The BEST episodes of Amachan

#1 - I'm going to Tokyo!

Season 1 - Episode 70 - Aired 6/20/2013

Daikichi drives Haruko home where Aki and Yui are waiting. The girls ask where Takuma is. Haruko says he's at the snack bar. She tells Yui that her father had gone home, too. "Where's your Obaa-chan?" Aki: "I dunno. Maybe at the Ama Cafe?" Haruko tells Aki that the two of them will have a talk upstairs. Haruko and Aki are in the 80s room, recalling the time that Haruko told her about her dream on becoming an idol.

#2 - We're Hot Neh~!

Season 1 - Episode 156 - Aired 9/28/2013

#3 - We're Hot Neh~!

Season 1 - Episode 153 - Aired 9/25/2013

#4 - We're Hot Neh~!

Season 1 - Episode 151 - Aired 9/23/2013

#5 - We Dream Always

Season 1 - Episode 150 - Aired 9/21/2013

#6 - My Mom's and My Shiosai no Memories

Season 1 - Episode 132 - Aired 8/31/2013

#7 - My Mom's and My Shiosai no Memories

Season 1 - Episode 131 - Aired 8/30/2013

#8 - My Bappa's Rare Journey of Love

Season 1 - Episode 117 - Aired 8/14/2013

#9 - My Heart Is Re-Ignited

Season 1 - Episode 112 - Aired 8/8/2013

#10 - My Heart Is Re-Ignited

Season 1 - Episode 111 - Aired 8/7/2013

#11 - My Heart Is Re-Ignited

Season 1 - Episode 109 - Aired 8/5/2013

#12 - My Sadness Doesn't Stop

Season 1 - Episode 102 - Aired 7/27/2013

#13 - My Sadness Doesn't Stop

Season 1 - Episode 101 - Aired 7/26/2013

#14 - My Mom Has a History 2

Season 1 - Episode 94 - Aired 7/18/2013

#15 - My Mom Has a History 2

Season 1 - Episode 91 - Aired 7/15/2013

#16 - My Battle Without Honor and Humanity

Season 1 - Episode 88 - Aired 7/11/2013

The announcement of the Idol election results is underway. Aki: 'At the time, the members of GMT are about to be bestowed judgment in the Hole.' The girls are watching the event live through the internet. Meanwhile... Aki's filming of her drama debut has also started. Cast and crew are ready to film in the studio. Takuma is also there watching while listening to ongoing live event at Ueno through his smartphone. Hiromi acts her scene of pressing the apartment doorbell of a certain 'Shimada-san' but Aki as Neighbor C, opens the other door and says her line way too soon. "Cut!" shouts the director. Koike the AD, tells Aki to wait for her cue before coming out. "I was here giving you the cue, didn't you see it?" Aki: "What's a 'cue'?" AD: "Oh, it's 'prompt'." Aki: "Prompt? Okay, yes! (Later) What's a 'prompt'?" AD: "It's a signal to open the door." Aki: "Oh! You should have said so! lol" The cameraman shouts, "Okay, (clapper)board!" Aki: "What's a 'board'?...

#17 - I Caught a Sea Urchin

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/22/2013

The town is caught by surprise as the train otakus (5 times more than the normal number) arrive, looking for Yui. Haruko at Cafe Riasu has not expected the sudden arrival of the men, too. She has to ask Natsu to make plenty more unidonburi to accommodate the sudden huge number of orders. Meanwhile, Yui shows up to the delight of the visitors, taking her picture and shaking her hand. At the end of the day, the locals are all exhausted. Since tomorrow is a Sunday, they expect more train otakus to come. They seem not too thrilled about it. Daikichi tries to encourage the rest when they show signs of hesitancy since their schedule is suddenly affected. "This is the chance we've been waiting for after 24 years since the KitaTetsu opened!" So the next day, more train otakus do arrive and so Yui and the others do their best to serve and accommodate them. Aki tells Yui how awesomely popular she is now but Yui says she didn't do anything. "I'm just waving, smiling at cameras... I still feel just an ordinary high school girl." Aki admires her even more for Yui does not let her popularity get into her head. Inspired by Yui, Aki vows to work harder, too... and that is to catch her very first sea urchin.

#18 - My Battle Without Honor and Humanity

Season 1 - Episode 86 - Aired 7/9/2013

Aki: 'But if we do not persist here, then it'll be dismissal for us. GMT is without name recognition... So with a sense of crisis, we started our promotional activities.' The girls psyche themselves up as they start their own fanmeets. "Let's take the world!" "GMT!" "Let's get outta the Hole!" "GMT!" "Let's quit our part-time jobs! Let's quit getting allowances!... We are... GMT6!" During their events, they'd set up flags and announce the schedule of their fanmeets. They'd sing and dance to AmeJo's "On the Calendar is December" while people pass by, not really interested enough to stop and look. There'd be a few otaku photographers taking their pics. Aki has also asked Anbe to cooperate. She is asked to serve mamebu of course, as well as specialties from the other regions, and to promote it around the Tokyo Edo theater. The girls are happy with the dishes Anbe is serving, like Zunda-mochi of Miyagi; Tebichi (stewed pig's feet) and pig's ears Chiragaa of Okinawa and Saga's Grilled Mutsugoro (blue spotted mudskipper). The girls start offering the food to the guys waiting outside at the theater. "Those who are waiting outside, thanks for the hard work!"

