Yakitate!! Japan ep. 8
Kawachi Kai!! The Solar Gauntlet!
Azuma’s grandfather sees our hero on TV and misses him. A letter from the Main Store arrives, announcing the Newcomers’ Battle. All new employees of Pantasia from all 128 stores are invited to join the tournament. The manager won the battle during his time and Tsukino placed third eight years ago. The theme for this year is dinner bread that won’t go moldy even after three weeks. The winner will get several prizes: 1M yen, a sabbatical in France, and the opportunity to work at the Main Store. The branch where the winning employee came from will also receive prize money. Kawachi resolves to win but the Manager tells him that there are thrice as many participants this year than the previous ones. Azuma seems to have a plan already and he runs out to get his ingredients. Kawachi is discouraged because he doesn’t have Azuma’s solar hands but Tsukino tells him there is a way to get them…
Tsukino brings Kawachi to an indoor pool and orders him to swim 10 km twice a day. Apparently, increasing muscle mass will prevent blood to cool off as it passes through the extremities, causing the formation of solar gauntlets.
Kawachi nearly gives up from exhaustion but he remembers his dad who died, trying to get into Pantasia. His dad was a baker but he kept failing the qualification exam until one day, a fire caused by his oven killed him. Kawachi’s dad never gave up, until the end, and Kawachi strives to do the same.
The invitation to
the Newcomers’ Battle.
How to stand out,
out of 500+ contestants?
Tsukino won when she was
a little girl.
Regular bread
grows moldy as time passes.
Tsukino pushing Kawachi into the pool.
Kawachi drowning.
Kawachi drowns some more.
Finally, he perseveres.
Science?
The solar gauntlets.
But with this kind of lifeguard hanging around the swimming pool, who wouldn’t want give up?