Adamo and
Kopopo's
Great Adventure!!
to EUREKA!!
Kopopo's
Great Adventure!!
to EUREKA!!
Bonjour! Or maybe bonsoir?
Or... hmm... well, whatever!
Nice to meet you!
Oops, sorry! That was rude of me to come at you from behind.
My name is Adamo. I'm a French bulldog.
So I pretended to speak French.
And this is the front view. He's a good looking guy, isn't he?
Once again, I'm Adamo. I'm already an old man.
Why am I wearing a belly wrap? I have poor circulation, despite how it looks.
Actually, I'm made of felt. I'll introduce them to you one by one.
I have a lot of friends. So we decided to write a story together.
Well, let's meet again in the story.
Bye-bye... no, Salut! Merci beaucoup!
<
Kopopo's eyes peer into Adamo who is napping>
< Adamo is surprised >
"Ahhh!! (jumps out of bed) What on earth... What on earth is this!?"
"Uncle..."
"Y-you are..."
"Oh... it's Kopopo! Don't scare me!"
(The one with the awfully strong gaze is Kopopo. His mother Popo came out of a village called Eureka. Or should I say ran out. I found out later that Kopopo was already in Popo's belly.
Without knowing this, I followed her out of the village. Am I Kopopo's father?!
No no, it wasn't me. It wasn't ME!
I was just following her on a special mission from the elders. I'll tell you about that later. Keep this a secret. Especially from Kopopo! )
(Kopopo flies into Adamo's den)
"Uncle, uncle, something terrible has happened. Mommy's gone missing."
"What! You mean Popo-san? Maybe she's looking for food somewhere? She'll be back soon."
(Kopopo shows him the note.)
To Kopopo
Mother has to go back to the village.
You wait here with Uncle Adamo.
From Mother
＜Can a dog write a note? Don't be so strict!＞
Yes, this is kopopo.
It's been a long time since a dog named Popo passed away.
November 2012. Yes, the year after the earthquake.
My daddy was crying so hard that he started making a bunch of Popo dolls? Dog-shaped ones? Like crazy. They were made of felt.
One of them is me. My eyes are bulging out and it's weird, but my daddy seems to really like it.
See the real Popo later. She's so cute, you can't really call her a dog anymore.
See you later.
Adamo: I thought she'd be back soon, but with this note...
She might be involved in something big.
Kopopo: Something big?
Adamo: Well, I don't know!
But no mother would leave her child alone.
Kopopo: You see, I ran around looking for her everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found, and then I found my mother's letter.
Adamo: Actually, I'm from the same village as she, Popo-san...
Kopopo: Really? I've never heard that before. Oh! Adamo, you're not my dad, are you...
Adamo: Your Dad!? No,No! That's impossible!
Kopopo: Right! Just thinking about it makes me sick.
Adamo: What does that mean? I feel even worse.
Kopopo: I'm sorry. But you're amazing, Uncle Adamo.
You're really good at finding food. Mom is praising you because it help us everyday .
Adamo: Really? That makes me happy. It's not something to brag about, but hey! It's too late to flatter me now!
Okay, I've decided! Shall we go, Kopopo?
Kopopo: Going? Where?
Adamo: The village.
Kopopo: To the village? But it says "wait." Is that okay?
Adamo: If she went to the village, even if you wait... there's no telling when she'll come back.
Kopopo: Yes! I'm going, Kopopo, I'm going! What's a village like? Adamo.
Adamo: A village... A village... Ah, I don't want to go back. But, since Popo-san has gone home, I have to go back too...
Kopopo: What are you muttering to yourself?
Adamo: There are adult matters, ah... no way!
Kopopo: This is no time to worry, Adamo. Come on, wake up. We have to go! Let's go!!
Adamo: Kopopo, did you just call me by my first name? Are you talking about me?
Kopopo: That's fine, we'll be traveling together.
Adamo: Understood. All right! Let's go! Let's go!! Let's go in a fit of desperation!!
