Synopsis: Sawaki Tadayasu, a guy who can see microbes, goes into an agricultural university. What sights await him there?

I know this is late but oh well, as they say, better late than never. Was supposed to blog about Moyashimon earlier but wasn’t able to due to technical difficulties. I tried to blog from the raws but my translations were a complete hit-or-miss.

Anyway, two old men are talking. One of them, Sawaki, says that it’s their grandsons’ first day at a university in Tokyo. The other one, Yuuki, says there’s nothing to be happy about it. He says He wonders what things his grandson will see there. Yuuki says that Sawaki’s grandson used to mention seeing microbes. He asks if Sawaki believes in it. Sawaki replies that if he doesn’t believe his own grandson, who will? He says he saw the young Tadayasu playing with unseen things in the garage.

It’s Sawaki Tadayasu and his friend Yuuki Kei’s first day at the university. They see police at the university entrance. Tadayasu comments about. Kei says the police seem to be handing out something.

At the ceremony, an old man, Goto, the university’s president, welcomes the students. He makes a speech about the agricultural industry. The university registrar interrupts the ceremony announcing that a student, Hasegawa Haruka, has been missing for over a month. The police will be investigating her disappearance. He says the school is quite large so Haruka might be buried somewhere in the campus. If anyone finds her, they must contact him and the police immediately.

Tadayasu comments about the opening ceremony. Kei says it did make an impact. The missing person is the most memorable part. Tadayasu says the missing person’s parents are just being overprotective. She might just be at her boyfriend’s place or something. Kei says that the school may looks like it’s in the countryside but it’s still in Tokyo.

Tadayasu takes a piece of paper from his pocket. There’s someone his grandfather wants him to meet. It’s a Prof. Itsuki. Kei asks if it’s a friend of his grandfather. Tadayasu replies that he never heard his grandfather had a friend in Tokyo. Kei suggests that they visit him first. Tadayasu says he wants to check out some circles though. Kei, however, asks two men in lab coats where they can find Prof. Itsuki.

Tadayasu finds it troublesome. Kei tells him at least they can explore the school. A man carrying a huge radish pass by. Tadayasu and Kei are awed at its size. The man carrying the giant vegetable says the new students will surely be surprised when he shows the radish to them. A drove of pigs, sheep and cattle pass by. One of the pigs defecate on the road. Two men dispose of the pig’s manure happily.

The two boys pass by a waste disposal area. The men there are dressed in biohazard suits. Tadayasu comments that his image of Tokyo univesities is crumbling. Kei tells Tadayasu that he didn’t expect him to enter an agricultural university. Tadayasu asks Kei why he got into that school. Kei says he has his reasons. Tadayasu tells him that in his case, his dad would not allow him to go to Tokyo unless he attended the agricultural university. His brother graduated from there and got a job right away.

Tadayasu sees a microbe being blown by the wind. Kei asks him what’s wrong. The other replies it was nothing. Kei then says that thinking about the Sawaki Yeast Shop’s situation, Tadayasu has no choice but to inherit the business. Tadayasu comments that he does not want to inherit a shop full of microbes.

More microbes are in the wind. Kei tells Tadayasu they are taking a shortcut. Tadayasu says he’s sure there are plenty of microbes up ahead. Kei apologizes and suggests they take another route. Tadayasu says he doesn’t see microbes as much as he used to but it’s been a while since he saw a lot. Kei tells him maybe there’s a dead animal ahead.

They continue along that path. Tadayasu sees something shocking. A mound is oozing with microbes. He says there must be something buried underneath. Judging from it’s size, it must be 1.5 to 2 meters in size, about the size of a human. They find a piece of wood sticking out marked “Hasegawa”.

The police are informed of what they found. A crowd gathers around the mound as the police try to dig. The police ask Tadayasu how he found it. Tadayasu would have replied about the microbes but Kei tells the police that his friend has an amazing sense of smell, he sensed something rotten from far away. The police tell him that if a body is buried underneath, they will talk to him again. Tadayasu thinks Tokyo police are scary. Kei tells him that even if he told the police he can see microbes, no one would believe him.

