What? That's not my problem!
Do the job you're paid to do!
What's your problem?
Fig compote.
Sweet potatoes.
Berry pie.
The sweets of autumn are here, but...
Kantaro, check this new publications list immediately.
-Certainly. -Kantaro!
I need the Mystery Fair docs I asked for now.
When will they be ready?
I'll finish them as soon as possible.
I need your help on this, Kantaro.
What do you think we should do for the Let's Read Books campaign?
What's wrong, Kantaro?
I'm too busy. I can't stand it!
What?
Excuse me, Boss,
but I must check the new publications list first.
Kantaro is awfully tense.
It must be all this work we have.
Why has he become this irritable?
Because he's so busy,
that he can't play hooky from work to have sweets.
Isn't that right, Kantaro Ametani?
That's also why
Amablo hasn't been updated at all lately.
Why do I have to do this again?
I'm going on my sales visits.
Sorry, but get back here fast!
Certainly.
MONT BLANC
If only I could, I'd love to play hooky from work to have some sweets.
However...
MANAGER MIYAKE
Hello?
Certainly. I'll be back soon.
Goethe once said,
"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
That was my situation. However, one day...
You want me to visit five bookstores in Yanaka now?
Sorry, but could you take this to all of them immediately?
I will. Please allow me to!
I had a very good reason for gleefully accepting this task.
Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi are filled with history and atmosphere.
Among people in the know, it's renown as a sweets area.
The mame daifuku of Tsuruse.
Ogyochi, which was loved by Shotaro Ikenami.
Habutae Dango, which Soseki Natsume often visited.
Then, there is the item which interests me the most right now.
The ultimate autumn sweets,
the chestnut sold by Sweets Shop Waguriya.
I want to enjoy autumn to the depth of my soul.
Kantaro, are you okay?
Yes, I'm fine. I will be going now.
However, the truth is...
I don't have any time at all!
Damn it! How can this be?
Even though I'm out of the office, I can't...
This appetizing aroma...
Where is it coming from?
How about some freshly roasted chestnuts?
Freshly cooked in a high-pressure roaster.
I was so absorbed in work, I didn't notice...
Waguriya is right here.
Yes, it's time to enter the world of sweets.
Wait! You can't, Kantaro!
You haven't finished work yet,
so having sweets is forbidden!
Okay, back to work!
But, now that I've smelled this aroma...
I want to eat some.
I want some! Okay!
No! Wait!
If I do this, I'll never finish work!
But, I want some so badly!
But, I don't have time!
Hold on! All right, I'll just have a roasted chestnut.
A roasted chestnut?
That's right, I can eat that in a minute. Even 30 seconds.
It's unfortunate, but I must be satisfied with just a single roasted chestnut.
A single roasted chestnut...
That's fine! Okay, let's go!
No problem! Let's go!
The new chestnuts arrived today. We're test roasting them now.
New chestnuts?
Would you like to try one? On the house.
Thank you.
Here you are.
What a marvelous chestnut.
This is it. A little taste of autumn.
Okay, here goes.
This is... the original, natural sweetness of chestnuts.
Which means chestnuts alone are already...
wonderful sweets!
How is it?
Quite surprising.
I didn't know a roasted chestnut could be so sweet.
Why don't you try some things inside the shop?
No... I would very much like to, but...
Oh. You're working, aren't you?
Sorry for not noticing that earlier.
Please come again.
Goodbye!
CHILDREN'S BOOK FALL FAIR
My very heart and soul want to have mont blanc!
However...
So, the Children's Book Fall Fair illustration.
Which one do you like? The pig or the bear?
Which should I choose?
Please, either the pig or the bear.
Select one.
Let me think it over.
I need you to choose right now!
What's wrong with you?
I'm sorry. I lost my composure.
I have no time at all!
Dang it!
Why are you so irritated?
Who the heck are you?
I am you!
What?
You're so prickly, nobody can get close.
That's what you're like right now.
Look at the comment on your blog!
What?
Sweets princess.
Hello, sweets knight.
I'm sad that you haven't posted on Amablo lately.
When you think of autumn sweets, what comes to mind, sweets knight?
I can't help but think of Waguriya in Yanaka.
Naturally, you know of it, sweets knight.
Any man that has never tasted Waguriya's mont blanc
should never presume to know anything about autumn sweets.
They use chestnuts from Iwama, Ibaraki in their mont blanc.
That sounds like a challenge.
How about it?
Isn't it obvious? I swear I will have it!
Like Goethe once said.
What?
"We always have enough time, if we use it right."
Then...
I must work like mad to finish this!
Goethe also said,
"Consider if you can continue to live after losing the dream."
I considered it.
Without the dream of sweets...
I cannot continue to live!
I have completed my work.
