Ghost Photo Arc

Story guide

Chiikawa and Hachiware spend the night still worried that the image in the photo has not disappeared, unable to sleep with Chiikabu (the Beetle) placed between them. The unease remains in the morning, but Hachiware looks at the photo again and reconsiders that it might be something kind rather than a frightening spirit. Chiikawa also studies the image and notices that the black shape could look like a hand making a peace sign. Without fully setting aside their fear, the two try to take the photo's appearance in another way. Birdsong and small marks appear in the morning scene.

Cultural and language noteSeeing an ambiguous shape in a photo as something else can be a way of easing the fear associated with a ghost photo. A peace sign is a widely recognized friendly hand gesture made by forming a V with the fingers.

Story guide

Chiikawa and Hachiware also show their ghost-photo-like picture to Usagi and ask for advice while Usagi eats avocado. Usagi pours soy sauce on the avocado and keeps eating without concern during the conversation. Mindful that they are interrupting Usagi, Hachiware explains how the photo came to be taken. Looking at it, Usagi responds in a way that seems to encourage the frightened pair without explaining anything to them. Chiikawa and Hachiware listen while still holding the photo. A plate of cut avocado sits beside Usagi.

Cultural and language noteEating avocado with soy sauce is a well-known, easy combination in Japan. It is enjoyed for adding soy sauce's saltiness to avocado's rich flavor.

Story guide

Wearing party hats, Chiikawa and Hachiware wait for Usagi at a place with hanging flags, talking about how Usagi is not coming and mentioning that Usagi had said something about tracing their roots. Just then, a shadow with long ears appears. Usagi shows up looking like a real rabbit covered in fur, holding grass in their mouth and letting out a "Yaha" sound, causing the two to cry out in surprise. When the three line up, someone points out that their mouths form a Y shape, and Chiikawa repeats "Yai". Then, with a shout that they did not want to be told that, Usagi drops their hat and runs away, and the two apologize. The words "Happy Birthday!!" are added at the bottom of the screen.

Cultural and language noteHappy Birthday is a standard English expression for celebrating a birthday. In Japan it is also widely used with cakes and decorations, while party hats are a prop that signals a celebration.

Story guide

Hachiware remembers and tells Chiikawa that the camera in the photo had a timer function. On hearing this, Usagi energetically proposes that the three try a timer photo. Hachiware places the camera on a rock and waits with Chiikawa for the shooting cue. Usagi runs out from behind a tree and jumps to get into the frame in time. Chiikawa and Hachiware follow Usagi's movement and watch, hoping the shot works. The camera on the rock is the starting point for the photograph.

Cultural and language noteFor a self-timer photo, the camera is fixed first and the subjects move into position. Here it is a way to recreate the same conditions and check what made the photo seem strange.

Story guide

After checking the timer photo, the possibility emerges that Usagi had simply been making a peace sign in the background. Usagi acts as though brushing off that explanation, but Hachiware presses to make sure it is not a made-up story meant to encourage them. Chiikawa peers at the photo as well, while Usagi confidently shows off how they came out. Hachiware is happy that the photo is not a ghost photo and acknowledges that the peace sign is clearly visible. Even after hearing the conclusion, Chiikawa still seems a little lost in thought. The two looking at the camera's result are drawn small.

Cultural and language noteThe peace sign is a V-shaped hand gesture often made when posing for photos in Japan. If it is caught mid-motion, the hand alone can stand out in the image.

Story guide

Usagi is prompted to repeat the pose they made when they appeared in the photo, and recreates it with one hand raised. As Chiikawa and Hachiware compare the two, they notice that the photo's hand seems to be on the opposite side from Usagi's hand now. Usagi proposes taking a photo somewhere else to try it, but Hachiware hesitates, wondering whether Usagi is only saying this to frighten them. Chiikawa listens anxiously, and the three pause without being able to decide from the recreation alone whether the image really is a ghost photo. Usagi's raised hand has two separated fingers.

Cultural and language noteWhen looking back at a photo, left and right can seem to disagree with intuition depending on the shooting direction or a person's orientation. Here that mismatch deepens the doubt about the photograph.

Story guide

Ano-ko appears holding a camera, and Dekatsuyo, who is nearby, asks whether they picked it up. Ano-ko checks the image it captured and shows two figures from behind. Dekatsuyo asks about recent trends, abruptly changing the subject to whether odorigui is popular. Ano-ko looks at the photo again and replies that the topic has nothing to do with it. The two continue talking as their questions pass each other, without sharing what is in the picture. The camera screen connects Ano-ko and Dekatsuyo's conversation.

Cultural and language noteOdorigui is a Japanese term for eating ingredients while they are moving or still alive. It is used here not as an explanation of food culture, but as Dekatsuyo's abrupt question.

Story guide

As Rakko holds up a camera, Dekatsuyo notices that they have been photographed. The picture shows Dekatsuyo against something like yellow light, but Dekatsuyo insists that what is in it is not them. Rakko checks the photo and looks at what Dekatsuyo is denying. A black band-like shape overlaps the photo, while Dekatsuyo repeats the same denial. Until the end, the image in the photo and Dekatsuyo's sense of self do not match. Dekatsuyo's expression is strongly emphasized in the photo as well.

Story guide

This is not a page from the main comic but a single illustration themed around making sweets. Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi wear red aprons and hold a knife, spatula, and other cooking tools. Cookies, chocolate, cake, and cream-filled sweets surround them, while central English words celebrate baking and Japanese text conveys a wish to eat lots of sweet things. It is not a panel sequence showing cooking in progress, but a visual bringing together the three's cheerful outfits and sweets motifs. Small flower and face-shaped decorations float around the sweets.

Cultural and language noteHappy baking is an English expression celebrating the enjoyment of making sweets. Near Valentine's Day, it is often used with illustrations of chocolate and baked goods.

Story guide

Momonga makes a big appeal to be photographed and notices the instant camera held by Furuhonya. Furuhonya asks them not to strike poses too well, but Momonga keeps changing poses and enjoys being photographed. When a photo comes out of the camera, Furuhonya cannot wait to see it develop. Momonga also comes close in anticipation of how the photo will turn out, but the exchange before and after they look at it leaves an uncanny tension around the picture itself. An illustration of film appears on Furuhonya's camera.

Cultural and language noteAn instant camera ejects a paper photograph after it is taken, and the image appears over time. Unlike digital photography, where the image can be checked immediately on a screen, it includes a period of waiting.