Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari (Poco's Udon World)

Tawara Noodles

Chips

Edamame

Oh, you're awake.

Poco's Udon World

Souta! Souta!

Episode 4: "Yashima"

Huh? Sis?

What's with the kid?

Well, I'm bettin' it's Shinobu-chan's with some random woman.

There it is. Her Nakajima bullying...

Heck no!

Rinko, what kinda guy do ya think I am?!

Then whose kid is it?

Souta!

Hey, he's terrified of you.

More than he was of me.

Huh? I wasn't tryin' to...

God, I'm just awful with kids!

If I so much as hold 'em, they start wailin'.

Do I look that scary?

Yep.

Shinobu-chan, you shut your mouth!

You'll get yours! Stupid! Stupid!

Shinobu-chan hasn't changed one bit.

He'd always go home like that when he was a kid, too.

I'm Souta's big sister.

My name's Rinko.

Can you tell me your name?

Poco.

Huh? That's your real name? One of those unconventional names?

I figured that's what you'd comment on...

Anyway, I'm taking care of him for a friend for a little while.

Who's the friend?

A friend from Tokyo. You wouldn't know them.

Oh, really? How long is "a little while"?

Until the end of my summer vacation?

Is he really a friend's kid?

Whoa! He forced himself in to hide!

Let me go get him dressed.

Until the end of my summer vacation...

These, too.

When I go back to Tokyo,

what will happen to Poco?

What will he eat?

And... what will he eat?

Souta?

Whoa!

Poco, do you remember our promise?

Pwomise?

But from now on,

don't show your ears and tail in front of anyone but me, okay?

Uh-huh. Pwomise!

Right. Promise.

It's clean...

You know, I am a housewife.

Actually, I came by today because I thought it was high time we tidied up the house.

Oh, right...

But you know... It's sad...

Losin' the house we grew up in...

Yeah.

Hey, for lunch, let's go to Yashima.

Sound good?

I haven't gone up to the top of Yashima in forever.

I don't usually go all the way to Yashimaji Temple...

Same here.

It's been too long...

have many children

Castle Remains

Throwing

We have a special path. Walk with us!

Driveway

Has Yashima...

Welcome to Yashima

Lion Rock

always been this filled with tanuki?

Ba-dum Ba-dum Ba-dum

The tanuki are so cute, aren't they?

Wait...

Could it be there's...

Cute!

some connection between Yashima and Poco?

Here, put this on and...

You look just like a tanuki!

No, it looks better on me!

He's tryin' to be funny.

Be a dear and laugh for him, Poco-chan.

I wish I could just tell her!

Seto Inland Sea National Park Yashima

Shikoku Sacred Site #84

Shikoku Sacred Site #84

Look at that!

Huh?

Whoa! They're so big!

They're tanuki?

Wow! The shapeshifting tanuki of Yashima, huh...

Hey, it says he's a god of family happiness.

Better say a prayer!

I'm goin' up ahead!

Hey, wait!

The Yashima Tasaburou Tanuki

general head of tanuki in Shikoku

metamorphosis stood unchallenged throughout Japan

There are stories of a shapeshifting tanuki appearing in these parts.

They say that the tanuki takes on a human appearance,

and lives in the form of a child for years and years.

Poco...

Could you be...

a relative of this general or something?!

Maybe you're super famous in the tanuki world?!

A VIP?! Are you a VIP?!

Every time he smiles, I get the sense that I'm being fooled!

They're pilgrims.

They're on a long trip to visit lots of temples.

Pilgwim.

That's right.

Poco-chan has to pray, too.

Souta, give us some money to offer.

Don't tell me you came empty-handed!

You didn't even bring a wallet?!

I'll pay ya back later!

And he's so little. What a good boy.

He really is!

They praised you, huh?

He's bein' bashful.

Fortunes

Your Fortune: Bad Luck

Great Luck

Bad Luck

Yep. I had a feeling that's what you'd get.

What does that mean?!

What did you get, Poco-chan?

Oh! You got "good luck"—kichi!

Your fortune: Good Luck

Chi?

Pon! Kan! Call with abandon!

I knew you'd do that.

My big sister

Chi?

is fond of mahjong.

Fortune Slips/ Wish Plaques

We're supposed to tie 'em as high up as we can, right?

Okay, I'm counting on you, Poco.

Help me fix my bad luck!

Ow, ow, ow...

What's wrong? You okay?

Yeah, I'm good...

Siblings in Their Thirties

Just my leg acting up...

I'm getting old.

I sympathize, but stop callin' yourself "old"!

Let's sit over there.

Poco-chan, how 'bout I buy you ice cream?

Ice cweam?

Uh... I thought you didn't bring your wallet.

Yashima Little Tanuki

Yummy!

Hey, I just remembered...

Didn't you, me, and Dad come to Yashima before?

Really? When was that?

You know, probably when Mom was in the hospital.

So on the way home from visiting her.

Hmm... Did we really?

We ate ice cream here then, too...

Yummy, yummy!

Uh... Hey, shouldn't you feed that to him?

I know, but he's trying so hard.

Give him a bit longer.

B-But...

He's makin' a mess!

Ah! I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.

Ah... Er...

It's okay, it's okay.

We can just wipe it off.

Okay?

Wh-What do I do now, Souta? He looks super sad...

Well, yeah, you can be kind of harsh.

I know that better than anyone!

Tile Throwing

Lion Rock Tea House

Seto Inland Sea National Park, Yashima

Why am I so bad with little kids?

Here.

You, on the other hand... Kids and animals have always liked you.

I can't deny that...

Bye-bye.

Still... I think I regret it.

Not givin' Dad any grandkids.