Julio Iglesias?
Nathalie...
Don’t make jokes that nobody gets.
But, since you know about it, how old does that make you?
In 1997, an American team, while exploring these caves, discovered
that the Iglesia River that flows from the mountains,
and the San Agustin River from the foothills,
converge here at the Iglesia Falls.
Oh?
In other words, the convergence point of these two rivers forms this waterfall.
So, that means that
this river connects to the San Agustin River, where we’re supposed to be having our match.
I guess.
All right!
That makes things easy.
If we swim downstream in the river, then we should be able to get out.
I see!
All right!
Since we know that, all we have to do is...
Go! Go!
It’s not possible.
It’s a river in a cave.
While we call it a cave, it’s more like a waterlogged pathway.
You can only do it if you can swim without breathing for 2-3km.
We thought that you might be able to do it...
Clowns are not a variety of fish.
Unless you have diving apparatus like the exploration team did,
you cannot go on from here.
We thought that you might have some stuff like that...
We’re going to die.
We might have to prepare ourselves.
There seem to be a lot of fish here.
Oh, how rare.
These are probably blind cave tetras.
Note: Azuma misheard; “nichi-bei” refers to Japanese-Americans.
The Japanese-Americans are blind?
No.
These are blind cave tetras.
They’re freshwater fish without eyes that are found in caves in Mexico.
They’re a mysterious variety of fish that collect food and avoid obstacles
by using a sensory organ called a “lateral line” instead of eyes.
Old... I mean Mister Pierrot really knows a lot.
Once you’re a world-level clown,
you have to know something that nobody in a crowd of 10,000 could know.
Clowns are really amazing.
What’s so amazing about it?
In the end, we’re all going to die here.
There’s no meaning in him telling us things from his weird store of knowledge.
Yeah.
If he’s so smart, I’d like for him to know a way to get out of here.
Everyone is panicking quite a bit.
They say that when stuck for a long time in a cramped and dark place like a cave,
people feel ten times the normal amount of stress.
Any more, and they might fall apart.
Can’t be helped...
Oh, I thought of a way to escape.
What?!
Really?!
Amazing!
How do we get out?
Forget what I said before.
Once you’re a world-level clown...
You can hold your breath and swim for 2-3km.
So, for now, I will swim down the river and call for help.
Th... Th... The amazing world-level!
Pierrot-han!
You’re a truly wonderful clown!
I’ll follow you for life,
so please let me lick your shoes.
Human beings should never have to become like that.
Please don’t lick my shoes.
More importantly...
if I am to swim 2-3km without breathing, I need to build up my energy.
But, I’m really hungry right now.
If we don’t add fuel to my internal combustion engine,
I really can’t swim that long a distance.
So, you want us to feed you?
Asking us for that is a little...
In a place like this...
No need to worry.
I have all of the ingredients ready.
Oh, that’s right.
How about making the bread for the match using the blind cave tetra?
If you make me a delicious bread...
I think I will get back my stamina and be able to swim.
I see!
In that case, leave it to us!
Yeah, we were just beginning to get hungry, too.
Let’s make it!
All right!
But, these fish are really small, aren’t they?
Well, since there are so many, if we just catch a lot, we should be able to make it.
The problem is the taste.
Once we catch them, Kawachi can be our poison tester.
Wh-Why does it have to be me?!
That’s because you’re too full of yourself.
That has to be...
Thank goodness.
Since they see some hope of getting out quickly, they’re back to normal.
But...
I’m sorry, Japanese representatives...
The truth is that...
I’m a deadweight in water.
itsuka wakaru sa kizutsuitari nayanda hibi
Someday you’ll understand.
The days when you were hurt and confused
kagayaki ni kawaru. Dakara tsukamaetete
will turn into something radiant. So, hold on to...
ima wa kurushii kimi wo. Nigenaide kanau made
your present suffering. Don’t run away till your wish comes true.
kodoku wo kakaekomu toki mo
Even at times you embrace loneliness...
kimi wa mada hitori ja nainda
you are not yet alone.
jibun sae shinjirarenai bukiyou na kimi demo
Even if you don’t quite believe it, even the clumsy little you
nandomo kara wo tatakinagara
can knock yourself against your shell many times over,
tobidasu hi wa jibun dake no chikara sa
so that the day you fly out, it will be with your own strength.
tatoe kimi dake ni tsubasa ga nakutemo kitto
Even if it is only you who doesn’t have wings,
utau tori ni natte
become a song bird.
Next Episode
I can’t swim.
I’m a deadweight in water.
What to do, what to do, what to do?
Oh, I got it!
It came to me in a flash!
That’s right, there was this possibility.
Next time, on Yakitate!! Japan,
Pierrot’s big miscalculation!
The Last Supper. How does it taste?
Pierrot’s big miscalculation!!
The Last Supper. How does it taste?
Be sure to watch.
Yakitate!! Seed of knowledge.
Blind Cave Tetra
Blind cave tetras are tropical fish found in Mexico.
Tropical Fish from Mexico
Mexican rivers also have platys, sailfin mollies, high fin variatus,
Platy
Sailfin Molly
High Fin Variatus
swordtails, Jack Dempseys and Belonesox.
Swordtail
Jack Dempsey
Belonesox
Oh?!