This episode for once didn’t introduce anything new. Instead, it built upon past themes of this series: the gasoline-tank, Zaimis’s brother, Porfy’s tendency to ignore promises and of course ice cream (with the episode titled “Porfy and Ice cream” and all). Seriously, this series makes everything look so easy, and it makes me wonder why so many series fail to put down a cast of likable characters.
The episode starts with Porfy and Mina, feeding Apollo a piece of bread that Aneke made, with Mina feeling a bit ticklish when Apollo eats out of her hand. Aneke meanwhile looks at a notepad that probably contains the family’s financial records, and mentions to Christopher how well things are going, and it seems that they’ve made quite a bit of money now. Christopher notes that he now doesn’t have to go to “that place”, which I assume was the place he worked before he started Patagos Grand Station.
Porfy comes downstairs and wonders what “that place” is as well, though Christopher avoids the question and heads back to handle one of the customers. Mina also hands this customer a piece of cheesecake as a means of extra service. Then, none other than Barnes passes by the station, and hands Porfy the pictures that were taken at the last episode. Apparently, it’s the summer holidays, so Tom and John have returned to America and Barnes is enjoying his day off. Porfy, though, is having a lot of fun helping his father and learning.
Barnes also hands Porfy a photograph for Zaimis, and Christopher allows Porfy to go to Zaimis and take the rest of the day off. Porfy then goes to pick up Mina, and Aneke has also prepared a package that she wishes to give Zaimis. Porfy fantasizes a bit at all the ice-cream that Tom and John are probably getting, as he leaves with his sister. Aneke then takes a letter from her pocket, tells herself to start working on a certain something.
Zaimis is quite thrilled to see the photo, and Aneke’s package turns out to be full of baby clothes, for Zaimis’ upcoming brother or sister. Zaimis is surprised at how small a child can be, and Porfy tries to act smart by pretending to hold a baby in his arms. Obviously, nobody believes that he knows what he’s talking about. Zaimis yet again can’t wait till the baby gets born. Mina asks him whether he’d prefer a boy or a girl, though he replies that both are good. He can go play with a younger brother, and yet a younger sister is very cute. I’ve noticed that this series tends to answer a lot of questions like these in the way of “both options are nice”. Perhaps this’ll get used in the future.
Next, Zaimis looks up a suitable block of wood, and asks Porfy to teach him how to carve a wooden doll for his future brother or sister. Mina promises to make a drawing of what the doll should be, and Porfy promises to teach him how to actually do it the next day. There is, however, something that will come between Porfy and his promise again: this time it’s a guy in a business suit who they run into, who has a business to do with Patagos Grand Station. It was quite funny that he first thought that the station would be very big with a name like that.
In any case, this guy has come to offer Christopher a selection of gas pumps, so that he can now too serve gasoline to his customers, to the delight of Porfy. Porfy picks out a design he likes. Christopher notes that things will become busier right now, and Porfy won’t have the time to go anywhere for the summer holidays. Porfy is obviously okay with that, and he already asks when the pump can be delivered, with the motto “the sooner, the better”.
Before the pump comes, a few things need to be done, though. A hole for the tank needs to be dug, and Porfy, Christopher and two local villagers spend most of the next afternoon, digging this hole, with Porfy being as stubborn as ever, while being teased by the adults. In the meantime, he did forget all about his promise to Zaimis, and when Mina reminds him, he just tells her to leave and doesn’t realize that Zaimis is waiting for him. In the meantime, Mina managed to finish the drawing of the doll, though Zaimis is clearly unhappy that Porfy broke yet another promise. Yet he decides not to go and call Porfy, because he reckons how busy the guy must be, working so hard for his father.
Just as Zaimis is about to leave, a guy named Bill (spelling) comes to deliver a block of ice, revealing Aneke’s plans to make the children some ice cream. As it turns out, she learned how to do it from John’s mother. While Porfy helps laying cement in the hole, (with the two villagers noting how they’d better get free service when their car breaks down, and how things wouldn’t have gotten done so fast if it wasn’t for Porfy), Zaimis and Mina go and make the ice cream. It’s here when Porfy finally realizes that he did forget an important promise, and rushes home.
He’s obviously thrilled about the ice cream, but Mina then reminds him to apologize to Zaimis, and he does, with a rather sad-looking face. Zaimis forgives him, on the condition that he’ll teach him properly next time. Mina meanwhile is glad that the two made up. Next up, the ice-cream is done, and Porfy, Mina and Zaimis all enjoy the ice cream. Mina then shows Porfy the drawing of the doll, which would be fine for either a boy or a girl. Porfy then yet again mentions how he hopes that the child gets born soon (that’s really the most often-spoken line in this series), and Zaimis again says how he hopes to have a brother-sister relationship like Porfy and Mina are having.
The next day, the cement has nearly dried and the pit for the tank is finished. Christopher then puts his hand on the cement, and suggests to Porfy, Mina and Aneke to do the same. The result is a square tank with four handprints on it and the episode ends.
I am so curious as to what this series will turn into once Porfy starts travelling. Will he just run into a bunch of people, each with their own stories? Will there be recurring characters? Will the focus still be on Porfy, or more on the people that he meets? Will he actually grow up? And how much older will he get? I currently refuse to look at any episode titles or episode previews, because I want the arrival of the earthquake to be a total surprise, but still… I can’t wait!
Konichi wa :o)
Hi, my name is Dirk, I live in Brussels, Europe, and I am doing a research to get my degree in psychological studies. I am in my last year at the “Université Libre de Bruxelles” ( U.L.B.). My research is about the look we people bring upon Japanese animation, depending on the culture we live in.
To be able to do this study, I will need the help of people and anime sites out of Europe, so I can compare these populations. I am asking you here if it would be possible for me to add a link on your site, where people will be linked to a site (in English) were they will see an extract of a Japanese animation, and then they will be asked to respond to a questionnaire. Do you think this could be possible? If “yes”, how should this link look like (for instance, what size should it have?)
I already got like 140 European responses, but only like 8 Asian ones, which is close, but not quiet enough for a research…;o) I hope you can help me to improve this :o)
If you want to have a look at the website, feel free to come by. You got the address above.
Thank you in advance :o) For further information and responses, feel free to use my e-mail address, which you got above.
bye :o)