Original subtitles

These are the 5 criteria for the new ramen.

I'm going to soak this in soup extract and let it absorb the flavor.

Manpei-san's trial and error continued.

- The noodles are all mushy. - There's no texture or anything.

It's a failure.

Okay, let's think of our next move, Manpei-san.

And a few days later...

It's definitely going to be fine.

- Fukuko! - Yes!

Fukuko, come here!

Try this.

- Is this... - Just try eating it.

How is it?

- It's delicious! - Isn't it?

Why?! How did you make it!

Manpuku

♫Marumatteru senakani ni morai naki ♫I get infectious weeping looking at your stooped shoulders

♫Haji datte issho ni ♫We'll share the humiliation too

Week 19

We're Moving Forward by 10 and 20 Steps!

♫Hikoukigumo bonyari nagamu ♫Gazing absentmindedly at contrails

♫Kokoro kokoni arazu ♫Here in body, but not in spirit

♫Nenkan totaru moshi shitara ♫If I was to calculate an annual total

♫Tsukiau watashi sugoi? ♫Aren't I amazing for keeping you company?

♫Toboketeru mayuge ni morai warai ♫ I get infectious laughter looking at your comical eyebrows

♫Tere datta nandatte ♫Be it embarrassment or whatever

♫Morai naki morai warai morai ikari ♫Infectious weeping, infectious laughter, infectious anger

♫Moraippaji don to koi! ♫Infectious embarrassment. Bring them on!

♫Seiten mo donten mo hekireki mo ♫Sunny days, cloudy days, thunderous days too

Why?! How did you make it!

I just quickly dipped it this soup extract .

- Quickly? - Soaking it for 10 minutes made the noodles too mushy

on top of making the flavor too strong, right?

Trying to make the noodles soak up the flavor was a mistake to begin with.

I was on the wrong path from the time I was flavoring the dough.

But if the noodles aren't flavored, when you pour hot water over it...

The flavor just needs to be on the surface. When that dissolves in hot water,

it turns into a soup like this.

What? Was it something that simple?

It took me two whole months to realize that.

But we moved forward not only by one, but three, no, 10 and 20 steps, Manpei-san.

Yeah. In any case, we were able to make tasty noodles.

What's more, we can eat it just by pouring hot water over it.

The next question is how to preserve it at room temperature.

That means it never goes bad, right?

That's right.

- Oh. - Huh? - May I? - Fukuko.

- How about preserving it in salt? - In salt?

Food preserved in salt won't go bad.

A few days later, the incident occurred at Katsuko Nee-chan's house.

Is that model here again today?

Yes, she was here yesterday, and again today.

Stop being so irritable.

Even if the model gives him the eyes, Tadahiko-san won't be led astray.

Don't even say those words.

When the painting's finished, the model won't be needed anymore, right?

Who knows when it will be finished.

More importantly, there's good news.

Taka's baby is growing well.

You're going to be a grandma by the end of summer.

- Grandma... - Grandkids are so precious.

Aren't you excited?

I'm starting to feel irritated.

Your paintings have unique color usage, Sensei.

It's mysterious and very beautiful.

My eyes are bad.

Eyes?

They were injured during the war. I can't tell the difference between red and green.

Oh my.

I was in despair at one time, but I thought I'd make use of that instead.

After that, my paintings started selling. How ironic is that.

How wonderful is it that beautiful art was born from tragedy.

You may be right.

But in that case, you should venture some more.

- Venture? - Yes, venture.

Sensei, you have to break away, not only from usage of colors, but from the concept of art itself.

What are you talking about?

Hideko...

I'm bored.

W-w-what's that?!

Mom! It's Dad and her!

- And her?! - And her.

And her?!

Draw me. Sensei, draw me!

Break away from your preconceived notions!

Come on, draw me!

Is this going to work?

- We're home. - Welcome home.

- Mom, Onii-chan got into a fight again. -What!

- But I won! - Onii-chan was strong.

What~. Who did you fight with? Why...

- Oh no~. - Hello.

I'm the mother of Ichikawa Tatsuo who's in the same class as your son.

- Yes? - Do you have a minute?

Yes. Come in.

