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

Tawara Noodles

I got time off to come back here,

but I can't keep doing this forever...

Jeez, how'd you end up like this?

At the end of the day, you really are a tanuki...

Huh?! What the?!

Souta-kun!

Come out an' play!

Poco's Udon World

Episode 3: "The Red Lighthouse"

Let's go fishin'. Fishin'!

Uh... It's 3:00 AM.

We'll go out on a boat

and catch us some big ones.

What about the hospital?

You said you were busy. Did you get a day off?

It's fine!

Ain't no one at death's door today,

and I shouldn't get called in, either!

"Death's door"?

Souta?

Poco!

Po...?

What's with the runt?

Oh... Er...

Remember the kid I told you about on the phone?

As it turns out, I guess this is the child of a friend of mine in Tokyo.

Anyway, it's a long story...

But we decided that I'd take care of the kid for a while.

Sounds like a headache, so I won't ask for the details.

I don't wanna hear 'em, either.

But I do happen to know a darn good lawyer.

If ya ever need help...

Don't talk like I'm breaking the law!

He can turn black to white!

Yikes, look at all the handprints...

Don't touch the car!

Touch, touch!

Look, Poco.

This is Nakajima Shinobu.

We've been friends since we were kids.

He doesn't look it, but he's a doctor.

Po... co?

Nakaji.

I know kids can't choose their parents,

but not only did they stick ya with that name,

they left ya with some strange old guy, too...

Poor little thing...

Did ya think that was what I'd say?!

Stupid! Stupid!

Whoosh Whoosh

I wanna go have fun with you, stupid!

You always show up unannounced, and you have no common sense!

What's your problem?

Here I came by to hang out with ya while you're in town!

I can't go boat fishing!

Not when I have Poco. Who knows what could happen?

Nakaji.

Wh...

What?!

Whoosh Whoosh

What's with that look of pity?! You makin' fun of me?!

Please just go home!

I told you I wasn't going, didn't I?

This ain't boat fishin'.

Yeah, but still...

You can at least fish from here for black porgy or rockfish, right?

What I really wanted was to take a boat out,

and I don't want a kid here, either.

How many compromises do you think I made for you?

Huh? Why are you making me out to be the bad guy?

Touch, touch...

Don't touch the car. Now let's get a move on.

Souta!

There, there.

Souta.

What the heck...

Poco, this is called a "lighthouse."

Lighthouse?

A lighthouse is a guide for boats out at sea

to follow when they want to go home.

Go home?

That's right.

Touch, touch!

I don't think you can reach it...

I touch!

Oh, all right.

Ow...

Ya still got that?

Huh?

Ah, yeah.

It hurts now and then.

Stitches are our job in orthopedics.

Next time you hurt yourself, let me sew ya back up.

I'd do a better job than that.

I'll be counting on you.

Just say "Countin' on ya"!

Huh?

Seriously, you sound so wrong without your accent.

Hey, Souta.

I've been wantin' to ask you something.

The kid...

What is it?

Wh-What... is it?

B-Back there, did he...

Did he see?!

So? What is it?

Er...

Actually, uh...

A girl, right?

Huh?

I said, "Poco's a girl, right?"

Oh, you meant that?

"That"?

What else would I mean?

Nothing, nothing.

I hate to tell you, though, but you're wrong. Poco's a boy.

Seriously?

Seriously.

Right, Poco?

You're too overprotective.

D-Do you think so?

If I'd known he was a boy, I would've swung him around like crazy.

Please don't!

All right! Let's get fishin'.

Like a robot...

Poco, we use this as bait to catch the fi—

He ate it?!

Souta! Yummy!

Huh? It is?!

No, you can't!

You just can't!

It's for fish!

That's right. You hold the rod like this...

Like this...

Right. Then you take this...

I've got a lot of thoughts about this,

but to sum it up...

It's just wrong...

What's with that?! Don't arbitrarily sum it up!

10 Minutes Later

20 Minutes Later

He got bored.

Well, nothing's biting.

Oh, yeah.

You remember Kimura from our class in middle school, right?

Sure.

I ran into him not too long ago,

and he said he's trying for a second kid. Looked all happy about it.

Wow! A second, huh?

"Wow"?

You're basically a parent now, too, aren't you?

I guess, but it's like I skipped the marriage part and went straight to parenting...

What about you? Aren't you going to get married?

Don't nag me like my ma.

Huh?

The other day, I dropped by my parents' house...

Pathology

Pediatrics

Pediatric Orthopedics

Shinobu?

You should have told me you were coming home!

I only came by to grab a book.

Goodness... At least stay for dinner.

What are you eatin' before dinner?

Do you want some?

No!

It's oiri. Brings back memories, right?

I got them as a wedding favor.

You remember Machiko-neesan's daughter, don't you?

The one who's your age?

She looked so beautiful.

It must be nice to have a girl...

I hope you bring a bride home soon, too...

Shuffle Shuffle

Hey! Wait, Shinobu!

These days she's been bringin' up

arranged marriage interviews.

Why not try it?

I ain't interested in marriage interviews!

While we're on the subject, how's your dad doing? Good?

Our hospital director is still alive and kicking.

That's good.

But I hear that after his last checkup,

he can't smoke or drink anymore.

You "hear"?

When we talk face-to-face, we always end up arguin'.

Well, not as much as we used to, though.

We've both gotten older, I guess...

Yeah, we're 30 already.

Old enough to think about giving them grandkids.

The other day, I was talking to a senpai.

Yeah?

He said that a man's vector for happiness tends to fall on one of two sides.

There are guys whose family is their happiness,

and guys who put their career first...

I've always been the son of a doctor.

Now that I have this career, I want to work hard,

learn more,

and help every last patient that I can.