The rimshot here is when Hotaru “leaves”, then re-appears a moment later with a “Maido! Mokkari-makka?” greeting for Kokonotsu. All of this is (somehow) in the service of teaching Kokonotsu a lesson about how not all dagashi is just candy, sometimes it can be eaten with meals – which she chooses to illustrate with an Eastern-Japanese delicacy called Sakura Daikon (daikon with vinegar, another terrible thing to eat with a mouth sore). First, she puts on a ridiculous charade about actually being from Osaka and occasionally letting her Osaka-ben slip out (Kokonotsu correctly guesses she’s faking). Things get even more hilarious when Kokonotsu is swapped out for Saya in Hotaru’s firing line. Natch, Saya seems to have no idea (that’s a big recurring theme) of the implication of this candy’s name and design. Then we have “ Unchoco” – literally “Poop Chocolate” – which has understandably become a sensation among elementary school boys but rather offends Saya’s delicate girlyness.

Naturally this is the worst possible candy to eat when you have a canker sore – another shot across Saya’s bow – but that doesn’t stop Hotaru. First we have “Watapachi”, which seems to be a sort of Japanese version of Pop Rocks, except they start out as a fluffy, sugary mass. The dagashi introduced here are an interesting bunch (is there no end to them?). In the first chapter the McGuffin is Hotaru’s mouth ulcer, which effectively allows Dagashi Kashi the opportunity to show us Hotaru mercilessly battering the sensible Saya with her relentless idiocy until poor Saya finally cracks under the pressure (as any of us would). Saya has tended to overshadow her at times (much to the chagrin of manga readers) but I find Hotaru to be an equally winning character for totally different reasons. This episode was definitely a showcase for Hotaru in all her glorious bakayarocity. And too the fact that this is one of the most Japanese shows I remember – not just in its obsession with the minutiae of Japanese daily life, but in its bulldog obsession with minutiae generally (which, I find, is an important quirk of the Japanese national character). And the incredibly loveable cast of characters.

I’ve fallen hard for this series’ utter lunacy, triviality and blend of sweetness and naughtiness. I admit it, I’m in love with Dagashi Kashi. Seriously – I don’t know what’s more amazing, that being an entire episode or the fact that it was so brilliant.

Dagashi kashi koka notsu