Prof. Itsuki comes. He walks towards the mound and digs it. The air is filled with the smell of something decaying. He asks Tadayasu and Kei if they recognize what was buried. It was a huge seal. Prof. Itsuki says it’s a shame Tadayasu could not distinguish between a fermenting smell and a rotting smell. Tadayasu asks if it’s supposed to be eaten. Kei says he read somewhere of some pickled seal delicacy. Prof. Itsuki replies Kei is correct. It’s a Canadian Inuit fermented meal called “kiviak”.

Prof. Itsuki tears the seal apart. Kei explains that the seal is filled with about 70-80 seagulls. The intestinal fluid of the birds is then drunk by sucking it through the bird’s butt. Prof. Itsuki does exactly what Kei said. He comments it feels like rice bran or natto bean paste. The people around are disgusted. Prof. Itsuki explains that the northern natives ate a lot of raw meat to compensate for the lack of vegetables in their diet. Once the practice of cooking meat arrived, they were not able to obtain enough vitamins from eating cooked meat and that’s why they ate kiviak to supplement their nutritional needs.

Prof. Itsuki then introduces himself to Tadayasu. He says it’s been twenty years since he met the boy’s grandfather. He recognizes Kei too. He tells the two that they will be his students. He offers them some kiviak. They decline.

A woman in leather arrives. She tells the professor it’s her research project. The woman is Hasegawa Haruka. He asked the professor why he dug up her kiviak without her permission. The professor replies it’s because she left and he couldn’t contact her. Haruka replies he should have waited for her. Prof. Itsuki suggests they go to his lab. Kei informs Haruka that the police were searching for her. She says her parents are over-protective. She already visited her house along the way. Prof. Itsuki then introduces Tadayasu to her.

At Prof. Itsuki’s lab, the professor tells Tadayasu that Haruka would like to see his ability. The professor hands Tadayasu a plastic container. It’s filled with Aspergillus oryzae. The fungi greet Tadayasu. The boy tells the professor that it’s just miso paste from their shop. He says he came all the way to Tokyo because he hated that smell. He closes the container.

Haruka asks him how he was able to find out. He says the molds are from their shop. Haruka could not believe Tadayasu sees microbes. She tells the professor to increase the difficulty of the test.

The professor gives Tadayasu a container filled with something white. Tadayasu sees it has Streptococcus lactis (Lactobacillus lactis) and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. He says it’s yogurt. Prof. Itsuki tells him he’s correct. Haruka tells the professor that anyone can identify it as yogurt.

She gives Tadayasu another container filled with white stuff. She says that it’s still yogurt but it’s made from different countries. One is from Europe, the other is from Japan. She asks Tadayasu to identify the Japanese one. Tadayasu says the new one is from Japan. In disbelief, Haruka asks him how he was able to tell. He replies that the bacteria in that container look more Japanese. It has Lactobacillus yogurti which is used in yogurt production in Japan.

Tadayasu asks the professor a question. He looks at Haruka and asks whether it is alright not to wear protective shoes. Haruka replies it doesn’t matter what shoes she wears. Tadayasu says it bothers him a bit.

The professor tells Tadayasu that he has an amazing ability. He might have seen yet undiscovered microbes. Receiving a Nobel Prize would be possible. Haruka, however, is still unconvinced.

Prof. Itsuki shows Tadayasu a bottle of vinegar. He says it’s undergoing fermentation. Tadayasu catches a bacteria from the air, an Acetobacter aceti. Vinegar usually has them but since the liquid in the bottle doesn’t, Tadayasu says it’s possibly mirin, an alcoholic drink made by mixing sake with sweet rice.

Prof. Itsuki looks at the bacteria Tadayasu grabbed from the air through a microscope. He confirms that it is indeed an Acetobacter aceti. Haruka still could not believe it.

