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Life at Ezono Agricultural School has begun to toughen up Hachiken.
He dreams of his nightmarish past as a middle school student, being bogged down by his studies… The dream doesn't last long, however, because it’s soon 5 a.m.: Time to rise and shine at Ezono! Not much of a morning person, Hachiken begins to get sick of his bright-eyed and bushy-tailed classmates. During the morning, they have practical training plowing in the field, crunches at P.E. in the afternoon, followed by horrid livestock training class after school. Furthermore, he must join in the school club activities after 5 p.m. Hachiken is appalled by the endurance exhibited by his fellow students.
After returning to his dorm, Inada, a male upperclassman, brings Hachiken some smoked chicken to thank him for his assistance in catching the chicken. It is there that Hachiken discovers that Inada and Tamako are siblings. He also realizes that without the baby fat, Tamako is actually quite beautiful.
Afterward, everyone gets riled up over a table tennis match in the dorm. It seems that everyone saves some of their energy for ping pong.
All students at Ezono must participate in club activities. As Hachiken walks about worrying about which one he should join, he passes by the Holstein Club's room. Hachiken is nearly abducted into the club by his superiors, who talk endlessly about the beauty of the Holstein breed. Luckily, Nakajima-sensei, the equestrian club advisor, saves him just in time.
Hachiken is impressed when he sees Aki riding on a horse. He tries to give a horse a carrot but is in for a scary surprise. Aki tells Hachiken that horses scare easily, but the effort you put into them is rewarding. She invites Hachiken to join the Equestrian Club, and he agrees…only to learn that now he must get up at 4 a.m. the next morning for club training! His first task as part of the club is to clean the stables. As Hachiken tries to leave the stables before the job is done, he is found by the school principal. He then has his first experience riding a horse by himself. While he is nervous, Hachiken eventually marvels at the view of the world he is granted from on top of the horse's back.
Everything that happens in this series is a new experience for Hachiken. Just the act of riding a horse is surely an unforgettable experience for a young boy, and enough to affect his perspective on things. Every aspect of life at Ezono is an essential nutrient that helps Hachiken to grow strong and independent.
Staff: Original work - Hiromu Arakawa (Published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday / Director - Tomohiko Ito / Script- Taku Kishimoto / Storyboard, Production - Pyonggang Ho / Director of Photography - Takahiro Chiba / Art Directors - Naohiro Osugi, Kengo Matsumoto
© Hiromu Arakawa, Shogakukan Inc. / Ezono Fest Executive Committee
