Giant Cows in Space Pastures

Giant Cows in Space Pastures

Manga Chapter 2-5

TV Episode 21 (First Half)

Manga Chapter Summary:

As we begin the chapter we are told that in this world there are holes in which you can see space, and falling into them will make you travel through the universe. Men survive by adapting their bodies and minds to this environment, the only way to survive in space. The 999 approaches a planet that looks like a giant pumpkin with holes pierced in it. The 999 travels right through the hole, revealing that people have settled on the inner rim of the planet. Maetel says this is the Hollow Planet, Valera. The holes on the external surface of the planet allow people to get in and out, and the gravity inside pushes you to the outside for some reason. Tetsuro and Maetel get off at the station, and Maetel describes it as standing on top of the internal surface of a giant ball. 

 

Tetsuro and Maetel both feel hot and strip down. Maetel claims she is going to swim in the sky and starts doing so, encouraging Tetsuro to join along with her. They have fun flying through the air, but Maetel tells Tetsuro to be careful of the cows and pigs. Tetsuro soon runs into one of the cows, which are giant and round in size. Maetel says they breed animals here for their meat and are bred to have their flesh spread uniformly around the animal, causing the weird shape. Tetsuro soon sees some other farm animals cross by like pigs and a chicken. A cowboy passes by and grabs Tetsuro, trying to obtain his 999 pass. Meanwhile Maetel gets swarmed by a bunch of the giant cows. The cowboy punches Tetsuro, sending him sailing towards one of the holes on the planet’s exterior. Maetel is able to rush to his safety and tells Tetsuro to draw his weapon. 

 

Maetel tells Tetsuro the locals aren’t bad people, but are kind of rude. The planet is thriving due to the export of the animals bred here, but Tetsuro realizes they still have some desire to leave, considering the attempt to steal his pass. The two of them get back into their clothes. Maetel tells Tetsuro that those who stay here for long find their bodies becoming round to adapt to the environment. Tetsuro realizes that even on a planet like this that is thriving, the 999 pass is too expensive. He asks Maetel why she gave him such a valuable item and she says he’ll understand soon enough, but to not ask anymore for now. 

 

TV Episode Summary:

With a rather brief storyline, this is another instance where 2 manga chapters of differing stories were included in a single episode. The TV adaption sees some minor amendments. The Conductor is involved with Maetel’s explanation of Valera, pulling out a map of the planet for them before they land. We see several other trains exiting the planet as they approach. The cowboys call Tetsuro and Maetel cattle thieves in the episode, and after Maetel saves Tetsuro from falling out of the planet, the cowboys quickly depart. Maetel plays it off as them not really being serious about trying to take Tetsuro’s pass. As a result the dialogue about the pass being expensive even for those on this planet is dropped. Finally, we have a brief sequence where Tetsuro imagines himself and Maetel being fat from living on this planet.

TV Episode Cast:

Tetsuro Hoshino – Masako Nozawa

Maetel – Masako Ikeda

Conductor – Kaneta Kimotsuki

Cowboy A – Masaharu Itou

Cowboy B – Kouji Totani

Narrator – Hitoshi Takagi

Non-Spoiler Analysis:

This is an exceedingly basic chapter, and one that goes by quite quickly with several pages featuring the landscape but having little dialogue. The hollow planet visited by Tetsuro and Maetel is an interesting concept; people live on the inner rim of the planet and rather than gravity forcing one inward, it forces them outward! This also results in the shapes of both the animals and the people living there to expand greatly, as if they are exceedingly fat. Tetsuro and Maetel get to swim around on the planet and have some fun for a little bit but are quickly disturbed by some of the locals. 

 

It was incredibly frustrating to see yet again Matsumoto returning to the story of someone trying to steal Tetsuro’s pass although at least this time it was over with quickly and they weren’t actually able to steal it. It goes to show how expensive a 999 pass is that even on a well to do planet like this, people want to steal it from Tetsuro. So what that is telling me is that this will likely continue to be a plot point for a long time. Sigh. The repeated usage of this plot is probably my only recurring complaint with what has been an enjoyable reading/viewing experience thus far.