Moyashimon = Hooker Scientists and A. Niger?
Posted by 0rion on November 17th, 2007 - 5:30 pm
Haruka-neesan is amazing! Oops wait, wrong show…
But wow, Moyashimon’s Haruka couldn’t possibly be more different from the eldest of the three Minami sisters. Fortunately it still makes for great entertainment. 
In episode 3 she goes into full femdom mode and lays the smack down on Misato and Kawahama.
Also, this week’s Moyashimon equation was partly inspired by Jesus159159159’s comment on our first Moyashimon post. Thanks! 
Her comparison of Tadayasu to the school’s $3 million dollar electron microscope is underselling him rather a lot, I daresay. What electron microscope do you know that can identify microbes from several meters away, or isolate individual strains with a single, squishy pluck? 
I instantly recognized this “dish”, the Honofe (not sure of the Korean name, I know hwae naeng myun is a marinated skate dish, but I think that’s something different), as I remembered seeing it on one of those random Japanese variety shows last year. It basically consisted of two Japanese guys traveling around the country with a little electronic “smell-o-meter”, trying to find the most pungent cuisine in all of Japan. The winner proved to be this fermented skate, a traditional Korean delicacy.
In the TV show, they filmed the chefs cracking open the fermenting jar, followed by all of the restaurant’s waitresses and patrons running out the door screaming, “OMG THE SMELL!!” (In Korean and Japanese, of course). These are Asians, mind you, who normally don’t so much as bat an eyelash at food that would cause the typical Westerner to go into seizures. If this stuff is potent enough to make them start running for the hills, I can’t imagine how horrible it must be.
Of course the guys on the TV show, being the intrepid culinary adventurers that they were, ate it and loudly declared it to be “UMAI!” (delicious), tasting nothing like the horrible smell that had driven away everyone within a 500 foot radius. I don’t know if they were serious or not, but if that was acting it was an Oscar worthy performance.
Meet Oikawa Hazuki. What a way to introduce a new character. >_>
I can’t imagine what sort of person would attend a school that required you to partake in preparing some obscenely pungent fermented fish as an academic prerequisite. In fact, one of the things that I’ve been wondering throughout this series is how on earth they get their funding. I mean the brewing of sake I can understand but fermented skate is a bit much, don’t you think?
I mean, the creature looks like it’s making a frowny face - that in and of itself is enough to make me cringe, but then tack on the abominable stench. I mean…just what is going on in Korea? I’ve had kimchi and rather enjoyed it for the most part but how do these sorts of things become delicacies? I think that’s actually the crux of it. The more unimaginably bizarre and repulsive a dish is, the more posh and elitist are the consumers of said dish.
The true identity of the Anti-Spiral is revealed!
Awww… T_T
OH NOES!! The poor microbes! What has science done??
This series really has a way of making you sympathize with…mold, of all things. I mean, granted they can spread disease and destroy foodstuffs, but they’re just so darn cute!
*gasp* “You soulless witch, how could you slaughter the poor Oryzae-tans like that?”
And then it dawned on me…
I’m shouting in indignation at a fictitious cartoon female character for destroying adorable dancing colonies of mold and bacteria. Congratulations anime, you’ve taken the last fragile shred of my sanity and hygiene. I hope you’re happy.
For once, a wardrobe change for Haruka!
What a great explanation! Not only did I learn a great deal about the sake brewing process, but it was actually entertaining! That’s gotta be a first.
Honestly, after seeing this I think every science curriculum needs to be updated to teach this way.
“We’re changing starch into sugar!”
“I ate the sugar and alcohol came out!”
I just can’t get over how hilarious and freakishly cute this is. They even chant what they’re doing while they work! Seriously, where was this stuff when I was in school??
I actually had no idea that traditional sake was prepared this way. Somehow I just can’t see this going over well on Martha Stewart - “Then just moisten the rice with your own saliva for seasoning…*spit*”
Hasegawa’s reaction was pretty hilarious, though.
Multikill with a wooden dipping ladle? That’s gotta be some kind of new record. I love the reactions of everyone in the background.
Honestly, I’m surprised Hazuki hasn’t taken off running after everything she’s been through today. Makes me wonder if maybe she’s hiding some kind of bizarre eccentricity herself.
And Professor Itsuki redeems the rather unfavorable reputation of the dubious duo.
Personally, I was happy to see things turn in this direction. I had thought the two might just be throw away comedic relief characters, but it appears as though they’ll have a more prominent role.
Things just keep getting more interesting and more strange, Moyashimon is definitely a winner.
This week’s Microbe Theater was also a winner.
Yes, they’re black microbes with dreads and deep voices, scientific name asperillus niger, or just A. Niger for short. No, I’m not going to make any jokes about it. >_>
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Also, on an unrelated note, congratulations to Epic Win Blog on 50 posts. Woohoo!
That dish is called Hongeohoe. Its description is “fermented skate fish”. Digging around, hwae naeng myun seems to be Hongeohoe (or just raw, unfermeted skate?) with noodles. Also, according to some blogs of those who have tried it, it is surprisingly delicious, if you can get over the smell, that is. ^^;
@ Fortman
Thanks for great explanation! Yeah, those guys in the TV program acted like it tasted really good, and I have had dishes that smelled a lot worse than they tasted, so I can kind of believe it.
Being a Thai, I understand. We event have fermented fish menus ourselves, and many of our dishes/fruits are known to be fata…repugnant to foreigners. (durian, for example)
Asperillus niger has dreads because it’s a mold and it buds. It’s black because it’s named “niger” which means “black”.
I have watched all of the four episodes available at this moment in one shot (Impatiently waiting for the ones to come right now!) and I’ve become a huge fan of this series.
I just love how those microbes move and express themselves, even the deadly bacteria are attaching. They are the true main characters of this show!
Random notes: I didn’t see Hazuki wearing any gloves when she was carrying that skate. Weird thing when considering her definite hatred for germs.
And Haruka, a dominatrix? I was sure of it!
Let’s make sake! But still, by chewing and spitting rice, I’ll pass on that part… I am not interested in drinking “old-school sake” either (I can’t stand alcohol anyway).
And yes Orion, if science at school reached a new level by becoming like this, this would be wonderful! But labs would be filled with quite a mess.
Fortman, each time I catch the smell of durian, you can see me run for cover. Makes quite a destructive weapon and I still don’t trust people when they say it’s a delicacy.
@ mangaka-chan
Yeah yeah, I know, but you have to admit it’s still kind of funny.
@ D_Blade
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the show. We keep blogging it hoping more people will be encouraged to pick it up. The microbes really are the main attraction at this show.
As for Hazuki not wearing gloves…that is a bit strange; she probably just didn’t realize the thing was covered in microbes.
OH EM GEE!!! I’M FAMOUS *does a gangsta dance*!!! I’m glad I finally got a chance to catch up on your posts! I thought I was dreaming when I saw my name mentioned in your post! heh, thanks for the mention
but I’m pretty sure you’re the one who came up with Hooker Scientists. See:
“Hmm…I see the problem…you really need to change into something that makes you look more like a scientist and less like a hooker.”
All I did was combine the two words. Btw, that thing in the forth screenshot reminds me of this baby Goron from Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask who had a similarly shaped head… just sayin
lol, nevertheless your reaction was what inspired the title, so I gave credit where credit was due.
Konata hereby awards you a “Good Job”.