Recap - Massan Week 19, Ep 112

Massan

Week 19: "It's all over"

Episode 112 (2/12/2015)

RECAP:  

Everyone is by the hearth in Kumatora’s home eating as they begin to talk about what to name Massan’s whisky. Toshio suggests “Kita no Ichiban” (North’s #1). Kumatora suggests “Kita no Tonosama” (Northern Lord). Hana suggests they think of something that doesn’t use “Kita” (north) but Kumatora insist that they should include it because of Hokkaido being in the north.

Massan then suggests “Douka” from their juice company’s name, “Hokkaido Kajiru,” but Kumatora thinks that is a strange name. Hana and Ellie don’t think it’s so strange though and Kazuma asks if it would be in hiragana (used to write native words) or Kanatana (used to write foreign words) characters. Emma then writes it using the English alphabet and suggests the English alphabet. They would still need to add the katakana to it but otherwise everyone seems to like the idea. They also suggest adding an “H” for Hokkaido to the end to say “DOUKAH WHISKY.” Massan decides that he likes it and later works on the design and the bottle size and shape.

Massan asks Ellie for her advice about the design and as the two speak in English, Kazuma also joins in speaking in English, irritating Toshio who can’t speak the language at all. Hana then comes in with Toshio’s happi coat, which she added the words “DOUKAH WHISKY” to.

The day of their first official shipment of the whisky comes and everyone lines up as they see off the horses carrying their product.

That night, Ellie writes a letter to her mother telling her that although she may have a lot of difficulties, she is living happily in Japan. We then see her sister reading the letter to her mother in Scotland.

Spring comes and Ellie receives a letter back from her mother but finds that it is actually from her sister, Helen, instead. Helen had to write the letter because their mother has become ill. She asks that Ellie come visit Scotland, as she thinks it might help their mother get better. Ellie wishes she could go but it is so far away so all she can do is pray that her mother gets better.

Meanwhile, Massan changes the name of their company to “DOUKA WHISKY K.K.” but finds that they are still struggling to sell the whisky. People are still not taking to the smoky flavor. Toshio is busy taking phone calls requesting to return the whisky while the wholesales of the barley and coal used to make the whisky come asking for their payments. The company’s lack of money is affecting everything from the costs of materials to the salaries of the workers in the distillery.