UPON A NEST OF DRIED NOODLES
DRAMA CLUB
See ya.
Thanks for finishing up, Bill!
No problem. I got this!
Okay, first things first.
Let's put some fuel in the tank.
No freaking way...
Is it dead?
Would I get canceled for eating this?
Bill the Bengal tiger, think long and hard about this.
Devouring is illegal for carnivores like us,
so we eat eggs and drink milk to get the protein we need, right?
So does this count?
Is eating this okay? Or not?
It's probably gonna die regardless.
Plus...
It's lookin' mighty tasty right now.
Honestly, I don't care if you drank animal blood to liven up.
Forgive me, Louis. These are my true colors.
Giving in to little temptations,
making excuses up and down, half-assing my way through everything...
I'm a big, shitty cat and I love, love, love meat!
You're going to eat that?
I've never seen that before.
But I've heard about this happening sometimes.
You! I thought you went home?
Oh, I see what's going on.
You wanted to eat this in secret without anyone finding out.
This is excellent research for my carnivore role in the play.
Go ahead, chow down. Just pretend I'm not here.
Allow me to study you.
Really, though.
Our society is so unfair, isn't it?
Riz is still in juvenile detention for devouring a classmate.
Yet here you are, Bill. Even if you devour this little one,
you'll still get to live a peaceful school life.
I ain't gonna eat this!
Oh, you're not? Then, what do you intend to do?
I'm gonna rescue it, of course!
Really? You carnivores sure are complex.
I'm learning a ton.
I thought you were a much simpler creature, Bill.
Watch it, bro!
It's quivering.
Feeling warm now, buddy?
The parent's body temperature should be...
It's on fire!
I thought you were going to grill it up.
No way in hell.
So, what do I feed this critter?
Let's see.
I'll look up what baby chicks eat...
A FEW DAYS LATER
I'm fed up.
I really wish they'd give it a rest.
Who? Juno and Pina?
The tension between those two makes it crazy awkward for all of us.
Do you think they'll get over it eventually?
If they don't, we'll be in trouble.
Whoops. My bad, my bad.
Yo! If you break our spotlights, you'll have hell to pay!
Who cares if they break?
The principal will just buy you new ones.
What?
The favoritism's so obvious it's almost funny, huh?
Even after all the messes you've made,
your club is the only one allowed to put carnivores and herbivores together?
I bet you're just waiting for the chance to eat a fellow club member.
Wanna say that again?!
- I'll shove my fist so far up your ass-- - Stop.
Oh, the club president gracing us with his presence?
Watch yourselves.
Way too freaky.
Let's get outta here.
Yeah, we'll watch ourselves...
If we cause another incident, all our hard work goes down the drain.
I know, but...
Get these to the clubroom, chop-chop.
Wait! You're the strongest. Lend us a paw, would you?
I have some business to attend to.
He's acting weird, don't you think?
He got scolded multiple times for spacing out in class.
He's never in his dorm either.
Probably canoodling with a female.
Who is?
I noticed the fight brewing from over there,
so I came for some entertainment.
We ain't your entertainment.
So, what's with him?
He's acting different than usual.
But he's not the type to have a teenage crisis.
Dang, nothing here.
After all that digging, this is all I got.
Here ya go, bud. Make it count.
That's not enough, is it?
You can feed it rice, too.
You again?
Indeed. I asked Aoba for some advice.
You told Aoba about this?
I didn't tell him about the chick.
I said I wanted advice in case I ever got a bird pregnant.
Oh, okay, thanks.
Isn't this great, Bill?
What is?
You saved its life.
Aren't you happy?
Hell yeah, I'm happy.
But...
But what?
Nah, never mind.
Get outta here already.
Didn't I tell you?
I'm observing you so I can hone my skills onstage.
You're surprisingly nice sometimes, huh?
Me? Not really.
Even though I'm afraid of my own self sometimes,
this critter ain't scared of me at all.
I was gonna eat you, buddy.
Let's see here.
The east side is no good.
Bad harvest this year.
That's no excuse to lower our expectations for quality.
By the way, did the Shishi-Gumi come to pay for that Melda yet?
Supposedly, dealing with the aftermath of the masquerade has them low on funds.
Working with those lions, I thought we'd make a fortune.
The problem seems to be their leader.
On that note, I heard something about him going missing.
There's a reason I've been doing all this research on mixes, you know.
I'd like that Melon to draw a line in the sand for us.
The initial victim is an herbivore. The culprit is a carnivore.
That culprit became the second victim.
Which brings us to this week's incident.
The carnivorous criminal became the second victim. Same pattern.
Some kind of vigilante hero, punishing animals for devouring?
Well, I wonder if these criminals even knew they would devour someone.
The incident this morning was identical.
This was at the back door.
Kines?
It's been seized and taken off the market.
Where do they keep getting it?
As for the victim--
This is why I hate using the mouse.
Seven!
Legoshi? You came here to check on me?
I contacted him.
The more the merrier, yes?
Are you okay? I mean...
I just happened to stumble upon it.
That gruesome scene when I got to the store this morning...
Seeing that made me faint.
So you're not injured or anything...
Not at all. I'm fine.
That's a relief.
It's a weird case.
The one who devoured the staff member was also killed.
And they have yet to capture their killer.
So, you're saying it's two separate crimes?
Apparently, the staff member's partner is the one who committed the devouring.
They were an interspecies couple.
There've been so many cases of devouring between interspecies couples lately.
With all these crimes,
I can't help but think how dangerous interspecies relationships can be.
But every couple has its problems, I guess.
Yeah, right.
But I'm totally fine, so you can wipe away that frown.
Okay, Seven. But remember, you don't have to act okay if you're not.
Okay. You don't seem like a carnivore when you say things like that, Legoshi.