Tatsuo came home crying with a bloody nose.

He said your son punched him.

3 times, when he only teased him a little.

I'm terribly sorry.

I, too, doubt the wisdom of parents sticking their nose into their children's business.

When your husband was the executive director at the credit union,

he helped us out too.

I understand why your son got angry when he was teased.

But hitting him 3 times just for teasing is going overboard.

I'm truly sorry.

It makes me wonder how you're educating your children at home.

I'm truly, truly sorry.

He called me Ramen. Hey, Ramen, he said.

So what?

He called me Lil Ramen.

Lil... Hm~... So what's so bad about Lil Ramen?

Remember what I said before? Your father isn't doing anything to be embarrassed about.

He's working very hard to make a new ramen that will make people happy.

I know that. But what if I let them get away with saying things like that

and Ramen becomes my nickname.

Don't you care if they call me Lil Ramen, Mom?

I know you don't like it. But fighting is not the answer.

You can't hit your friend 3 times!

- Is it okay to hit him once? - Once isn't okay either!

From now on, you come tell me if anyone says something like that to you.

- Will you go complain, Mom? - It's not cool

for parents to stick their nose into their children's fights.

You're always ready with a comeback.

I said this before too, remember? When your father's ramen is ready,

Tatsuo-kun will be eating it too, saying how delicious it is.

Then no one will dare call you

Ramen or Lil Ramen

To the contrary, they'll call you Ramen-sama. They'll all bow down to you.

- I don't want to be called Ramen-sama either! - Me neither!

You are ham rice. Okay.

You are spaghetti. Okay.

You are orange juice. Okay.

Thanks.

- Aren't you eating, Kanbe? - Why would I eat? I have dinner waiting when I get home.

That's all the more reason you should go home early.

You guys wouldn't understand. It's like I married into my wife's family, you know.

It's hard to relax at home.,

But Taka-chan's period of emotional instability is over now, right?

Even if that's over, there are other issues.

That's right. You understand it the best, Mama-san,

I've had the pleasure of hearing all the stories.

Oh, by the way, isn't Manpei-san still letting you guys help him?

He hasn't called for us at all.

President must be thinking and trying out various things by himself.

He probably hasn't reached the point where we can be of help yet.

Oh, yeah?

Hey, what are you gloating about!

Ah, I see. You're happy we can't help

since you can't do anything yourself, aren't you?

- Exactly. - This is getting interesting.

I've known Manpei-san way, way longer than you guys.

Under normal circumstances, I would've been Manpei-san's right hand man and...

Welcome.

- Table for one please. - Please sit wherever you like.

- Yoshino-chan. - Shigeru-san.

Do you come here often?

This is my first time. I thought I'd come see Auntie Fukuko since I hadn't seen her in a while.

Fuku-chan's only here until late afternoon.

She said she wants to be there when the children come home from school.

- Is that right? - Come sit here

You surprised me when you walked in out of the blue. Yoshino-chan's Taka's sister.

- Taka-chan's sister? - Yes.

You're very pretty. Okay.

So does that mean she lives in the same house as Kanbe-san?

- Yes. - That's right.

Oh, what can I get you?

- A cup of tea, please. - Certainly. One tea.

You are tea. Okay.

- Are you on your way home from work? - Yes. I took the long way and came to Ikeda.

I haven't seen Madam... I mean, Fukuko-san... in a while either.

She was off when the three of us came during lunch break the other day too. Right?

What's wrong with you guys?

- Huh? - What?

What do you mean what...

Oh my~.

This is getting even more interesting.

Is it dry?

The salt should have absorbed the moisture from the noodles.

But the color...

Looks like it even absorbed the soup extract.

2 minutes is up.

Waiting longer isn't going to change anything.

It's salty!

Well, that makes sense. In the first place, these noodles can only be stored

while they're preserved in salt. We can't sell noodles packed in salt.

I'm sorry.

No, no. Preserving in salt is not an appropriate method of preservation.

At least we learned a lesson from the failure, Fukuko.

Yes, but...

I'm sorry.

Let's figure out what do to next. Okay?

Yes.

Are you going to eat that? Huh? Huh?