I am happy.
My blood protected you... My son.
Wait!
I finally... I finally met you!
L-Leol!
The King of Monaco... is dead.
But... I...
I can no longer meet Father!
It’s not like you can no longer meet him.
Huh?
I’ll help you meet him.
Huh?
Oh yeah!
Japan #44 might be able to take Pierrot to heaven once again!
No, that’s impossible.
Huh?
Well, I don’t have the petalite I need to make #44.
Then, what’ll you do?
That’s easy.
All I have to do is make an even more amazing bread!
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.
I’ll show you the universe!!
The man who’ll inherit the Gopan!
I’ll show you the universe!!
The man who’ll inherit the Gopan!
Either way, in order to win against Shadow’s Gopan, I need a really outstanding bread.
If it’s not a bread good enough to send Pierrot to the other side for certain,
then we have no chance of winning.
C... Can you really make that amazing a bread?!
Of course I can.
But...
Hey, will you be able to help me collect any ingredient that I want?
P-Probably.
But, what in the world are you trying to make?
A new type of Japan.
Japan #61.
And it’s called... Cannabis Japan!
Cannabis Japan?!
C... Cannabis Japan?
You want to make a Japan with cannabis?!
Yeah.
Quit kidding around, will you!
About what?
“About what,” this stupid fellow asks...
There’s no way that you’d be allowed to make bread for a competition
with something illegal like that.
I-Illegal?
What are you talking about?!
Cannabis is in things like the shichimi spice mix we use all the time.
I should be the one asking you what you’re talking about!
Look.
It’s not just me. They’re surprised, too.
Uh... They’re not surprised.
Hey! Weren’t you surprised until a moment ago?!
I was just surprised about whether it would go well with bread.
It’s common sense that it’s in shichimi.
And I just showed surprise because I’m a clown.
W-Wait.
Even children know that cannabis is illegal.
Then, why’s it included in shichimi?
Because the seeds are legal.
Huh?
It’s legal to import seeds that have been processed so that they don’t sprout.
And it’s legal to cultivate them for foodstuff if you have the proper license, even in Japan.
That’s right.
My grandpa’s friend has a proper license to cultivate it at their farm.
It’s perfectly good business.
A-Are you guys for real?
Yep, it’s true.
In addition to being used in shichimi, hemp seeds are used in soba.
Didn’t you know that in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, there is a restaurant called “Asa,”
Note: Asa (麻) means “cannabis.”
Asa
which specializes in dishes containing cannabis?
Asa
No, I didn’t know that...
Well, leaving aside Kawachi, who completely lacks common sense,
let’s go to the Royal Palace since we have plenty there and you can use all you like.
Yahoo!
What kind of palace is this?
But...
You must really make a bread delicious enough to send me to heaven.
Yep!
Leave it to me!
Man, that surprised me.
To think that cannabis seeds were present in the shichimi spice mix...
Yeah, I was surprised on hearing about it, too.
Right?
If it were a regular person, then it’s understandable...
But, to think there’s trash among chefs who don’t even know that much...
You said it.
In general, there are too many people who have misconceptions about it.
Note: Joumon (縄文) refers to the period from 10,000 BC to 300 BC.
Cannabis, also known as hemp, is a food item that has been around since the Joumon era.
If the wrong ideas about its use hadn’t come from across the sea,
there would still be large fields of cannabis in Japan.
Listen up, Kawachi.
In addition to containing the essential amino acids an adult needs daily,
a handful of hemp seeds can help strengthen the immunity of the body.
Also, it has an exceptional flavor that entrances all who try it.
I-I see...
Hemp seeds are awesome.
With this, it’ll be an easy win against Shadow, right Azuma?
Yep!
I’ll do my best!
No, we can’t relax yet.
Shadow is a terrifying man, greatly exceeding our expectations.
Terrifying man?
Actually, when you guys were at the Royal Palace, my friend Kid got in touch with me.
Hey, Ryou.
Oh, Kid!
I’ve finally gotten my hands on the information you were waiting for.
I’ve discovered the truth about that Shadow guy.
What?!
So, who the hell is he?!
Don’t be too surprised.
