Kappa no Sanpei

Synopsis

Sanpei is a seven-year-old boy with a lazy streak, and the only thing that truly holds his attention is the school lunch he gets to eat. His classmates often tease him because they say he resembles a Kappa, yet he stays cheerful and seems satisfied with his quiet mountain life alongside his grandfather. Then the school announces a swimming gala, and the grand prize is a fully paid trip to Tokyo. Sanpei decides to take part, hoping to finally see his mother, who he believes has been working in that city for as long as he can remember. The problem is Sanpei isn't much of a swimmer, so he slips away to a nearby lake to train without anyone knowing. A powerful current pulls him under, and he drowns—but instead of dying, he wakes up in the magical world of the Kappa. From there, Sanpei's adventure unfolds. He becomes friends with a Kappa child named Gartaro, and little by little he discovers where his mother truly is and what really happened to his missing father.