#19 - I Don't Wanna Return to Tokyo!

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/12/2013

Aki begins her diving training but has a hard time reaching the uni at the bottom. During her vending chores at the train station, she sees Hibiki again, taking pictures of Yui who was posing willingly like a model. Aki wants to thank the man for helping her pass the underwater test but he is rude to her, and tells her to "buzz off, ugly." Aki gets mad and throws uni at him. Despite that, she was able to talk to Yui who remembers her from before. Yui says she has a blog and that is how Hibiki got in touch with her, asking if he could take pictures of her. Aki is in awe of Yui's prettiness, and was delighted to be invited by her to some town activity the next day. It turns out to be volunteer work, making parade floats for the city's upcoming Autumn Festival. Aki feels happy being with everyone but feels sad that she will be leaving soon. Yui, on the other hand, loves to talk about Tokyo (even though she's never been there), and does not seem to notice the beauty of her own hometown. Aki decides to forget about her sadness, make the most of her remaining time and see all that she can about Kitasanriku. So she goes with Oda Ben (amber miner) and visits the amber mine that he himself had dug up. Here, she is able to let out her feelings by shouting: "I don't want to go back to Tokyo!! I want to stay in Kitasanriku forever!!"

#20 - I Don't Wanna Return to Tokyo!

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/13/2013

The atmosphere is gloomy at the Fishing Co-op as Aki's return to Tokyo draws near. A touching moment passes between Natsu and her granddaughter when she feeds Aki with sea urchin for the last time. "Don't you forget the taste." Hiroshi also bids Aki farewell, gifting her with free curry tickets from a shop in Tokyo. That night, the Ama-sans and the men discuss and lament about the mother and daughter's impending departure. The women insist that Daikichi propose to Haruko so she won't have to leave. Natsu chooses not to do anything about the situation, quoting her favorite line: "Those who leave will not be pursued.* " Meanwhile, Haruko wants to ask Aki if she really wants to leave. But Aki, bottling up her true feelings, says she's fine about returning to Tokyo. Natsu comes home, and goes straight to bed early, ignoring the fact about their leaving. "Gotta get up early. Better go to sleep." Haruko remembers that those were also the words she said the last time when Haruko left home 24 years ago. "If there's something we have to talk about, you always turn a blind eye and pretend to sleep!" The next day, the Ama-sans gather at the house to say goodbye, except for Natsu who went to the beach to gather seaweeds. Daikichi is supposed to propose but backs out. At the station, Aki hesitates to ride the train home. Haruko asks her what she really wants to do but Aki still says she's okay with it. Just in time, Haruko steps off the departing train and pulls Aki with her. The train leaves without them. They go back to Natsu's home, much to the delight of the grandmother.

#21 - I Was Able to Make a Friend!

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/19/2013

Aki comes home to hear her mother and grandmother laughing about something, which was really unusual. But as soon as she comes in, Natsu gives her the cold shoulder and goes straight to bed. At the Fishing Co-op the next morning, the Ama-sans find it boring without Aki around and wish that Natsu will forgive her already. Meanwhile, Aki and Yui are talking. Yui shows a bitter side of her that Aki has never seen before. "Aki-chan talking in our dialect sounds fake and unnatural, I feel like you're making fun of us." But Yui apologizes right away and reiterates that she does not like the countryside and wishes to leave for Tokyo as soon as possible. "I can't see the way you see my hometown." She also reveals that she wants to be an idol someday. At the Tourism Office, the list of Miss Kitatetsu candidates are finalized and among them are Yui and Kurihara Shiori (Secretary at the Tourism Office). The winner will represent the railway line and help promote it. Then, Hiroshi comes in, for he was hired at the Tourism Office, with the help of Daikichi. Hiroshi is tasked to make the town's tourism webpage. Hiroshi makes it so that people can vote for the candidates by clicking on their pictures on the website. They also ask Hiroshi, "Who did you nominate?" and he replies, "Aki-chan," which was greeted with exclamations of surprise ("Jejejeh!"). At school, Yui tells Aki that she has decided to accept the candidacy for "Miss Kitatetsu" even though she thinks it's embarrassing and lame. "It sounds like being an idol of train otakus during the early days, it's not a past that I want people to find out." But for now she has no choice but to accept it, as a favor for Daikichi's help in finding work for Hiroshi. "If he (Hiroshi) stays unreliable, I couldn't leave home... Well, since I'm in it, I might as well aim for the top prize." Aki admires Yui's confidence and determination. At night, Aki could not sleep and for some reason, gets up and goes to the second floor of the hou

