Volume 1

Story guide

Chiikawa imagines becoming a small, cute being and living as they feel like. When something unpleasant happens, they want to be deeply shocked, cry out and thrash about, then dash away. After running until exhausted, their ideal is to collapse onto the floor and fall asleep right away. They also hope something happy will be waiting when they wake up. In the final image, they jump for joy with another small figure like themself, linking the life Chiikawa wants through confusion, escape, rest, and delight.

Story guide

Chiikawa sits in seiza wearing a dark haori and striped hakama, offering a New Year's greeting and wishing readers well in 2020. A spinning top with a pull string sits to their left, while a shuttlecock and hagoita paddle sit to their right, framing them with New Year games. There are no comic panels, exchanges of dialogue, or actions beginning to play the games. Chiikawa's formal dress, forward-facing pose, the year, and the greeting form a seasonal visual that marks the start of a new year for readers. It is not a scene that advances a story goal or incident, but a complete New Year's greeting in one image.

Cultural and language noteHakama, spinning tops, hagoita paddles, and shuttlecocks all evoke the Japanese New Year. At the start of the year, people exchange greetings that thank others for their support in the previous year and wish for the relationship to continue.

Story guide

Hachiware reads a book about ancient Egypt while Chiikawa peers at the pages beside them. After a page about pyramids, they reach an illustration of a Sphinx and look closely at the combination of a yellow-brown body and a human face, excitedly realizing that the Sphinx seems related to cats. Chiikawa takes the open book and reads further, mentally placing the reclining Sphinx beside Hachiware lying prone in the same direction. As Chiikawa grows more certain they look alike, Hachiware actually brings their front paws together and lies down on the floor to copy the illustration. The short piece moves naturally from reading to imitation.

Cultural and language noteThe Sphinx is an ancient Egyptian monument known for a human head and a lion's body. Here, its resemblance to a cat lying prone becomes the basis of play.

Story guide

Hachiware brings a small pink package and urges Chiikawa to open it. When Chiikawa unfolds the bag, a doll modeled after nagano's bear wearing pink overalls appears. Hachiware explains that it seems to be a Something-vania doll, then shows two more modeled after Hachiware in blue overalls and Usagi in yellow overalls. Chiikawa compares the small clothes and bodies, their eyes lighting up at the cute design. The two decide to bring the Usagi doll to Usagi, then run off while checking the doll in their hands. The scene ends in anticipation before they deliver the gift.

Cultural and language noteThe subject recalls dollhouse toys that combine animal-family dolls with houses and furniture. Attention goes to the detailed design of the small dressed dolls.

Story guide

In a cave, Hachiware carries in a large platter of pasta seasoned red with ketchup. They set it on the table where Chiikawa and Usagi are waiting, and when the three share it, Usagi checks that the small sausages served alongside give one to each person. They portion it onto their own plates and eat mouthfuls of noodles. Partway through, Usagi takes out a condiment with a red lid and shakes it repeatedly onto the pasta. Chiikawa tries it too, but their face turns red and tears come to their eyes from the strong heat. Hachiware keeps eating while watching the reaction, and the final image shows some spicy seasoning still remaining for the table to add according to taste.

Cultural and language noteNapolitan is a Japanese-style Western dish of spaghetti fried with ketchup and served with items such as sausage. It can also be eaten with added hot sauce.

Story guide

Hachiware visits a place lined with round houses and is surprised to learn that Chiikawa lives in one of them. A nameplate showing Chiikawa's face hangs at the entrance. Hachiware asks whether saving for a house must have been hard, but Chiikawa produces a notice with a yellow border. It says they won a home campaign for a yogurt product and shows a photo of Chiikawa holding a key. As they talk, Chiikabu (the Beetle) stands in a small body behind Chiikawa. Hachiware understands that Chiikawa won the house in a prize drawing and celebrates loudly, while Chiikawa holds the real yellow key in both hands and smiles back.

Cultural and language notePrize campaigns for product buyers may award prizes to entrants by lottery. Here, the prize is exaggerated to the scale of a house.

Story guide

At the bottom of a deep hole, Hachiware is covered in dirt and calls upward for help, having dropped a blue Subjugation tool beside them. They repeatedly shout for someone to pull them up, but no one appears at the rim and only their voice remains against the rock walls. Seen from above, Hachiware looks small at the center of the large circular hole. They pick up the tool and remind themself that only one more intended opponent remains. Then a large gray-brown body with segmented legs approaches from behind, startling them into dropping the tool again. Trapped against the wall with no way to escape, Hachiware finally resolves to manage somehow on their own and works up the will not to lose.

