Connie 

Episode 3 has mention of an abusive family and home life.

This is the mysterious world of the Gunma Prefecture, where talking animals and humans live together in harmony.
Situated there is Safari City, where many animals live happily every day.

The most famous bakeries in Safari City are without a doubt “West & East,” run by the panda Panta, and “Imperial Bread,” run by the lesser panda Connie!
Panta and Connie have been childhood friends, and while they’re now good rivals, Connie only recently returned to Gunma.
This is what happened before their miraculous reunion.
It’s the story of Connie’s past, leading up to the creation of the glorious Imperial Bread, and his turbulent life.
“Akashiya,” was a major bread maker in Hyogo Prefecture.
The younger Connie worked there.
His skills as a baker were unmatched in Hyogo Prefecture, and at a young age, he had been entrusted with the role of Akashiya’s ace.

“Prince Bread No. 54 is done!”

Connie pulled the bread out of the oven and shouted triumphantly. Immediately, the bakers working nearby stopped what they were doing and gathered around Connie.

“Wow, is that your new creation?”
“Please let me try a bite!”
“No, no, let me have it! Please, Connie!”

The bakers loved Connie’s bread, and every time he made a new batch, they would beg for a taste.
Connie smiled proudly at them and handed out the fluffy loaves, still on the baking sheet, to each of them.

“There’s enough for everyone! Now, dig in.”

Connie said this with full confidence. The bakers all took a bite of the bread at once.

“””Baaaa~~~!! Baaaa~~~!!”””

After swallowing Connie’s bread, the bakers writhed in agony, then all simultaneously began mimicking goats with expressions of ecstasy. After this bizarre scene continued for a while, they all came to their senses.

“Baaaaa, it’s too good~! Did you use goat’s milk!?”
“Ah, yes. Goat’s milk has a unique tang, but if used well, it creates an addictive flavor. I had the chance to try bread from overseas before, so I decided to put the knowledge I gained there to use.”
“T-that’s just like you, Connie!”

As the bakers praised him and savored the bread, Connie shook his head.

“Not yet. My Prince Bread is still far from the ultimate bread…! I need to train much, much more!”

The bakers were impressed by Connie’s burning ambition.
Connie had been putting in extraordinary effort to perfect the ultimate bread.
To the other bakers, it seemed as though Connie had already mastered everything, from ingredients to technique, but he wasn’t satisfied with his level of skill.

“He really is the ace…!! We need to follow his example!”
“Yeah!”

Inspired by Connie’s passion, the bakers became motivated and began making delicious bread of their own, determined not to be outdone.
And so, the quality of the bread at Akashiya improved day by day.

Connie is a baker recognized by many.
He is a confident, ambitious baker with big goals, but he wasn’t always that way.
As a child, Connie lived happily with his family, who ran a bakery in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture.
His father, the shop owner, was a skilled baker and was very much loved by the townspeople. Connie, too, looked up to his father.
But then, one day…

“Why has everyone stopped buying bread…?”

Looking around the empty shop, Connie’s father muttered in dismay.
Suddenly, the number of customers visiting the bakery had plummeted. Upon investigation, the cause was immediately clear.
Near the shop, an Italian worker had opened a pasta restaurant called “Gelico.”
For the residents of Takasaki, who relied on bread as their staple food, pasta was a novel and intriguing dish.
A pasta boom exploded, and eventually, no one bought bread anymore.
The bakeries bore the brunt of this trend, and one after another, the ones in Takasaki closed their doors.
And Connie’s father’s shop was no exception.

“I hear the bakery in Shinmachi has switched to making rusks, but I’m not skilled enough to pull off something like that… It’s all over…”
“Dad…”

In the end, Connie’s father closed his shop.
After that, he moved with his family to Hyogo Prefecture, where his parents lived, as if fleeing.

“In Hyogo, I can still fight.”