- Now, our journey has begun.
At the ranch
Kopopo: Is this the right way to the village?
Adamo: Yes, it should be this way. But I'm bad with directions.
Kopopo: But, I'm a bit worried.
Wow, it's a ranch!! It's so big.
Adamo: There's a foal too. Let's take a listen.
(crunch, crunch, sounds of munching)
Mother Horse: Eat slowly. Chew well.
Foal: I'm not a cow. I'll eat all the grass here.
Mother Horse: What a stupid thing to say. Look, the old man is laughing at you.
Uncle Horse: You two get along well. I'm jealous.
Mother Horse:Are you? But he's been acting a bit naughty lately.
Old Horse: Hahaha. Oh, someone's come.
Kopopo: Hello. Sorry to interrupt your meal.
Adamo: I'd like to ask you something.
Mother Horse: What is it?
Adamo: I'm looking for this child's mother.
Kopopo: She has very cute eyes and soft light brown fur... and a jet black nose.
Adamo: Her name is Popo. Have you seen her?
Mother Horse: Well...
Old Horse: We don't often leave the ranch.
Foal: If she's passed through this forest, the squirrels might know.
They know a lot about forests.
Kopopo: Squirrels,right? Thank you. Uncle Adamo, let's go to the forest and ask them.
Adamo: Squirrels... We're entering into this forest...? OK! Let's go.
<
The two of them went into the dark forest. >
Kopopo: It's just a little dark. Aren't you scared, Adamo?
Adamo: It's just dark... It's in the forest, so it's natural that it's dark... I'm not scared, I'm not scared, what's this?
I'm a proper brave dog, after all. Am I scared...?
Kopopo: Uncle, you're trembling, aren't you?
Adamo: You idiot, I tremble when I'm having fun. See, I tremble when I'm excited.
-Shh, the squirrels are saying something.
Squirrel A: It looks like it's going to be a cold winter this year, but
I wonder if we've stored enough nuts?
Squirrel B: Let's try a little harder. It's not easy to find food when it snows.
-Then Adamo and Kopopo arrive.
Adamo: Let me ask you something...
Squirrel A: Oh, you guys are looking for your mother, aren't you?
We heard about it from the horses. We're quick to hear.
So we asked our friends in the forest.
Kopopo: Did you find out anything?
Squirrel B: Nothing. Nothing seems to have changed in this forest.
Adamo: Is that so? That's a shame, but there's nothing we can do, Kopopo.
-The two thank the squirrels and start walking.
Squirrel A: That's right! There's a church when you go through this forest.
Squirrel B: That's right! You should ask a fortune teller to tell your fortune.
It's surprisingly accurate.
Squirrel A: He's always praying to God.
That's why I call him "Oinori-san".
('Oinori' means Praying; 'san' is a suffix term of respect. So it means 'Mr.Prayer' )
Squirrel B: When you're in trouble, consult "Oinori-san".
If you ask, he'll surely tell you your fortune.
Adamo: Is that so? Well then, let's go.
Kopopo, that's good for you. I'm sure you'll find something out.
Now, good deeds come quickly.
Kopopo: Yes, uncle!
-The truth is, Adamo, he just couldn't wait to get out of this forest.
-Exit from the Forest
Kopopo: Uncle Adamo, everything's okay now.
Adamo: What do you mean okay? I'm not scared of anything.
Kopopo: Ah, that's it. The oinari-san church.
Adamo: Did you just say oinari-san?
Kopopo: Wrong?
Adamo: Wrong, if we said inari-san, we'd end up looking like the shrine's fox.
(In Japan,foxes are messengers of the gods and are worshipped at Inari Shrines.)
Kopopo: Then what do we call him?
Adamo: Oinari, no, it's O-i-NO-Ri-San.
Don't get that wrong. It's rude.
Kopopo: Yeah, I'll be careful.
Oinori: Please forgive me. Please forgive me.
Please forgive me for my deep sin.
-This is what it looks like from below
(Hey, take a look at these feet.