Tadayasu tells Kei that he is already troubled seeing microbes at home and now, they have more at the lab. Kei suggests that they go but Haruka tells him to stay for a bit longer.

She shows him a picture of a yeast cell taken by an electron microscope. She asks if he can see it with the naked eye. Tadayasu says he can but they don’t look like the one in the picture. Haruka asks him to make a drawing. Tadayasu does so but his yeast is comical. Haruka becomes mad.

She hands him a petri dish and tells Tadayasu what kind of microbes are in the colonies. Tadayasu replies that since he hasn’t studied about them before, he wouldn’t know what kind it would be. Tadayasu, however, recognizes the bacteria in the petri dish. He says he’s seen them in a public washroom near his house. The petri dish contain colonies of Bacillus halodurans which is used in making industrial enzymes. Tadayasu tells Haruka they’re playing S-ken, a children’s game.

Haruka becomes even more furious, thinking Tadayasu is babbling nonsense. She shows Tadayasu another petri dish. He says it has bacteria found in natto, the Bacillus natto. She shows him another. He says it has microbes found in bakeries, Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is commonly known as “baker’s yeast”. She shows him a mountain of petri dish. Tadayasu tells her the microbes are scared. Kei suggests they stop for the day.

Haruka says she can’t accept it. It took a long time to discover these microbes and yet Tadayasu could see them without any difficulties. Kei comments that Haruka looks like she’s shocked. Tadayasu says he’s really tired. He asks to be excused. He stands up and looks at Haruka’s feet. She asks if he has bondage fetish or something. Tadayasu sees Trichophyton rubrum on her feet. These fungi cause athlete’s foot and ringworm. He could hear the fungi wanting to make their home in Haruka’s feet. Tadayasu tells Haruka that she’s still safe for the moment. He tells her that she needs a dry feet, cleanliness and a doctor’s prescription.

Prof. Itsuki asks Haruka if she believes him. She says she now does.

Tadayasu sees another microbe floating in the air. He says there are fructivorans in the room. They are usually used to ferment sake but are known to spoil food. Kei says it’s bad. If he brings fructivorans home, he will be punished. Tadayasu finds out that they’re coming from outside. They go out to a balcony. Tadayasu sees that they are coming out from another room.

Haruka tells the professor it’s absurd. He tells her that if she makes a precious experimental specimen mad, everything will go to waste. He tells Haruka to think of it as a case study.

In the room where the fructivorans are coming from, is a large vat. Something inside it is fermenting, or spoiling.

After the episode is a short clip called “microbe theatre”. A solitary microbe visits a group of Aspergillus oryzae. The A. oryzae introduce themselves. They tell the other microbe they are in a yeast factory. They explain that there used in making miso, soy sauce, even sake. The solitary microbe comments that the yeast are multiplying fast. The A. oryzae ask him what he is. He replies he is a Penicillium chrysogenum, a green fungus. The A. oryzae become frightened of him.

Anyway, the main character Sawaki Tadayasu is interesting. He kinda looks like Edward Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist. Despite his ability, he seems to be passive or more like annoyed about it.

The opening theme, “Curriculum” by Sarasa Ifu is quite catchy. The opening sequence shows CG-rendered microbes in live scenes. Seeing how successfull they were in integrating the microbes with the scene makes me wish they’d make a live-action version of the series. The microbes are so cute. I especially love the part where they are blown in the wind. The overall feel of the opening sequence somehow reminds me of the openings of Honey and Clover.

The ending theme, “Rocket” by technicolor pogo punk band POLYSICS is a quirky one. It starts with game sounds and A. oryzae are shown walking on a sphere (like in Card Captor Sakura’s Groovy or an ending from Dragonball). The song changes mood and the microbes are shown in fireworks-like splendor.

Most say Moyashimon is quirky. I say it’s unique. The concept of people seeing microbes is an original. It’s also nice how the microbes are portrayed to be kawaii. Moyashimon isn’t also entertaining, it’s educational as well. I will certainly enjoy this.