Yes, Connie’s father spoke those words of hope, but misfortune continued to pile up.
Due to the shock of the incident in Takasaki, his health began to fail.
With their sole breadwinner falling ill, the family was driven into a desperate situation.
However, this event was merely the prelude to their misfortune.

“Sake! Bring me sake!”
“W-we don’t have any money left for that…”
“What!? Find a way, you fool!”
“Eek!!”
“Stop it, Dad!! Don’t be mean to Mom!”

As they were forced into a life of poverty, destitution and illness began to eat away at Connie’s father’s mind. With his father drowning in alcohol and resorting to daily violence, Connie and his mother had no choice but to spend their days in tears.
Their family life had fallen into such utter chaos that it seemed impossible to recover.
And Connie’s misfortune continued.

“What’s with this fella? He sure talks all fancy.”
“Pfft, what a snob! Don’t get too big for your britches, you poor schmuck! I’ll whoop you, you loser!”
“No, stop… I’m not getting cocky or what…”

…Unable to speak the unique Kansai dialect, coming from a poor family, always gloomy… Connie was being bullied by his classmates for these trivial reasons.
Connie had no place to belong, neither at home nor at school. With no emotional anchor to hold onto, he was driven to the very depths of despair.
One day, amidst those hellish days…
Connie, feeling depressed, was earning money for tuition and living expenses by delivering newspapers as usual.
Since he hadn’t eaten properly, he was pedaling her bike unsteadily when a male brown bear handed him a freshly baked loaf of bread.

“Eat up, kid.”

Connie eyed the bear suspiciously, but his stomach growled loudly.

“There’s no poison. Just eat it already.”
“Ah, thank you… I’ll have some… *munch*”

The moment Connie put the bread in his mouth, his face lit up like a star.

“It’s sooo~~~oooo gooo~~~ood!!?”

Seeing Connie’s face, the bear grinned.

“Exactly. Sweet bread is that good. Delicious bread enriches your life!”

The bear was right. The moment Connie tasted the delicious bread, he felt a warm scene spread before him, an illusion of sitting in front of a fireplace. Connie had long forgotten this taste.

(That’s right! Bread makes people happy…! At least, right now, I’m incredibly happy…!)

Seeing Connie’s blissful smile, the bear nodded contentedly and walked away without giving his name.
A moment later, Connie snapped back to reality and realized he’d forgotten to ask the bear his name, but he was certain he was a renowned baker.

“I’m going to become a baker…! A great baker just like you, sir…!”

Yes, Connie made that firm decision.

“Become a baker.”

With that strong resolve, there was nothing left for Connie to fear.
Connie, now stronger in spirit, fought against both the unforgivable bullying and the unreasonable domestic violence, and emerged victorious.
In the end, they were “weak-hearted bullies who preyed on the weak.”

“I’m strong! I don’t need to let those guys hold me back! I will aim straight for my dream!!”

With newfound confidence, Connie devoted himself to his studies, secured a scholarship, and graduated with honors. He received recommendations from various high schools, but Connie turned them all down.
Because deep in his heart, his dream of becoming a baker had never stopped burning.
To become a skilled baker, Connie knocked on the door of Akashiya, a famous bakery in Hyogo Prefecture.
To join Akashiya, he had to pass a rigorous exam, but for Connie, who had learned the basics of breadmaking from his father and had been a decent red panda in his younger days, it was no difficult task.
After joining Akashiya without issue, Connie quickly began to distinguish himself.
Having developed skills that earned him the reputation as a rising star among young bakers, he was finally granted permission to apprentice under Akashiya’s top baker. His name was Bunzo, and he was a world-renowned master baker.
However, very few people had actually seen him in person.

“Akashiya’s top baker… Just what kind of guy is he…?”

Looking nervous, Connie visited the bakery workshop where the top baker at Akashiya worked.

“…Good to see you.”

Connie was stunned by that familiar voice.

“Oh, you…! You gave me bread back then!!”

To his astonishment, Bunzo was the very one who had inspired Connie to become a baker. The bear who had given him bread when he was a child!

