Recap - Massan Week 6, Ep 32

Massan

Week 6: "He who gives to another bestows on himself"

Episode 32 (11/4/2014)

Massan is still struggling to find a job that he is willing to keep and Ellie finally finds something she can do at home to make a little extra money. Is it enough to pay for their rent though...?

RECAP:

Umeko gives everyone "daidai" (bitter orange). Her husband is from Wakayama where the fruit came from. Ellie says that they smell so good and asks if they are as bitter as the bitter persimmons. They tell her that it is way too sour and suggest that she use them as decoration during the New Years season. Ellie comes up with the idea to make marmalade out of them instead. 

She shows the other ladies how to make it and asks them again if there isn't any kind of work she can do. Catherine then brings up Massan and how he sleeps in, having not yet found any work. Massan hears this a rushes out of bed getting ready to go out. He tries to sneak out without anyone noticing but of course they all see him leaving. Ellie asks where he is going out of concern but he tells her that "obviously, he is going out to find work."

Ellie is really worried and asks the ladies again if there really isn't anything she can do and Momoko brings up her own work-at-home job and asks if Ellie would like to give it a try. 

Massan ends up going to Kohinobori instead of looking for a job but Aki won't give him anything to drink until he pays first. Another customer tries to pick a fight with him as well and they end up battling it out over a game of shogi (Japanese chess). Catherine shows up and while Massan is absorbed in the game, she takes one of his pieces. One he figures out what has happened she yells at him for coming here again and messes up their game but pushing the pieces all over the place. 

While this is going on, Ellie is learning how to put the straps on geta shoes with Momoko.

Back at Kohinobori, Catherine is coaching Massan on finding a new job. She asks if he really wants to find a job and asks what kind of job he can see himself keeping. Everyone is trying to throw out some ideas for him but he keeps finding reasons to turn them down. Finally the same customer that was playing the shogi game with him earlier mentions a job that deals with whisky. 

Immediately, Massan begins working for the liquor shop that sells whisky when a customer approaches him asking to buy a bottle of whisky. Massan proceeds to tell the man that it is not real whisky and he would be making a mistake to buy it. The owner of the shop sees this and fires Massan on the spot. 

Once he returns home, he finds Ellie and Momoko attaching straps on the geta shoes. He tells Ellie that she doesn't need to do this kind of work and tells Momoko to leave. He then goes into their bedroom and tells Ellie not to enter until he says it's okay. Massan then starts to write a letter to his parents to ask for money. 

Meanwhile, at Massan's family's home, they are eating while talking about eggplant and whether or not they should send some to Chikako. Sumire suggests sending it to Massan as well but Sanae there is no need to do that as they have nothing to do with this household. 

Back at Ellie and Massan's house, Ellie calls Massan and comes into the room. He yells at her for coming in before he said it was okay but she just laughs and asks what he has been mumbling about to himself. She then notices that he is writing something and asks what it is and Massan replies that it's a novel. He says that he thought he would try writing a novel to make money.