Original subtitles

In any case, we tried one idea after another to come up with this ramen.

Everyone tried their best to sell Manpuku Ramen. But...

- We only sold 2 boxes worth. - It didn't sell at all.

And everything starts going from bad to worse...

It's the price like I said. 20 yen is too much.

It's because of... the bad design?

Maybe taking on ramen was my mistake to begin with.

Don't be ridiculous, Manpei-san!

Tadahiko-san.

Actually... I came up with an alternative plan.

Alternative plan?!

Manpuku

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

Please Come Up With a Strategy

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

Week 21

♫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

I've been wondering if the previous design wasn't too avant-garde after all.

Tadahiko-san.

It's my fault that Manpuku Ramen isn't selling.

That's not true.

- It's my fault. - No, it's my fault!

- No, I'm saying it's my fault. - Why are you two so easily discouraged!

We do not need this.

We like the design we have now, Tadahiko-san.

But...

What's wrong with avant-garde? Manpuku Ramen is an avant-garde invention too.

- Isn't that right, Manpei-san? - But you know, Fukuko...

I think the customers are skeptical.

If you were shown an amazing magic trick you've never seen before, for example,

wouldn't you be dumbfounded before being thrilled?

Some people may even think it's uncanny, don't you think?

It's the same thing.

People are not going to understand the greatness of Manpuku Ramen right away.

But sooner or later, if only there was some kind of opportunity,

it will sell without fail. For sure!

- Sooner or later like when? - What opportunity?

Huh? That's...

This is it.

We have to let people know that this is truly nutritious.

It's avant-garde, but it's not uncanny and

it's nutritious. If we can convey that to the customers, I'm sure they'll buy it.

I do understand that.

But how can we...

Remember the time with Daneihon.

We have to get an endorsement from a respected person.

And the next day...

Hello.

Prove that it's nutritious?

Yes. Manpuku Ramen should be packed with nutrients.

- Isn't that right, Manpei-san? - Uh...yes.

- That's what we want you to prove. - In other words, you want me to do a nutrient analysis?

- Yes, can you please? - Please, Ohmiya Sensei.

That would be impossible at our lab.

Impossible?

However, an acquaintance of mine works at the National Institute of Nutrition.

National Institute of Nutrition.

Let's ask him to analyze it there.

Thank you so much, Ohmiya Sensei.

Thank you! I hate to ask this, but

- we need to get it done as soon as possible! - Fukuko...

- We don't have time to wait. - Oh, I understand.

Then, please wait 3 days.

I'm really sorry for rushing you.

3 days...

Welcome.

Those 3 days felt like eternity.

Please wait 3 minutes.

3 minutes. Just 3 minutes.

It doesn't contain anything that's bad for you.

Please come and see for yourself.

Fuku-chan and others were busy selling Manpuku Ramen during the day

while making ramen at night.

- Okay, these are ready. Thanks.

But...

Why are we making all this when we can't sell them?

Don't say that, Grandma.

There was an indescribable awkward feeling in the air...

when they received the good news.

- Sorry to keep you waiting! - Ohmiya Sensei!

Calcium, phosphorus, iron...

vitamins A, B1, B2, niacin.

It was discovered that

all kinds of nutrients were extracted from things like chicken cockscomb and frame.

- Let us take a look too. - Let me see it too.

Do you see where it says that National Institute of Nutrition

is recommending Manpuku Ramen as a health food?

- It does! - National Institute of Nutrition?

- This is great! - Thank heavens, thank heavens.

- Isn't this great, Manpei-san! - Yeah!

Fukuko!

Packed with nutrients!

National Institute of Nutrition

Highly Recommends

Manpuku Ramen!!

Manpuku Ramen is packed with nutrients.

It has been endorsed by the National Institute of Nutrition!

With plenty of calcium and vitamins, it's packed with nutrients.

- I'll take 3, please. - 3. Thank you very much.

- How much is it? - That will be 60 yen for 3.

How much did the sales go up?

80 percent.

- 80 percent? - That's great.

- No, this won't do at all. - Why not?

We're talking about an epoch-making product that can be made in 3 minutes that even got

an endorsement from the Government. Sales should've increased by 3 or 4 times.

