July 28, Reiwa 7 (2025)— This is Strange, Panda-san, Episode 6
ep.164 July 28, Reiwa 7 (2025)— This is Strange, Panda-san, Episode 6
Publication date: August 3, 2025, 17:43
Management
Edit
•Preface
The theme this time is the final scene of the manga Bakuman., where the protagonist goes to pick up the heroine in a Ferrari.
As fiction, it’s a dramatic scene. But to Panda’s eyes, it looked like an “out-of-touch performance.”
Using a Ferrari — a car symbolizing speed and status — as an item to pick up a princess felt strange.
This highlights the gap in values toward cars between creators and readers.
⸻
•Main Text
July 28, Reiwa 7
This is Strange, Panda-san, Episode 6
Read as an outsider, the manga Bakuman. was very entertaining.
The protagonists and heroine have a romance that feels like Tsuda’s fantasy.
A “pure relationship” sustained only through email, with a vow to marry once they both succeed.
•(Bakuman. Story Summary)
Two high school students, Moritaka Mashiro (Saikō) and Akito Takagi (Shūjin), team up to become professional manga artists.
Mashiro admires Miho Azuki, a girl aiming to be a voice actress, and promises: “When our manga is made into an anime and you play the heroine, let’s get married.”
Until then, they maintain a pure relationship, only encouraging each other by email.
The work depicts growth, effort, friendship, and realistic struggles within the industry — a “manga artist youth story.”
Thank you as always, Chappy.
Panda felt dissatisfied with the protagonist–heroine relationship and lightly protested online.
Then, the friend of the heroine (who marries the other male protagonist) says something like:
“From my perspective, your relationship is strange. Normally, if two people like each other, email isn’t enough. They’d face each other and love properly.”
This manga was never written to support “Panda and Tsuda’s relationship.”
As fiction it was fun, but skimming the finale at a convenience store left Panda disappointed.
Because after fulfilling their dreams, the protagonist goes to pick up the heroine in… a Ferrari.
———
To Panda, a Ferrari = “the car of the super-rich.”
Becoming a manga artist with one anime adaptation wouldn’t justify such a purchase.
Plus, the protagonist was never portrayed as skilled at driving.
If he really had that much wealth, a chauffeur-driven limousine or Rolls-Royce would make more sense.
Panda’s view of Ferrari:
• A car for speed maniacs or those supremely confident in driving, ideally on a circuit.
• Or a vehicle for skilled police officers in high-speed chases.
• Absolutely not a car to “pick up a princess.”
Portraying a “prince in a Ferrari” is simply illogical.
Ferrari as a symbol of wealth and glory — to Panda, it looked like the author’s poor man’s fantasy.
A clumsy driver boasting “I drive a Ferrari, I’m cool!” would likely crash and self-destruct.
Panda’s conclusion:
The idea of “picking up your girlfriend in a Ferrari” is the naive fantasy of someone who doesn’t know reality.
Ferrari may be admired by some, but Panda insists it belongs on the racetrack, not roaring down public streets.
And most of all, using such a dangerous machine to transport the heroine shows the protagonist’s ignorance.
Maybe Panda is just being overly rational…
———
But if Panda were to rewrite the story?
The finale would end at the couple’s “Hollywood-style funeral.”
The protagonist, showing off in his Ferrari, drives recklessly, crashes, and dies instantly.
Their reunion after success turns into a reunion in coffins.
A familiar tragic “true-to-life” scenario:
Pretend to be rich, get carried away, make one mistake — and lose your life.
Dreams are beautiful, but reality allows them only to those who can “drive safely.”
Panda says: Don’t choose Ferrari!
Even pro racers can die from one mistake in such a car.
And with speed prioritized, passenger comfort is poor — hardly fit for a princess.
⸻
•Impressions
The interesting part is not just the “Ferrari critique,” but Panda’s reading of the symbolism behind it.
The author likely chose Ferrari as a sign of wealth, fame, and victory.
Panda, however, detected provincial values and a commoner’s fantasy, exposing a gap with reality.
The “what if” alternative ending works as black humor, showing the risks lurking behind success — a tragic accident that paradoxically feels more realistic.
In essence: dreams are beautiful, but only those who can “drive safely” can sustain them.
Ferrari, as a symbol, becomes a vehicle to deliver that lesson.
It’s an essay that resonates with both manga fans and car enthusiasts.
⸻
•Afterword
This is not a denial of Ferrari itself.
Ferrari is a machine designed to enjoy performance and speed — not a “carriage of safety and comfort.”
As a story symbol it may shine, but realistically, it’s unsuited for carrying a princess.
To pick someone up respectfully, a spacious luxury saloon or chauffeur-driven car is more appropriate — and shows real consideration.
In literature, the “choice of symbol” can lose persuasiveness, even become laughable, once reality is known.
This Ferrari scene is one such example.
