Porfy no Nagai Tabi – 09

I must say that, ignoring obvious series that take place in America like Red Garden, that this has been one of the least-stereotyped portrayals of Americans I’ve ever seen in an anime. Finally, these people are portrayed like ordinary people, instead of the cocky blonde arrogant types that you can basically find in every other country as well. I admit that the baseball-episode in for example Samurai Champloo was funny, but the fact remains that the Americans were portrayed at complete idiots and brainless bad guys (but then again, that show also had a homosexual Dutch ambassador).

The episode starts with Porfy waking up after what happened at the end of episode eight. It turns out that Barnes was in te car that hit him, but because he saw him in time, Barnes managed to slow the car enough to not cause any wounds to Porfy. Barnes then reveals the nails that Porfy carried him (and it seems that Mina too filled him in about Porfy’s plan), and because of that Porfy finally has to confess his plans. Of course, Christopher scolds him for it, but Barnes mentions how Porfy did feel sorry about what he did, and picked the nails he dropped back up.

Chrispoher is glad that Porfy realized that he was wrong, but warns him not to do it ever again. Barnes then asks Christopher to look at his car a bit, as his engine has been having trouble lately. The next morning, Christopher fixes his car, and Aneke gives him a bit of food for the trouble. Barnes then comments on what a nice family he and Aneke have, while watching Porfy and Mina fool around, and then he notices Mina’s tree.

When Barnes is about to leave, Christopher again forces Porfy to apologize, and then Barnes drives away. Aneke then tells Porfy and Mina to go and do their morning tasks (take care of the goats). As Mina talks to the goats about how stupid Porfy has been, Christopher arrives and tells Mina to go and help her mother. Christopher then tells Porfy that if he’s really determined to help him with the stations, he should abandon his tasks with the goats, or something similar (that’s one line that I wasn’t able to translate, unfortunately). Porfy refuses, and because of this he accepts that the progress of the repair station will be slow.

That afternoon, after class, Porfy yawns because of the obvious lack of sleep. Zaimis comments on how he shouldn’t have done it. Porfy notes that he did change his mind, though Mina and Zaimis both retort that he was a little slow in realizing what he was about to do. Mina also reminds him how he still owes her money from the nails.

Later, we see how Porfy helps Christopher with another job, after which the mailman arrives with a letter from Barnes who invites him to the local American camp to help out with a few car-related things. Of course, Porfy and Mina are allowed to come to, and Christopher starts teasing on whether he should take them or not.

Barnes may live in a relatively small house, but it seems like an entire mansion in Porfy’s and Mina’s eyes. He also enjoys luxuries that they can only dream of, like bikes and most importantly: a refrigerator full of ice-cream. ^^; Christopher then looks at a picture of Barnes’ family as Porfy and Mina enjoy said ice-cream. He then leaves with Barnes, in order to do his job, so of course Porfy and Mina can’t resist the chance to eat even more ice-cream. ^^;

They then walk around the camp a bit, and it turns out that some soldiers have taken their families along with them. Porfy and Mina run into two children, playing catch. Their names are John and Tom, and they’re quite friendly to Porfy as they teach him how to play catch as well. In the meantime, Mina laughs at how lame Porfy looked at his early attempts. Their mother then arrives, and offers John, Tom, Porfy and Mina a some cake. Later, the mother shows Mina a few pictures, like a wedding-one, and Tom and John when they were younger. She also mentions how they’ve been travelling across the world, due to the fact that they’re the family of a soldier.

Tom comments at how it indeed can get kind-of lonely at times, but he loves seeing all kinds of different places. (Yet again foreshadowing ;)) John meanwhile plays a few records for Porfy, and Mina notes how it’s similar to the movie that they saw at the last episode. Tom and Nohn’s mother notes how she saw that movie too, and found it very interesting. She seems to be proud that it was made in America. Mina wonders why the film was made in America if the setting was Paris, and John and Tom’s mother replies that it’s simply the magic of films, and how any country can make a movie about any other country (could this be a subtle jab from the director’s side? In any case, I fully agree with it, and I really support anime that take place in a different country from Japan)

Then, a baby starts crying (named Mary). Of course, Mina and Porfy are incredibly interested in this little child. I originally thought that Mina would now be obsessed with babies, but I guess that she decided to wait till Zaimis gets his little brother and sister. Something tells me that she’ll be spending a lot of time with him or her, depending on whether the earthquake happens before, or after he/she is born, of course.

In the meantime, Christopher is finished with his job, and he comes to pick up Porfy and Mina, who are of course incredibly disappointed that they have to go so soon (seriously, that scene felt SO nostalgic!). It then turns out that they picked up a little habit from Tom and John, of putting up your thumb in a triumphant way. I guess that we’ll be seeing that one back later.

When Porfy and Mina are back, Porfy still laments on the fact that they haven’t got a fridge, though Aneke replies that they don’t need such a thing. He also tells to Christopher that he’s really surprised at how large the world is. He already had this feeling when he met Alecia, but it feels like America is even further away. Christopher then promises to take him to a foreign country some day.

That last line was so important, because I feel that that’s exactly going to be the reason why Porfy will decide to go and travel, instead of settling down at one place. Of course, it does feel a bit random for a boy to just travel around like that after losing his parents, but now that we know that people like Alecia, Tom and John made such a huge impression on him, it suddenly makes much more sense.