I'm home!
Welcome back.
How's Dad?
His back's a lot better now.
His blood pressure's running high though,
so I left him there to get treated for that, too.
Here, a present.
Oh, Hokunan lost?
Sure looks hot at Koshien.
If Ezonoo had made it there,
we might've been in the stands about now.
All done with the stacking!
Thanks, good job!
Hard at work, I see.
Oh, welcome back.
Ah.
You've turned into quite the farmer over the past two weeks, no?
Thanks...
Don't worry.
I left Pa at the hospital.
Oh, they lost...
Let's hope Ezonoo can make it next year.
Do you think Icchan can become a regular this fall?
Hm, I'm not sure.
He said he can only go home during the first week,
and after that there'll be no real breaks.
Oh, Hachiken-kun.
You haven't had any breaks since you came here, right?
Why don't you go somewhere for a breather?
"Somewhere"?
Where?
I'll drive you.
Is there anywhere nearby you want to go?
Um, is there anywhere nearby you can go to have fun?
Maybe the Ito-Yokado store?
It's only 100 kilometers away from here, too!
Maybe an hour's drive?
However, this experience has surely strengthened the players.
Um...
Higata pitched nine innings and is only a second year.
Now that I think about it,
It's a young team.
Komaba told me to check out Tamako's family farm
Let's hope they will find redemption next year here at the nationals.
because it's super huge and really interesting.
Episode 7 Hachiken Goes to Giga Farm
Oh, this is it!
Everything from here on is part of the Giga Farm.
Vast!
Huge!
So many!
Hello.
Tama—
Are you Tamako's friends who wanted to visit?
Thank you for having us.
I'm Hachiken Yuugo.
I'm Mikage Aki.
I'm Aki's mother.
Nice to meet you all.
I'm Tamako's father.
Please take your time.
Their DNA's working way overtime.
Tamako, your friends are here.
A cell phone?!
Yup, okay. Hurry up.
How big is this place?
Oh, I guess I can get a signal here.
0001 Equestrian Club 0002 Mom 0003 Mom 0004 Tokiwa 0005 Mom 0006 Mom 0007 Ookawa-Senpai 0008 Mom
Wow, two weeks' worth of texts.
0002 Mom 0003 Mom 0004 Tokiwa 0005 Mom 0006 Mom 0007 Ookawa-Senpai 0008 Mom 0009 Mom
0010 Mom
0011 Mom
Tamako will be here in a bit,
so please be patient.
Oh, sure!
We have 800 dairy cows,
four farm houses and the employees.
Wow.
Even though it's huge, it's well-maintained.
Whoa!
What do you think you're doing, Hachiken?
What was that for, Tamako?
Only staff allowed in order to prevent epidemics.
If you're going to take a look, disinfect your shoes!
Disinfectant
Prevent epidemics!
It's common sense!
Oh, fine, fine.
Depending on the disease, we'd have to get rid of all of them!
If you're willing to accept the consequences
for killing 800 cows and leaving the management
and workforce of four farms jobless and out on the streets,
by all means, stomp right in.
I am so sorry!
What the hell is this?
It's humongous!
It's a milking unit called a rotary parlor.
It's amazing...
Up to 40 cows can be on it at the same time.
It's like a cow merry-go-round...
Workers don't have to move around,
so milking is done in a speedy and efficient assembly line.
At my place, we'd be done milking in one and a half turns!
Yeah.
Huh?
Is that cow being moved somewhere?
We're getting rid of it.
It hurt its leg.
But you could just treat it...
That'd cost money.
Until it gets better,
it won't eat as much
and it'll produce less milk, too.
That's cold.
What're you talking about?
We aren't running a charity here.
By being efficient with mass production,
we stabilize our revenue.
And because it's a partnership,
the workers can rotate and take breaks.
Farms using the antiquated, unprofitable and back-breaking business model
can't compete in this day and age.
You're amazing, Tama-chan.
You've thought this through.
Maybe you're all just too happy-go-lucky.
If you intend to manage a farm, you should think things through.
Aki-chan, you're the heir! You have to catch a good husband, stat!
It's fine!
Aki's got a good head on her shoulders,
so we can safely leave the ranch to her.
It's not like it's normal
for a first-year high school student to think about that.
Hachiken, you seem like you're strong in Math and English,
so you should come work here when you graduate.
I'll let you exercise your skills in our management
or international sales department.
Don't just decide my future for me!
Are you finished looking around?
Oh, hello—
She has an older sister?
I'm sorry I couldn't come by earlier.
Oh, not at all!
Thank you for looking after my daughter.
It's her mom?!
Scary...