He's serious, right?)
Adamo: Hello.
Kopopo: Hello.
Oinori: Oh, a visitor I haven't seen before.
Adamo: Yes. I'd like to ask you something.
Oinori: About the child's mother, I think?
Kopopo: How do you know? Oh, I see, you heard it from the squirrels.
Oinori: Your mother didn't abandon you. She returned to her hometown village for an important mission.
Adamo: Why did you say that? Who told you such a story?
Oinori: No one.
Kopopo: So it's nonsense?
Oinori: It's a prophecy. It's not nonsense.
Adamo: It seems a bit suspicious... So is this the right way to get to the village?
Oinori: Go. You have to trust in this path.
Adamo: Believing... are you sure? Should'we believe?
Oinori: You can't believe? That's a sin. God, please forgive us. Give us more strength to believe.
Kopopo: I believe in you, Oinari-san. If it means I can see my mother, I'll believe!
Oinori: What?
Kopopo: I believe in you, Oinari-san's story.
Oinori: Um... what do you mean by Oinari?
Adamo: Kopopo, you've been saying oinari all this time!
(You're finally speaking in Ibaraki dialect, how embarrassing!)
(You idiot! As a citizen of the prefecture, you should be proud of your Ibaraki dialect! This is a scolding to the author himself, sorry.)
Kopopo: Oh, that's right, sorry, oi...
Oinori: It's oi-no-ri. I don't really mind. Besides, oinari is my favorite food.
(Oinari is a type of sushi called 'inari sushi'. It is rice wrapped in a sweet tofu skin. It is said to be a favorite food of foxes.)
Adamo: As expected of a person with a big heart. So we just have to go straight for this, right? Understood.
Kopopo, at this point, we have no choice but to believe in it.
Kopopo: Right, uncle!
Adamo: Let's go!
Kopopo: Let's go. Let's go. Thank you, Oinari-san!
- He's finally become Oinari-san.
- Adamo and Kopopo part ways with Oinori-san
Kopopo: Hare-kana,Ame-kana? ( 'Will it be sunny or rainy?' hare=sunny;ame=rainy;kana=?suffix in ja)
Hare-kana,Ame-kana? Hare-kana,Ame-kana?
Adamo: You've been saying that for a while now, but it doesn't look like it's going to rain.
Kopopo: That's not it, it's an Oinari-san charm.
Adamo: It's not Oinari.
Kopopo: Hehe, that's right. It's Oinori-san.
He taught me that.
When you're in pain, if you say this, it won't be so hard.
Adamo: Wow, when did that happen? I wasn't listening.
Kopopo: I never forget important things.
Adamo: This guy is really shrewd.
Kopopo:Ame-kana? Hare-kana? Ame-kana? Hare-kana?
Adamo: Ame-kana? Hare-kana? That's strange...
I'm sure I've heard that too, but...
Kopopo: Ame-kana? Hare-kana? Ame-kana? Hare-kana?
Adamo: I see, that's not it, Kopopo. It's not Hare-kana?
It's Hare-ruya.
Kopopo: Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Yeah, that's right. Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
What does this mean?
Adamo: Hmm, it seems to be a word for joy, like banzai. In that case, "Ame-kana" is...
That's right, it must be "Amen."
H-Hallelujah, Amen. Hallelujah, Amen.
This is Oinori-san's spell.
So he taught it to you.
Kopopo: Oh, I see. Thank you, uncle.
I didn't really understand it.
It's okay now. Hallelujah, ramen. Hallelujah, ramen.
(ramen means japanese popular food)
Adamo: Ramen? Are you kidding me? Not Ramen,but Amen. Oh well.
I don't really know what Amen means either.
＜In front of the deer restaurant＞
Kopopo: I'm hungry because we were talking about ramen.
Adamo: You're going to get punished, amen. Right? Oh! The deer restaurant?
Do they serve deer meat dishes?
Mother and child deer: Welcome.