That Shadow guy is...
a pantomimer!
A pantomimer?
And, he’s supposedly as good as the world-renowned genius pantomimer,
Marcel Marceau!
That’s how good he’s supposed to be.
As good as Marcel Marceau?!
Marcel Marceau.
Marcel Marceau
The greatest pantomimer on Earth.
A genius who mimed everything, including aging, life and death.
Shadow is an equal to the godlike Marcel Marceau, you say?
Hey you.
You ass.
You dropped me again.
Hey, Ryou.
Pick up the receiver.
You ass.
And that’s what the situation seems to be.
You’re not a bad kidder either, Kuro-yan.
What do you mean?
So, I understand that Shadow is an outstanding pantomimer.
Azuma’s going to be challenging him only on the “pan” and not the pantomime.
So, there’s no way that Azuma could lose...
This is why bald, ignorant trash like you are annoying.
Again?
I’m sure you’ve seen circus and pantomime performances which imitated something, right?
That kind of performance can only be achieved by people with great talent
who have gone through a great deal of hard work.
In the end, they are able to imitate any movement, no matter how complex.
I-I see!
That’s why Kinoshita, who’s from a circus, is good at imitating other people’s breads.
Kinoshita?
I’ve never heard of that character...
Still, no matter how good he is at copying,
his bread won’t be any good unless he has an extremely good person to copy from.
If he copies Shachihoko or Monica,
he’ll be copying someone very good, but...
I don’t think that he’s all that dangerous an opponent for Azuma.
What are you talking about?!
That’s not the level he’ll be copying from.
He’s got the ultimate person to copy from.
Huh?
The creator of the Gopan and the greatest baker in the world...
The owner of St. Pierre, Kirisaki Yuuichi!
Kirisaki...
Yuuichi?
Not yet.
You’ve only managed to copy it to 98%.
Come on, stand.
And copy me.
100% of me.
Please don’t be unreasonable.
I have copied your superhuman bread kneading to 98% in this short period of time.
If I’m to push myself any more than this, my body will break.
#1 in the world.
If you don’t wish to be #1 in the world, you can just stop.
I...
As far back as I can remember, I knew that I had a special talent.
That was...
Oh, it’s exactly the same!
It’s Barry Bonds’ pose after he hits a home run.
And that was the fact that I could imitate other people.
That’s amazing form, Shadow.
That’s the world’s #1 swing.
Thanks to this talent, I could imitate any sportsman’s form easily.
If I can copy the form of the #1 people in the world, I can be #1 in the world.
I can be the most skillful person in the world.
But...
Strike!
Batter out!
Game set.
Geez. Even if your form is exactly like his, it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t hit the ball.
I guess in the end he’s just imitating blindly.
Our loss today is your fault.
Being introverted by nature, I never had any friends to begin with.
After that, no one would talk to me.
That’s why I looked...
for something that I could become #1 in the world at
by relying only on my ability to copy, and not on things like speed and muscular strength.
That’s right!
That something was pantomime.
If it’s pantomime, even I can be #1 in the world.
After that, I stopped going to school and just watched videos.
At that time, I found videos of Marcel Marceau,
I copied his movements perfectly.
And, after a few years, I had his movements down perfectly.
But...
Shadow!
How long do you plan on locking yourself up in here?!
If you don’t cut it out, I’m going to throw you out!
Wh-What’s with you?!
I’m sorry, Mommy.
I was just joking.
I’d been imitating people for so very long that
unless I rolled my eyes so I couldn’t see them,
I’d reflexively imitate everything they said or did.
There was no turning back.
My imitations are perfect.
But...
Even with my skill at pantomime, my glory days didn’t last long.
You won’t make a contract with me?!
Why not, Mr. President?!
I’ll tell you straight.
It’s because your mime has no soul.
Without soul, your mime cannot truly become art.
Don’t mess with me!
Soul, you say?!
Art, you say?!
Don’t make fun of me!
After the contract for the production was scrapped,
I wandered the roads, wasting away.
I... I’m #1 in the world.
It was then...
that I met him.
You want to be #1 in the world?
Shadow White-kun?
That man called himself Kirisaki.
