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

That bike...

Hii-kun!

Hiroshi? What are you doing here?

I thought you went back to Tokyo.

Udon...

I need to eat sanuki udon...

Comfort udon to heal my broken heart...

What?

Poco's Udon World

Episode 9: "Sardine Stock"

Tatami mats!

Tatami!

This house is huge!

The town's, like, so puny!

Kagawa is totally in the sticks!

Why is it, I wonder?

It's fine when I say that,

but hearing an outsider call it "the sticks"

ticks me off.

Go eat your udon and go back to your oh-so-great Tokyo!

This is the house where Rinko-san grew up, isn't it?

Huh?

Rinko-san...

I know you were shocked about my sister, but...

He's emotionally unstable.

Overflowing with energy... I am Gaogao-chan.

Your punches won't work on me.

Little guy...

Th-This is...

This toy is discontinued and sells for a fortune in auctions!

It's a super rare find! How'd you get it?!

Oh, Manabu-san gave him that.

Manabu-san?

W-Wait a second...

The person Dahama-san introduced you to was Saeki Manabu-san?

Yeah, what about it?

You met the legendary creative director?!

I was there, too... How could I have missed him?

No way...

Huh? What's the big deal?

Souta-san! Did you meet him without knowing a thing about him?!

Uh, yeah...

Saeki Manabu-san is best known as the creator of Gaogao-chan.

He set off the Gaogao-chan boom!

What? Him?

Takamatsu Harbor Shodoshima

I love this island.

I've set my roots down in the area, and I do craftsmanship with the locals.

To me, this style is at the cutting edge.

I think it's an ideal place.

For my project to promote that,

someone with strengths in the Web and digital fields will be indispensable.

And that's why...

I'd like to borrow your help.

I had no idea someone so amazing was working in Kagawa.

Huh?

Poco?

Hiroshi?

Tawara Noodles

Udon

Amazing!

Wow, it's a perfect fit!

I like it here.

What are you doing in here?

Souta-san, look!

The little guy fits in the pot.

Wow!

Right. I remember now.

He really startled me at first.

I never dreamed we'd end up living together.

Souta-san!

I have to...

I have to eat some comfort udon!

There's an udon place nearby. You can eat there—

Souta-san!

What?

Let's make some udon!

What?!

Your place is an udon place, right?

Yeah, but this is too out of the blue...

Right? Right?

We make udon?

You too, Poco?

We make udon?

My dad didn't teach me how.

I don't really know how to make udon.

If you still want it anyway...

All right!

All right!

All right! All right!

Notes Part 1

This is so cool! A secret recipe passed down from father to son!

It's not that big a deal.

What are you wearing?

You just put water in here and knead it, right?

Wait, wait.

It has to be salt water.

I'll take care of this. You look for a thick plastic sheet.

Got it.

Hey now, Poco. Don't play with the flour.

Th-They've come... The wash basin aliens!

Over here, Poco.

Poco, your ears! Your ears!

I managed to muscle my way out of this last time...

But I'm not confident that I can trick him again.

I'm counting on you, Poco.

Pwomise.

This should do it.

So this is the dough?

It's not done yet.

Souta.

We do "one, two, one, two"?

That's right. How did you know?

Huh? What are we doing?

You step on the dough.

What?!

Are you sure that's okay?

I'm a little reluctant to step on food...

You put it under plastic first, so it's fine.

Besides, if you don't do it, it won't get elastic enough.

Hey, why are you grinning?

Everybody does it, both pros and amateurs.

Well, Souta-san...

You say you didn't learn how,

but it sure sounds like making udon is second nature to you.

I-I don't know that much about udon.

It's not...

Souta loves udon.

You too, Poco?

One, two, udon, udon.

One, two, udon, udon.

One, two, udon, udon.

One, two, udon, udon.

One, two, udon, udon.

Brings back memories.

One, two, udon, udon.

Huh? What does?

Oh, my dad used to

One, two, udon, udon.

step on udon like that.

One, two, udon, udon.

Oh, really?

One, two, udon, udon.

Man, this takes a lot of stamina...

One, two, udon, udon.

Souta-san, switch with me.

One, two, udon, udon.

So weak...

One, two, udon, udon...

One, two, udon, udon...

That's a funny shout.

One... two... udon... udon...

One...

What are you doing?

Oh, er... P-Poco's tummy was showing.

Jeez, Poco, your tum-tum will get cold.

Your tail, your tail!

Just because his tummy might get cold? I think you're overreacting...

O-Oh, yeah! Poco, spring onions!

Can you get me some from the field?

You know what they are, right? Please.

Spring onions!

Spring onions, spring onions, spring onions...

Tawara Noodles

Pwomise, pwomise...

Go bye-bye, go bye-bye!

Go bye-bye, go bye-bye!

Pwomise, pwomise...

Go bye-bye..

Go bye-bye...

Dried Konbu

Dried Sardines

The dough will be ready after we let it sit a little longer.

The soup stock is almost ready, too.

That smells great.

Hey, the little guy's taking a while.

Want me to go check on him?

Uh, no! I'll go.

He might have gone around back.

Tawara Noodles

Poco?

Poco!

Poco?

S-Souta...

Poco?!

What happened? Why...

You're almost all tanuki!

You have to turn back quick.

Are you saying...

You can't turn back into a human?

Souta-san! Little guy!

Souta...

Poco, listen closely.

Oh, Souta-san.

Did you find him?

Souta-san?

What's up...

What the heck is that?

It's a tanuki.

Kagawa's in the sticks,