Adamo: Oh, it's a real deer.
Mother deer: What are you surprised about?
Adamo: No, nothing. It said the deer restaurant,
I thought for sure...
(I'm amazed at Popo's Papa's unreasonableness.)
- Zoo-zoo, slurp-slurp. The sound of slurping ramen.
Adamo: Gulp... Ah, it was delicious.
Kopopo: I'm full now.
Mother deer: I'm impressed. Are you looking for your mother? I heard that from the squirrels.
Alpaca: I heard that too. I asked my friends at the alpaca farm, but
no one knew.
Adamo: Did you run away from the farm?
Mother Shika: He does it all the time. He wants to play with my Shikao(son's name).
Alpaca: (To Shikao) We're friends, after all.
Shikao: Yes, we're friends. Can we play today?
Alpaca: Let's play, let's play.
Kopopo: Can I come in too?
Alpaca: Of course. Come out, Shikao-chan.
- And so, Kopopo also ran around and played for the first time in a while.
- Another mountain path
Kopopo: Uncle Adamo, I'm a little scary.
Adamo: It's cold,too. Well, we'll reach the pass soon. It'll be nice and warm when the sun shines.
- Big dog Shiro and Bonbon block the road
Shiro: Hey, where do you think you are? They're so brazen, going through our territory without permission.
Bonbon: Come wrestle with us. If you beat us, we'll let you through.
Adamo: Oh, I thought he was a bandit, but he's a sumo wrestler...
Kopopo: That's surprising, Adamo. Okay, I'll get it for you.
Bonbon: You'll get it for me? This 'chibi' is so cheeky for a kid.
Kopopo: Ah. You said 'chibi'(=kid in ja). That's a discriminatory word.
You shouldn't use it.
Bonbon: What a messy and troublesome guy. Listen, don't be surprised when you find out. We've been winning every fight without losing.
Adamo: Wow, so where are they going to have the sumo?
Shiro: There's a cliff up ahead.
Kopopo: Cliffs are dangerous. Let's do it in the field, it's not going to hurt if we fall over.
Bonbon: Don't take it lightly. Sumo is not a game.
Shiro: Whoever falls off the cliff loses. It's a matter of risking your life. That's the way we do things.
Kopopo: Uncle Adamo, what should we do? If we die here, we won't be able to find my mother.
Adamo: Can't you just give us a break? We have to find this boy's mother.
Bonbon: We don't even have a mother. Don't be so soft on us.
Shiro: We were abandoned on this mountain and have been helping each other ever since.
While we were still puppies, our eyes hadn't even opened yet.
Kopopo: Wow, that's too much! So miserable! Okay, I'll get it for you. I'll get it for you from the cliff or anywhere. Do whatever makes you happy.
Adamo: You've got a lot of guts. I'm like... Damn it! I'm so desperate!! Let's do it!
- We've come to the cliff. Below is a cliff and a deep river.
First it's Kopopo vs Bonbon. Adamo will be the referee.
Adamo: Hakkeyoi(means 'Are you ready?), Nokotta,Nokotta!(means 'Fight,fight!':sumo-referee shouts)
- Kopopo goes behind Bonbon
Bonbon: Hey, where did he go?
Kopopo: Hey, come here.
Bonbon: That's cruel to run away from.
Kopopo: Well, why don't you try and catch me?
Bonbon: Okay, wait here. Hey, hey, wait! Whoa, he's so nimble. Ah, ah, come on!
- Kopopo runs around, dodging under Bonbon's armpits and thighs.
Bonbon: Hey, this isn't going to be a fight, bro. Time for a change. Tag!
- Shiro takes his place and enters the ring
Adamo: Kopopo, we're taking our turns too.
Kopopo: Eh, are you okay?
Adamo: Don't worry, I've come up with a little secret plan.
Kopopo: What's a secret plan?
- Adamo whispered in Kopopo's ear
Kopopo: What?!
Shiro: I've been underestimated, there's no way I'd lose to an old man like that.
