Serial TV Story
Natsu and Ikkyu-san had a daughter,
and they named her Yu.
Natsu returned to work,
and during the day, Ikkyuu-san took care of the baby.
The two of them had gone through a lot,
but Yu's growth had become the most important thing in their lives.
And the day when Ikkyuu-san
would be working for Mako-san's production was coming up...
Ah...
It didn't worked. Everyone dropped us.
Eh... All of them?
All of the daycare dropped us?
Yes...
Eh? What are we going to do?
ECOTV Presents
Natsuzora
Week 22 Natsu, Your Sweet Child, Yu (Episode 127)
重い扉を押し開けたら暗い道が続いてて Omoi tobira o oshiaketara Kurai michi ga tsuzuiteite Pushing a heavy door open. A dark path unfolded
Screenplay: Omori Sumio
Music: Hashimoto Yukari
Theme Song: That Sweet Girl SPITZ
めげずに歩いたその先に知らなかった世界 Megezuni aruita sono saki ni shiranakatta sekai Not faltering, I kept walking to an unknown world on the other side
Narrator: Uchimura Teruyoshi
氷を散らす風すら味方にもできるんだなあ Kori o chirasu kaze sura mikata mo dekirun da na Even the wind that scatters ice, could become a friend
Sakaba Natsu: Hirose Suzu
Sakaba Kazuhisa: Nakagawa Taishi
Kamiji Kouya: Sometani Shota
Shimoyama Katsumi: Kawashima Akira
切り取られることのない丸い大空の色を Kiritorareru koto no nai marui ozora no iro o The color of the unbroken, vast sky
Shimoyama Akane: Watanabe Mayu
Arai Kosuke: Hashimoto Satoshi
Yamakawa Shusaburo: Furuya Ryuta
Sato Toshiyuki: Hashimoto Jun
優しいあの子にも教えたい Yasashii ano ko ni mo oshietai I want to tell her, that sweet girl
ルルル Rururu rururu rurururu
Naka Tsutomu: Iura Arata
Osawa Asako: Kanjiya Shihori
口にする度に泣けるほど憧れて砕かれて Kuchi ni suru tabi ni nakeru hodo akogarete kudakarete I adored it so much that I almost cried every time I spoke of it
消えかけた火を胸に抱きたどり着いたコタン Kiekaketa hi o mune ni daki tadoritsuita kotan Holding the dying fire close to my chest I finally reached the village
Director: Watanabe Tetsuya
Good morning!
Ah... Good morning.
Nat-chan, Naka-san is looking for you.
Naka-san?
Animation Department
A new project?
Yes.
Finally, Nat-chan got the chance to be an animation director.
Ah... Animation director?
I haven't heard the details yet, though.
Is it an anime TV?
Yes, I'm sure.
Ah...
Nat-chan, if you can't do it, it's okay to say no.
Eh...
You're still having a hard time raising your kids.
I don't think you'll get fired, if you want to wait
a few more years to become an animation director.
The truth is I've been thinking about that...
Ikkyuu-san is going back to work
and we still haven't found a place to keep the child yet.
Yes... Anyway, let's just listen to what they have to say.
Yes.
Yes?
Excuse me.
Come in.
Sorry for the intrusion.
Okuhara-san.
Have you settled into childcare yet?
Yes, thanks to you.
I'm glad to hear that.
Well, sit down.
As promised, I'd like to ask you,
Okuhara-san, to be an animation director from now on.
And the production manager will do the rest.
Sato Toshiyuki
Production Manager
It's a new anime TV series that's scheduled to air this fall.
What's the project about?
The project is this.
It's based on a manga?
"Kickjaguar"? Can I see it for a bit?
It's a manga about kickboxing.
Kickboxing?
Have you seen it?
I haven't seen it, but I know it.
A boxing where it's okay to use your legs.
Yes, originally it came from Muay Thai, a traditional Thai martial art,
but kickboxing is a new martial art that was born in Japan.
But now, it's so popular that the TV broadcast is getting high ratings.
Sawamura Tadashi, a superstar in the making! Do you know Sawamura Tadashi?
No...
The Jumping Vacuum Knee!
He do this... Hiya!
Boss Sato... you like martial arts, don't you?
I love it! We'll definitely go for this.
We have to do this project.
Is the main character wearing a mask?
Yes! The mask of the jaguar, whose name is Kickjaguar.
I like the idea of a mask.
I don't have to move my mouth when I talk.
Ah...
No, but are you sure you want to leave
a martial arts anime to a woman such as Okuhara-san?
No, I'm sure there are more qualified for animation director.
It's not just a martial arts manga.
Kickjaguar, you know, he's from an orphanage and he's fighting for the orphans.
It's a good story that makes you cry.
I know you can describe the world of this work.
If it's impossible, it's okay to clearly say it's impossible.
I understand. Please let me do it.
Nat-chan...
Because a promise is a promise.
Are you sure it's okay? Won't it trouble you?
