Anpan: Season 1, Episode 22 - Episode 22 (2025)

Takashi confesses to Chihiro that he wants to live by painting instead of becoming a doctor, warning Chihiro not to tell his uncles.

Hiroshi, standing at the entrance to the room, overhears and says, "If you make that loud voice, we can hear you."

Hiroshi confronts Takashi, saying, "That's not realistic. You can't make a living from painting."

Hiroshi advises Takashi, "If that's the case, you have no choice but to come to terms with reality. You could make a living from designing... maybe."

Hiroshi asks Takashi, "If you could draw illustrations for books or advertisements. No, I can't say for sure. Maybe you could. Are you ready to bet your life on 'maybe'?"

Takashi answers "Yes" with a serious look on his face.

Hiroshi encourages him, saying, "Okay, Taka, go to art school. It's the path you've chosen. You take responsibility for it."

Takashi bows deeply and says, "Thank you, uncle."

Takashi apologizes to his aunt Chiyoko, saying, "Auntie, I'm sorry for being a brother who doesn't listen to what you say."

Hiroshi lightly remarks, "That's true," and lightens the mood.

Encouraged by Hiroshi, Takashi decides to take the entrance exam for art school.

Takashi finds out that he has a math exam coming up, which he is not good at, and becomes troubled.

At the same time, Nobu is busy washing her senior's laundry while encouraging Usako, who has started to cry and complain.

Kuroi, the homeroom teacher, appears and tells Nobu, "Be strong for the sake of your country."

Nobu returns to the Asada family for the first time in a month.

Takashi tells Nobu that he plans to make a living by painting.

Iwao visits Asada Bread and says to Ranko, "On your days off from the post office, come help out at the bakery. I'm impressed."

Ranko responds coldly to Iwao's approach.

In episode 22 of Anpan season 1, Takashi decides to pursue painting full-time, receives Uncle Hiroshi's tough but supportive encouragement to attend art school, apologizes to his aunt, and the family lightens the mood together.

Now, let me narrate the ending of this episode scene by scene, as it unfolds in the quiet tension of the family home, capturing every moment leading to Takashi's resolved path forward.

The scene opens in the dim entranceway of the Asada family home late in the evening. Takashi stands in the doorway of a side room, his face pale and shoulders hunched from the weight of his confession moments earlier to Chihiro. He has just whispered his dream to live by painting instead of medicine, begging her not to tell the uncles. Chihiro's eyes widen in surprise, her hand frozen midway to her mouth. But before she can respond, Hiroshi appears at the entrance to the room, his tall frame blocking the lantern light, arms crossed over his chest. His voice cuts through the air sharply: "If you make that loud voice, we can hear you." Takashi freezes, his breath catching, while Chihiro steps back, her face flushing with worry.

Hiroshi strides forward into the room, his footsteps heavy on the wooden floor, pulling Takashi aside to confront him directly. Face to face under the hanging light, Hiroshi's expression hardens as he says, "That's not realistic. You can't make a living from painting." Takashi meets his uncle's gaze, fists clenched at his sides, his jaw set in quiet defiance. Hiroshi paces a step, then softens his tone just enough to advise, "If that's the case, you have no choice but to come to terms with reality. You could make a living from designing... maybe." He pauses, leaning in closer, eyes piercing. "If you could draw illustrations for books or advertisements. No, I can't say for sure. Maybe you could. Are you ready to bet your life on 'maybe'?" Takashi stands taller, sweat beading on his forehead, and after a long silence, nods firmly. "Yes," he says, his voice steady and serious, eyes locked on Hiroshi's.

Hiroshi exhales deeply, a flicker of pride crossing his stern features. He claps Takashi on the shoulder firmly and declares, "Okay, Taka, go to art school. It's the path you've chosen. You take responsibility for it." Takashi bows deeply from the waist, his head nearly touching his knees, voice thick with gratitude: "Thank you, uncle." He turns to Chiyoko, who has entered the room quietly, her apron still dusted with flour from the kitchen, standing with hands clasped tightly. "Auntie, I'm sorry for being a brother who doesn't listen to what you say," Takashi says, bowing to her as well. Chiyoko's eyes glisten, but she nods silently, a small smile breaking through her concern.

Hiroshi glances at Chiyoko, then back at Takashi, and lightens the heavy air with a casual remark: "That's true." A ripple of relieved laughter escapes the group--Chihiro covers her mouth, Chiyoko chuckles softly, and even Takashi straightens with a faint grin. The camera pulls back as they gather closer, the room filling with the warm glow of acceptance, the screen fading to credits on this pivotal family turning point.

Here is the fate of each main character involved in this episode's ending: Takashi commits to art school to pursue painting professionally, taking full responsibility for his dream despite the risks. Uncle Hiroshi fully endorses Takashi's choice after initial realism, acting as the tough mentor who pushes him forward. Chiyoko receives Takashi's apology and witnesses the family's support, her role as nurturing aunt affirmed. Chihiro, having heard the confession, remains part of the supportive circle but stays silent in the resolution.

No, there is no post-credit scene in "Anpan," Season 1, Episode 22 produced in 2025. The episode concludes directly with the main narrative's emotional finale, as detailed in viewer recaps and reviews of the broadcast.