Adamo: An old man?! You said it. Don't make fun of an old man!!
- With Kopopo as the referee, the fight between Shiro and Adamo begins. What is Adamo's secret plan?
- Kopopo becomes the referee and stands between them
Kopopo: Hakke-yo-i (=Ready, set, go!) No-ko-tta,No-ko-tta (= Fight! Fight!)
- Adamo, turn around and stick your bottom out?
Shiro: What's that sound? Ugh! Damn it!!
- Something popped out from Adamo's ass.
"Pwaa-on, pwaa-on! Pwaa ~ on!!"
- Oh, what an elephant! Adamo's fart came out as an elephant.
"Pwaaaah, pwaaaah! Pwaa ~ aaaah!!"
Shiro: Ugh, it stinks, it's disgusting, Bonbon, help me!!
- The elephant's head bumps into Shiro's head!!
- Shiro gets dizzy.
Shiro: It stinks, it stinks, it stinks!! I can't breathe, help me! I'm done for.
Adamo: Kopopo, now's the time.
Kopopo: Huh, what?
Adamo: Hold my hand. Let's go!
Kopopo: What are you going to do?! I didn't hear you!
- The two jumped down while holding hands
"Wow, Adamo~!!"
"Wow, Kopopo~!!!"
Mommyyy!! Splash!!
- The two are swept away.
"Kopopo, can you swim? ! I can't swim! Help me~!!"
"What?! You're a dog, but you can't swim?! Oh! Me too!!"
-Finally, they are both out of sight.
＜Kopopo is worried＞
- Adamo notices
- Kopopo's face is right in front of Adamo
Adamo: Wow! Oh, it's you!
Kopopo: You noticed, Uncle Adamo. That's good!
Prince Shine: Oh, I'm glad. Adamo, Kopopo was worried about you.
You've been asleep for three days now.
Adamo: Three days? I've been asleep for three days? No wonder I'm hungry. My throat is dry.
- Drinks the water Kopopo offers him in one gulp
Ah, so this is what it means to come back to life. Thanks for worrying about me, Kopopo. So where exactly are we?
Shine: This is my hideout.
Adamo: Hideout? Who are you...?
Minister: The prince of the Pompon Kingdom.
Adamo: The Pompon Kingdom?
Minister: The kingdom of the Pompon tribe.
Kopopo: So, this guy is the prime minister called "Karow". He's a very important man.
Adamo: Wow, that's impressive. So, what do you mean by "Karow"?
Kopopo: No need to worry about that, We have to say thank you.
They saved us from drowning.
Adamo: That's right. I can't express my gratitude enough. I'm so grateful.
Shine: I just happened to be passing by on a boat on my way here.
Karou(=Minister): You two are in luck. Otherwise, you two wouldn't be here by now...
- Then, flapping flapping! An owl flies in.
Owl: Hoo, hoo, it's owl mail.
Shine: Hey! You're my father's messenger owl. Is there something unusual happening to my father?
Owl: That's right, the king is in critical condition. Please return to the castle immediately.
Minister: Prince, please wait! This may be a trap.
(To Adamo and others) We ran away from the castle for a reason.
Those who are after the prince's life are now controlling the castle.
Shine: My sick father no longer has any real power as king.
Adamo: Don't you have a mother? Maybe you have a queen?
Shine: The current queen is not my mother.
Minister: The previous queen died three years ago.
The current queen is plotting to make her son, Prince Linsee, the heir to the throne.
Adamo: I see, this is what they call a family feud.
Owl: Well, I told you anyway. My mission is over now.
Whether you believe it or not is up to you! Well, farewell.
- It flew away, making a flapping, flapping noise.
Adamo: That's it.
Kopopo: That's exciting.
- Guards were waiting in front of the castle.
- Guard Captain
Guard Captain: Wait, Prince Shine. An order has been issued to arrest you on suspicion of treason against the king.
Shine: Is that the Queen's order? I was prepared to enter the castle from the start. I will not resist.
