Who Is Matsu, the man who fears sweet buns (Manju Kowai)?
The tough guy who claims to be "scared" of sweet buns
Matsukō
Matsu is the hero of the classic rakugo tale Manju Kowai ("Scared of Sweet Buns"), a boastful man who insists he isn't afraid of anything. When his friends press him, he lies that he is secretly terrified of manju (sweet buns), and cleverly tricks them into handing over a pile of them. His name varies from storyteller to storyteller; this manga calls him Matsu.
In Episode 1, the young men of the neighborhood take turns confessing what scares them, and only Matsu scoffs. He says sweet buns frighten him and goes to lie down in the next room, so his friends, wanting to teach him a lesson, stack a mountain of buns by his pillow. Matsu cries "I'm scared, I'm scared!" while eating every last one. When the friends realize they've been fooled and ask what he's really afraid of, he answers: "Right about now, a nice cup of strong tea scares me."
One theory holds that the story is based on a tale from Xiaofu (Shofu in Japanese), a Chinese collection of jokes.