Excellent. I have secured 30 minutes.
Welcome.
Oh, welcome.
I returned because I desired the ultimate in autumn flavor.
Have a seat over here.
Waguriya opened for business in Yanaka in August 2011.
It is a sweets shop that specializes in only chestnuts.
Why not start with the new chestnut kanro?
New chestnut kanro?
It's freshly harvested new chestnuts stewed kanro style.
I see. Yes, I would like that.
Certainly.
Normally, chestnut kanro is made by
first removing the hard shell
and the skin, then cooking the chestnuts.
After that, you pickle them for several days in syrup to soak in the sweetness.
However, Waguriya does not pickle them for several days.
Every morning, they cook only the chestnuts they will serve that day,
and only briefly soak them in syrup.
For some reason, this method brings out
the deep flavor and mellow aroma of the new chestnuts better.
They are successful at it
because they have confidence in the potential of their chestnuts.
Excuse me.
Here you are.
Their autumn flavor sparkles like gold.
Let me begin.
Sweet! Gentle!
And... rich!
How is the taste of the new chestnuts?
Superb.
I cannot hide my surprise at the potential of these chestnuts.
I'm glad to hear it. Thank you.
Next, I'd like to order a mont blanc.
Let me see...
I recommend the Hitomaru.
Hitomaru...
I have finally encountered the illusive, rare species, Hitomaru!
This is it! It can only be had here!
A premium mont blanc!
Yes, I would like that.
Certainly.
Ordinary chestnut sweets and mont blanc
have liquor or flavoring added to enhance the aroma.
But they add nothing to the chestnuts here.
Then, how can they achieve such a rich flavor?
Here, they value freshness in their chestnuts more than anything.
Just like having sushi at a first-class sushi shop,
the mont blanc here is made so you can enjoy
the true flavor of chestnuts
since they are freshly harvested.
That is what Hitomaru is.
Here you are.
Premium mont blanc, Hitomaru.
This is the ultimate mont blanc, which can only be enjoyed
this time of the year.
What a brilliant yellow it is.
Plus, it is decorated with their original meringue
to resemble chestnut burrs.
Several different techniques have been applied
to further enrich the enjoyment of the chestnuts.
What world awaits me when I place this in my mouth?
Only...
Sweet heaven knows.
Kantaro!
Why?
Why did you turn into this?
Tell me, Kantaro!
Say something, Kantaro!
Don't disturb him!
Doctor.
Who are you?
I am his coworker.
May I ask when he first became like this?
Yes.
In September, when we became extremely busy,
he started behaving rather prickly.
Then, suddenly...
Calm down! It's all right!
Calm down.
These prickles... are most likely chestnut prickles.
What?
Do you know why
chestnuts are covered in a shell of prickles?
Though acorns are not covered in anything,
chestnuts are covered all over in burrs.
That's because chestnuts are incredibly sweet and delicious.
He is the same!
While he is covered in this shell,
he is becoming even sweeter and sweeter!
Once these burrs are removed...
a sweet, wonderful man, like a chestnut, will appear.
What's that?
His sugar content is rising drastically.
He's becoming ripe!
Kantaro! Kantaro! Can you hear me?
Kantaro! Can you hear me?
Kantaro! Kantaro! Can you hear me?
Become sweeter, Kantaro!
Become...
Crack!
Kantaro?
I'm fine now, Dobashi.
Thank you.
What?
Well, aren't you sweets princess?
Without your comment on my blog,
I would have remained covered in prickles.
Kantaro.
Thank you very much.
Everyone else as well...
Thank you!
It feels as if I woke up from a long, thousand-year, sweet dream.
It seems as if it has been an eternity.
You finally made it there, sweets knight.
I mean, Kantaro Ametani.
-All right. Well done. Good work. -I haven't worked so hard in a while.
I have returned.
-Hi! -Welcome back!
Excuse me.
Everyone,
I bought something for you.
You got something for us, Kantaro?
How unusual!
What did you get?
I found these in Yanaka.
These are pies with chestnuts in them.
I don't know if they're good.
Let's have a look!
Hurry up, Boss!
Wow! They look delicious!
Let's eat!
This looks great!
Help yourselves!
Thanks for this!
Dobashi, this is from Kantaro.
Kantaro.
This pie is from Waguriya, right?
Did you go to Waguriya because you saw
the comment by sweets princess on Amablo?
If that's so, then you must be...
Excuse me.
But, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
What?
Dobashi, if you have time for idle chat,
hurry up and eat that and get back to work.
Pardon me.
What am I doing
between my sales visits?
Only...
sweet heaven knows.
THIS STORY IS A WORK OF FICTION BASED ON ACTUAL PLACES AND SWEETS.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING KANTARO.
Subtitle translation by Brian Athey