“I never imagined you’d grow up to be this capable… But my training won’t be easy!”
“I’m more than ready for it!”

And so, Connie began his rigorous training under Bunzo’s guidance.

Bunzo’s training was extremely strict and difficult. However, Connie felt that what he gained from it far outweighed the hardships.
In particular, Bunzo’s European-inspired philosophy of bread-making completely changed Connie’s life.

“I never knew there was a way of thinking like this…”
“Bread is still so deep. Even I haven’t fully understood it yet.”
“Not even you, Master…!?”
“Yes, and that’s why I keep researching. Connie, you must continue to master bread as well.”
“Yes, Master!!”

While enduring the rigorous training, Connie steadily honed his skills.
Training that would make an ordinary person run away was nothing Connie couldn’t endure, given his harrowing past.
Before long, his skills had improved to a level that no other baker could match.
Honed by Bunzo’s training, Connie’s discerning eye could accurately pick the best ingredients for bread. And with his honed skills, he carefully crafted each loaf.
The bread Connie made in this way was the culmination of his meticulous craftsmanship.
His bread began to fly off the shelves, and people even began to talk about “Connie at Akashiya”.

“Huh… you’re actually pretty good at this.”

Bunzo said with a smirk, having tasted Connie’s bread.
Having achieved success at Akashiya, Connie used his earnings to repay his mother, who had supported him all along, put his ailing father in the hospital, and was finally able to reconcile with him.
And so, Connie renewed his resolve to pursue his next goal.

“The time has finally come to face my past… no, to overcome it…!”

Having proven his skills, Connie approached his mentor, Bunzo, one day to discuss his plans.

“Master. I want to open my own shop in Takasaki.”
“Takasaki…? Are you serious?”

Connie nodded firmly in response to Bunzo’s hesitant tone.

“I want everyone to remember the taste of bread again. That bread is just as wonderful as pasta…”
“Connie… Is that really your only goal?”
“Huh…?”

Bunzo had seen through Connie’s true intentions.

“I know that Gelico pasta shop ruined your life. With your current skills, you might be able to win back customers. But listen, kid. Revenge will only spoil the taste of bread. It’s nothing but futile…!! Forget it! Forget the past!”
“Why bring up my past…? No, never mind! Please, let me go out on my own! I must do it for my bread to take flight across the world!!”

Facing Connie’s pleading, Bunzo looked deeply troubled.

“…The West Japan Food Contest has a bread category. If you win that, I’ll consider it.”
“The West Japan Food Contest…”
“One who can’t become the champion of West Japan has no chance of conquering Gunma Prefecture, a wheat powerhouse and one of the most fiercely competitive regions for bread in the country. If your resolve is genuine, then prove it.”
“So it’s a trial… I see, Master! I’ll do it!”

With that bold declaration, Connie left his mentor’s side and devoted himself to bread research. Bunzo watched over Connie from the sidelines.

(…Connie. Your bread bears a striking resemblance to what your father used to make. He, too, came within a hair’s breadth of creating the world’s best bread… but lost to world-class pasta… But perhaps, you…!!)

In fact, Bunzo had once been both a close friend and a rival baker to Connie’s father. That was why he knew everything about Connie’s past.
Amidst these conflicting emotions, Connie’s challenge at the West Japan Food Contest begins!

Connie agreed that there was some truth to the conditions his mentor had set.
However, no matter how much he was told that “revenge is futile,” it didn’t resonate with him.

“…I’ll open a shop right in Takasaki, the place that put my family through hell, and become Gunma’s best baker! I won’t lose to some pathetic pasta shop, I’ll make the best bread and win back my customers…!! That is my reason for living! Only after I conquer Takasaki will my new life as a red panda truly begin!”

But to achieve his goal, he first had to win the food contest.
Connie had a good reputation and was reasonably confident, but even so, he believed that winning the contest would be difficult with his current skills.