Thanks for visiting.
Of course.
I gotta get back to work. I'm glad you're okay.
If anything happens, please give me a call.
Bye.
Do you think he got shy?
Sorry for making you come with me.
Is this guy really that cool?
I can't even!
When I saw the news, I was like, "That's him!"
He's cool, but he also has a cute side. The full package!
Oh, over there.
So, what sport does he play?
Well, he's not an athlete...
Look! There he is!
All right. Today's guest is our Zoolympic bid ambassador.
Our generation's very own prince, the heir to the Horns Conglomerate,
Louis the red deer!
Thank you for having me.
Another week, another amazing guest whose words will empower us!
- Ready, go! Empower! - Empower!
I had no idea. This is what he's been up to?
He really is drifting away. I guess he's always been that way, though.
First, to be frank. Are you the ambassador because your family is a major sponsor?
Definitely not.
Just as we can't choose which species we're born as,
we can't choose our families, either.
It's only a coincidence that my father is the Horns chairman.
Crazy, huh? Look at those eyelashes...
Yeah...
I hear you had a fan club in high school.
Where did you hear that?
Tons of girls from all species, I'm sure. Do you like carnivore girls? Be honest!
I see some carnivore ladies here today.
Species is but a single element of one's identity.
It doesn't matter if you're a carnivore or herbivore.
What's important is the unique nature of how each individual lives their life.
Fabulous, but let's dive a little deeper, shall we?
Let's take a look at this email...
"I have a crush on a carnivore, but I can't tell anyone."
"Do you have any advice, Louis?"
My friend...
What?
My friend had the same concern.
That living for themselves would burden their family and the people around them.
And they didn't know if their desires were worth--
Sorry! Finger slipped.
Well, that's all I have to say.
Okey dokey! Let's move on to those requests.
Okay, say cheese.
Thank you very much.
The pleasure is mine.
I can't believe you two were friends.
Since when?
Okay, see ya. We gotta go.
Leaving already?
Yeah, Lisa and I are going shopping.
- We can go another time. - What?
Why don't you two savor this reunion?
- But... - You two should catch up.
No, it's fine. I thought you wanted to look at hats?
Don't worry about it. Bye now, I'll see you at school.
But... Okay, sorry!
Well, this is new. You actually have friends now.
That's rude. I had friends in elementary school too, you know.
Is that something to brag about?
Seeing her again might be just what I need right now.
Haru has always been the only one I didn't have to give a performance to.
Well, I'd better get going.
My homework is crazy, for real. Gotta run.
I'll go with you.
ODD SOUL FESTIVAL
Isn't your house the other way?
I'll get there eventually.
Get this, Legoshi's apartment is nowhere near here,
but he uses this bus sometimes.
He's a total stalker.
He's a weirdo, isn't he?
That's why I like him.
Right.
What a strange feeling.
Before, with her white fur and pure face, she looked as if she might vanish anytime.
Her aura is different now. I see a clearly-defined outline.
I know we'll never date again,
but I like this new Haru better.
Really? Don't you think I'm sort of lame now?
How so?
Well, I'm actually taking better care of myself now.
I used to make decisions on a whim.
Even in dangerous situations, I'd just wing it and go with the flow.
But nowadays, I find myself thinking about whether it'd worry Legoshi.
I suppose the old Haru wouldn't have done that.
But changing for the boy I like... That's so lame.
The fact that you can change means your love is strong, right?
That's exactly what I can't stand.
And now I'm caught in another mess...
Yeah, I had corn soup for lunch.
So, ya know...
I thought you'd never see me again.
Regardless, I got fired, so I guess this will be our final chat.
Oh, really? That's disappointing.
You don't look disappointed at all.
So, Professor...
are you really a carnivore and herbivore mix?
That's a hard question to answer.
Usually when animals ask me that, they do so with a furrowed brow.
So even mixed babies can grow big and strong like you?
That's so good to know!
It made me happy.
'Cause if Legoshi and I have kids someday, now I know it'll be okay, even as a mix.
Hold on a second. A gazelle and leopard mix?
Yeah, his horns are kinda shaped like this...
Wait, that guy...
But then he said...
It's strange to hear someone celebrate my existence.
You're a strange little one.
What do you mean? That's normal. You celebrate your birthday, don't you?
Nope.
Nobody's ever celebrated my birthday.
Because it's the same day as a festival.
Oh, really?
Funny, isn't it? The Odd Soul Festival.
A day where we celebrate herbivores who weren't devoured by carnivores.
And that's the day a mix like myself was born.
So your birthday's coming up soon?
Is there something you want? You should give yourself a present!
You're absolutely right.
What I really want is...
Tell me. What is it?
What?
He said he wants to eat your flesh?!
BUS STOPPING
What did you tell him?
I said okay.
What?!
I just kinda went along with it...
Pinky swear?
Okay, okay...
You're not a damn chocolate bar!
Meanie. I'm worth more than chocolate. At least compare me to an ice cream bar.
I'm fine being a woman who gives more than she receives.
Herbivores are born to be eaten.
I can't believe I'm the one you're venting your premarital doubts to.
You're not an ice cream bar, or chocolate, or an herbivore, or somebody's prey.
You're Haru. Just be yourself.
You can complain, cry, or get depressed all you want.
But you have to survive. Just stay alive, damn it!
Don't boss me around.
Bye.
Wait!
Haru!
I found some blueberries growing behind the fountain, so I...
Bill? What's the matter?
Its body went cold. Even though it was just fine before...
Sorry, bud.
They shut off the outside breakers for electrical maintenance.
If it was going to die anyway, maybe you should've eaten it after all.
Sorry.
Both eating and loving are supposed to make you happy.
But combine the two, and someone will always get hurt.
Subtitle translation by: Logan Lampkins