Well... I'll find a way.
As an animation director, you have the hard work of going over all the art,
and unifying the quality of the drawing and the characters.
Please don't take it if you're unwilling.
I'm not asking you to sign a contract anymore.
I am not unwilling. I am ready for it.
If you're expecting me to do it, I'll do it.
Ah! Nat-chan!
Kamicchi...
I hear you've got a lot of work to do.
Well... I'm fine with the work itself, but...
It's about your kid, right?
All the daycare have dropped us.
So you have no place to leave her?
Yes... And yet, without consulting Ikkyuu-san,
I accepted this new job.
Huh... I'm an idiot.
Well, you're an idiot if you can't do this kind of work.
Well, stupid mothers are hard to deal with...
I'll have a drink.
Take care of the baby. We're looking for someone to do it for us.
Animation director.
Yes.
It finally came, huh.
I'm sorry I didn't consult with you and accepted it.
No, accepting it was something
you knew you would do even before you had a child.
It can't be helped.
Yes, it's true, but...
We have no choice but to do something. Someone might find that flyer.
Yes... But if I'm an animation director, you'll have to spend a lot of time with her, right?
Hey, do you how much we are going to pay for it?
Well, I guess the limit is 6,000 yen a month.
Isn't 6,000 yen cheap?
No, more than that would be too much for our income.
It's purely labor costs,
and we pay the expenses separately.
Ah...
Right?
Hmm...
Someone's at the door.
Here.
Yes.
Coming!
Ah... Good evening.
Come in.
Excuse me for interrupting.
Ah... Mako-san.
Good evening. Ah, Yu-chan! You've grown so big.
Do you remember, Mako-basan?
Don't make her call me Oba.
Aunt
Ah... "Mako-san". I'm sory.
Please call me Mako-chan.
I heard you couldn't find a daycare for her.
Eh?
I got a call from Ikkyuu-san during the day.
He told me to wait
until he could find a daycare for her.
Is that true?
We don't have a choice. Here you go.
I guess we'll just have to think about it together.
Mako-san...
You're doing it for me, too.
I'm really sorry.
You don't have to feel the need to be ashamed of yourself.
You can't fight like that.
You have no choice but to protect Yu-chan and yourself.
Yes...
Idiot! Don't cry, okay? What are you doing?
No, I'm sorry.
Whenever I see Mako-san, I feel relieved.
So what do you need most right now?
We can't rely on the government anymore, we are looking for an unlicensed daycare
or someone who will take care of the child on an individual basis.
I was just drawing that flyer. Here.
What are you going to do with it?
We put them on telephone poles
and bulletin boards in the neighborhood.
Okay. How many more do you need?
At least 10 of them.
Yes.
I'll help you.
I'll draw if I could come and see Yu-chan.
Mako-san, thank you very much.
I'm sorry.
Pen and paper, please.
Ah... Here.
Okay.
What's your job now, Nat-chan?
I've been hired as an animation director.
Animation director? You took the job?
Yes. So, this flyer is desperately needed.
Well, then, you need to find someone who's really good at what they do.
So, what's your project?
I don't think it's Mako-san's taste.
It's about this.
You're doing "Kickjaguar"?
You know it?
I'm reading it too.
I see. So they've decided on Toyo animation. Damn it!
"Damn it"?
What's the story?
It's about kickboxing.
You don't know it?
Yes...
There's a star player like Sawamura Tadashi who actually exists,
and an assassin is sent in from Thailand.
There's Kickjaguar who wears a jaguar mask.
Kickjaguar would use foul tricks or whatever,
but it was a rigged scheme orchestrated by a crooked promoter.
I see...
But then this supposed villain, Kickjaguar,
won the star.
The angry crooked promoter
are sending in real assassins this time, one after the other.
Actually this Kickjaguar is also Japanese,
and he wears a jaguar mask to hide his identity.
Mako-san, do you like martial arts?
Not really. It's for study. To keep up with the times.
Ah... I'll study it too.
His special move is a double vacuum kick!
Eh? A double vacuum jump kick?
He jumped up over his opponent's head
and kicked both legs in the air. Kicking...
Kicking?
HIYA!
Ah! No... Be careful.
Wait... The doorbell is ringing.
Hey!
I wonder who it is...
Coming...
Hey!
Oh... Good evening.
I'm sorry for being here this late. You got a minute?
Ah... Come in.
Sorry for disturbing you.
Ah! Eh...
Akane-chan, it's been a while.
Mako-san!
Welcome.
What's going on?
No... We just went for a walk.
She's so happy. So happy.
I never thought
I'd see Mako-chan again in here.
Hey!
I never thought I'd see Mako again.
I never thought I'd see Mei-chan again.
It's Mako-basan, remember her?
I don't want to an aunt.
Natsu, It's quite a gathering
of friends today, isn't it?
To Be Continued
Natsuzora
Natsuzora Animation
END
KLM-san from Osaka Prefecture