The Inada family is really scary...
Tamako, did you give them a proper tour?
You didn't even get them anything to drink.
Oh, sorry.
Please wait here.
I apologize.
She's not very considerate.
Oh, not at all.
Um, she's very down-to-earth.
Is she?
Um, she was telling us about things like the management mindset earlier.
Hmm, well...
It's great that she wants to carry on the family business, but...
I worry that she's choosing her path because
she feels obligated by being in a farming family.
Have some tea.
Oh, thanks, Tama-chan.
Well? What were you guys talking about?
Your mom and I worry that you might be restricting yourself
by focusing too much on being the heir.
You can still explore other options, you know.
The heir?
I think you've got me wrong, so let me say something.
I love money!
To generate high revenue through logical, speedy,
smart practices is to experience indescribable satisfaction!
It's now the Warring States Period for agriculture.
Mom and Dad, your loose management practices
still aren't enough for us to take on the world!
The reason why I want to work here
is because I want to have a say in the business!
Once I join the company,
you're going out the door, Dad!
What?!
Don't tell me you're announcing a coup?!
So you were thinking overthrowing us instead of succeeding us!
Tamako, what a fearsome child!
We must crush you while we still can...
Give it your best shot!
What a down-to-earth girl...
Tamako's unshakable... She's something else.
Tamako's really firm in her own convictions.
I'm sure parents feel secure when they have an heir like her.
Nah, they might get killed in their sleep.
Um, Mikage...
Are you worried about carrying on your family business?
U-Um, if that's not it, sorry.
It's just that... well...
Oh! If you want to talk, I'm here.
Er...
You idiot!
You ran away from the prep school route!
How can an aimless guy like you give anyone advice about their future?!
Thanks.
I appreciate the thought.
Mikage...
Why are you crying, Hachiken-kun?
You know, you're kind of like a horse.
A horse?
Oh, look!
It's a giant bunker silo!
What is it?
Mikage said I'm like a horse.
I wonder what she means.
A horse?
Timid?
Good labor?
Horse sashimi?
Oh, yum.
Ugly?!
Ugly?
Maybe she means I'm ugly?!
Hello? Yes.
All right. I'll be right there.
Sorry things are so hectic.
It seems a cow is calving.
Oh, why don't you go watch, Hachiken-kun?
Have you ever seen one?
No...
I'm sure you'll be awed.
Hm, I wonder.
Huh?
What?
What's this?
What're you having me do?
It's a breech birth.
We'll pull it right out in tandem with the cow when she strains.
It's a big one,
so if it gets stuck at the stomach or the shoulder, it's a goner.
Okay!
Okay, pull!
Yeah!
One more time!
Pull!
Let's land it with the next one!
Pull!
This is bad...
It's not breathing.
Hup!
C'mon, get it together!
There, there, there, there!
Mouth-to-mouth!
Yeah!
Thank goodness!
What do you think, Hachiken-kun?
Isn't the birth of a life amazing?
It's gross.
Wouldn't one normally say they were moved?
No freakin' way!
No, no!
It's gross! Scary!
It's the birth of a life!
How can you not be moved by it? Is something wrong with you?
That's just the arrogance of a cattle farmer!
Don't push your views on me!
Hup.
Where are they taking it?
To a shed for calves.
They don't keep them with the moms?
We separate them right away to make them easier to manage.
What?!
Then... the kind of pastoral ideal you see on TV...
Doesn't exist.
It doesn't happen at our place, either.
To be separated right at birth is way too sad—
Hey, wait! You don't even care?!
In these modern times, when connections among not only strangers
but also family members, have grown increasingly tenuous,
I had hoped that the decency of parent-child relationships
had at least been preserved in the animal kingdom....
but you guys have—
Hey, get out of the way.
What're you doing?
I'm giving the calf its first milk.
This has a lot of things it needs to grow strong and healthy.
I see.
Cows don't produce milk for humans,
but for their offspring, I guess.
That should be obvious.
And we ask them to share some with us— that's the dairy business.
It's the same for us and Icchan's place, too.
Come to think of it,
Pork Bowl was separated soon after birth, too.
Um...
Can I try?
Here!
Drink up!
Huh? What's the matter?
Here.
Give it to me.
H-Hey, wait!
The first time, you have to do it this way.
It doesn't know that this is milk.
What?
There, you can take over now.
O-Okay.
This one's male,
so in a week it'll get bought by a beef cattle ranch—that's its fate.
So if it's clinging to its mom when the time comes,
it'll just make the separation harder.
I see.
So male cows all become beef cattle...
Unless they become a stud, it's basically a given.
They are castrated and fattened up,
then end their lives by becoming meat.
