"Anpan" Episode 116: Is Anpanman almost complete?

The 116th episode of the NHK Asadora drama "Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times), starring Mio Imada , was broadcast on September 8th, and the story of Anpanman was almost complete, becoming a hot topic among viewers.

In episode 116, Taka ( Takumi Kitamura) begins drawing Uncle Anpanman again, and the story is almost complete. Taka explains, "Anpanman flies through the skies over the battlefield to deliver bread to hungry people. Friend or foe, it doesn't matter. He just delivers bread to hungry people. But once he crosses the border, he gets mistaken for an enemy by the warring factions and shot down." "Don't worry, he'll never die. Anpanman continues to fly in the sky for hungry children." Nobu (Imada) listens to Taka's story while gazing at the original drawing.

Meanwhile, Taka's work on character design for the film "The Arabian Nights" reaches its climax. Once the grueling work comes to an end, Taka returns home with Teshima (Gordon Maeda), who asks Nobu to make him tea. When Nobu asks, "Is the film going well?" Teshima replies, "Yes, it's going well. A film should be so incredibly interesting that it changes the viewer's outlook on life. I never want to see a film that's meant to inspire morale again."

Teshima, who was still a student when the war ended, was mobilized to work at an aircraft factory in Osaka. He recalled the terror he felt when a B29 appeared from between the clouds and approached during a massive air raid. Teshima narrowly escaped the flames, but as he fled he saw many charred bodies. "The whole sky was burning black, and it felt like the end of the world," he said.

Nobu apologizes for asking such a painful question and says, "I pray that such times will never come again, and I hope you will make an incredibly entertaining movie."

That night, over dinner, Nobu says to Taka, "You were both the same. You and Teshima. Your war experiences have led you to create characters now. I hope that Taka's Anpanman will become as well-known as Teshima's Astro Boy." Taka responds, "He's a national hero, and I'm just a fat old man handing out Anpan," but Nobu replies, "My strong desire to help people is as strong as any other hero's."

When Nobu asked, "But why is Anpanman shot down by Eiko and Shuu?", Taka replied, "That's because... to do justice, you have to be prepared to get hurt yourself. That's what I think." Looking at the original drawing of "Uncle Anpanman," Nobu muttered, "One day, fly, Anpanman."

On social media, there has been a flood of positive reactions, with comments such as, "So he's prepared to get hurt," "To do justice, you have to be prepared to get hurt yourself...that's true...," "You can't separate him from his war experiences. It was the driving force behind Takashi creating Anpanman, after all," "Anpanman is still flying in the sky to this day. I could cry," and "It feels like we're back to the main story. It was a very heartwarming story."