Episode 7

**"First Love Disappeared in the Night Fog? It's Not A Sad Dream!!"** is the 7th episode of **Chikkun Takkun**. It originally aired on Fuji TV on June 4, 1984.

## Synopsis

When Miko has to sew a plush doll for a school art project, she asks Chikkun to pretend to be a doll. Her "entry" is so popular that it wins a school prize and is added to a citywide art gallery. Dr. Bell decides to bring a penguin doll to life in a scheme to break Chikkun's heart.

## Characters

* Miko Nanda
* Chikkun Duck
* Maki
* Meko
* Mukko
* Giji-Giji
* Dr. Bell
* Mother Superior
* Penko
* Moko
* Takkun Hat
* Mechatan

## Plot summary

One night, at 11:55PM to be exact, Miko is up late trying to sew something for homework. Chikkun comes down to her room to visit, curious about Miko is working on. Reluctantly, Miko shows him a plush doll that she tried to make look like Chikkun. Chikkun remarks that it looks like a kaiju, leaving Miko miffed. When Miko explains she needs to make a doll for a school-wide contest, Chikkun declares that he could pretend to be a doll instead. He regrets this at first, but after a kiss from Miko, he takes on the challenge.

The next day, all the girls in Miko's class are showing each other the dolls they made. Miko reluctantly shows the Kyunkyuns her "doll", Chikkun, but he catches the attention of Miko's classmates and becomes very popular. When Miko leaves for P.E. class, Chikkun gets hungry, and sneaks out to the home economics classroom. He begins to eat his fill until he trips and falls, startling the cooking students. Chikkun quickly pretends to be a doll; the students assume he's just a doll someone threw through the window. One of the girls licks soup off of Chikkun, and they place him on a shelf. Giji-Giji happens to be nearby, spying on Chikkun with a live camera for Dr. Bell. Dr. Bell assumes Chikkun is in the middle of a womanizing bender, and vows revenge.

Later that day, Miko is horrified to see Chikkun win first place in the plush doll contest. This means he will soon spend a day in an art gallery where she can't help him. During class, Miko is congratulated by her teacher, Mother Superior, but decides she must admit Chikkun is alive and an extraterrestrial. Chikkun doesn't want to stop being a doll quite yet, and Miko is punished by having to take confessional.

That evening on the Nazumar, Dr. Bell sews together a bright pink penguin doll. He and Giji-Giji perform a series of voodoo rituals to bring it to life, and after a bolt of lightning hits the Nazumar, the penguin comes to life as Penko. Dr. Bell and Giji-Giji break into the art gallery and teach Penko about her mission: meet Chikkun tomorrow night, lure him to a dance party, and then somehow break his heart. However, Bell isn't sure how permanent the voodoo magic is, so he is unsure if Penko will stay enchanted past the next few days. Penko reluctantly agrees.

Chikkun spends the next day frozen in place at the art gallery. That evening after closing time, he takes the opportunity to move around, and soon spots Penko. After poking her arm, she reacts, startling Chikkun. Penko reassures Chikkun that all the dolls are alive; Dr. Bell and Giji-Giji complete another voodoo ritual on the roof that brings all the dolls in the gallery room to life. Penko tells Chikkun that this is a special night where all toys come to life after children go to sleep.

The Kyunkyuns break into the art gallery to check on Chikkun, but stumble right into the room full of living dolls. Chikkun introduces the Kyunkyuns as his friends, and they become the dolls' chaperones. Miko distracts the art gallery security guard and the group heads out. While cutting through a park, the group is hit with bright lights and music; Dr. Bell emerges in a suit and hat, asking Miko for a date to the dance party. Giji-Giji acts as Bell's hype man, giving Miko a bouquet as an offering, and telling her about all the kinds of dances Dr. Bell can do. Miko tosses away the bouquet as Maki tells the group to keep moving. As they walk by, Penko excitedly thanks Dr. Bell for all the friends she's made.

Humiliated, Dr. Bell swears revenge. He has the Waruchin create an army of malevolent golden action figures, the Super Alloy Mega Goondans, and unleashes them on the dance party. The Kyunkyuns and Mechatan fend them off and away from the dolls, while the Menfo and Nazumar engage in combat over the city. The Nazumar is knocked into a transformer station and pumped with electricity, which also deactivates the Goondans. The plush dolls decide to move into the night, off to a place they can form a village. Penko almost tells Chikkun the truth about how she's alive, but stops, running after the dolls into the morning mist. Chikkun stops her, telling her he had fun at the party with her. Penko thanks him, and waves goodbye as she runs away.

That morning, Chikkun mourns Penko's departure with a glass of milk, while Mechatan sleeps and Takkun plays piano. Chikkun thinks about the past night for a long while; he realized he was happy to have met Penko at all, and proposes a toast to her. The episode ends with Chikkun beginning to slowly cheer up, thinking about where Penko may be now, while Takkun finishes playing his song.

## Allusions

The Super Alloy Mega Goondans that Dr. Bell unleashes upon the dance party are parodies of the RX-78-2 Gundam from the 1979 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.

The final scene of this episode is a partial reference to an especially iconic scene from the 1942 American film *Casablanca*. This moment features the film's main character, Rick, pondering with a drink when his ex-girlfriend comes into his bar, while his friend and employee Sam plays the piano.

Penko is modelled after the Suntory penguins, which appeared in animated commercials for Suntory Beer. The commercials were fairly popular and even featured music by Seiko Matsumoto and Tatsuro Yamashita. In 1986, Penko would go on to appear as a major character in Konami's Penguin Adventure. This Penko has an identical design and name, with the only difference being her differently-patterned bows.