February 8, 2015
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Massan Plot Summaries - Week 19
#109 The year is 1940. Massan has grown a mustache and Ellie sports another new hair style. Life in Hokkaido has become quite comfortable. War with China is continuing. Ema is now 15 and has learned from her parents to have an opinion and to express it, and thinks that instead of war the counties should compete at sports to resolve their differences. She might get in trouble if she said that at school. Win or loose, war is hell says Ellie. Massan has been working on his whiskey for six years and it is aging well. He finally settles on the perfect blend. Everyone in the "family" gathers around the hearth to sample and celebrate. Later, Massan is worried about whether the whiskey will actually sell. He has bad memories of past bad receptions. Ellie reassures him that the Japanese public has learned more about the taste of whiskey and that it will be more receptive. Ema comes in and reminds them that life is an adventure. Hana tries selling the flavor to the locals, but they hem and haw about the taste. A stranger in the crowd asks for a taste. Who is he?
#110 A journalist, Uesugi, arrives on the scene and asks to sample the newly blended perfect whiskey. He says it's great, smokey flavor and all, just like Highland Celt. A few days later, an article appears in the newspaper praising Massan's whiskey. Massan makes an appointment to meet with Watari and Nonomura in Osaka to 'fess up that he has made whiskey. Ellie chimes in with her "everthing will be fine!" Another few days later, Nonomura and Watari suddenly show up in Hokkaido to sample the apple brandy that Massan is supposed to be making. Massan puts a bottle of whiskey on the table, and then apologizes for making it without permission. They suspected it all along. Massan has deceived his investors. Ellie joins in Massan's apology and says that whiskey in Hokkaido is Massan's dream. Watari is understandably angry, seen as he lent money to make money, not to fulfill Massan's dreams. Massan tells him the whiskey is ready to put on the market and offers them both a shot glass of the stuff. Are they gonna touch it or not?
#111 Massan has ultimate confidence in his new whiskey and offers a sample to the angry investors. They invested to make a profit, not to support Massan's whiskey art. Nonomura takes a sip and complains about the smokey flavor. Watari won't taste it and won't be convinced. Massan apologizes and asks permission to sell the whiskey. Ema comes home and is happy to see Nonomura, the father of her friend Sachiko. The factory workers are have somehow gotten wind of the fact that that Massan won't be allowed to sell the whiskey and have a group worry. Watari and Nonomura sit down to Ellie's delicious cooking and say that Massan is a happy man. Ellie and Ema sing Annie Laurie for everyone. I will be merciful and not comment on Ema's singing. Ellie thanks Nomura and Watari for their help so far and reapologizes again. (Hey, you can get by with a lot in Japan if you apologize, but this is really stretching it!) She offers Watari another drink of the whiskey. Morino makes an entrance. "You believed in him and invested. I believed him and lent him my land. Let's wait and believe." Hana and Kazuma join the group grovel. Watari throws the drink down the old hatch and Ellie has saved the day again. Nomura says that if Massan is going to concentrate on whiskey they he had better renew his reserve (kakugo suru) and be ready to accept the consequences, whatever that means.
#112 Time to decide a name for the whiskey. The brewery settles on Doukah Whiskey, dou from HokkaiDOU and ka from part of the Japanese word for fruit, KAjitsu. Douka also punnishly means "How about some?" Very clever. Ellie helps decide on a label design, and the whiskey is shipped out in horse drawn carts with banners. Dosanko ponies are not exactly Clydesdales, but they will do. Ellie writes to her mother in Japan that after 20 years she is happy living her adventure. She now sports reading glasses, but no wrinkles yet. Ellie receives an answer from her sister saying that her mother is not well and can't she come for a visit. Six months later, and the Japanese public is still unable to hack the flavor of peat. The factory workers worry, but keep on believing. Doukah whiskey is being sent back, and the stock is piling up. So are Massan's bills. He is barely able to pay his staff, and has not payed the local providers of Doukah's ingredients. They have their bills to pay, too. Massan asks for a little more time.
#113 Massan's whiskey is not selling. Watari declares that that Massan has thrown his money over a cliff and wasted it, and says that if things don't change, the brewery has to be sold. Nonomura insists that the underaged whiskey in the barrels be recycled into something that will sell and that Massan cut the brewery staff in half or get the ax himself. This is no longer about art, it is about money. Kamoi in Osaka told him long ago that he was not a manager. A manager takes care of his family and the families of his workers. He has failed at doing that. Next morning - Tanaka from Sumiyoshi Brewery in Osaka shows up for a visit. Huggy time!! Ellie hopes that Tanaka can give Massan some good advice.
#114 Tanaka heard the whiskey was not selling, but he didn't think it was this bad. How is he going to protect the jobs of his staff? Massan says even it the company goes under, his aging whiskey will live on. Massan remembers the journalist Uesugi's declaration that he is making Japanese whiskey history. Tanaka tells him that is his answer. Massan goes to the brewery and caresses his pot stills. Tanaka, mind at rest, goes back to Osaka. Massan calls the factory staff together, says that the company is going under and reads the ax list. He apologizes for being a poor administrator. Kazuma suddenly comes in and says that the Japanese Navy is here. They are having trouble getting whiskey from their normal sources in Europe and want to buy all of his stock. The staff's jobs are saved. 1941 - Japan is now at war with the US and Great Britain. Next week is going to be nasty.