The story wraps up with Nobu (Mio Imada) reading Anpanman to children in a warm, sunlit room filled with their eager faces and scattered picture books, her voice soft and nostalgic, conveying her deep maternal pride and lingering worries about the future. Takashi (Takumi Kitamura), arriving with a gentle stride, his face weathered yet radiant with quiet fulfillment, is mobbed by the kids who shout "It's Anpanman's teacher!" in pure delight, their small hands tugging at his clothes; he kneels, eyes misty with gratitude, thanking them for loving Anpanman before leading a heartfelt rendition of the "Anpanman March," his baritone voice cracking slightly with emotion as the children join in, their innocence amplifying his internal resolve to protect dreams. Nobu watches from the doorway, her heart swelling with love and bittersweet tears welling up, whispering to herself, "Anpanman, you're such a kind person, go and protect everyone's dreams," her smile trembling as she wipes her eyes, feeling the weight of their shared life's triumphs over poverty and hardship.

The scene shifts to Nobu and Takashi walking side by side down a peaceful path lined with blooming cherry trees, their backs to the camera symbolizing unity and forward momentum; Nobu, gripping his hand tightly with fingers calloused from years of toil, says softly, "Taka is our Anpanman," her voice laced with unwavering devotion and relief at their enduring bond despite illnesses and separations. They walk hand in hand, shoulders brushing in comfortable intimacy, as the camera pans upward to a vast blue sky where a fluffy white cloud unmistakably shaped like Anpanman's round face drifts lazily, evoking Takashi's creative legacy soaring freely. Narrator Risa Hayashida's calm, reflective voiceover intones, "Anpanman is flying somewhere in the sky today as well," capturing the couple's transcendent love and courage, before Nobu and Takashi utter a simple, hopeful "Let's go," their silhouettes fading into the horizon as the screen gently fades to black, leaving viewers with a profound sense of closure and inspiration drawn from the real Yanase couple's resilient spirit.

Social media reactions poured in immediately after the September 26, 2025, airing, with fans overwhelmed by the "nearly two-person performance," tearful for 15 minutes straight, praising the raw portrayal of spousal love that motivated Nobu and Takashi through war, poverty, and creative struggles to birth Anpanman as "irreversible justice," confirming no additional content followed this poignant end.

In Episode 22 Takashi's decision to take the art-school entrance exam is driven by a long-building, earnest desire to make a living from painting rather than follow a conventional profession; he confesses this to his friend Chihiro and is visibly conflicted about disappointing his family and the practical risks involved. Hiroshi's intervention is the pivotal catalyst: he overhears Takashi, confronts him with blunt realism ("You can't make a living from painting"), then reframes the choice into a test of commitment, asking whether Takashi is willing to stake his life on a hopeful 'maybe' and to take responsibility for his chosen path; when Takashi answers "Yes" with a solemn seriousness, Hiroshi gives explicit encouragement -- "Okay, Taka, go to art school. It's the path you've chosen" -- which transforms Takashi's private longing into an actionable decision to apply for art school.

In Episode 22 Nobu continues to struggle with the rigid, militaristic atmosphere of the women's normal school: she and her friend Usako are frightened by the strict homeroom teacher Yukiko Kuroi and by domineering seniors, and Nobu ends up performing domestic tasks such as washing a senior's laundry while trying to comfort a crying Usako. Kuroi's appearance intensifies pressure on Nobu when the teacher invokes national duty -- telling her to "Be strong for the sake of your country" -- which underscores the emotional strain Nobu feels as she navigates institutional discipline and the conflict between imposed expectations and her personal conscience.

When Takashi returns to the Asada family for the first time in a month he announces to his relatives at Asada Bread that he intends to make a living by painting, a confession delivered calmly but firmly that shocks and unsettles the household. The scene is emotionally textured: Takashi's declaration follows an intimate family setting, and his aunt Chiyoko receives an apology from him for being a son who hasn't listened; Hiroshi's earlier encouragement gives Takashi the courage to speak openly, and the family's mix of dismay, tenderness, and reluctant empathy frames this turning point in his arc.

In Episode 22 Iwao visits Asada Bread and, noting Ranko's efforts, suggests she help at the bakery on her days off from the post office -- an overture that carries both admiration and an implied invitation into closer involvement with the family business. Ranko's response is described as cold: she reacts reservedly rather than warmly to Iwao's proposal, signaling either emotional distance, personal reservations about mixing work and relationships, or unresolved feelings that make her cautious about accepting his suggestion.

The concrete obstacle introduced in Episode 22 is that the art-school entrance requires a math exam component, and Takashi is not confident in his mathematics skills, which unsettles his plan to enroll. He confronts this practical barrier by relying on the moral and practical encouragement from Hiroshi (who presses him to commit and consider alternative applied paths like design), and by resolving--emotionally if not shown in step-by-step study scenes--to pursue the exam despite his weakness, demonstrating his willingness to accept real risk in service of his artistic ambition.

No, "Anpan" Season 1 Episode 22 is not family-friendly for children or sensitive viewers.

This NHK Asadora morning drama is a live-action series for general audiences, focusing on adult themes like war horrors, militarism, personal loss, and post-war struggles in the lives of Anpanman creator Takashi Yanase and his wife Nobu Komatsu. Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects include depictions of wartime trauma (e.g., violence, death, ideological indoctrination), emotional family conflicts, and historical hardships that could distress kids or those sensitive to real-life suffering. No cartoonish or kid-oriented content like the Anpanman series itself.