“What is it? What’s missing from my bread…? What on earth does it take to make the ultimate bread…?”

After thinking through, Connie arrived at a single conclusion.
The finest techniques and the finest ingredients. He realized that the perfect harmony of these two elements was the key to the ultimate bread: Imperial Bread.
Having found the answer, Connie immediately set out on a journey to gather the finest ingredients.
And after a long journey, he succeeded in obtaining the finest ingredients.

“With these, I can make Imperial Bread! I can make bread that no one can beat!!”

Yes, Connie was certain of it.

And as time passed, the day of the West Japan Food Contest finally arrived.

“Don’t lose, Connie!!”
“Make the best bread ever!!”
“We’re rooting for you!!”

Receiving cheers from the bakers at Akashiya, Connie nodded vigorously.

“Of course. I’m not the kind of guy who’d end it here. I’ll show you the results of my training!”

Just as Connie made this bold declaration, a mocking laugh rang out.

“Ha ha ha, what a cocky innocent kid.”
“…So you’re my first-round opponent?”
“That’s right. I’m Kawata. I’m gonna teach you naive Akashiya kid a thing or two about the real world.”
“Hmm… I’m looking forward to that.”

Connie never falls for cheap provocation.
However, he was genuinely curious to see what kind of bread his opponent would make.

(I don’t think my bread will lose… but if his skills are really world-class, I’ll absorb everything I can!)

And so, the battle between Connie and Kawata began. The theme was sweet bread, and the two began cooking.

“Check this out! This is my 324-layer croissant! It’s golden and looks just like a crescent moon! You judges, go ahead and admire the moon! Just kidding, ha ha ha!”

Kawata had created a chocolate croissant, and the judges and audience cheered. Even Bunzo, who was watching, was astonished by its quality.

(324 layers is no easy feat… Can I really win with this cream bun…? All I’ve got with this simple, straightforward bun are the absolute basics…)

As he adjusted the cream bun, Connie’s resolve wavered slightly. But he understood that making changes at this point would only backfire.
Just then, Bunzo’s words flashed through Connie’s mind.

“…Listen. Before you break the mold, first master it perfectly. If you value the basics, results will surely follow. The basis of a cream bun is raising the oven temperature precisely to 200 degrees. That’s all.”

(Ah… I know that well enough, Master. I’ll compete with this bun, made on a solid basis!)

The cream buns that emerged from the oven shone with a beauty that rivaled the radiance of Kawata’s own bread.

“W-what is that bread…! I-it’s just like a full moon…!”

Hearing Kawata’s astonished words, the judges began to agree.

“Hmm. If we’re going to admire the moon, it seems Connie’s bread is the better choice.”
“The taste is wonderful too! The fluffy texture of the bread and the meltingly sweet cream… this is the true taste of a pastry!”

The match ended with a landslide victory for Connie, with a score of 33 to 4.

“What?! There weren’t that many judges, were there?!”
“Results are results. Your world-class bread was quite an inspiration.”

After that, Connie continued to advance smoothly through the contest.

And so, Connie reached the finals. His opponent was none other than Nishino, a master baker from the world-renowned bakery “Kinkajou,” whose skills rivaled Bunzo’s.
He was known as “The Owner of Starry Hands” because his hands glowed like stars when he kneaded dough.
Faced with such a clearly superior opponent, even Connie looked visibly nervous.

“The Owner of Starry Hands, huh… This is going to be a pretty tough challenge…”

But Nishino smiled at Connie.

“No need to be so nervous! We just need to do our very best!”
“Encouraged by my opponent…! So you’re feeling pretty confident, huh?”
“It’s not like that. I just heard you’re Bunzo’s apprentice, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of bread you make!”
“I see… I’m also really looking forward to seeing the bread you make. Let’s settle this.”
“Alright!”

Thanks in part to Nishino, Connie’s nerves were completely calmed, and he tackled the bread-making challenge with all his might.
The theme for the final round was “Specialty”…
It was a simple yet ultimate test of skill: bakers had to create the bread they believed was the most delicious, and whoever could convince the judges would win.