You want a pantomimer like me to participate in a bread tournament?
Yeah. There is a #1 spot in the world over there as well.
Quit joking around.
Far from making bread, I can’t even make a decent meal...
Copy me.
All you have to do is copy me.
I’m the #1 baker in the world after all.
In the world of food,
as long as one follows a recipe, anyone can make the same thing to a certain extent.
And, fortunately, it’s not like I possess special hands or anything.
Since you’re capable of copying people perfectly,
it’s quite possible that you can become #1 in the world.
#1 in the world?
That’s right.
#1 in the world.
#1 in the world?
I’d be #1 in the world?
Very well, Mr. Kirisaki.
I’ll copy you perfectly... 100%.
But, there’s only one thing that I’d like to ask you.
What is it?
As to whether it’s really necessary to go so far against that Azuma guy.
When I look at him, all I’m left with is the impression of a regular idiot.
Don’t underestimate idiots, Shadow-kun!
Van Gogh, who cut off his own ear.
Dali, who supposedly ate a live spider.
Edison, who failed elementary school.
Those people who are called geniuses now
have all done things that can’t be called anything but idiotic.
This is the reason that they say, “There’s a fine line between the genius and the fool.”
It is proof that being an idiot allows you to concentrate on a single thing.
The reason that Shachihoko lost was due to the concentration of that idiotic fellow from Kansai.
In the first place, the reason that you were able to copy Marcel Marceau’s performance perfectly
was that you were able to concentrate insanely.
Listen up, Shadow-kun.
Just like the time you were able to copy Marcel perfectly...
become an idiot once again.
And earnestly imitate my ultimate masterpiece, Gopan!
If you do that, you should be able to show the judge, Pierrot, the universe!
Th-The universe?!
That’s right.
This is a rumor, but...
It seems that people who have eaten the Gopan made personally by him...
feel like they are floating in the Milky Way.
A taste that makes you feel like you’re floating in the Milky Way?!
But, Azuma has sent you to heaven, right?
I don’t quite get it, but...
If it’s a match between heaven and the universe, won’t heaven win?
I wonder...
At that time, even Azuma said it.
With Japan #44, the reason I was able to go to heaven was that I’m sensitive.
But...
That Gopan seems to also be able to take regular people to the ends of the universe.
Wh-What was that?!
So, if sensitive people like me or Pierrot are to eat it,
we might even be transported beyond the universe or something!
So, prepare yourself, Azuma!
While the enemy is Shadow, it’s not Shadow!
Greater than anyone else in the world,
it’s the #1 baker in the world, Kirisaki Yuuichi.
If you don’t meet him with the best Japan ever, you can’t possibly win!
All right!
It’s the finals tomorrow morning.
I wonder if Azuma is all right...?
I wonder...
What do you mean, you wonder...?
Either way...
We just need to figure out where to run if Azuma loses.
If you have a place in mind, please let me know.
I’d like to see the pandas in China.
I want to see the Moai statues on Easter Island.
Well, I’d like to see the Sagrada Familia in Spain...
Stop kidding around!
Why are you thinking of losing before even trying?!
I mean, if he loses, we’ll be so broke we won’t even be able to board a plane!
Oh, that’s true I guess...
First, we’d have to figure out a new way to borrow money.
I’ll leave that to you.
Okay!
Geez.
There’s no point in talking to them.
What’s wrong with them?
Kawachi-san.
What is it?
It’s all right.
Actually, I asked Manager the same question in the afternoon.
And...
Tsukino, what’s the most important thing when you make bread?
Huh?
Umm...
If it were me, I’d take the person who eats it into consideration.
Yeah. That’s it.
Not too sweet.
Not too salty.
Not too hard.
Not too soft.
The most important thing for us is to bake bread
by thinking about the people who’ll eat it.
But!
What does that have to do with not advising Azuma-san?
Right now,
Azuma is earnestly baking bread just to help that Pierrot guy meet his parents again.
Artisans with such feelings are stronger than anyone else.
He won’t lose!
B-But...
If we were to offer any advice, all we’d do is confuse him.
If you doubt me, then peek in and take a look at his eyes.
