Poco's Udon World

Episode 3

Poco's Udon World continues to touch on issues affecting young adults while peppering the proceedings with light comedy in its most reflective episode yet. Although we didn't see much of Souta's standard-issue best friend Shinobu in the first two installments, the character is given quite a bit of breathing room this week. Sure, his primary function is still propelling Souta's story forward, but as we learn throughout the course of episode 3, there's more to him than initially meets the eye—and he shares more in common with his wayward chum than he cares to acknowledge.

After appearing at Souta's home unannounced for an impromptu 3 AM fishing excursion, Shinobu meets Poco and immediately takes a disliking to him. The reason for this is never made clear, but it likely has something to do with him seeing Poco as a rival for Souta's attention. While fishing, the two men reminisce about their childhoods and reflect on the paths they've taken in life. Unlike Souta, Shinobu ultimately chose to follow in his father's footsteps and become an orthopedic physician. However, he has yet to find that special someone or start a family—much like Souta. Having spent the past decade living the life he thought he wanted in Tokyo, Souta now shows signs of wanting to move back home and reopen the udon shop. Quite understandably, however, he has some serious reservations about doing so, since it would mean completely upending the life he spent his twenties building.

A large segment of the audience should find Souta's struggles relatable. Although a sizable chunk of young adults flock to major metropolitan areas in the hopes of escaping the drudgery of their sleepy towns, many of them move back home or relocate to quieter areas after getting burnt out on big city life. Moving to Tokyo and becoming a professional web designer may have been exactly what Souta needed ten years ago, but now that he's had a decade-long taste of that life, he's no longer sure it's what he wants. Souta's at a good age to re-evaluate what he wants out of life, and his purported wishy-washiness is quite understandable given his situation.

On the comedy front, I found Shinobu's disdain for Poco unexpectedly amusing. In ensembles like this, it's usually the child character that adopts a combative attitude toward the longtime friend of the parental figure, and seeing this trope turned on its head is a welcome change of pace. Since Shinobu's “teasing” includes outright physical abuse, some viewers may find their dynamic a little disturbing, but since this is an animated comedy, I'm inclined to look the other way.

The latest post-credits installment of GaoGao-chan, the series' show-within-a-show, is probably the strongest one to date—mostly because it features an interesting parallel to Souta's story. Just as alien lion GaoGao put his planetary invasion plans on the backburner after becoming comfortable living on Earth for a time, Souta is gradually becoming less and less interested in returning to Tokyo as he rediscovers the comforts of his hometown.

Now that Poco's beginning to interact with the other members of Souta's inner circle, this episode signals plenty more fun on the horizon. With Souta's sister now entering the fray, I can't wait to see how she reacts to her brother's new adopted son. Even though Souta reopening the udon shop and moving back home is practically a foregone conclusion, I'm eager to see how the show gets us there.

Rating: A-

Poco's Udon World is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for over two decades.