Please arrest me without hesitation.
Captain: I see, I am sorry.
Adamo: What will become of us?
Captain: Of course, I'd like you to accompany us. That is, if you enter the castle.
Adamo: What should we do, Kopopo? We're going to be arrested too.
Shine: You two go ahead. You have to look for your mother, right? This is not the time for us to get involved.
Kopopo: Uncle Adamo, let's stay here. We might be able to help Shine.
Adamo: Eh? Kopopo, are you sure? I'm impressed by your damn nerve. Okay, let's stay here together.
Prince, if I abandon the person who saved our life here, I,Adamo, will be a complete failure as a man. I'd love to accompany you.
Minister: That's quite an admirable spirit. Prince, what would you like to do?
Shine: I'm very grateful for Adamo and Kopopo's kind thoughts. But...
Adamo: That's fine. Kopopo is right, we want to be of some use. Let us do what we want.
Kopopo: Yes, that's fine! (She or he? pats the prince on the shoulder and laughs)
Adamo: Don't imitate me, Kopopo.
Adamo: Oh my, Kopopo, is that bright red one the queen?
She's a little scary.
Kopopo: Her name is Queen Carly. Uncle, please be careful not to be rude.
Adamo: She's the type I don't like. My hands are starting to shake. Look, they're shaking, shaking...
Queen Carly: I announce to everyone that the King is in critical condition.
Therefore, the King has ordered that we choose a prince to succeed him now.
Prince Shine, Prince Rinsy, please come forward.
Rinsy: I don't want to be King. Shine should be King.
Queen Carly: Shut up, Rinsy. It's not up to you to decide.
Shine: I feel the same way. I don't want to fight to become king.
As long as this country is peaceful, I don't care who becomes king.
Queen Carly: Hmph, you say such nice things. If you become king, you will definitely drive us out.
Shine: You don't trust me, do you? Then I will leave this country.
Queen Carly: Really? Well, go ahead. Lincy, this is decided, you are the next king!
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
- Oh my, is it really decided now?
- Then, coming in with a flurry of noises
Owl: It's an owl delivery. It's a message from the King.
Queen Curly: What's this all of a sudden? We were just about to get going.
Owl: I hope everyone will pay close attention to what the King has to say.
Queen Curly: What's with the pretentiousness, Owl?
Owl: It's a riddle. Whoever gets it right will become the King's heir.
Queen Curly: A riddle?! I didn't hear that! I don't have time to engage with the King's games.
Owl: Please, do as you like. Now, a riddle:
What is "always different, yet always the same"?
I'll repeat. What is "always different, yet always the same"?
Okay, I told you, the announcement will be tomorrow afternoon. See you. (bustling bustling)
Adamo: It's always different, but it's always the same...
Kopopo: It's always different, but it's always the same... I wonder.
I wonder.
Queen Curly: That's ridiculous! I can't stand it.
Always different, yet always the same. What is that? Are you kidding me? There's no way that could happen.
Oh, I'm going crazy. Linsy, let's go back to our room.
Adamo: What's always different, yet always the same?
This is tricky.
Kopopo: Different means it's not the same. Isn't that strange?
Adamo: That's strange. Maybe the king has gone mad?
Minister: What are you talking about?
Adamo: Sorry. But if we can't answer this question, what will happen to us?
Are we going to have to stay in this prison for the rest of our life?
Shine: I'm sorry, but you ended up trapped here because you got involved with us.
Adamo: It's not the prince's fault. It was Kopopo who dragged me into this.
Kopopo:What!? That's terrible, Adamo! The prince saved our lives, so we have to repay him a little.
Even Adamo said he saved our lives!
Adamo: I get it, I get it. But we need to think about it together.
What is it that is always different, yet always the same?
Minister: I'm not good at riddles.
Kopopo: Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find it. Hey, what does the king like?
I'm sure the answer is in there.
Adamo: That's what I thought too.
Kopopo: Really?
Minister: What the king likes...
To be continued