“Now, watch this! This is my life… no, my bread-life!!”

Shouting with conviction, Nishino forcefully pulled a baking sheet out of the oven.
There, resting on the tray, was a bizarre blue sphere that barely resembled bread.

“W-what on earth is this…?”

The judges looked perplexed, but the next moment, they were drooling as they bit into the bread.

“I’m moving here! I’m going to live here! I can’t stay on Earth anymore! I’m going to live on this planet!”

Watching the judges gnaw on the bread while uttering incomprehensible words, Bunzo was taken aback.

“That isn’t just raw bread…! It’s a planet… no, a Bread Planet…! It’s truly the ultimate bread, worthy of being made by the Owner of Starry Hands…!!”

The venue erupted in a murmur at the appearance of a bread so extraordinary it robbed the judges of their sanity.
However, Connie, whose nerves had completely calmed down, was instead burning with fighting spirit.

(As expected of you, Nishino…! But I will surpass your bread!!)

“Prince Bread No. 100…! No, as of this moment, the King ascends the throne!! This is the ultimate bread!! It is the ‘Imperial Bread’ that rules even the stars!”

Connie shouted, holding the freshly baked loaf high into the sky. At that moment, the judges, the audience, and even Bunzo, who had all lost themselves in the moment, unconsciously bowed before him.

“H-h-hold on, what on earth are we doing…! Our bodies are kneeling on their own…!”
“It’s too sacred to eat…! But I just can’t stop wondering what it tastes like…!”

With a smirk, Connie placed the bread into the mouths of the drooling judges.

“WOOOOO! THE UNIVERSE IS HEREEEEEE!!”
“Indeed, this is the taste of an emperor who rules the stars… the taste of the universe…! No other bread can beat this!”

Receiving rave reviews from the judges, Connie won the contest spectacularly.

And so, Connie was able to receive the prestigious award at the contest.

“Connie…! I’m so proud of you, son…!”

Hearing a familiar voice, Connie hurriedly turned toward the audience.

“D-Dad…! And Mom, too…! You were watching, weren’t you…”

Seeing his tearful parents, Connie couldn’t help but cry as well. His mentor nodded at him.

“Kid… no, Connie. You’re ready to fight anywhere now. I’ll grant you your independence.”
“Really…!? Yes, I did it! I’m going to open a shop in Takasaki! And I’ll make it a huge success!! I’m going to say goodbye to my old self!”

As Connie rejoiced, Bunzo handed him a piece of bread. It was the same bread he’d received when they first met.

“Master… what’s this?”
“A parting gift. Eat it.”
“Mmm… Ah, it’s delicious…! Just as I expected from you, Master… It’s too good.”
“I see… If you think my bread is delicious, Connie, you should try to figure out why someday.”
“…? Master… What do you mean?”
“One day, you will understand.”

Connie didn’t quite understand the words his mentor told him at the end, but even so, he set off on the path to independence with a wave of his hand.

And then, the day of departure. Connie finally returned to Takasaki City.

“Takasaki, you drove my father and me away! Gelico Pasta, you’d better be amazed by the taste of my bread!! And bow down like fools! I will conquer your palates and become Japan’s number one baker…! I am the one who will become the Bread Emperor!”

Connie declared his resolve with a loud voice. At that moment, he felt invincible. He was absolutely confident that he could conquer everything with his bread.

“…Still, I can’t let my guard down. I’d better research the famous bakeries in Gunma Prefecture. I wonder what kind of bakeries are out there…”

Connie muttered to himself as he walked through Takasaki City.

…And so, Connie’s story continued into Panta’s story.

• I don’t know if the name of the pasta shop (ジェリコ in original) is a reference to something. I translated it as “Gelico” to make it read/sound like Italian (and because Google gave me a bunch of results with the word “angelico”)

• This is a kinkajou