Happy Hiro

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“Please, Thomas! I would like this to STOP!”

― Hiro

Happy Hiro is the seventh episode of the fifteenth season.

Plot

Thomas sees that Hiro is unhappy so Thomas asks Charlie to tell Hiro a joke, but even Charlie's joke is not enough to make Hiro smile! Later, Thomas meets Hiro at the Search and Rescue Centre, still looking sad. Thomas asks Hiro why he is feeling so sad. Hiro replies that he is missing his home in Japan. Thomas thinks he knows how to cheer up the old engine and they set off through the Misty Island Tunnel and out onto Misty Island. First Thomas show Hiro the Hollow Tree Tunnel. Some birds fly close to Hiro, making him smile, but Thomas is not thinking of the birds and tells Hiro that steaming through the tunnel will make him happy, but it does not. Hiro tells Thomas that it is time for him to puff quietly, but Thomas disagrees.

Next Thomas takes Hiro to the Misty Island seashore. Hiro is impressed by the view of the sea, but Thomas wants to take Hiro somewhere else that he thinks will make the old, wise engine happy. The two engines clatter all over the island until they come to a stop where Hiro tells Thomas he thinks it is time to puff quietly. Thomas has other ideas and takes Hiro to the Logging Station. The usual chaos is happening at the Logging Station; logs are flying everywhere! Suddenly, Hiro smiles - the Jobi logs remind him of home and where there are Jobi logs, there must be Jobi trees. Thomas does not think that visiting Jobi trees is very cheerful; he wants to stay with the Logging Locos who are the most fun of all. All of the chaos soon upsets Hiro. He blows his whistle and orders Thomas to make it stop! Thomas is sad, he realises now that whilst trying to make Hiro happy, he has done the exact opposite.

So Thomas goes with Hiro to do all of the things he had not before. First, the pair visit the seashore to gaze at the sea. Then they visit the Hollow Tree Tunnel where the birds settle peacefully on Hiro. Finally, Thomas takes Hiro to the Jobi Woods. This makes Hiro very happy indeed and the old engine assures Thomas that he is not a "silly engine", he is a very kind friend.

Characters

Thomas
Percy
Hiro
Charlie
Bash and Dash
Ferdinand
Ol' Wheezy
Hee-Haw
Gordon (cameo)
James (cameo)
Toby (cameo)
Henrietta (cameo)
Rocky (cameo)
Harold (cameo)
Captain (cameo)
Cranky (cameo)
The Teacher (cameo)
The Bird Watcher (cameo)
The Laundry Lady (cameo)

Locations

Trivia

In Norway this episode is called "Hiro is Homesick". The German title is "Fortunately Hiro".
Nick Jr. UK incorrectly lists this episode as "Happy Hero".

Goofs

A brakevan should have been added to Percy's train.
When Thomas and Hiro arrive at the Logging Station, Bash and Ferdinand are facing away from them, but when the Logging Locos say hello, Bash and Ferdinand are facing towards Thomas and Hiro.
Hiro's tail lamp does not turn on as he and Thomas enter the Misty Island tunnel.
When the camera first zooms out on Thomas at the begining of the episode, he is seen passing a signal. The signal is in a position to control traffic going in the opposite way of Thomas' direction, two of which control directly the line he is using. But all the signals are green when he passes. In real life, the signals on Thomas' line shoud've have been at 'Danger', as if an engine had the green before Thomas arrived there, they would assume it was all clear. But if Thomas is on said line, then a major accident could occur.
Thomas incorrectly states that Hiro is older and wiser. The incorrect part is that Hiro's basis wasn't built until 1936 while Thomas was on Sodor by 1915. So Hiro is much younger than Thomas, Edward, Skarloey, Rheneas, Duke and many other steam engines on the Island.

Merchandise

Books - Happy Hiro