I'm glad I wasn't born a cow...
Not only does it not know its parents,
it's headed for the slaughterhouse.
Yet it has such innocent, beautiful eyes.
I hope you a full life and never lose those clear eyes, Beef Bowl.
We told you, don't give them names.
We ended up staying a long time, didn't we?
But you had a good experience, right?
The rotary parlor was really impressive.
There are even ones that are fully automated to cut down on labor costs.
Wow.
Part-time work at a friend's house, would that be a farm?
Mom
If you're staying with them, I'd like to say hi.
N
No
No n
No ne
No need!
No nee
No need.
Sending
Sent
Tokiwa
No clue what to do with math homework<(^o^)> Once school starts, please teach me!!
Tokiwa
Today, your text's making me feel better, Tokiwa!
Hey!
You again.
Don't eat so fast!
What's the matter?
It's strange.
You keep farm animals at arm's length,
but the way you manage them changes depending on how attached you are.
At Komaba's place, they don't get rid of cows unless there's a major problem.
In comparison, at Tamako's place, they're ruthless.
But that doesn't mean Tamako's place doesn't care about their cows.
And there's Pork Bowl.
Some of our classmates said not to name pigs because it makes it tough.
But Inada-senpai said that it's okay, and that I should stay conflicted.
I don't know. This industry's harsh...
but it feels like it's telling me there's no "right" answer.
Pedigree Certificate
Miss Sunday Shougakukan Father: Weekly Sunday
Mother: Miss Big Comic
Do the cows all have names?
Yeah.
Even if we name livestock, we can still kill them,
while we can't stand to kill pets.
What's the difference?
Is it how much we love them?
Nah, we love our farm animals, too!
I'm sure that if we had pigs, I'd love them more than you do!
Despite that, you're totally fine eating them.
Of course!
It's the kind of love you give 'em thinking, "grow up good and tasty."
Different people, different views.
There are many different kinds of love, Hachiken-kun.
Oh, yeah.
I think I get what he meant by kinds of love...
We're raising these foals to become heroes on the Ban'ei racetrack, right?
Yeah.
And after being careful about their health
and taking good care of them with high expectations,
it'd be depressing if we
were suddenly told to turn them into meat, you know?
Because you hadn't raised them to become horse meat.
So I kind of get it.
I guess parents in farm families feel the same way...
Um, uh...
Maybe this is crossing a line,
but is there something bothering you about carrying on the family business
that you're not telling your parents?
To be honest, I actually want to work with horses.
Oh, but it's not that I don't like dairy farming.
Cows are cute, too!
Besides, I'm the only child,
so if I don't carry on, the farm will go under.
I don't want to disappoint my family when they have high expectations.
Maybe that's where we're alike, trying to live up to our families' expectations.
We're not.
Mikage, you told me to be straight with my parents.
But aren't you the one who isn't being straight with your own parents?
Look, you have nice, fun people in your family.
So if you tell them about your dream, they'll understand!
It'll be okay!
It's not like my family.
Why are you trying so hard when it's about someone else?
It's just that... I find it sad.
I mean, you have a dream, right?
I lost sight of my goals in junior high. I don't really have a dream,
so I envy people who do and are fired up about it.
When someone's enduring a lot to make their dream come true...
It's just sad if it doesn't come true!
Besides, when you're on a horse,
you're so cool and focused.
I kind of joined the equestrian club because I saw you like that.
And, well...
Whoa!
What, don't interrupt me!
Hachiken-kun, you're too nice.
You take on other people's problems
even though you have enough of your own.
What?
Man... Are you saying I'm the type to lose out?
No.
I mean, you're shy about it,
but you still care about everyone and you're willing to point things out.
In that sense, you really are like a horse.
Huh?
A horse?
Their shy nature also explains why they're observant of people.
They're herbivores, so they value the herd.
They're shy, delicate, and care about their kind.
They kind of sound like a lot of trouble.
But isn't that what's also good about them?
Good about them...
Wait, so that means...
Is that what it means, Mikage-san?
Good about them...
Mikage-san?!
Mikage-san, I...
I...
Stare.
Oh, welcome back, Dad!
Did you finish your summer homework?
You've only got a week or so left of break.
Almost done, I think.
Huh?!
Is there a reason why you can't focus on your studies?!
Right, I guess summer's already half over.
Once the break ends, Pork Bowl will become bacon...
This story is a work of fiction. The people and groups are fictitious, but the themes relating to food and life are firmly based in reality. Visiting the places and facilities used as models can be dangerous and may result it contracting diseases from the animals. Please enjoy this story as a work of fiction.