- 4 times is a bit... - Listen, Tachibana-kun.

The important thing is whether we get orders from wholesale dealers or not.

Selling a bunch in the corner of a department store doesn't accomplish anything.

For us to be able to sell nation-wide, we've got to get calls from wholesale dealers.

- Wholesale dealers? - Yeah.

That's your job, isn't it, Sera-san?

- That's right. You're not doing anything, Sera-san.

I'm doing my best to sell at the shopping center too!

What good does it do for you to be doing the same thing as us?

Why do we even have Sera Shoji?

It's true that the reason for Sera-san's existence cannot be found at this time.

W-w-w-wait a minute.

We can't waste the endorsement we got from the National Institute of Nutrition.

Please come up with some kind of strategy, Sera-san.

Strategy?

You don't have any?

Didn't you say, "Please let me sell Manpuku Ramen for you"?

I do.

I do have a strategy.

What is it?

What is it?

Now's not the time.

Huh?

One has to choose the right moment to execute a fantastic strategy.

This is not that time yet.

- 80 percent, huh? - This guy doesn't have a strategy.

- He doesn't, does he? - I do too.

Let's contemplate how we can get the wholesale dealers to come calling, Manpei-kun.

- I don't want to do this anymore. - Mom.

This is delicious.

It's so tasty.

Manpei-san is amazing to make something like this.

Saki! Saki! Where have you been?

What do you mean?

You haven't been showing up at all lately.

I have things to do too, Mom.

That aside, I can't understand why a tasty ramen like this won't sell.

I know. You understand my pain of having to work

day in and day out making something that won't even well, don't you?

In the first place, something was wrong to start out with.

I wonder if you can call this ramen in the first place.

- Huh? - It's not at all like the ramen you get at stalls, right?

The noodles are curly and it doesn't have any green onions or bamboo shoots or chashu .

Now that you mention it...

It's like ramen, but it's not really ramen. But it's ramen after all.

Perhaps it's that ambiguity that's holding it back.

Ah, it's so tasty.

That's it.

- Chashu? - Yes.

It's not selling because it doesn't have any green onions or bamboo shoots or chashu in it.

The person eating it can add all that later...

That won't make it ready to eat in 3 minutes then.

It has to have green onions and bamboo shoots and chashu that can be reconstituted in hot water.

- What? - There's no way we can make something like that.

And you have to drop the price.

Stop it, Mom.

That's what Saki told me last night.

Saki Nee-chan?!

She said this is like ramen, but it's not really ramen.

That there's no green onions or bamboo shoots or chashu in it.

Manpei-san!

Don't take Mom's delusion seriously!

- It's not a delusion. - Yes, it is.

It's not delusion.

Things are getting strained?

It's strained, or should I say, the atmosphere isn't good...

Is that because Manpuku Ramen isn't selling as well as expected?

I guess our expectation was too high.

That's not so. Manpuku Ramen is a great invention.

It's very popular at our shop.

- Very popular? - That's right. Look.

New Menu Item Manpuku Ramen. . . 20 yen

Manpuku Ramen's on the menu.

- 20 yen?! - We're serving it at cost.

It's nothing but promotion of Manpuku Ramen.

Look around you.

Everyone's eating Manpuku Ramen?!

- No way. - What do you mean no way?

Listen. Just go around advertising the fact that Manpuku Ramen

- is a big hit at Parlour White Rose. - Also that we're not making any money off of it.

- I'll have one too. - Me too. - Me too.

TV's sure nice to have.

We'll never be able to buy a TV

unless we can get people to start buying Manpuku Ramen.

Running a business must be tough.

They say good products don't necessarily sell well.

The design of the bag must've been bad after all.

Like I said before, that's not true, Tadahiko-san.

What's Manpei-san doing?

He's making ramen as usual. But...

- He's feeling down? - That's only natural.

- It was the design's fault... - Tadahiko-san!

"Penguin Soap from P Brand."

- What's this? - It's an advertisement.

- Advertisement... - It's on every day.

- Every day... - Over and over.

Over and over...

"Penguin Soap from P Brand. It's 30 yen."

This is it!

TV's the answer~!