O-Okay.
Th-This is...
Azuma-san!
And, that’s how it is.
Despite what he says, Manager always looks carefully and understands the situation.
Is that so?
So, for now we should just believe in Azuma-san
and only concern ourselves with cheering for him tomorrow.
Okay. I understand.
What do you mean, concern ourselves with cheering for him tomorrow?
What’s with this amazing number of people?!
Could it be... that this is what you meant with concerning ourselves with cheering for him?!
Yes! That’s right!
After all, Pierrot-san is really popular all over the world as the Miracle Prince.
There’s a lot of regular tourists who came here to catch a glimpse of Pierrot-san.
I’ll be late again at this rate.
Don’t worry.
I’ve made preparations.
Look!
A-A helicopter has come to get us?!
All people concerned...
Please climb this ladder and come on up.
Can’t you come get us in a more regular manner?!
I don’t wanna!
Shut up and climb quickly!
Well, it seems like I’m more popular than I’d have imagined...
I’m pretty surprised myself.
Let... Let me down!
Geez.
How pathetic to be afraid of heights when you’re supposed to be a warrior.
Compared to that...
Even though he’s going to be fighting a Kirisaki clone soon, he’s quite calm.
I guess artisans who are earnestly making something for someone
don’t care about their opponents.
His opponent is strong, but...
Azuma is a genius himself!
As long as he holds onto those feelings, he’ll be sure to win.
Oh, I’m sorry.
Sorry for the trouble caused to you because of me.
Old Ma... I mean Mister Pierrot...
I’ll be sure to transport you to heaven.
So, be sure to meet your father once again.
Yeah.
You’re right.
Hey there.
The tears are here too soon.
Keep them for when you meet your father.
I know that.
I know that, but I’m really happy.
When I think that I’ll be able to meet both my mother and father...
I can’t keep my happiness in check.
I guess that’s true...
If you’re to meet both your mother and father...
Mother?!
That’s right!
Azuma’s opponent, Shadow White, has promised to send me to the other end of the universe,
where I’ll be able to meet my mother who’s become a star.
What was that?!
Shadow did?!
And with your mother, too?!
I challenge you!
boku no te wo nigire issho ni minaikai
Grab on to my hand. Would you like to see it together?
kesshiteraku janai ga saikou no sekai
By no means is it easy, but it’s the best kind of world.
souzoushite mitanda jibun de egaita rakugaki no
I tried imagining it by standing on my future map
mirai no chizu ni tatte soshite kimi to waraerukatte
which I had doodled out,
and wondered if you’d be laughing with me there.
kentou wa tsuitenda ashiato darake no michi wo
I’ve guessed it. That if I were to just follow along
tada aruiterunja itsumademo tadoritsukeyashinainda
this road already full of footprints, I’d never ever reach there.
sore ga iyada to iu nara
And if I don’t like that...
heion nante antai wa kono sai yamemashouka
I guess I should take this opportunity
and stop seeking the peace that comes with security.
kanawanaitte akirameta yume wo sutezu tsumiagete
I’ll pile up the dreams I thought couldn’t be fulfilled
without throwing them away
mucha de mubou na teppen ni aru
and become the foundation stone for the dream
yume wo tsukamu ishizue ni nare
that stands at the peak of the absurd and the reckless.
boku no te wo nigire issho ni minaikai
Grab on to my hand. Would you like to see it together?
kesshiteraku janai ga saikou no sekai
By no means is it easy, but it’s the best kind of world.
kesshiteraku janai ga saikou no sekai
By no means is it easy, but it’s the best kind of world.
Next Episode
With the title of #1 in the world on the line, we’d like you to make the ultimate bread!
The opponent is the strongest he’s faced since the start of the program, Shadow White!
Looks like it will be a spectacular battle.
Next time, on Yakitate!! Japan,
All the ultimate ingredients collected!!
The greatest finals in all of history!
Be sure to watch.
Yakitate!! Seed of knowledge.
Pantomime
Pantomime is a form of acting where you don’t use words or props.
Words
Props
You can perform it anywhere.
And even foreigners who don’t understand the language can understand it, ’kay?
Oh, okay!