#22 - I Caught a Sea Urchin

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/24/2013

Due to Aki's video, more customers want to see and take pictures of Aki. They also request her to fetch them some uni. Aki tries but fails as usual. Back at the Co-op, they all wonder about Aki's sudden popularity considering she's just an ordinary high school girl. Hibiki suddenly shows up and explains that the town is having a "boom" phenomenon, wherein "even the ugly ones can have the spotlight." By "ugly", he means Aki of course, which upset the Ama-sans. At the Tourism office, Aki's video is garnering more and more views (but not as many as Yui's yet). They figure that Aki's "entrance as a rival" benefits Yui's popularity, therefore the whole town as well. However, Daikichi is concerned about one thing: The Ama season will soon be over. Still, more customers come to see Aki and ask to catch them some uni. She tries but fails and yet when she reemerges one time from the sea, there is an uni in her basket! "How did it get in there?" Haruko says it's impossible while Natsu reassures Aki that it was a legitimate catch and that she has passed. Aki is joyful but it was only short-lived after she realizes that it was actually Anbe who had been giving her the uni. She is upset about the "sham" but the Ama-sans tell her it is for the benefit of the customers (who come from faraway places just to see her catch some uni) since Ama tourism is also a "service industry." Despite the talk, Aki feels she still is not a real Ama yet. And now that only a week remains before the Ama season ends, she feels more and more depressed.

#23 - I Like Senpai!

Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/30/2013

Phone calls keep pouring in, inquiring about Aki. News has spread that Yui and Aki will be doing a collaboration. Yui is not pleased because they were not even consulted to begin with. But Aki says she's okay with it. Yui tries to dissuade her since she knows Aki is not used to such things that Yui is doing (dressing up in "cosplay," being bombarded by cameras). Daikichi says not to worry because they will be standing guard and even suggests that Yui could help Aki out by "dressing up as an Ama and sell unidonburi". Without realizing it, he mentions the word "rivals" and somehow Yui suddenly changes her mind and agrees to do it. (Apparently, it's a sign that she hates to lose). Next morning, Aki and Yui do what they're told to do. The ride is jam-packed with happy passengers, taking their pictures and buying unidonburi while Daikichi and Yoshida are just over the moon. Back at the Amano home, Natsu and the rest frantically churn out more unidonburi to sell but are running out of uni. Rokuro tells them that more kilos of uni will be arriving from another village. Haruko wakes up to the ruckus and is surprised to learn about the collaboration. That night everyone is celebrating the fact that for the month of September, the KitaTetsu has finally earned a profit. "I don't even remember if this ever happened before!" an emotional Daikichi exclaims. But Haruko is not rejoicing. She tells Daikichi she will not allow Aki to do what she did that morning. "It's unsightly, turning my daughter into a spectacle." But Natsu defends the decision, saying there is nothing wrong with it. "The Ama tourism IS a service industry. It's a long cherished dream to have more customers." Haruko asks Aki if she's really okay with it. "Is this what you stayed here for?" Aki replies, "If I'm helping everyone, then I'm fine with it." However, when going home, Aki looks pensive, seemingly doubtful of her own response. Back at the bar, Sugawara and Daikichi talk about how their perception about

#24 - My Mom Has a History

Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired 5/13/2013

Everyone tries to ignore what Chuubei said by continuing on with the singing. But Haruko turns off the music and declares that the party's over. But Aki keeps asking everyone what Chuubei meant regarding her mom wanting to be an idol. Haruko tells her to quit it. "Can't you see no one wants to talk about it?!" She says people in the countryside like to pretend that everything is fine even if, so to speak, there is an elephant in the room. With the mood ruined, the party goers call it a night. (Feel so sorry for Aki T.T) In bed, Aki who couldn't sleep, is counting uni. She couldn't wrap her head around the notion that her mom who used to be a Sukeban, had also wanted to be an idol? But then, things her mom said before - her prejudice against the "idol life"... Could it be something had happened in the past? Next day in school, Aki realizes she had never heard her mom ever sing before, not even a lullaby. Yui says she had asked her father about it. "Dad said your mom had joined and won singing contests before." So after school they go to Yui's house to do some investigating. Adachi Isao shows Aki old pics of her mom winning singing contests from around the prefecture when she was young. And at the Co-op, they show Aki the karaoke machine they used when Haruko would sing on the eve of her father's departure. Katsue: "She was a sweet girl when she was singing... but sometimes she and Natsu would have their differences." By then, Aki is convinced that her mom definitely wanted to be an idol. But why did everyone kept it a secret from her? Aki wakes up late and rushes for school while her family eats breakfast. Haruko, irritated by the presence of her husband, keeps asking him to go home. Chuubei meanwhile mentions he will go and have his annual medical check-up. In school, Aki sees that Taneichi has bought a similar misanga for himself, prompting Isono-sensei to assume they are a couple, and proceeds to tell everyone about it ("Scoop! Scoop!"). Yui arrives telling

#25 - My Heart Keeps on Pounding, Neh

Season 1 - Episode 45 - Aired 5/22/2013

It is February 2009, and snow has begun to fall on Kitasanriku and will continue on til May. In school, Isono-sensei is announcing the results of those who passed the qualification exam. He calls on those who who failed ("The rest has passed!"). Aki is unaware since she is listening to the portable music player Santa-san had given her. "Huh? What about me?" "You passed, too." "Jejeh... I did it~!!" She runs off leaving Isono-sensei's class without permission.