Story guide

At a summer waterside where cicadas sing, Hachiware, who started swimming first, calls out to Chiikawa standing on the shore that it is fine because their feet can touch the bottom. Hachiware keeps their face above the surface and moves along looking comfortable. Then Usagi dashes past with tremendous force and dives into the water, swimming around and splashing, prompting Hachiware to marvel in spite of themself. Chiikawa stands rooted on the shore for a while with sweat on their face, but eventually steps in and soaks in the water. Finally, when Hachiware laughs and asks if it isn't the best, Chiikawa responds with a silent nod.

Story guide

Momonga calls out to Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) at the Labor reception desk and presses them to scold Momonga. When a large suit of armor passing by is also told to scold them, the figure takes it as work talk and replies that only Weeding is left, so the conversation goes nowhere. Turning back to the reception desk, Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) explains to Momonga that they cannot get angry when no wrong has been done. Still, when Momonga keeps staring with teary eyes, Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) finally lets out a single brief word of scolding. Momonga, having gotten their wish, runs off wailing loudly, and those present wonder what just happened. Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) calls out to the next worker who arrives just as usual, and the reception desk returns to its normal rhythm.

Story guide

Against a pale pink background, Chiikawa tilts their body sideways in a pose like lying down on the floor. The small round ears on their crown are also slanted, and both arms hang loosely before and behind their body. Their half-open eyes have a loose focus, and one blue line of drool runs from their mouth. Their cheeks are pink, but sleepiness and limpness strongly show across the expression. A large speech bubble on the left contains only a long drawn-out sleeping breath, with no conversation partner or other sound. Apart from a small white signature at their feet, the image gives no reason they have fallen asleep or time when they will wake, showing only the moment of sinking into sleep.

Story guide

At the center of a pale blue background, Hachiware stands alone facing forward. Their blue ears, forehead markings, and pink cheeks are clearly visible, while both arms curve as if resting before their belly. Their mouth is slightly open and the area around the eyes holds a gentle expression with a little tension released. A blue tail extends behind the right side of their body, with two small lines above it indicating movement. A speech bubble on the left contains only a short sound like a long exhale. There is a white signature at their feet, but no other object, place, or companion. The image does not explain what they want or what they are thinking, and captures only a quiet moment.

Story guide

In their cave dwelling, Hachiware makes a "click" sound toward a pot with flowers in it and mimics taking a photo. Peering inside a box, they mutter that they want a camera. Next, they hum a tune with lyrics about baked bread, place something long and thin on a green utensil and count two, three, four, rummage through a shelf, and finally blow on it. The scene changes, and the names of jobs such as Subjugation, Weeding, and putting on stickers are mentioned one after another. Hachiware mutters big subjugation, then takes a deep breath, tells themself to do their best, and walks away, shown from behind, to end.

Story guide

In front of Chiikawa and Usagi, Hachiware begins talking about something scary with features like ears, whiskers, and teeth. The more Hachiware tries to explain it in words, the more their own imagination grows, and the storyteller gradually becomes frightened too. Chiikawa listens anxiously nearby, while Usagi reacts as usual, so the three do not take it in the same way. No monster actually appears; a shape imagined in the dark grows larger through the conversation. The post does not settle what the story’s subject is or whether it is truly dangerous, ending as Hachiware is carried along by the fear they described.

Story guide

Hachiware takes Chiikawa to a ramen shop and, before they enter, draws attention to the large bowls and amount of toppings. Chiikawa braces themselves before the sign and interior, while Hachiware tries to explain a procedure they seem to know already. Since they have not begun eating, the taste and whether they can finish are still unknown. Simply standing outside gives the impression that more preparation is needed than for an ordinary meal, and Hachiware tries to put Chiikawa at ease. The post serves as an introduction in which Hachiware tells Chiikawa about the distinctive process for ordering ramen.

Story guide

Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi wear pajama-like outfits prepared by Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) and stand together outside at night. Yoroi-san looks at them, taking in that the clothes they made are actually being worn. With light visible in the night sky behind them, the scene is not an indoor fitting but shows the outfits continuing into time spent outside. Rather than discussing the clothes’ details, the three enjoy standing together in matching attire. It does not decide who suits the clothes best or where they are going, remaining a calm moment after trying on the handmade pieces. The post shows Yoroi-san’s handiwork naturally becoming part of the trio’s everyday life.

Story guide

On a path flanked by bushes, Dekatsuyo chases Momonga, shouting to give it back. Momonga flees with a light cry and, even when repeatedly pressured to return it, looks back and refuses with a no, spreading their body to show it off. As Momonga flips over and leaps away, Dekatsuyo fails to catch them and cries out. Having escaped, Momonga smoothly climbs a tree trunk and calls out upon finding a peach-like, peach-colored object among the green leaves. In the end, while the shouts of 'give it back' continue, Momonga holds the peach-colored object in their mouth and bounds away while sucking on it.